Guelowar (or Gelwaar in Serer), also spelled Gelwar, Guelwar, Guelware, Gueleware or Gueloware, was a maternal dynasty in the pre-colonial Serer kingdoms of Sine and Saloum (in the Senegambia, but mainly in the western area of present-day Senegal).
[6] The Guelowar family originated from Kaabu (centered in what is now modern-day Guinea Bissau) in the 14th century.
Their oral tradition also says that they are the descendants of Mansa Bala Diakha and Maisata Yembe Kame Guélaware (king and queen of a province of Kaabu).
[7] Henry Gravrand reported an oral tradition describing what he called the "Battle of Troubang", a dynastic war between the two maternal royal houses of Ñaanco and Guelowar, an offshoot and relatives of the Ñaanco (Nyanthio or Nyanco) maternal dynasty of Kaabu, in modern-day Guinea Bissau.
[8][9] Here Gravrand has not noticed that this is actually a description of the 1867 (or 1865) Battle of Kansala, although the departure of the Guelowar can probably be explained by a war or a conflict of succession.
[9][12] The Guelowars migrated to the Kingdom of Sine and were granted asylum by The Great Council of Lamanes (the Serer nobility).
Having served for several years as legal advisor to The Great Council of Lamans and assimilated into Serer culture, he was elected and crowned the first Guelowar king of Sine in (1350).
[13][16][17][18] The mainstream view has been that Mandinka Guelowars of Kaabu conquered and subjugated the Serer people.
Serer language, culture, religion and tradition also prevailed in Sine and Saloum not Mandinka.