Waalo

Waalo, also spelled Walo, was a precolonial West African kingdom located along the lower Senegal River in what is now Senegal. It was inhabited predominantly by Wolof-speaking communities and existed from roughly the 15th century until the late 19th century. The polity was ruled by a king titled Brak, who wielded both secular and spiritual authority, and was advised by a council of nobles, merchants, and elders. The ruling class included the lamane, landowning households who held local authority, while enslaved people and freedmen formed a significant labor force.

The economy depended on riverine trade, agriculture, fishing, and salt production, with goods transported along the Senegal River to inland markets and Atlantic ports. Waalo maintained relations with neighboring Wolof states, notably Cayor and Jolof-related polities, and often competed for control of river ports and trade routes.

In the 19th century, Waalo encountered escalating French influence along the Senegal River. The kingdom was gradually integrated into French West Africa through a series of treaties and military campaigns, and the Brak system was effectively ended by colonial administration by the end of the century.

The legacy of Waalo persists in historical references, oral traditions, and the cultural imprint of the Wolof-speaking communities in the region. The Brak remains a notable title in the history of the Wolof-speaking states, and Waalo is remembered as one of the significant precolonial polities of the Senegambia.