Suntou,
I can not claim to know who among the two first accepted Islam although there is plenty of evidence (oral or written) about the Jahanke and the Foutanke role in the spread of Islam in Senegambia.  While Foutanke used conquering  and forced conversion the Kaabunka- style, to spread Islam, the Jahanke chose the non-violence which included living among predominantly non-Muslim populations. These settlements, Morikundas  were not only more organized than those of their Mandinka landlords ( Francis Moore's 1721 Travels into Inland Parts of Africa) but became some sort of power houses. Their resources  physical or mythical were heavily relied upon by the landlords. I would add that non-violence may have given way to the so called Soninke-Marabout wars in the second half of the1800s when  the French and British began their colonial tendencies.
While the Jahanke may have been more successful (although this is debatable), living and intermarriage among a predominant group run the risk of what I would call "melting into the crowd". In other words success a religious caste may have come at the price of losing ethnic identity. I  would venture say that  "Kontong mang soo soto"  meaning a last name has no permanent home may be a recognition of that.
Malanding Jaiteh
suntou touray wrote:
A wrong conclusion Malanding. The Jahanke came into Islam right about the same time as the Mandingos. Remember they are still Mandingo as an ethnicity, they just invented some words and slight cultural adaptations.
SuntouOn Tue, Dec 15, 2009 at 9:31 PM, Malanding Jaiteh <[log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]>> wrote:
  Haruna,
  You dream when you sleep. How can you sleep with all these
  trigger-happy fellows running the show out there. That said I
  would concede that La Guinea gave Senegambia the Jahanke and
  Foutanke without whom the Mandinka and Kaabunka would still be
  tapping palm wine and raiding neighbors.
  Malanding
  Haruna Darbo wrote:
    Men Kukeh if you're not careful I'll think of a suitable name
    for you as grinch that stole the Bamako Christmas. I don't
    even know if you dream anymore Kukeh. When was the last time
    you had a dream???? No not you Dad. Kukeh.
    Haruna.
    -----Original Message-----
    From: Malanding Jaiteh <[log in to unmask]
    <mailto:[log in to unmask]>
    Sent: Tue, Dec 15, 2009 3:17 pm
    Subject: Re: Maybe you can better appreciate La-Guinea's
    significance to West Africa if I share this map with you.
    What significance? Apart from giving us Sekou Toure, Lasana
    Conte, Dadis Kamara and this Konate fellow!  Malanding  Haruna
    Darbo wrote: > I'm just talking about locational significance.
    I haven't even > scratched the surface of La-Guinea's total
    significance to the subregion. > > Courtesy of Jeune Afrique.
    Haruna. > >
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