{{short description|Traditional kingdom in Ghana}} {{Multiple issues| {{More citations needed|date=February 2025}} {{Cleanup reorganize|date=June 2025}} }} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2026}} {{Infobox country | conventional_long_name = Empire of Dagbon<br />Kingdom of Dagbon<br />Royaume de Dagbon | common_name = Dagbon | native_name = Dagbaŋ | image_flag = | image_coat = | symbol_type = Lion | image_map = | map_width = | map_caption = | image_map2 = Kingdom of Dagbon (Northern Territories) locator map.png | map_caption2 = Region of the Kingdom of Dagbon (black rectangle) | capital = Yendi | coordinates = {{Coord|09|26.5|N|00|0.5|W|type:city}} | largest_city = Tamale | official_languages = Dagbani (lingua franca), English, French, Arabic | ethnic_groups = Dagbamba (Dagomba) | demonym = Dagbamba | government_type = Monarchy | leader_title1 = '''King (Yaa-Naa) of Dagbon''' | leader_name1 = Gariba II | sovereignty_type = History | established_event1 = Founded | established_date1 = {{circa|1200s–1300s}} | established_event2 = Capital relocated to Yendi | established_date2 = | area_km2 = 97702 | population_estimate = 5,197,937<ref name="World Map - People Group Name: Dagomba">{{cite web |url=http://worldpopulationreview.com/countries/ghana-population/ |title=Ghana Population 2019 |access-date=28 September 2019 |archive-date=4 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220604175339/https://worldpopulationreview.com/countries/ghana-population |url-status=live }}</ref> | population_estimate_year = 2019 | time_zone = GMT0 | utc_offset = +0 | utc_offset_DST = +0 | time_zone_DST = GMT0 | other_name = | religion = Traditional, Sunni Islam | area_rank = | HDI = 0.63 | HDI_year = 2021 | today = Ghana }} The '''Kingdom of Dagbon''' ({{langx|dag|Dagbaŋ}} {{Audio|Dag-dagbaŋ.ogg|}}) is the oldest<ref>{{Cite journal |last=MacGaffey |first=Wyatt |date=1 January 2004 |title=Earth Shrines and the Politics of Memory in Dagbon |url=https://gs.uwpress.org/content/7/1/11 |journal=Ghana Studies |language=en |volume=7 |issue=1 |pages=11–24 |doi=10.3368/gs.7.1.11 |issn=1536-5514 |url-access=subscription |archive-date=10 February 2025 |access-date=21 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250210221348/https://gs.uwpress.org/content/7/1/11 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=1 June 2017 |title=June 1: First Centralized States Formed in the Savanna (Mamprugu, Dagbon, and Nanumba) |url=https://www.eaumf.org/ejm-blog/jun-1-mamprugu-dagbon-nanumba |access-date=21 October 2023 |website=Edward A. Ulzen Memorial Foundation |language=en-US |archive-date=10 December 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241210070422/https://www.eaumf.org/ejm-blog/jun-1-mamprugu-dagbon-nanumba |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Mireri |first=Julian |date=15 April 2022 |title=Mole-Dagbon tribe: history, food, dance, languages, weapons, facts |url=https://yen.com.gh/173201-mole-dagbon-tribe-history-food-dance-languages-facts.html |access-date=21 October 2023 |website=Yen.com.gh – Ghana news. |language=en |archive-date=2 May 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250502024349/https://yen.com.gh/173201-mole-dagbon-tribe-history-food-dance-languages-facts.html |url-status=live }}</ref> and one of the most organised traditional kingdoms in Ghana founded by the Dagomba people (Dagbamba) in the 15th century. During its rise, it comprised, at various points, the Northern, Upper West, Upper East, Savannah Region and North East regions of present-day Ghana.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Makro Online Site {{!}} Makro South Africa {{!}} Never Miss a Deal. Get the Best Deals |url=https://www.makro.co.za/books/non-fiction-specialist/mathematics-sciences/mathematics-sciences/history-of-the-gbewaa-kingdoms-paperback-softback-/p/6515da28-fac2-495a-b20a-e331aa084999 |access-date=21 October 2023 |website=www.makro.co.za |archive-date=28 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231028171526/https://www.makro.co.za/books/non-fiction-specialist/mathematics-sciences/mathematics-sciences/history-of-the-gbewaa-kingdoms-paperback-softback-/p/6515da28-fac2-495a-b20a-e331aa084999 |url-status=dead }}</ref> It also covered portions of Burkina Faso, North East Ivory Coast<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Massing |first=Andreas W. |date=20 December 2004 |title=Baghayogho |journal=Cahiers d'études africaines |language=en |volume=44 |issue=176 |pages=887–922 |doi=10.4000/etudesafricaines.4850 |issn=0008-0055 |doi-access=free }}</ref> and North West Togo.<ref>{{Cite web |title=CONFERENCE OF DAGBAMBA (DAGOMBA) CHIEFS |url=http://udsspace.uds.edu.gh/bitstream/123456789/1745/1/CONFERENCE%20OF%20DAGBAMBA%20%28DAGOMBA%29%20%20CHIEFS.pdf |access-date=21 October 2023 |archive-date=24 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240224120019/http://udsspace.uds.edu.gh/bitstream/123456789/1745/1/CONFERENCE%20OF%20DAGBAMBA%20%28DAGOMBA%29%20%20CHIEFS.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> Since Ghana's independence in 1957, the Kingdom has assumed a traditional, customary role like Ghana's other kingdoms and ethnic states.<ref>{{Cite journal |jstor=resrep10120.5 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/resrep10120.5.pdf |title=Politics, Chieftaincy and Customary Law in Ghana |last1=Owusu-Mensah |first1=Isaac |journal=Tradition and Justice |date=2013 |pages=31–48 |archive-date=4 December 2023 |access-date=21 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231204194341/https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/resrep10120.5.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>
