Malanding,
Your discourse on the caste system is good, but just a point of
clarification. You have stated that "secondly, the Gambian caste system
predates Islam." That is true, because the caste system is also a social
formation born out of the African mode of production, which Marx considered
to be the "Asiatic mode of production." Let it not be considered as a
backward system in the past without comparing it with other mode of
productions. It has its own social defects, which I can not discuss here.
You continued by asserting that: "Infact one can claim that both sahelian
Africans - those bordering the sahara (Gambia included) and the pre-Islam
Arabs learned from the same teachers - Egyptians". This assertion however
seems to be to be problematic. Who were the Egyptians? Africans did not
learned from the Egyptians, because they were the Egyptians. Calrification
is vital here, because one might think present Arabs of Egypt were the
original Egyptians you referred to in this discourse. The fact is that all
Africans originally migrated from there. See the history of migrations, or
read C.A.Diop's materials. Further more, read other Western scholars such as
Wallis and others. Africans did not learn from Egyptians; they were the
Egyptrian eduacators who educated the rest.
First, the Greeks and other parts of middle east learned from Egypt. leading
Greek philosophers studied in the cosmononic temples of Heliopolitan and
Hermopolitan citicities in ancient Egypt. The evidence that present day
Gambians originally migrated from Egypt lies in languages we speak today,
(See Diop's liguistic studies of ancient Egypt), and also the stone circles
of Wassadu in Kaur. The knowledge that built the pyramids of ancient Egypt,
also built the stone circles. The African centre of disperse was a place of
maths, science, philosohy, technology, medicine, agriculture and
engineering. This is why when the wollofs say let us return to "Saraba",
they are calling for the return to the source. That source was the land of
knowledge they left behind in "Kaw", up in the North or "Tilibo" in
Mandingo. Study our pre-colonial or pre- Islamic religions, you will see the
religions of ancient Egypt in reality. Lack of understanding this history
has reduced us to the confusion we are experiencing today as Africans. We
can only move forward by understanding our past. No people or society has
ever abandoned its past in order to progress forward (Diop). Europeans
returned to classical Greece in middle ages to move forward. No society ever
developed in history on a foreign langauge. language in a society is a
storage. Africans don't even have that and you can see the problems of
democratization in the continent. There is no African model.
Sorry for this long intervention. Just a point of clarification.
>From: Malanding Jaiteh <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
><[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: cast system in the gambia
>Date: Thu, 29 Mar 2007 10:52:14 -0400
>
>Mr. Hamelberg,
>Perhaps some clarification will help focus discussion on the topic at hand.
>
>First the AKU do not have a place in the Gambian Caste system. This group
>came into Gambian ethnic politics in 1840. Even then they were primarily
>part of British Gambia and till now been restricted to what is Banjul,
>Janjanbureh and British Kommbo (KMC).
>
>Secondly Gambian caste system predates Islam. In fact one can claim that
>both Sahelian Africans- those bordering the Sahara (Gambia included) and
>the pre-Islam Arabs learned from the same teachers- Egyptians.
>
>Thirdly "boy-boy" is an English term. This is the same as "Boy" in east and
>southern Africa. The true Gambian term is "Mbindan" - house keeper/ au
>pair/ maid. Of course you see it used crudely like the "N-word" in the US.
>It is true that a large proportion of "Mbindan" in the 70s thru 90s were
>Jola but had nothing to do with their religion or ehtnicity. Infact every
>ethnic group in the Gambia has one time or another been "Mbindan" or
>"boy-boy" begining with the AKU and Wolof in the 19th century. History has
>it that a number of Wolof came to Banjul from Goree and other colonial
>establishments as housekeepers and servants to Portuguese Mulato Senoras.
>The AKU with their knowledge of English became natural helpers to the
>British. As these two groups climbed the economic ladder they in turn began
>having "boy-boy" and "Mbindan". The AKU had "Boy-boy" housekeepers, garden
>boys and street vendors drawn primarily from Mandinka. The term "Nna Aku
>Kebba" ( my old AKU man) dates back to this period when AKU were employers
>and powerful to the Mandinka. The saying goes that only the AKU were ever
>"high" or old enough for the Mandinka to call them "Nna Kebba". All others
>including Europeans are assigned less respectful term "Nding" (small) as
>in "Nna Surwaa Nding" (my small Wolof), "Nna Fula Nding" (my small Fula0
>and "Nna Tubabu Nding"(my small Tubab). The Wolof were next in line to
>have their own house keepers - "Mbindan" - meaning one who is signed up
>(help me out Wolof speakers). At this time the Mandinka were "too good" to
>be Mbindan as they also found their way to the pot of honey (political and
>economic power) with independence and education. The Jolas were the able
>and willing in the 70s thu 90s. However the composition of "Mbindan" has
>changed since. The last time I was in the Gambia I saw a number Manjago,
>Balanta and other Cassamance and Guinea Bissau nationals in all sorts of
>home including those of Jola. The fact is "Mbindan" and "boy-boy" are
>recent phenomena and artifacts of modern economic structures.
>
>Finaly, I do not know what "true slavery" is but I can say that there is no
>slavery in the Gambian. This does not mean there aren't groups that would
>marginalize others based on their ancestry, economic status or ehtnicity.
>However discriminations based on caste are largely disappearing thanks to
>education and economic.
>
>Malanding Jaiteh
>
>Just to help focus the discussion on the caste system.
>
>Cornelius Edward Hamelberg wrote:
>
>>Suntou,
>>
>>Thanks for raising this issue.
