Ndaté Yalla's father Amar Fatim Borso belonged to the Joos Maternal Dynasty, which was one of the reigning Houses of Waalo at the time.

The legend could have been an attempt by the Wolofs to incorporate other ethnicities into the myth of Ndiadiane Ndiaye to make them more comfortable with being vassals of the Jolof empire.

He was especially known for his anti-Islamic stance against the Senegalese Muslim jihadists at the time — especially Almamy Biran of Futa Toro, and for his famous line "A Brak should never convert to Islam".

[14] Marosso Tassé, a warrior noble of Cayor would go on to command his wife's army against Moorish and eminent French threat in years to come.

She succeeded her elder sister Ndjeumbeut Mbodj, reigning as Lingeer from 1846 to 1855 (the year Waalo fell to the French).

The French went on to state that the Lingeer can only be paid for passage after the goods have arrived in Saint-Louis, and to threaten her and ask that she return the 16 oxen which they say were in her possession, and if she refuse to do so she will be deemed an enemy.

Each of these chiefs governs his country the way he deems fit.During her reign as Lingeer, she and her husband Maaroso Tassé (commander of her army[14][20]) fought against the Moors of Trarza who were encroaching on her territory and against the French colonial army led by General Louis Faidherbe - who has just been brought in (1854) to replace his predecessor Governor Protet.

[21][22] Maaroso Tassé, the Prince of Cayor and Lord of Koki, and commander of the Waalo army, put up a strong resistance against the French.

This battle was the first real attempt by France to conquer territory in Senegambia and bring to an end the six main Senegambian Kingdoms (Waalo, Sine, Saloum, Baol, Cayor and Jolof) and their respective royal dynasties that had reigned for centuries.

In February 1855, Faidherbe departed from Saint-Louis with a force of 450 French soldiers and 400 armed volunteers[23][24][25] in order to march on Nder, Ndaté's capital.

The invader is stronger than we are, I know, but should we abandon Walo to the hands of foreigners?Maaroso Tassé Diop lost many of his men in battle.

In light of their crushing defeat, with the advice of the Jogomay, Jawdin and Maalo (the three powerful noble council of electors responsible for electing the kings and queens of Waalo from the ruling family[27]) and Maaroso Tassé's relatives in the royal family of Cayor, requested that the royal couple move to Cayor for refuge and protection.

Despite their defeat and the total humiliation of their monarch, the Cheddos (or Tiedos) of Waalo, devout followers of Traditional African religion were determined not to relinquish their country to the French so easily.

Knowing that their national army and commander had been completely routed, the Tiedos (animists) decided to destroy the infrastructure and the economic base that the French as well as the locals depended on - similar to what the Serers of Sine would do four years later following the Battle of Logandème.

Like her sister Ndjeumbeut, whom she succeeded in 1846, Ndaté Yalla was famous for three things: her political strength; her marriages and her son Sidia Diop.

Oral historians (also known as griots) have recorded her bravery, and she remains a symbol of female empowerment and resistance against French colonialism.