The kingdom was formed when Naa Gbewaa and his descendants unified the Dagomba and related peoples who were ruled by decentralised chieftains known as Tindaamba.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |title=2-3: Origins of Dagbon |url=https://www.adrummerstestament.com/2/2-03_The_Origins_of_Dagbon_Before_Naa_Gbewaa_web_chapter.html |access-date=10 May 2024 |website=www.adrummerstestament.com |archive-date=10 December 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241210065715/https://www.adrummerstestament.com/2/2-03_The_Origins_of_Dagbon_Before_Naa_Gbewaa_web_chapter.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The antecedents of the Dagomba prior to Gbewaa's consolidation remain largely elusive, paralleled by the ambiguous origins of the Gbewaa lineage. Presently, governance within Dagbon entails a coalescence of authority between the Tindaamba and chiefs.The history of Dagbon is complex and misconceptions often arise regarding the Dagomba's origins, erroneously positing external origins. While lineage of chiefs are external, historical evidence affirms the presence and integral role of both the Tindaamba and the general Dagomba populace within the fabric of Dagbon society, prior to Gbewaa.<ref name=":4" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=2-23: Tindanas |url=https://www.adrummerstestament.com/2/2-23_The_Priests_of_the_Land_web_chapter.html |access-date=10 May 2024 |website=www.adrummerstestament.com |archive-date=4 December 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241204125117/https://www.adrummerstestament.com/2/2-23_The_Priests_of_the_Land_web_chapter.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
During the kingdom's rise, it established Ghana's oldest learning institution, the University of Moliyili, as a centre for learning and craftmanship,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Science and Technology in 18th Century Moliyili (Dagomba) and the Timbuktiu Intellectual Tradition |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/323228777 |access-date=21 September 2023 |archive-date=18 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240518175211/https://www.researchgate.net/publication/323228777_Science_and_Technology_in_18th_Century_Moliyili_Dagomba_and_the_Timbuktiu_Intellectual_Tradition |url-status=live }}</ref> pioneered a writing system,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Dagbanli Ajami and Arabic Manuscripts of Northern Ghana |url=https://open.bu.edu/handle/2144/32937 |access-date=10 May 2024 |website=open.bu.edu |archive-date=5 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231005193908/https://open.bu.edu/handle/2144/32937 |url-status=live }}</ref> and established centres of healing for the sick, similar to modern hospitals.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Traditional Medicine and Healing among the Dagomba of Ghana Traditional Medicine and Healing Among the Dagomba of Ghana |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/328202072 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Traditional Medicine and Healing among the Dagomba of Ghana |url=During its rise, it established Ghana's oldest learning institution, the University of Moliyili, as a learning centre and craftmanship, pioneered a writing system, and established places of healing for the sick, similar to modern hospitals. }}</ref>
Dagbon is one of the few kingdoms in Africa where certain chieftaincy titles are reserved for women. They rule and ascend to then osition of chieftaincy with male subjects, and own legal royal lands.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Role of Female Chiefs in Dagbon Traditional Area |url=https://artandfeminism.org/edit_a_thon/role-of-female-chiefs-in-dagbon-traditional-area/ |access-date=18 September 2023 |website=Art + Feminism |language=en-US |archive-date=7 December 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241207081144/https://artandfeminism.org/edit_a_thon/role-of-female-chiefs-in-dagbon-traditional-area/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=14 January 2020 |title=Female Chiefs in Dagbon; Gundo Naa holds their authority and influence |url=https://www.sanatuzambang.info/2020/01/14/female-chiefs-in-dagbon-gundo-naa-holds-their-authority-and-influence/ |access-date=18 September 2023 |website=Sanatu Zambang |language=en-GB |archive-date=19 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201119150403/http://www.sanatuzambang.info/2020/01/14/female-chiefs-in-dagbon-gundo-naa-holds-their-authority-and-influence/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The contribution of its women is prominent as it has given birth to Ghana's first female minister,<ref>{{Cite web |date=17 January 2018 |title=January 17, 1997: Ghana's first woman minister, Mrs Susanna Al-Hassan passes away |url=https://www.eaumf.org/ejm-blog/2018/1/17/january-17-1997-ghanas-first-woman-minister-mrs-susanna-al-hassan-passes-away |access-date=18 September 2023 |website=Edward A. Ulzen Memorial Foundation |language=en-US |archive-date=20 February 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250220191718/https://www.eaumf.org/ejm-blog/2018/1/17/january-17-1997-ghanas-first-woman-minister-mrs-susanna-al-hassan-passes-away |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=5 March 2023 |title=Meet Susan Alhassan, the first Ghanaian woman to be appointed minister |url=https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/Meet-Susan-Alhassan-the-first-Ghanaian-woman-to-be-appointed-minister-1725440 |access-date=18 September 2023 |website=GhanaWeb |language=en |archive-date=26 December 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241226133230/https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/Meet-Susan-Alhassan-the-first-Ghanaian-woman-to-be-appointed-minister-1725440 |url-status=live }}</ref> and Africa's first female cabinet minister.