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Sokoto Caliphate in Nigeria: a Legacy of the Ancient Empire

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The Seat of the Caliph
The Seat of the Caliph

The Sokoto Calipahate was founded in 19th Century precisely in 1809 by Usman Dan Fodio, who became the first Sultan of Sokoto; though he preferred the name, Sarki Musulumi to Sultan. Sarki Musulumi means the commander of the Muslim faithfuls.

The Caliphate is a loose confederation of emirates that were under the authority of the Sultan. When Dan Fodio died in 1817,  he was succeeded by his son, Muhammad Bello. There was however feud between Bello and abdullahi, his uncle. This brought about the division of the Caliphate into two regions with their capitals in Sokoto and Gwandu. The Abdullahi division ruled over the Western divison of the Caliphate up to the modern Burkina Faso, former Upper Volta. The authority of the Sokoto division held sway nonetheless.


Dan Fodio since the fall of Songhai in 1591 created the largest empire in Africa via his lightening Jihad. 

The boundary of the Sokoto Caliphate extended to Kwanni and Maradi in Niger Republic and some parts of Burkina Faso and Benin Republic as well as Cameroon and most of the Northern Nigeria. These included Argungu, Gobir, Alkalawa, Gwandu, Zamfara, Kontagora, Minna, Bida, Kano, Hadejia, Jigawa, Katsina, Zaria, Bauchi, Katagun, Adamawa and Yola. Southwards, it reached Abuja and Ilorin. Of course other satellite towns and cities in the caliphate then were, Kalmalo, Kaura Namoda, Isa, Sokoto, Illo, Yawuri Telgina Agaie and some parts of old Oyo Kingdom of Nigeria. These former empires and Kingdoms were either swallowed up completely or were successfully administered by the Sultan of Sokoto for the next 100 years after the Jihad.

The Sokoto Caliphate was the center of politics and economics in the region until it fell to French and British colonial armies in the early 20th Century.


LIST OF SULTANS OF SOKOTO  


Shehu Usman Danfodio (1804 - 1815)

Muhammed Bello (Son)  (1815 - 1837)

Abubakar Atiku (1837 - 1842)

Aliyu Babba Dan-Bello (1842 - 1859)

Ahmadu  Atiku Dan-Abubakar (1859 - 1866)

Aliyu Karami Dan-Bello (1866 - 1867)

Ahmadu Rufa' Dan-Usman (1867 - 1873)

Abubakar Atiku II Dan-Bello (1873 - 1877)

Mu'azu Ahmadu Dan-Bello (1877 - 1881)

Umaru Dan-Aliyu Babba (1881 - 1891)

Abdurahman Dan-Abubakar (1891 - 1902)

Muhammadu Attahiru I Dan-Ahmadu (1902 - 1903)

Muhammadu Attahiru II Dan-Aliyu Babba (1903 - 1915)

Muhammadu Dan-Ahmadu Maiturare  (1915 - 1924)

Muhammadu Dan-Muhammadu Tambari  (1924 - 1931)

Hassan Dan-Ma'azu (1931 - 1938)

Abubakar Dan-Usman saddiq (1938 - 1988)

Ibrahim Dasuki Dan-Haliru (1988 - 1996)

Muhammadu Macido Abubakar III (1996 - 2006)

Muhammad Sa'ad Abubakar (2006 till date)


There were 24 Sultans in all after Uthman Dan Fodiyo.

The Federal University in Sokoto State was named after the great Jihadist and a religious leader, Dan Fodio
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