Descendants Of Kamadugu

ce found among the Temne of Tonkolili today. Mansa K**a lived from about the mid-16th to the early 17th century. He is said to have been descended from Sundiata Keita, a ruler of medieval Mali in central West Africa, and was a member of the Kargbo clan (another name for Keita). Mansa in most Mandinka-related languages means ruler; and the name "K**a," meaning "elephant," was given to him because he was a great hunter and killer of many elephants. Towards the end of the 16th century, Mansa K**a moved into the extreme northeast of the Sierra Leone interior from Sankaran country in what is now the Republic of Guinea. He travelled with an alfa (Islamic scholar, charm-maker and teacher) of the Sesay clan. He stayed for a while with Mansa Morifing in Morifindugu before moving southwards with Morifing's blessings. He next stopped close to the northern reaches of the Rokel River where he founded the town of K**adugu, named after him (dugu is a suffix meaning "town," usually added to the name of the founder). By the end of the 16th century, Mansa K**a had fought his way from K**adugu to reach the coast. He finally returned northwards to make a new base at Rowala at the centre of what became Kholifa country. There he stayed as a ruler of this new Koranko country until his death. He is said to have returned periodically to K**adugu where his son, Momori Kalko, founder of Kalkoya, one of the oldest towns in K**adugu, still ruled. When Mansa K**a died, he was buried at Rowala where he left all his charms and regalia of office. About the 19th century, the Temne took over Kholifa, and they have retained a strong Koranko strain in their culture at Kholifa to the present day. They have also retained the name of Mansa K**a as the title of their traditional ruler, whom they call Masakma, a fitting tribute to this powerful and adventurous early leader of the Koranko.