<ref>{{Cite web |date=4 March 2023 |title=Meet Susanna Al-Hassan, Africa's first female cabinet minister |url=https://myinfo.com.gh/2023/03/meet-susanna-al-hassan-africas-first-female-cabinet-minister/ |access-date=18 September 2023 |website=www.myinfo.com.gh |language=en-GB |archive-date=27 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231027181841/https://myinfo.com.gh/2023/03/meet-susanna-al-hassan-africas-first-female-cabinet-minister/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=17 January 2018 |title=January 17, 1997: Ghana's first woman minister, Mrs Susanna Al-Hassan passes away |url=https://www.eaumf.org/ejm-blog/2018/1/17/january-17-1997-ghanas-first-woman-minister-mrs-susanna-al-hassan-passes-away |access-date=18 September 2023 |website=Edward A. Ulzen Memorial Foundation |language=en-US |archive-date=20 February 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250220191718/https://www.eaumf.org/ejm-blog/2018/1/17/january-17-1997-ghanas-first-woman-minister-mrs-susanna-al-hassan-passes-away |url-status=live }}</ref> Historically, its noble daughter, Yennenga known in Dagbani as '''Yɛmtɔri''' is regarded as the "mother" of the Mossi kingdoms due to marrying a man named Ouadrago,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Yennenga: Ancestor of Burkina Faso's Mossi people – DW – 05/12/2021 |url=https://www.dw.com/en/princess-yennenga-ancestor-of-the-mossi-people-of-burkina-faso/a-56976104 |access-date=18 September 2023 |website=dw.com |language=en |archive-date=4 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230604144349/https://www.dw.com/en/princess-yennenga-ancestor-of-the-mossi-people-of-burkina-faso/a-56976104 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=YENENGA, The Dagomba Princess |url=https://africaaccessreview.org/2019/02/yenenga-the-dagomba-princess/ |access-date=18 September 2023 |website=africaaccessreview.org |archive-date=16 March 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250316190409/https://africaaccessreview.org/2019/02/yenenga-the-dagomba-princess/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Princess Yennenga {{!}} Mother of the Mossi |url=http://www.ontheshoulders1.com/1/post/2022/04/princess-yennenga-mother-of-the-mossi.html |access-date=18 September 2023 |website=On The Shoulders of Giants |language=en }}</ref> a people who constitute nearly half of the nation of Burkina Faso. The Gundo Naa is the head of all female chiefs, and Zosimli Naa forges friendships, collaborations, and friendships.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Tamale: New Zosimli Naa enskinned at Gulkpegu-Naa's palace |url=https://www.modernghana.com/news/1189957/tamale-new-zosimli-naa-enskinned-at-gulkpegu.html |access-date=10 May 2024 |archive-date=3 December 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241203180205/https://www.modernghana.com/news/1189957/tamale-new-zosimli-naa-enskinned-at-gulkpegu.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
On 18 January 2019 Yaa Naa Abubakari Mahama, was elected by Dagbon's kingmakers as king.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Historic! Yendi goes agog as new Yaa Naa is outdoored today |url=http://www.myjoyonline.com/news/2019/January-25th/historic-yendi-goes-agog-as-new-yaa-naa-is-crowned-today.php |access-date=18 November 2019 |website=www.myjoyonline.com }}</ref>
== History ==
=== Documentation === The Lunsi or Griots are the court historians of Dagbon and play the foremost role in preserving the kingdom's history.<ref>{{Cite web |title=dagomba {{!}} Just another sites.tufts.edu site |url=https://sites.tufts.edu/dagomba/ |access-date=11 March 2023 |language=en-US |archive-date=11 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230311140244/https://sites.tufts.edu/dagomba/ |url-status=live }}</ref> They constitute a guild of specialists charged with the duty of preserving historical and genealogical information, duly arranged in accordance with the succession of chiefs and noble lineages.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Oral History in Dagbon: The Role of the Lunsi in Traditional African Society {{!}} Center for Advanced Study |url=https://cas.illinois.edu/node/2659 |access-date=11 March 2023 |website=cas.illinois.edu }}</ref> Earlier history is known through the Lunsi and early Ajami writers. Later history is better known, because in addition to court historians, there are other sources of information, some of them independent of events in Dagbon itself.<ref>{{Cite book |last=MacGaffey |first=Wyatt |title=Chiefs, Priests, and Praise-singers: History, Politics, and Land Ownership in Northern Ghana |date=1 January 2013 |publisher=University of Virginia Press |isbn=9780813933863 |language=en |chapter=Drum Chant and the Political Uses of Tradition |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6MQ-5Elyg2kC&q=Kingdom+of+Dagbon&pg=PT39 }}</ref> The Kingdom was founded by Naa Gbewaa, a great-grandson of a famous warrior named Tohaʒee.<ref>{{Cite web |last=History |first=The African |date=8 April 2022 |title=Kingdom of Dagbon: founded in Ghana by the Red Hunter Tohazee in 11th Century |url=https://theafricanhistory.com/2567 |access-date=22 October 2023 |website=The African History |language=en-US }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Napari |first=Faida |date=24 April 2018 |title=THE STORY OF RED HUNTER (TOHAZIE) |url=https://medium.com/@kinghassan8850/the-story-of-red-hunter-tohazie-963535830a04 |access-date=22 October 2023 |website=Medium |language=en }}</ref> Tohazie fathered Kpuɣnambo (ʒinani) and these line of successors journeyed from east of Lake Chad, stopping at several places including Zamfara, present-day northern Nigeria, and in the Mali Empire.
=== Pre-Gbewaa period === Archaeological evidence suggest that there were thriving civilisation in Dagbon before the Neolithic period. There is evidence of agricultural activities and iron industries during the Neolithic period.<ref>{{Cite web |title=ARCHAEOLOGY IN THE "OVERSEAS", NORTHERN REGION, GHANA: CHALLENGES AND PROSPECTS |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/305642192 }}</ref> The progenitors of modern Dagomba, the aboriginal Dagombas, are known locally as Dagbon Sablisi.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Archaeological Sites and other sites of historical-cultural relevance to Ghana – Ghana Museums and Monuments Board |url=https://gmmb.gov.gh/archaeological-sites-and-other-sites-of-historical-cultural-relevance-to-ghana/ |access-date=9 May 2024 |language=en-US }}</ref> During this period, Dagbon was a decentralised society. It was made of Tinsi( towns) which were headed by Tindaanima (singular: tindana). The Tindaamba mainly oversaw spiritual and religious activities. They undertook the pacification of the tingbana (earth gods), bina (gods), and buga (idols). Today, each town has a tindana who still oversee thes religious activities. Festivals like the Bugum Chugu can be traced back to this era. Similarly, musical instruments like the Gungong and dances like the Zhem are all from this period.
