Sokoto Caliphate
Nigeria, 1804–1903. Draft, not yet reviewed
The Sokoto Caliphate 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. At its peak, the caliphate linked over 30 different emirates. In 1903, the twelfth and last caliph Attahiru was assassinated by British forces, marking the end of the caliphate.
Seat of power: Sokoto
Rulers
Ahmadu Rufai
Sultan of Sokoto, 1867–1873
He was the Sultan of the Sokoto Caliphate, with his rule lasting from 1867 to 1873. His reign was distinguished for being uncharacteristically peaceful for the country, with his rule being considered a golden age in the history of the Sokoto Caliphate. He made peace with the Kebbawa by arranging a truce with the Sultan of Argungu, Abdullahi Toga.
Portrait of Ahmadu Rufai: AbdurRahman AbdulMoneim, CC BY-SA 4.0, file
Abdur Rahman Atiku
Sultan of Sokoto, 1891–1902
He was the Sultan of Sokoto from 1891 to 1902. He was unpopular during his reign and was known to be harsh and uncompromising.
Culture
- The caliphate was a loose confederation of emirates that recognized the suzerainty of the Amir al-Mu'minin, the Sultan of Sokoto.
- The Sokoto era produced some of the most renowned writers in West Africa, with the leaders Usman, Abdullahi and Bello writing more than three hundred books combined.
- By 1900, Sokoto had at least 1 million and perhaps as many as 2.5 million slaves, behind only the American South among modern slave societies.
- Although European colonists abolished the political authority of the caliphate, the title of sultan was retained and remains an important religious position for Sunni Muslims in the region to the current day.
Picture
Sokoto, the seat of the former Sokoto Caliphate, is an important seat of Islamic learning in Nigeria.
Image: Sanijamilu2023, CC BY-SA 4.0, file
Sources
Text adapted from the Wikipedia articles listed as sources, CC BY-SA 4.0.