Tem people
The Temba are an ethnic group that represents the major population group in the territory of the former Kingdom of Kotokoli. Here, the Temba define mainly with linguistic background, because the term Temba actually means only " Tem Speaker". Ethnically, however, the group of tem- speaker is a very heterogeneous entity. Their language belongs to the Gur Tem - group of the Niger - Congo languages . The current number of tem- speakers is estimated at a total of 307 100, of which 204,100 live (1991 ) in Togo, 50,000 (2001) on the territory of the Republic of Benin and about 53,000 in what is now Ghana.
The geographical distribution of the Temba
The territory of the former kingdom Kotokoli extended approximately in the center of the former German colony of Togo with core between the 8th and 9th latitude. The territory bordered in pre-colonial times to the northwest by the Kingdom Bassari ( Ntcham ) and on the east by the Kingdom of Dahomey. In the West, formed the course of the river Mô, which cuts through the western plain before the rocky plateau of Fazao, the border with the neighboring Nanumba (which are among the Dagomba ). In the south, bordering on the Adele - land and the land of Kebu ( Kebbu ), which is located in the north of the former Togo District of Atakpamé. In the southwest is bordered on Gonja, that is, in the 18th and 19th centuries to aschantisches dominion. The eastern border of the kingdom formed the Mono River. Through the western territory of the former kingdom runs today's Ghanaian- Togolese border, through the eastern today's border between Benin and Togo.
The founding history of Kotokoli
A large part of the Temba are immigrant Gurmantchen. Your first group, which is also the main clan of Gurma -immigrant, was the clan of Mola, who arrived in the 17th century over Kandé into the country and first settled in the western foothills of Atakora mountains, where they founded the village Tabalo. The ancestors of the Mola clans in accordance with their ancestral tradition of the place Dadeni in Gurma. However, the immigrants did not come in deserted areas. Both the Kabre and the Lama ( Lamba ) claim for themselves that their ancestors long before the Mola all the territory between the rivers Kéran ( Kerang ) and Koumaga have settled in the north down to the south and Blitta Djougou in the east. The Mola initially remained in Tabalo where you can more or less ( primarily linguistic ) mingled with the indigenous Altbevölkerung. But then spread it further out into the partially aufgebenen of the Lama Mô levels and in the course of four generations, the Mola - Clan installed by Tabalo from the fertile regions to the southeast. It seems that leaving the planes stood by the Lama in the context of slave raids by Guang and Gonjas. Some of the Mola settled in Pangalam, others preferred however to the north, where you can settle in Dako and still others settled in Bafilo ( Kegafilo ). Those of Pangalam then also has its own state confederation have formed as a merger of seven villages, which include Kouma ( Komo ), Tschavadé, Katambara ( Katamboro ), Brini and Yalivo ( Djelifa, Jelifa ) belonged. This diaspora of Mola clan is still present and is represented by eleven chiefs in Tschaudjo and nine chiefs in Bafilo.
But the Mola Gurmantschen were not the only immigrants in the 17th century. Also groups of Bariba, Dagomba, Ntcham (also referred to as Bassari ), Ashanti, among others Kanre streamed into the country at this time and could be permanently recognizing the Mola supremacy in Kotokoli country down.
However, the greatest part of the population in the territory of the former Kotokoli represent the autochthonous ( indigenous ) groups, which today account for about 60 - form 65% of the total population. This, also referred to as " paläonigritische aborigines " groups were pooled together in the days of the French colonial administration as so-called native clans. The largest group among them are the Lama. The clans of the immigrant groups of the 17th century, however, were classified at the time of the French colonial administration as so-called noble clans, as it were their heads, which were engaged in the political rule. However, these noble clans form in today's population of this region only accounts for about 30 - 35 %.
Another five percent of today's population of the former territory of Kotokoli represents a group of immigrants who have migrated only in the course of the 18th century or later. For them there are mainly artisans and traders who came mainly from the Mandé peoples, the Hausa or from the previous Songhaï. They are regarded as so-called EGoM clans (also Wangara clans or Malwamba clans called ) together. It was they who brought Islam, which is widely used today among the Temba. During the reign of the 8th Uro Eso was the Malwamba allowed to own mosque to build (around 1830).