Naa Gbewaa lineage traces back to Tohazhie, the Red (fair-skinned) Hunter. These histories narrate the story of Tohazhie, who left Tunga, east of Lake Chad, with a small band of cavalry men into Zamfara, present-day Nigeria, before moving on to Mali. Tohazhie married the daughter of the king of Mali, Pag Wabiga, and fathered a son, Kpoginumbo(Ʒinani).<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Danver |first=Steven L. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vf4TBwAAQBAJ&q=Kingdom+of+Dagbon&pg=PA25 |title=Native Peoples of the World: An Encyclopedia of Groups, Cultures and Contemporary Issues |date=10 March 2015 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=9781317464006 |pages=25 |language=en }}</ref>{{Rp|25}}
After serving briefly in Mali, Kpogonumbo and his followers came into conflict with the rising Songhay Empire in western Africa, and reprisal attacks from the Songhay forced Kpogonumbo and his followers southward. Kpogonumbo then seized power and ruled over Biun in Gurma. His son, Naa Gbewaa (or Bawa), left Biun with some of his followers to settle at Pusiga in the northeastern corner of Ghana, where he ruled until he became blind. His grave is located at Pusiga in the Upper East Region. Naa Gbewaa's son, Zirili, succeeded him. Not much is known of Zirili. His younger brothers–Tohagu, Shitobu and Gmantambo–each of them travelled outward eventually expanding the borders of the Dagbon Kingdoms. Naa Gbewaa remains in the histories of the kingdoms of Dagbon and the kingdoms of the Mamprugu and Nanumba, as their first king, founding their ruling dynasties through these sons.<ref name=":0" />{{Rp|25}}
=== Reign of Naa Gbewaa === Gbewaa established Dagbon in present-day northern Ghana, unifying small decentralised states headed by the Tindaamba. He was resident in Pusiga. Unlike his predecessors who were migratory, Gbewaa established a stable kingdom and a reign marked by stability and prosperity.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2019-01-26 |title=History of the Dagbon State |url=https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/History-of-the-Dagbon-State-718419 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20241217063852/https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/History-of-the-Dagbon-State-718419 |archive-date=2024-12-17 |access-date=2026-05-23 |work=GhanaWeb |language=en-US}}</ref>
==== Lineage ==== Gbewaa fathered the following children<ref>{{Cite web |title=Naa Gbewaa children |url=http://www.adrummerstestament.com/2/2-04_Naa_Gbewaa_children_(list).html |access-date=21 May 2023 |website=www.adrummerstestament.com |archive-date=15 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221215105706/http://www.adrummerstestament.com/2/2-04_Naa_Gbewaa_children_(list).html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=4 September 2021 |title=The History Of Mole Dagbon State • Dagbon Kingdom: Your Gateway to the Best of Culture, History & Tourism |url=https://dagbonkingdom.com/history-of-mole-dagbon-state/ |access-date=21 May 2023 |language=en-US |archive-date=2 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211002094542/https://dagbonkingdom.com/history-of-mole-dagbon-state/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
* Naa Ʒirli (Zirile), eldest son of Naa Gbewaa * Fɔɣu, preferred successor of Naa Gbewaa * Naa Shitɔbu, father of Yaa Naa Nyagse * Mamprugulana Tohigu, founded Gmamprugu * Bimbila-Naa Ŋmantambu, founded Nanung * Salagalana Kayilkuna, ruled over Salaga * Kuɣa-Naa Shibee Kpɛma * Karaga-Naa Beemoni, ruled over Karaga * Sunson-Naa Buɣyilgu, ruled over Sunsong * Sanglana Shibee Bila, ruled over Sang, in Eastern Dagbon * Nyensung Yaambana * Savelugu-Naa Yenyoo, ruled over Savelugu * Nanton-Naa Baatanga, ruled over Nanton * Yamolkaragalana Kayetuli, ruled over Yemokaraga * Bohinsan Zugulana * Zantanlana Yirigitundi, ruled over Zantaani in Western Dagbon, now under Tolon District * Zoggolana Sungburi, ruled over Zoggu * Nyingaa Ʒibie * Kpuɣli Kungoo * Gundo-Naa Kachaɣu, eldest daughter, became the first Gundo Naa. The Gundo Naa title is reserved for only females. * Yemtori (Yennenga), beloved daughter, travelled northward and married Rialle. Their son, Ouedraogo founded the Mossi Kingdoms.
After Gbewaa's death, his children led by his son Shitobu settled briefly at the town of Gambaga before moving south to Namburugu, near Karaga, where he resided. The king became known as ''Yaa Naa'', meaning "king of strength/power". As Sitobu moved south, he unified indigenous Dagombas, Konkomba, Nafeba, Basare and Chamba, who did not have centralised political structures, except for the office of the tindana–the earth priest. The tindana presided over ritual ceremonies and acted as a mediator between the people and the gods of the land.<ref name=":0" />{{Rp|25}} Sitobu's son, Naa Nyaɣsi (r. 1416–1432) succeeded him and embarked on a war of expansion, overthrowing many of the Tindaamba and holding sway over the indigenous people. Naa Nyagsi established his capital at Yani Dabari, located in the area of Diyali, near Tamale, and developed a stable political organisation by installing his sons, brothers and uncles as rulers over the conquered people. The surviving ''tindaamba'' continued to function as earth priests.<ref name=":0" />{{Rp|25}}
=== European conquest === {{Unreferenced section|date=January 2025}} In the late 19th century, the Germans were expanding from the East, the British from the South, and the French from the North and East. The Germans invaded Dagbon in 1896. After the German invasion of Eastern Dagbon at the Battle of Adibo, Eastern Dagbon fell to the Germans. The centuries-old Gbewaa Palace was burnt. Eastern Dagbon became part of German Togoland and Western Dagbon became part of the British Gold Coast as a protectorate, not a colony. The British presence prevented further German attacks into Western Dagbon. Following World War I, eastern Dagbon became part of British Togoland. The Gold Coast achieved independence in 1957 and became Ghana. The result of British and German imperialism was the loss of its traditional artifacts, way of life and a divided Kingdom whose wounds would not completely heal till the second decade of the 21st century.
The division of Dagbon by the Germans and British without regard to the peoples history brought several challenges, mainly in its traditional leadership. The Kingdom since around the 1920s has been characterised by repeated succession disputes and conflict mainly from British and German Imperial interference in Dagbon's succession. Today, the king of Dagbon's court remains at the city of Yendi. The kingdom is divided into territorial chiefdoms, categorised from divisional to village chieftaincies. The monarch of Dagbon is known as the ''Yaa Naa''.
