Joof family


Joof or Diouf is a surname that is typically Serer. This surname is also spelt Juuf or Juf. They are the same people. The differences in spelling is because Senegal was colonized by France, while the Gambia was colonized by the United Kingdom. Although spelt differently, they are pronounced the same way. The totem and symbol of the Joof family is the antelope, the symbol of grace, royalty, wisdom, hard work and protection in Serer mythology. The name of their clan is "Njoofene" variations: "Njuufeen" or "Njufeen". Members of this family had ruled over many of the pre-colonial kingdoms of Senegambia, including the Kingdom of Sine, the Kingdom of Saloum and the Kingdom of Baol. The royal princesses from the Joof family were also given in marriage to the pre-colonial kings and princes of Senegambia. Some of these included the kings of Jolof, kings of Waalo, kings of Cayor and Baol. From these marriages, they provided many heirs to the thrones of these kingdoms. Although usually associated with Serer royalty, the Joof family also figure prominently in Serer religious affairs.

History of the Joof family

The Wagadou period

The Joof family is one of the old families of Senegambia. Serer oral tradition speaks of a noble called Lamane Jegan Joof, owner of a large herd of livestock and estate who was also a farmer. He migrated from Lambaye following an argument with his relative, the king of Lambaye. The dispute concerned the governance of Lambaye and over-taxation of his herd which he considered unjust. As such, he decided to head south and founded Tukar with his younger brother Ndik Joof. The tradition then went on to say that, he had a son called Sosseh Joof who was the heir of Tukar. Some scholars have proposed that, Tukar now a rather large village in present-day Senegal, is an ancient village and well before the Guelowar period and placed the foundation of these villages in the 11th century, if not earlier. There was in fact no "Battle of Troubang". In reporting this tradition, Henry Gravrand did not notice that this is actually a description of the 1867 Battle of Kansala. The Joof family had ruled Tukar for many centuries, inherited from their ancestor Lamane Jegan Joof through the Serer Lamanic custom, a rather strict custom of Serer land law and inheritance. In 2004, Lamane Njaga Dibor Ndoffene Joof was the last lamane of Tukar.
In the early history of the Ghana Empire to its end, the royal princesses of the Empire married into the Serer aristocratic families, some of these included Joof family. These royal princesses belonged to the maternal clan Wagadou. With the Joof paternal clan, they ruled the Kingdom of Baol and provided many kings from the patrilineage Joof. Some of these kings include Boureh Joof, Guidiane Joof, Ma Joof, Jinak Dialane Joof, Maguinak Joof, etc. These kings preceded the Guelowar period by at least two or three centuries and long before the Fall paternal dynasty of Baol and Cayor who inherited the throne around 1549 after the Battle of Danki. The general consensus is that, after the demise of the Joof paternal and Wagadou maternal dynasties of Baol with other Serer paternal dynasties who jointly ruled Baol, the Fall paternal dynasty succeeded them, hence the first Damels and Teignes from the Fall patrilineage were of Wagadou maternal descent. They simply married into the old royal family and succeeded to the throne.

The Guelowar period

The Guelowar period starts from 1350 during the reign of the first Guelowar king of Sine - Maad a Sinig Maysa Wali and ends in 1969 after the death of the last king of Sine and Saloum.
Maysa Wali and his family fled Kaabu in 1335 after the Battle of Troubang. They were defeated by the Ñaanco maternal dynasty of Kaabu and were granted asylum in the Kingdom of Sine by a Serer noble Council called The Great Council of Lamanes. Having served as legal advisor to this noble Council for 15 years, Maysa Wali managed to win the confidence and trust of the council and the common people. He was nominated and elected by the council and the people as king of Sine. He was the first Guelowar king of Sine. He gave his sisters in marriage to the Serer nobility which sealed the union between Serer and Guelowar. It was the offspring of these marriages between the old Serer paternal noble clans and the Guelowar maternal clan of Kaabu that ruled the kingdom of Sine and later Saloum. In this Guelowar period, the Joof family provided many kings in the Kingdoms of Sine and Saloum. The Joof family also founded three royal houses as follows :
They all trace their descent to Maad Ndaah Njemeh Joof - the king of Laah in Baol, around the 13th century. Maad Ndaah Njemeh Joof was the father of Maad Niokhobai Joof who was the father of the Great Maad Patar Kolleh Joof - the conqueror of Baol. Maad Patar Kolleh Joof was the first of the Joof family to marry a Guelowar. From that marriage he had Maad a Sinig Niokhobai Mane Nyan Joof and Maad a Sinig Gejopal Mane Nyan Joof, who were the first kings of Sine during the Guelowar period from the patrilineage Joof. Their brother Jaraff Boureh Gnilane Joof was not a king of Sine, but a Jaraff, who gave his name to the first Royal House of the Joof Dynasty and it is from that "The Royal House of Boureh Gnilane Joof" derived from, which provided several kings in Sine and Saloum. The Joof Dynasty that succeeded to the throne of Saloum came from Sine.

