The Sokoto Caliphate was a loose confederation of emirates that recognized the suzerainty of the Amir al-Mu'minin. [1] The caliphate was established in 1809 and later became the largest pre-colonial African state. [2] The boundaries of the caliphate are part of present-day Cameroon, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Nigeria. [3]
Emirate | Date joined | Capital |
---|---|---|
Adamawa Emirate (Fombina) | 1809 (created) | Yola |
Kano Emirate | 1807 | Kano |
Katsina Emirate | 1807 | Katsina |
Gobir Emirate | 1808 | Sabon Birni |
Zazzau Emirate | 1804 | Zaria |
Illorin Emirate | 1824 (created) | Illorin |
Kebbi Emirate | 1808 | Argungu |
Bauchi Emirate | 1809 (created) | Bauchi |
Gwandu Emirate | 1809 (created) | Birnin-Kebbi |
Bida Emirate | 1835 | Bida |
Daura Emirate | 1805 | Daura |
Gombe Emirate | 1804 (created) | Gombe |
Agaie Emirate | 1832 (created) | Agaie |
Kontagora Emirate | 1864 (created) | Kontagora |
Lapai Emirate | 1825 (created) | Lapai |
Fika Emirate | 1806 (created) | Potiskum |
Yauri Emirate | Yauri | |
Katagum Emirate | 1807 (created) | Katagum |
Nasarawa Emirate | 1838 (created) | Lafia |
Shehu Usman ɗan Fodiopronunciation was a Fulani scholar, Islamic religious teacher, revolutionary and a philosopher who founded the Sokoto Caliphate and ruled as its first caliph. After the successful revolution, the "Jama'a" gave him the title Amir al-Mu'minin. He rejected the throne and continued calling to Islam.
Hausa–Fulani are people of mixed Hausa and Fulani origin. They are primarily found in the Northern region of Nigeria, most of whom speak a variant of Hausa or Fula or both as their first language.
Sokoto is a major city located in extreme northwestern Nigeria, near the confluence of the Sokoto River and the Rima River. As of 2006 it has a population of over 427,760. Sokoto is the modern-day capital of Sokoto State and was previously the capital of the north-western states. Modern Sokoto is known for trading sheepskins, cattle hides, leather crafts, kola nuts and goatskins.
The Jihad of Usman dan Fodio was a religio-military conflict in present-day Nigeria and Cameroon. The war began when Usman Dan Fodiyo, a prominent Islamic scholar and teacher, was exiled from Gobir by King Yunfa, one of his former students.
The Sokoto Caliphate, also known as the Sultanate of Sokoto, was a Sunni Muslim caliphate in West Africa. It was founded by Usman dan Fodio in 1804 during the Fulani jihads after defeating the Hausa Kingdoms in the Fulani War. The boundaries of the caliphate are part of present-day Cameroon, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Nigeria. By 1837, the Sokoto state had a population of around 10-20 plus million people, becoming the most populous empire in West Africa. It was dissolved when the British and Germans conquered the area in 1903 and annexed it into the newly established Northern Nigeria Protectorate and Kamerun respectively.
Islam is one of the largest religions in Nigeria and the country has the largest Muslim population in Africa. In 2018, the CIA World Factbook estimated that 53.5% of Nigeria's population is Muslim. Islam is predominantly concentrated in the northern half of the country, with a significant Muslim minority existing in the southern region. Most of Northern Nigeria is governed under Sharia law, while the rest of the country is governed under secular law.
Muhammadu Bellopronunciation was the second Sultan of Sokoto and reigned from 1817 until 1837. He was also an active writer of history, poetry, and Islamic studies. He was the son and primary aide to Usman dan Fodio, the founder of the Sokoto Caliphate and the first Sultan. During his reign, he encouraged the spread of Islam throughout the region, increasing education for both men and women, and the establishment of Islamic courts. He died on October 25, 1837, and was succeeded by his brother Abu Bakr Atiku and then his son, Aliyu Babba.
SokotoState is one of the 36 states of Nigeria, located in the extreme northwest of the country on the national border with the Republic of the Niger. Its capital and largest city is the city of Sokoto. Sokoto is located near to the confluence of the Sokoto River and the Rima River. As of 2005 it has an estimated population of more than 4.2 million.
Northern Nigeria was an autonomous division within Nigeria, distinctly different from the southern part of the country, with independent customs, foreign relations and security structures. In 1962, it acquired the territory of the British Northern Cameroons, which voted to become a province within Northern Nigeria.
Gobir was a city-state in what is now Nigeria. Founded by the Hausa in the 11th century, Gobir was one of the seven original kingdoms of Hausaland, and continued under Hausa rule for nearly 700 years. Its capital was the city of Alkalawa. In the early 19th century elements of the ruling dynasty fled north to what is today Niger from which a rival dynasty developed ruling as Sarkin Gobir at Tibiri. In 1975 a reunited traditional sultanate took up residence in Sabon Birni, Nigeria.
Abu Bakr Atiku was the third Sultan of the Sokoto Caliphate, reigning from October 1837 until November 1842.
The Fulajihads sometimes called the Fulani revolution were a series of jihads that occurred across West Africa during the 18th and 19th centuries, led largely by the Muslim Fula people. The jihads and the jihad states came to an end with European colonization.
Nana Asmaʾupronunciation was a Fula princess, poet, teacher, and a daughter of the founder of the Sokoto Caliphate, Usman dan Fodio. She remains a revered figure in northern Nigeria. She is held up by some as an example of education and independence of women possible under Islam, and by others as a precursor to modern feminism in Africa.
Kware is a Local Government Area in Sokoto State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Kware on the A1 highway.
The Kano Emirate was a Muslim state in Northern Nigeria formed in 1805 during the Fulani jihad when the Muslim Hausa-led Sultanate of Kano was deposed and replaced by a new emirate which became a vassal state of the Sokoto Caliphate. During and after the British colonial period, the powers of the emirate were steadily reduced. The emirate is preserved and integrated into modern Nigeria as the Kano Emirate Council.
The Kontagora Emirate is a traditional state with the capital city of Kontagora, Niger State, Nigeria. The Kontagora Emirate is among the major emirates in Niger state like Kagara Emirate, Suleja Emirate and others
The Kebbi Emirate, also known as the Argungu Emirate is a traditional state based on the town of Argungu in Kebbi State, Nigeria. It is the successor to the ancient Hausa kingdom of Kebbi. The Emirate is one of four in Kebbi State, the others being the Gwandu Emirate, Yauri Emirate and Zuru Emirate.
Usman Zaki Dan Dendopronunciation (1790–1859) was the first Etsu Nupe, the traditional ruler of the Nupe Kingdom.
Murray Last is a historian and a medical anthropologist who primarily focuses on Northern-Nigeria. He is currently a Professor Emeritus in the Department of Anthropology, University College London. He obtained his PhD from the University of Ibadan in 1964, becoming one of the first to receive a PhD from a Nigerian university. He was presented the doctorate degree by Nnamdi Azikiwe, the then President of Nigeria during the First Nigerian Republic.