=== Relocation of capital === The capital of Dagbon was relocated from Yani Dabari (Ruins of Yani), near Diare, to current Yani (Yendi) in the east because of the invasion of the Gonja people. Gonja attacks in Western Dagbon (Tomo), especially at Daboya dealt a lot of damage to the Dagomba people. Naa Luro, though victorious over the Gonja in a later battle, could not stand the sustained warfare and relocated the capital to Yendi. The Gonja followed eastward Naa Zanjina finally halted the Gonja attacks when he decisively defeated them and killed their chief, Kumpatia, at Sang near Yendi.<ref name=":0" />{{Rp|25}}
Naa Zanjina not only is reputed to be the first Muslim ruler of the Dagbon, but is also credited with encouraging trade. With the relocation of the capital to Yendi and the return of peace, a Muslim community emerged at the ''Yaa Naa''<nowiki/>'s palace at Yendi. The Dyula, of Mande origin, led by Sabali-Yarna, and the Hausa Muslims, led by the Kamshe Naa, bolstered Islamic influence in the kingdom. Beginning with the Sabali-Yarna, and later the Kamshe Naa, these people became responsible for the ''Yaa Naa''<nowiki/>'s protective prayers. At the ''Yaa Naa''<nowiki/>'s palace, Muslim titles, a sign of the integration of Muslim elders into the political structure, included the ''Walgu Naa'', who made sure that the ''Yaa Naa'' had his portion to "Drink the Qur'an"; the Nayil Liman, the imam of the ''Yaa Naa'', and the Yidan Kambala, were also credited with the imamship.<ref name=":0" />{{Rp|25–26}}
The extension of trade with the Dyula, and later with the Hausa, linked the Dagbon state with neighbouring kingdoms, like the Fezzan, Egypt, and the Bight of Benin. By 1788, Yendi was said to be bigger than Kumasi and Salaga.<ref name=":0" />{{Rp|26}}
It was culturally closer to, and was the result of, other Sahelian kingdoms, especially to the Mossi Kingdoms, Mali Empire, Songhai Empire, and Hausa Bakwai, with which Dagbon were major trading partners for salt, kola nuts.
== Kingdoms and states that originated from Dagbon == left|thumb|Statue of Yennega none|thumb|Bouna, Ivory Coast. It shares Boundaries with Ghana. When Naa Gbewaa died, many subkingdoms arose including Mamprugu and Nanung. While Gbewaa was still alive, his daughter Yennenga,<ref>{{Citation |last=ouédraogo |first=jean |editor-first1=Emmanuel K. |editor-first2=Henry Louis |editor-last1=Akyeampong |editor-last2=Gates |title=Yennenga |date=1 January 2011 |url=https://www.oxfordreference.com/display/10.1093/acref/9780195382075.001.0001/acref-9780195382075-e-2162;jsessionid=CDBAA44D7190D31F20039A7EBE407891 |work=Dictionary of African Biography |access-date=21 May 2023 |publisher=Oxford University Press |language=en |doi=10.1093/acref/9780195382075.001.0001 |isbn=978-0-19-538207-5 |url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=African Books Collective: Yennenga: The Dagomba Princess |url=https://www.africanbookscollective.com/books/yennenga-the-dagomba-princess |access-date=21 May 2023 |website=www.africanbookscollective.com }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=admin |date=16 February 2019 |title=YENENGA, The Dagomba Princess |url=https://africaaccessreview.org/2019/02/yenenga-the-dagomba-princess/ |access-date=21 May 2023 |language=en-US |archive-date=16 March 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250316190409/https://africaaccessreview.org/2019/02/yenenga-the-dagomba-princess/ |url-status=live }}</ref> travelled north and founded the Mossi Kingdoms of Ouagadougou(Dagbani: Waɣaduɣu), Tenkodogo (Dagbani: Tingkurgu) Yatenga (Dagbani: Yatiŋa), and Fada N'Grumah, who constitute the majority of present-day Burkina Faso. Other kingdoms that emerged from Dagbon include the Bouna Kingdom<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bouna {{!}} African kingdom {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Bouna |access-date=21 May 2023 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en |archive-date=25 January 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250125035454/https://www.britannica.com/topic/Bouna |url-status=live }}</ref> of Ivory Coast, and the Dagaaba states<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Lentz |first=Carola |date=November 1994 |title=A Dagara Rebellion against Dagomba Rule? Contested Stories of Origin in North-Western Ghana |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-african-history/article/abs/dagara-rebellion-against-dagomba-rule-contested-stories-of-origin-in-northwestern-ghana1/6FE3EC7437F7FCB916CF41C344A1C044 |journal=The Journal of African History |language=en |volume=35 |issue=3 |pages=457–492 |doi=10.1017/S0021853700026797 |s2cid=161419446 |issn=1469-5138 |url-access=subscription }}</ref> of the Upper West Region of Ghana.
== Royal houses == {{Unreferenced section|date=January 2025}} There are two main houses among the royals of Dagbon. These are the House of Abudu and the House of Andani. The royals of Dagbon are skilled in statecraft, lobbying and royal politics. The current Yaa Naa is a member of the House of Andani and the leader of his military wing the Tolon Naa is from the Abudu House. Royals in Dagbon compete intensely for chieftaincy titles but work collaboratively after ascensions.
== Geography == Dagbon experiences a tropical savanna climate, characterized by distinct wet and dry seasons. The predominant vegetation type is Guinean forest–savanna mosaic, characterized by a band of interlaced forest, savanna, and grassland.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Regional Analytical Reports Northern Region |url=https://www2.statsghana.gov.gh/docfiles/2010phc/2010_PHC_Regional_Analytical_Reports_Northern_Region.pdf }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=GreenViews |date=19 December 2023 |title=Guide to the Northern Region of Ghana |url=https://greenviewsresidential.com/northern-region-of-ghana/ |access-date=18 May 2024 |website=Green Views Residential Project |language=en-US }}</ref>
== Common festivals == 1. Damba 2. Bugum
== Historical educational and knowledge systems ==
=== Writing system === Dagbon scholars used a modified Arabic script, the Dagbanli Script, in its communication. Dr. Phllis Ferguson describes it as lexically Arabic, but syntactically Dagbani.<ref name=":5">{{Cite news |title=SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY IN 18TH CENTURY MOLIYILI (DAGOMBA) AND THE TIMBUKTU INTELLECTUAL TRADITION |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/323228777 |archive-date=18 May 2024 |access-date=21 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240518175211/https://www.researchgate.net/publication/323228777_Science_and_Technology_in_18th_Century_Moliyili_Dagomba_and_the_Timbuktiu_Intellectual_Tradition |url-status=live }}</ref> Much of this writing system has been lost due European colonisation. Archives and manuscripts that were housed in Moliyili were burned during the German invasion and looting of Dagbon.<ref>{{Cite journal |title=Remnants of 'Adibo dali' (1896) and the Plunder of Yendi in German Museums |date=2023 |doi=10.1093/hwj/dbad011 |url=https://academic.oup.com/hwj/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/hwj/dbad011/7260913 |last1=Legall |first1=Yann |last2=Aguigah |first2=Elias |journal=History Workshop Journal |volume=96 |pages=71–95 |url-access=subscription |archive-date=17 October 2023 |access-date=21 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231017145651/https://academic.oup.com/hwj/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/hwj/dbad011/7260913 |url-status=live }}</ref> A significant amount of the archives was transported to Denmark in the twentieth century.<ref name=":5" /> Today, Dagbon uses an English derived writing system.