>>
>>Let me begin with a question: Where do the AKU, fit into all this? What is
>>their place in the Caste system? How do education/ wealth affect a
>>person's standing? Are men and women equal in the Gambian Caste system?
>>What about the Quranic "Those whom your right hand possess"?
>>
>>"Boy-boy" is a very Gambian expression which I take to mean, "Underling"
>>"minion" some sort of servant to a "Master". I've heard it said that the
>>Jolas - the ethnic group that has been most resistant to Islam, used to
>>serve the other groups and to some extent be subservient to them. True?
>>
>>The very first question that comes to mind on reading your complaint: Is
>>there any type of slavery in such a system?
>>
>>(Let's limit ourselves to the Gambia area)
>>
>>This is a very interesting topic, if it can be freely discussed,
>>considering that we are used to agreeing with the statement that "All men
>>are equal" - especially in our "one man one vote" societies.
>>
>>Society is mostly always organised in some hierarchical fashion. Today you
>>have the democratically elected president Jammeh, the equivalent of some
>>ancient King, e.g. Mansa Musa and then you have the loyal citizens among
>>whom are the landowning Lords, chiefs, Dukes, Counts and countesses,
>>Earls, Barons, and maybe also chiefs of Police.....
>>
>>http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=All+men+are+equal&btnG=Search&meta=
>>
>>And in the hereafter?
>>
>>Unfortunately when you say CASTE SYSTEM - it is India that is represented
>>- India's very structured social order from ancient times:
>>
>>http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=The+Caste+System+in+India&meta=
>>
>>
>>I know that there is a sort of Caste system among the Mandinka, are the
>>Banguras not part of the warrior caste (who would be a sizeable part of
>>the army and police?) Who are the Camaras? Then you have the princes and
>>princesses? The agricultural workers- special caste? The Musicians? The
>>intellectuals? But it's not as rigid or as defined as in the ancient Laws
>>of Manu. In India today the Dalits have taken up their cause. In the
>>Gambia, surely there is no discriminatory tradition and I'm sure that
>>anyone can be president? True? And in Mauritania?
>>
>>http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=Dalits+in+India&meta=
>>
>>http://search.yahoo.com/bin/search?p=Caste%20system%20in%20the%20Gambia
>>
>>http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=Caste+system+in+the+Gambia&btnG=Google+Search&meta=
>>
>>Now let me sit back and observe and learn.....
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>>From: Suntou Touray <[log in to unmask]>
>>>Date: 2007/03/29 to PM 12:53:50 CEST
>>>To: [log in to unmask]
>>>獻ne: cast system in the gambia
>>>
>>>i know this may be an imfamous subject but we need to venture into this
>>>
>>>territores as well. i have seen evidences of cast system still happening
>>>in most parts of the
>>>
>>>gambia ,the question is should we allow this ugly malnorma to be happenin
>>>g at this day and age ? i read a piece here on gambai l about the colour
>>>divide in south america
>>>
>>>especially brazil but what about where the issue is not colour but custom
>>>s of old .no one can denied that cast system happens in the gambia and to
>>>m
>>>y knowledge i have never heard any government agency trying to address
>>>this
>>>
>>>problem.
>>>some may be at lost here as cast system or calling certain families of
>>>
>>>slave decendant don't occure in every part of the gambia. some parts of
>>>
>>>the kombos don't know cast system,but in the interlands of the gambia it
>>>happens.
>>>it is a very ugly practice and we need to educate our people about the
>>>
>>>harmful nature of its continous occurance.
>>>i have seen an incidence in u.k last year when a young gambian guy wanted
>>>
>>>to marry another gambian lady only to be interrupted by some else.
>>>the interfarer claim that the lady should try to find out the family clas
>>>s of the young man before any marriage proposal can take place. ofcourse
>>>th
>>>e young lady was shocked at such nonsence but still the marriage plans
>>>was
>>>
>>>altared. when the would be wife asked the man about just thing the man wa
>>>s very hurt because back in the gambia his family where regarded as a
>>>lower
>>>
>>>cast. so he though such nonsence will not follow him up to u.k but it did
>>>.
>>>the would be wife didn't care any way and the marriage happens.but if the
>>>
>>>family of the young lady had been from the same area as the man the
>>>marraige wouldn't have happen. i am not a sociologist , and my family
>>>backgroung is not regarded as of lower cast but i am from areas where
>>>people are put in there place.
>>>i am humblely appealing to gambians brothers and sisters to do away with
>>>
>>>this old age custom of ours which is worthless and useless ,it doesn't
>>>
>>>serve any purpose just petty enemity. let freedom reign and brotherhood i
>>>n unity bind us together.the human family as always been divided ot all
>>>age
>>>s and our age is no exception .the number of human beings forced to work
>>>fo
>>>r others for free is exestimate to over 12.5 million people world wide.
>>>the issue of race is sentive but race is not the only problem here.
>>>among pulfutas and jahankas labelling a darker complexion ignorant or
>>>black is a common words which to me is silly . the jahakans can easily
>>>
>>>call a non- jahankas ignorant or lacking knowledge just because you are
>>>
>>>not one of them .
>>>the fairer pulfutas regularly do the same. we can elaborate on this topic
>>>
>>>at lenght ,but as usual people will go back in their cells and behave as
>>>
>>>if this ugly misnorma doesn't happen. it does.i don't want to name places
>>>
>>>where it is prevalent but the cast system happens in mandinka ,sarahuleh
>>>,fulla ,jahanka communitees .i don't know about wollo
>>>f communitees.even if we can't say any thing about but don't be a party
>>>to
>>>
>>>it.
>>>we are all born free. let's remain free.
>>>suntou.
>>>
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>>
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