The ethnic breakdown Kotokolis
The principal clans in Kotokoli are as follows:
A) indigenous native clans ( the paläonigritische indigenous people ):
- Lamba (Lama ), Koli, Uruma, Baro, Kozi, Kpande, Bôgom, Adole, dewars (?), Akima (?)
B ) noble clans:
- Mola (clan originating in Gurma ) Their main settlement area, the upper chieftainship of Kotokoli country is and they are the ones who traditionally the Uro Eso, ie make the King of Kotokoli.
- Sando, Nintye, Tyeda (or Tceda ) Lambu and probably Banya are clans with Bassari origins. ( northern neighbor region). Some say Nintye are Hausa. The dewars are sometimes classified as working Tyambe ( Bassari or Ntcham ).
- Luwa, Guni, DOPU, Yao clans originating in Bariba country, ie they came from the regions of the historic Kingdom Nikki ( with the same capital Nikki (9 ° 57 'N, 3 ° 13' O9.953.2166666666667 ) ), whose territory stretched between the upper reaches of the Oueme ( Weme ) and the Niger. Sometimes the Kpenye (or Kpande ) are also placed in this group.
- The Tambwi or Tombwi are an Akan communities originating in Asante.
- The Tyare and Wado are two clans originating in Kabre country ( north-eastern neighboring region ).
- The Daro are a clan originating in Dagomba (western neighboring region ).
C ) Foreigners Clans ( EGoM, Wangara, Malwamba clans ):
- The Taraore are a clan originating in Borgu and Songhai.
- The Fofana are a branch of the royal family of Fada N'Gurma ( Mossi ).
- The Sise are a clan originating in Dagomba.
- The Mende are a Hausa communities originating in Katsina.
- The Bayor are an Akan communities ( Baulé ) originating in Mango ( Ivory Coast) (8 ° 47 'N, 3 ° 11' W8.7833333333333 - 3.1833333333333 ).
End 19th/early 20th century immigrants who Clans:
- The Watara are a weaver clan originating in Fada N'Gurma ( Mossi ).
- The Keïta ( Kauta, Keyta ) are a shoemaker clan originating in Kabara (16 ° 43 ' N, 2 ° 59' W16.716666666667 - 2.9833333333333 ) on the Niger River near Timbuktu.
D) Temba clans outside Kotokolis:
- Sado in Bassari (northern Togo)
The political structure Kotokolis
The Kingdom Kotokoli consists of six main chieftaincies that. Either the head chief shaft of Tabalo or are subject of Tschaudjo This chieftaincies whose political leaders are made all from Mola communities, are ( in descending order of hierarchy):
01 Tschaudjo ( Tchaoudjo ) ( the upper chieftainship ): The Chief of Tschaudjo is the king of Kotokoli. 02 Adjeïde ( daughter - chieftainship of Tschaudjo ) 03 Fazao ( daughter - chieftainship of Tschaudjo ) 04 Daudé ( the Tabalo under standing primal chieftainship of Mola clan ) 05 Bafilo ( Kegbafilo ) ( Tabalo under standing) 06 Agoulou ( Agulu ) ( daughter - chieftainship of Tschaudjo )
A minor role in the hierarchical level of the political administration of the country have the following Kotokoli chieftaincies:
07 Soudou
08 Koumondé
09 Aledjo - Kadara, (smaller daughter - chieftainship of Koumondé ) 10 Kolina -Bo (a very heterogeneous composition chieftainship of the mountain region, which is under the leadership of the sado - clan) 11 Kemini (a small chieftainship of the clan Nintye ) 12 Boulohou
13 Djerekpanga ( Djerekpana Guerepanga ) ( Ashanti chieftaincy under the leadership of Tambwi clan )
Kings of Kotokoli
Title: Uro Uro Eso or ( List incomplete; numbering according to tradition )