=== Scholarly families === There were several scholarly clans in ancient Dagbon, some of them are now lost to time. A prominent family was Moliyili,<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Kinney |first=Sylvia |date=1970 |title=Drummers in Dagbon: The Role of the Drummer in the Damba Festival |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/849800 |journal=Ethnomusicology |volume=14 |issue=2 |pages=258–265 |doi=10.2307/849800 |jstor=849800 |issn=0014-1836 |url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=11 May 2023 |title=Moliyili: Golden Age Of Dagbon Kingdom |url=https://dagbonkingdom.com/moliyili-golden-age-of-dagbon-kingdom/ |access-date=21 September 2023 |language=en-US }}</ref> House of Moli/Mole. Moliyili had support and substantial material resources for their intellectual endeavours from Yaa Naa, the King of Dagbon. The Mole were granted a degree of administrative and legal independence and protection from external interference.<ref name=":5" /> They thrived due to robust economic and political backing, which enabled them to engage in continuous intellectual pursuits.
The diverse range of topics covered in their manuscripts, spanning chronicles, biographies, jurisprudence, pilgrimage guides, Arabic linguistics, and Qur'anic commentaries, mirrors their status as a semi-autonomous intellectual and spiritual elite.<ref name=":5" /> Notably, certain writings took on a scientific and technological character, such as works related to agriculture, medicine, pharmacology, and metallurgy.<ref name=":5" /> These writings not only underscore their independent economic standing but also illustrate that Mole learning was intricately linked to various societal activities, organizations, and institutions.
=== The Lunsi === thumb|Lunsi of Dagbon thumb|Sound of the Luŋa The Lunsi of Dagbon form a scholarly family with a unique responsibility of the preservation of historical and genealogical knowledge structured around the lineage of chiefs and royal families.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Oral History in Dagbon: The Role of the Lunsi in Traditional African Society {{!}} Center for Advanced Study |url=https://cas.illinois.edu/node/2659 |access-date=21 September 2023 |website=cas.illinois.edu }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Dagomba Dance Drumming |url=https://sites.tufts.edu/dagomba/ |access-date=21 September 2023 |language=en-US }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Abdallah |first=Z. Z. |date=2010 |title=The Lunsi (Drummers) of Dagbon: Tradition and Change |url=https://www.ajol.info/index.php/rrias/article/view/65942 |journal=Research Review of the Institute of African Studies |volume=26 |issue=3 |language=en |doi=10.4314/rrias.v26i3.65942 |issn=0855-4412 |url-access=subscription }}</ref> The head of the Lunsi is the Namo Naa.<ref>{{Cite web |title=1-11: Respect of Drumming |url=http://www.adrummerstestament.com/1/1-11_The_Respect_of_Drumming.html |access-date=21 September 2023 |website=www.adrummerstestament.com }}</ref> Their method of historical preservation involves the recitation and rhythmic drumming of proverbs, each laden with references to the history of the Dagbon royalty and their achievements.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Drums of the Dagomba |url=http://www.nadabrahma.org/Sulleydrums.html |access-date=21 September 2023 |website=www.nadabrahma.org |archive-date=4 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231004010907/http://www.nadabrahma.org/Sulleydrums.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> Through this oral tradition, the Lunsi not only safeguard the historical legacy of their people but also serve as the storytellers who continually reaffirm the profound connection between the citizens and their revered royal ancestors.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Decolonizing Our Library System: The Living Librarians (Baansi) of Dagbon, Northern Ghana |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/302563862 }}</ref> thumb
== Dagbon as a British and German protectorate (1896–1957) == Dagbon resisted colonisation as it had a well organised and powerful army. It was a protectorate, not a colony, allowing chiefs in the Kingdom to have independence other chiefs in Southern Ghana did not have. In 1888, Dagbon became part of a neutral zone called Salaga Area, stretching from Yeji to Yendi, that was established to forestall conflict between the Germans and the British. Dagbon had to fight the Germans to the East, resist the British to the West and South, and the French were to the North. The Germans failed to capture Dagbon after multiple attempts. After the Battle of Adibo, Yendi, the capital of Dagbon was deserted. The Gbewaa Palace was burnt and Eastern Dagbon came under German control. Western Dagbon ultimately came under British control. Yendi, where the ''Yaa Naa'' resided, came under German control, separating the Yaa Naa from his people in the west.
