Gunjur
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Gunjur | |
|---|---|
 | |
  Gunjur Location in the Gambia | |
| Coordinates: 13°11′N 16°46′W / 13.183°N 16.767°W | |
| Country |  The Gambia |
| Division | Western Division |
| District | Kombo South |
| Population (2009) | |
• Total | 17,520 (est.) |
Gunjur is a small coastal town in south-western Gambia. It is located in Kombo South District in the Western Division. As of 2009, it has an estimated population of 17,520.[1]
Gunjur was founded in the mid-18th century by the Darboe family.[2]
The town became an important center of Muslim resistance to the mansa of Kombo during the Soninke-Marabout wars, led by Foday Kabba Touray. With his victory of Suling Jatta in 1855, Touray became one of the most powerful men in the area. His brother Foday Sillah succeeded him in 1868 and drove out or forcibly converted the remaining royal lineages, establishing his rule of the putative 'Kingdom of Gunjur'.[3] Sillah also took over the leadership of the town from the Darboe family.[4] In 1893 the British invaded and conquered Gunjur, incorporating it into the Gambia Colony and Protectorate.[5]
