Editing Saloum (section)

===Founding===
{{See|Serer medieval history|Mbegane Ndour|Maad Saloum}}
[[File:Apartment of the King of Salum.jpg|thumb|upright|left|Apartment of the [[Maad Saloum]] (king of Saloum) in 1821.]]

In the late 15th century, Ali Elibana, a [[Toucouleur people|Toucouleur]] [[marabout]], established himself at [[Njop]] and took control of the surrounding salt-producing region, Mbey, mostly populated by the Serer.{{sfn|Boulegue|2013|p=161}}{{sfn|Sakho|2021|p=112}} This was a period of profound destabilization and succession disputes in the Jolof Empire, which had extended its hegemony south to the [[Gambia river]] under [[Biram Njeme Eler]] (c.1465–c.1481). While the southern and eastern parts of the region that became Saloum were under the influence of Jolof, Saloum the kingdom was never a part of the empire.{{sfn|Fall|2022|p=221}}

[[Mbegane Ndour]], whose paternal roots were in the region, came to Mbey from Sine likely with the intention of carving out a kingdom for himself.{{sfn|Fall|2022|p=243}} Around the turn of the 16th century, he launched a religious conflict against the Muslim Elibana, strengthened by the purchase of horses and guns from European merchants on the coast. In the legend, after proving unable to overcome him on the battlefield, Ndour transformed into a snake and hid outside Elibana's mosque; when the marabout emerged from his prayers, the snake bit him, and he died. He then fought and defeated Diattara Tambedou, who was either Elibana's successor or a former ally of Ndour's. Tambedou, a Muslim [[Soninke people|Soninke]], was likely a salt merchant. Control over this vital resource underpinned the conflict as much or more than religious differences.{{sfn|Boulegue|2013|p=158-9}}{{sfn|Sakho|2021|p=112-3}}

Ndour renamed Njop [[Kahone]], meaning 'this is the one' in Serer, and made it the capital of a kingdom modeled on his homeland, Sine.{{sfn|Boulegue|2013|p=159}}{{sfn|Sakho|2021|p=113}}{{sfn|Fall|2022}} He built up his power by allying with the various smaller powers of the region, including Serer Lamanes, [[Soninke people|Soninke]] or Toucouleur marabouts, and local village chiefs, but he only directly controlled Mbey.{{sfn|Fall|2022|p=260-1}} At some point, he may have served as regent to the underage [[Maad a Sinig]] (King of the [[Kingdom of Sine]]).{{sfn|Fall|2022|p=243}}