=== First German expedition in 1896 === thumb|Graveyard of German invaders at Adibo, near Yendi. Dagbon ultimately won the long war for its right to freely exist. From the point of view of German colonialists, the influential Yaan Naa Andani II had disturbed the trade route from the coast to Sansanné-Mangu, a German colonial station in the hinterland. Naa Andani, however, had already told German colonial administrator Hans Gruner beforehand that he believed that "it is the white man who makes the roads unsafe".<ref>Letter from Hans Gruner to August Köhler, 4 November 1896, German Federal Archives, BArch R 1001/4391, p. 76.</ref>
In 1896, the Germans led by Valentin von Massow, Hans Gruner and Gaston Thierry clashed with the Dagomba at the Battle of Adibo, destroyed Yendi and made away with valuables. It was a massacre, as the 7,000-man, poorly equipped Dagomba army merely rushed with their bows and arrows at the 100-man well-armed German army.<ref name=":2">{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=A0XNvklcqbwC&q=Kingdom+of+Dagbon&pg=PA336 |title=Encyclopedia of Africa |last1=Appiah |first1=Anthony |last2=Gates |first2=Henry Louis |date=1 January 2010 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=9780195337709 |pages=336 |language=en }}</ref> In 1899 the British and the Germans split Dagbon between German Togoland and the Gold Coast.<ref name=":2" />
=== Second German expedition in 1900 === After the death of Yaa Na Andani II in August 1899, disputes over succession to the Dagbon throne were ongoing: Andani's eldest son aspired to become Na of Savelugu and had asked the Dagomba elders to promote the current Savelugu Na to supreme Yaa Naa. However, this suggestion was met with disagreement from Alasan, Na of Karaga, who claimed the throne for himself. German colonial governor August Köhler himself supported Alasan's claim and, in late March 1900, called for a military expedition who was then led by the colonial administrator in Sansanné-Mangu, Friedrich Rigler.<ref>Letter from Köhler to Foreign Office, 31 March 1900, German Federal Archives, R 150/90, 159–160.</ref> The latter led his troops to Yendi on 5 April 1900 but found the town deserted.<ref>Letter from Rigler to Köhler, 13. Apr. 1900, German Federal Archives, BArch R 1001/3762, p. 70.</ref> Meanwhile, Na Andani's eldest son Idi had moved with his retinue to Sang in the Gold Coast colony and gathered up with those who had fled Yendi.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Tamakloe |first=Emmanuel F |title=A brief history of the Dagbamba people |date=1931 |publisher=Gov. Print. Off. |location=Accra |language=English |oclc=630490339 }}</ref> These Dagomba thought they were protected from the Germans, but Rigler still attacked them in British territory on 7 April.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Trierenberg |first=Georg |url=http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:gbv:46:1-11543 |title=Togo die Aufrichtung der deutschen Schutzherrschaft und die Erschließung des Landes |date=2018 |language=German |oclc=1030535458 }}</ref> The German troops killed at least 83 people in the battle, including Andani's son.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Sebald |first=Peter |title=Die deutsche Kolonie Togo 1884–1914: Auswirkungen einer Fremdherrschaft |date=2013 |publisher=Ch. Links Verlag |isbn=978-3-86153-693-2 |language=German |oclc=854555895 }}</ref> After coming back to Yendi, Rigler appointed Alasan as the new Yaa Naa of Dagbon.
=== British colonial rule === Following World War I, eastern Dagbon became part of the British-administered mandated territories established by the League of Nations and reunited with the west, allowing the ''Yaa Naa'' to resume control of his people.{{Rp|26}} The British implemented indirect rule, in which Dagomba chiefs administered local government. The British largely neglected the economic development of Dagbon. To pay the head tax the British imposed, Dagomba had to migrate to the southern Gold Coast to work in mines and on cocoa plantations.<ref name=":2" /> The Kingdom of Dagbon enjoyed a distinct constitutional position before it became part of the British Togoland.<ref name="Ghana, A living History">{{cite web |url=https://ghanahistory.wordpress.com/tag/gold-coast/ |title=Ghana, A living History |year=1960 |access-date=8 May 2014 |archive-date=27 March 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170327081021/https://ghanahistory.wordpress.com/tag/gold-coast/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="The Legislation Providing for the Grant of Independence to Ghana">{{Cite journal |date=1957 |title=The Legislation Providing for the Grant of Independence to Ghana |journal=Journal of African Law |volume=1 |issue=2 |pages=99–112 |doi=10.1017/S0021855300000176 |jstor=745294 |s2cid=249895708 |issn=0021-8553 }}</ref>
=== Recent history === Today, the ''Yaa Naa''<nowiki/>'s court remains at Yendi. The kingdom is divided into territorial chiefdoms, categorised from divisional to village chieftaincies. Certain chieftaincies, such as Karaga, Savalugu and Mion, are reserved for the sons of the former ''Yaa Naa'', and their occupancy qualifies one to test for the Namship, or head chiefdom, at Yendi. Lesser chieftaincies are reserved for grandsons. Succession to the Nam has always rotated among the three royal houses namely Andani Yili, Aburi Yili and Mahami Yili, now reduced to two–the Andani and the Abudu.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Danver |first=Steven L. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vf4TBwAAQBAJ&q=Kingdom+of+Dagbon&pg=PA25 |title=Native Peoples of the World: An Encyclopedia of Groups, Cultures and Contemporary Issues |date=10 March 2015 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=9781317464006 |pages=26 |language=en }}</ref>
Over the past century, the Dagomba have faced repeated succession disputes. Following the death of Yaa-Na Mahama II in 1954, a succession dispute arose and the federal government sent troops to Yendi and intervened.
In March 2002, Ya Naa Yakubu Andani II, from the Andani House, was murdered together with forty-two of his elders in a war by supporters of the Abudu House.<ref name=":3">{{cite web |author=Afua Hirsch |date=5 July 2012 |title=Ghana's rival Dagbon royals risk pulling the country apart |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/jul/05/ghana-royal-rivalry-threatens-violence |access-date=4 January 2014 |work=The Guardian }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/4906764.stm |title=Ghana king's burial ends long feud |website=news.bbc.co.uk |date=13 April 2006 |access-date=26 March 2017 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BrbIw2eYVM4C&q=darimani+dagbon&pg=PA205 |title=An Ethnographic Study of Northern Ghanaian Conflicts: Towards a Sustainable Peace : Key Aspects of Past, Present and Impending Conflicts in Northern Ghana and the Mechanisms for Their Address |last=Awedoba |first=A. K. |date=1 January 2010 |publisher=African Books Collective |isbn=9789988647384 |pages=205 |language=en }}</ref> After eight years, on 10 April 2010, around thirty to forty people were arrested for the murder in Yendi and parts of Accra in preparation for prosecution.<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.businessghana.com/site/news/general/113852/Ya-Na-Yakubu-Andani-II-was-killed-in-a-war-Abudus |title=Ya-Na Yakubu Andani II was killed in a war – Abudus – BusinessGhana News {{!}} General |website=www.businessghana.com |access-date=26 March 2017 |archive-date=27 March 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170327081246/https://www.businessghana.com/site/news/general/113852/Ya-Na-Yakubu-Andani-II-was-killed-in-a-war-Abudus |url-status=live }}</ref>
