Guelowar

The Guelowar (many variations: Gelwaar, Guelwaar, Guelwar, Gelwar etc.) was the maternal dynasty in the Serer pre-colonial kingdoms of Sine and Saloum (in the Senegambia, but mainly in the western area of present-day Senegal). They were from the Mandinka ethnic group. The offsprings of Mandinka women and Serer men became the kings of Sine and Saloum. The dynasty lasted from the mid-14th century to 1969, in which year both kings died.

The Guelowar family originated from Kaabu (now modern day Guinea Bissau) in the 14th century. Their oral tradition says that they were descended from Mansa Tiramakan Traore (13th century cousin and general of Mansa Sundiata Keita of Mali. Mansa Tiramakan Traore (many variations: Tiramakan Trawally, Tiramakhan Traore, etc.) who had conquered the Bainuk people and killed the last Great Bainuk King (King Kikikor), then renamed the country Kaabu in the 13th century before his death in 1265 was the founder and Mansa (king of kings) Kaabu. Their oral tradition also says that they were the descendants of Mansa Bala Diakha and Maisata Yembe Kame Guélaware (king and queen of a province of Kaabu). Others say they are descended from the royal branch of Princess Tenemba. The Mandinkas who conquered the Kaabu married into the noble Bainuk families. The Mandinka also changed their own name and adopted Bainuk surnames.

Kaabu was governed by the noble paternal clans of "Sanneh" and "Manneh" (variations : Sane and Mane - both Bainuk and Jola surnames in origin, not Mandinka), with the noble maternal clans of Ñaanco and Guelowar. However, almost all the kings of Kaabu came from the Ñaanco maternal clan. The Guelowars were extended maternal relatives of the Ñaanco and one of their greatest threat to the throne.

Henry Gravrand reported an oral tradition describing what he called the "Battle of Troubang", a dynastic war between the two maternal royal houses of Ñaanco and the Guelowar,an off-shot and relatives of the Ñaanco (Nyanthio or Nyanco) maternal dynasty of Kaabu, in modern-day Guinea Bissau.

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