Interactions between the Moogo and the Arab-Muslim World: Mode of Penetration, Cultural Circulations, and Historical Legacies in Contemporary Burkina Faso

The article investigates the historical relationships between the Moogo and the Arab-Muslim world from the 15th to the 19th century. It seeks to analyse how these connections may have influenced the political, economic, religious, and cultural organization of the Moose kingdoms. To do this, the research takes a qualitative approach, combining a critical reading of scientific literature, gathering oral traditions, and comparing them with major historical overviews of West Africa. The findings show that the first contacts between these two worlds were mainly through trans-Saharan trade networks. Over time, these exchanges expanded into religious, intellectual, and diplomatic areas. Specialized groups like the Yarse, the Fulbe, the Z？ngoeto, and the Mar？nse played a key role in these exchanges by facilitating the flow of goods, knowledge, languages, and religious practices. However, these influences didn’t lead to a full Islamization of political power without challenging customary institutions. In fact, the Moose rulers managed to absorb economic and cultural influences while preserving and maintaining the supremacy of the Naam (authority), which remains the foundation of their political legitimacy. The study highlights a process of selective appropriation of outside influences, marked by a controlled openness to regional exchanges. To illustrate this historical dynamic, the article introduces the concept of ‘managed political integration’, which describes how Moose societies welcomed contributions from the Arab-Muslim world without abandoning their institutional structures. This research adds to the historiography of the Moose kingdoms by going beyond the usual opposition between resistance and Islamization, while highlighting the importance of sociocultural mediations in shaping interactions between the Moogo and the Sahelian areas. Overall, it presents a nuanced and dynamic view of history, where integration and exchange are at the heart of relations between cultures.