On 16 November 2018, a Mediation Committee that consisted of three Eminent Chiefs finalized its plan to resolve the conflict in Dagbon. The two Houses agreed to the Committees proposal that the Abudu Royal family perform the funeral rites of the late Yaa Naa Mahamadu Abdulai from 14 to 28 December 2018. Next was to be the funeral of the late Yaa Naa Yakubu Andani II, from 4–19 January 2019. Both obsequies took place at the old Gbewaa Palace in Yendi.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://citinewsroom.com/2019/01/18/savelugu-naa-abubakari-mahama-chosen-as-new-yaa-naa/ |title=Savelugu Naa; Abubakari Mahama chosen as new Yaa-Naa |date=18 January 2019 |website=Citi Newsroom |language=en-US |access-date=26 January 2019 |archive-date=21 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190421021107/https://citinewsroom.com/2019/01/18/savelugu-naa-abubakari-mahama-chosen-as-new-yaa-naa/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
== Military == The Sapashina are the military of the Kingdom<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Haas |first=Karl J. |title=Music, Masculinity, and Tradition: A Musical Ethnography of the Dagbamba Warriors in Tamale, Ghana |date=2016 |doi=10.13140/RG.2.2.11662.56649 |url=https://www.academia.edu/30591197 }}</ref>{{Request quotation|date=October 2023}}
== Dance == Dance is called Waa in the Dagbani language. Dancing is an important part of the culture of Dagbon. There are several types of dances performed individually or in groups.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Stuffelbeam |first1=Katharine |last2=Fuseina |first2=Wumbei |date=2012 |title=Performing Advocacy: Women's Music and Dance in Dagbon, Northern Ghana |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/24877258 |journal=African Music |volume=9 |issue=2 |pages=154–169 |doi=10.21504/amj.v9i2.1808 |jstor=24877258 |issn=0065-4019 |url-access=subscription |archive-date=27 October 2023 |access-date=21 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231027181908/https://www.jstor.org/stable/24877258 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=1–18: Baamaaya and Other Dances |url=http://www.adrummerstestament.com/1/1-18_Baamaaya_Jera_Yori_Bila_and_Other_Dances_of_Dagbon_web_chapter.html |access-date=21 October 2023 |website=www.adrummerstestament.com }}</ref>
== Natural resources ==
=== Mineral resource === The kingdom holds the largest iron ore reserve in the country.<ref>{{Cite web |date=21 November 2021 |title=Ghana Integrated Iron and Steel Development Corporation assures Dagbon of investors to kick-start mining at Shiani – MyJoyOnline |url=https://www.myjoyonline.com/ghana-integrated-iron-and-steel-development-corporation-assures-dagbon-of-investors-to-kick-start-mining-at-shiani/ |access-date=21 October 2023 |website=www.myjoyonline.com |language=en-US }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Over 1.7bn tonnes of iron ore discovered in Tatale/Sanguli District |url=https://www.graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/ghana-news-over-1-7bn-tonnes-of-iron-ore-discovered-in-yendi-municipality.html |location=Accra, Ghana |access-date=8 January 2023 |newspaper=Daily Graphic |date=15 May 2019 |language=en-gb |archive-date=8 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230108143456/https://www.graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/ghana-news-over-1-7bn-tonnes-of-iron-ore-discovered-in-yendi-municipality.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=25 January 2019 |title=Dagbon: Iron ore mine coming to Sheini – Akufo-Addo |url=https://www.classfmonline.com/news/Dagbon-Iron-ore-mine-coming-to-Sheini-Akufo-Addo-1571 |access-date=21 October 2023 |website=www.classfmonline.com |language=en |archive-date=27 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231027180451/https://www.classfmonline.com/news/Dagbon-Iron-ore-mine-coming-to-Sheini-Akufo-Addo-1571 |url-status=live }}</ref>
=== Flora === Trees:
* ''Adansonia digitata'' * ''Afzelia africana'' * ''Anogeissus leiocarpus'' * ''Afraegle paniculata'' * ''Burkea africana'' * ''Butyrospermum paradoxum'' * ''Cassia sieberana'' * ''Celastrus senegalensis'' * ''Combretum ghasalense'' * ''Detarium microcarpum'' * ''Grewia lasiodiscus'' * ''Grewia mollis'' * ''Lannea acida'' * ''Maytenus senegalensis'' * ''Piliostigma thonningii'' * ''Pterocarpus erinaceus'' * ''Sterculia setigera'' * ''Tamarindus indica'' * ''Terminalia'' spp., including ''T. avicennioides'' * ''Ximenia americana''
Shrubs:
* ''Diospyros mespiliformis'' * ''Feretia apodanthera'' * ''Flueggea virosa'' * ''Tinnsea'' spp. * ''Urginea'' spp.
Herbaceous plants:
* ''Abutilon ramosum'' * ''Aneilema umbrosum'' * ''Atylosia scarabaeoides'' * ''Blepharis maderaspatensis'' * ''Desmodium velutinum'' * ''Mariscus alternifolius'' * ''Ruellia'' spp. * ''Sida urens'' * ''Triumfetta pentandra'' * ''Wissadula amplissima''
Grasslands:
* ''Andropogon'' spp., including ''Andropogon gayanus var. squamulatus'' (a tall grass) * ''Brachiaria'' spp. * ''Loudetiopsis kerstingii''
== Foods and diet of Dagbon == {{Unreferenced section|date=August 2024}} Common foods include sakoro (pounded yam), mochi ni tuya (rice and beans), aduwa (cowpea), yoroyoro, nyombieka, wasawasa, sagatuliga (tz) and sinkpela
=== Breakfast === Traditional breakfast is made of koko or kukuaɣli (porridge) made from either of maize, millet, guinea or a mixture of flours.
=== Types of porridge prepared in Dagbon ===
* Za koko (made from millet) * Chi koko (made from guinea corn) * Koko Talli (made from maize or millet or guinea corn) * kukuɣa nyina (any porridge with sizeable, chewable soft maize or millet) * Zimbɛiɣu (porridge whose floor is made from mixtures of floor from maize, beans, millet, soybeans and others) * Zimbuli (porridge from coarse flour)
==See also== * List of rulers of the Kingdom of Dagbon * Adibo dali * Dagbani language * Fire Festival in Dagbon * Damba festival * Notable Dagombas {{clear left}}
==References== {{reflist}} {{Sahelian kingdoms}}
Category:Dagbon Category:History of Ghana Category:Former monarchies of Africa Category:Former countries in Africa