Historic battles involving this family

This table lists some of the historic battles of Senegambia involving the kings or princes belonging to this family :
'': the Serer war drum of Sine
Name of the battleMember of the clanOpponentReason for the battleVictor
The Battle of NganianeMaad Patar Kholleh Joof Teigne of Baol Empire buildingMaad Patar Kholleh Joof
The Battle of DiakhaoMaad a Sinig Jogo Gnilane JoofMamadou Koungo ReligionMaad a Sinig Jogo Gnilane Joof
The Battle of MbellondiaréMaad a Sinig Amakodou Samba Joof Teigne of BaolDynastic war between the Damel of Cayor and Teigne of BaolMaad a Sinig Amakodou Samba Joof and the Damel of Cayor
The Battle of SanghaieMaad a Sinig Amakodou Samba JoofTeigne of BaolEmpire buildingMaad a Sinig Amakodou Samba Joof
The Battle of GagnaneMaad a Sinig Jogoy Gnilane JoofDamel-Teigne Lat Soukabe Ngoneh Jaay FallEmpire buildingDamel-Teigne Lat Soukabe Ngoneh Jaay Fall
The Battle of NdoffèneThe Sandigue Ndiob Niokhobai Joof Maad a Sinig Njaak FayeThe Sandigue Ndiob Niokhobai Joof was fighting for the succession of his young son Maad a Sinig Ama Joof Gnilane Faye JoofThe Sandigue Ndiob Niokhobai Joof
The Battle of TioupaneThe Sandigue Ndiob Niokhobai JoofMaad a Sinig Ama Kumba Mbodj and his younger brother Barka MbodjThe Sandigue Ndiob Niokhobai Joof was fighting for the succession of his young son Maad a Sinig Ama Joof Gnilane Faye JoofThe Sandigue Ndiob Niokhobai Joof
The Battle of LogandèmeMaad a Sinig Kumba Ndoffene Famak JoofLouis Faidherbe

Émile Pinet-Laprade		Resistance against French colonialismFrance
The Surprise of Mbin o Ngor
.		Maad a Sinig Kumba Ndoffene Famak JoofMaba Diakhou Bâ,

Damel-Teigne Lat Jor Ngoneh Latir Jobe

and their Marabout armies		Religion, vendetta and empire buildingIndecisive. The marabout army withdrew when reinforcement finally arrived, but caused severe damage before retreating.
The Battle of Fandane-Thiouthioune Maad a Sinig Kumba Ndoffene Famak JoofMaba Diakhou Bâ,

Damel-Teigne Lat Jor Ngoneh Latir Jobe

and their Marabout armies		Religion, vendetta and empire buildingMaad a Sinig Kumba Ndoffene Famak Joof

Genealogy

A short genealogy showing the descendants of Maad Ndaah Njemeh Joof.
Maad Ndaah Njemeh Joof

│
Maad Niokhobai Joof

│
__________________________________________│
│
Maad Patar Kholleh Joof = ? = Lingeer Mane Nyan
│ │
│ │
│ │_____________________________________________
│ │
Jaraff Boureh Gnilane Joof │
│
│
_________________________________________________________________________│
│
┌───────────┴────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ │ │
Maad a Sinig Niokhobai Mane Nyan Joof │ Lingeer
│ Siga Pal Mane Nyan Joof
│
Maad a Sinig Gejopal Mane Nyan Joof

Status in Serer religion

The Joof family figure prominently in Serer religion. Many of the Serer Pangool came from this family. Though associated with :Category:Serer royalty|Serer royalty, this family's involvement in Serer religious affairs are found within the hermeneutics of Serer religion and traditions. Some of the :Category:Serer holy places|sacred Serer sites regularly venerated were founded or headed by this family which underpins their involvement in the Pangool cult. Some of these venerated sites includes Tagdiam, residence of Maad Semou Njekeh Joof who is associated with the cult of Tagdiam; and Tukar, founded by Lamane Jegan Joof. In the Serer religious calendar, the Raan festival which takes place once a year after the new moon is held in Tukar.

Personalities with the surname Joof, Diouf, Juuf or Juf

The surname Joof, Diouf, Juuf or Juf is carried by several personalities, some of which include:

Royalty

Kingdom of Baol

Some of these legal professionals have ventured into politics but they are more known for their legal than for their political occupation :

Visual arts

The definition of art is very broad. This section list the names of visual artists who share this surname :

Business and commerce

Multi-discipline

The following list gives the names of personalities with this surname who are experts in a variety of professions, and are equally known for each of these professions. Their professional life is so wide and varied that they can not be easily described by a single category :