5

Mohammed Mujib Index

Number 10070638
Islamic University olle!e " #hana
Topic: THE SOKOTO JIHAD AND ITS AFTERMATH
Sokoto, a city in Nigeria, is the capital o Sokoto State, near the conl!ence o the Ri"a
an# Sokoto ri$ers% &ith an a$erage ann!al te"perat!re o '(%)* + ,('%-* F., it is one o
the /orl#0s hottest cities% Originally it /as the capital o the Ha!sa king#o" o 1o2ir%
3s!"an Dan Fo#io chose Sokoto as the capital o his caliphate an# a 2ase or the sprea#
o Isla" an# the e4pansion o the F!lani E"pire%
5
Jiha# is an Ara2ic /or# /hich "eans 6strie, str!ggle etc7%
'
Th!s str!ggle in the ca!se o
Allah% It co"es ro" the root /or# 6jahada7, /hich "eans to str!ggle% At the in#i$i#!al
le$el, 8iha# pri"arily reers to the inner str!ggle o 2eing a person o $irt!e an#
s!2"ission to 1o# in all aspects o lie% It has #ierent le$els /hich 2egins /ith the
heart, the tong!e an# en#s /ith the han#% The Jiha# /age# 2y Dan Fo#io /ent thro!gh
these stages !ntil it "at!re# into the stage /here he an# his ollo/ers ha# to pick !p ar"s
in #eense o their aith9 Isla"%
D!ring the secon# hal o the 5(
th
cent!ry, a gro!p o M!sli" scholars /ho /ere
#isenchante# /ith the /i#esprea# insec!rity an# syncretis" that characteri:e# "a8or
cities all o$er the Ha!salan# ca"e together /ith one ai" in "in#9 restoration o the tr!e
Isla" in the Ha!salan#% This ga$e 2irth to the pheno"enon calle# the Sokoto Jiha# or the
F!lani Jiha#s accor#ing to so"e scholars% The Ha!salan# is occ!pie# "ainly 2y "o#ern
#ay Northern Nigeria /hich /as ho"e to the se$en tr!e Ha!sa states kno/n as Hausa
Bokwoi ,Da!ra, Kano, Katsina, ;aria, Rano, 1o2ir an# <ira". an# the se$en 2astar#
Ha!sa states or Banza Bokwoi, na"ely= ;a"ara, Ke22i, N!pe, 1/ari, >a!ri, >or!2a an#
Kororoa9 incl!#ing the King#o"s o <orn! an# F!"2ina%
)
The pheno"enon /ent
2eyon# its loc!s like a /a$e in the ocean% To the /est it reache# the shores o the Atlantic
an# to the East it crosse# the Nile $alley an# reache# the Re# Sea% The 8iha# itsel took
place a e/ years at the 2eginning o the 5-th cent!ry ,5(?@A5(5?. an# le# to the
esta2lish"ent o the Sokoto +aliphate, an e4tensi$e area "a#e !p o the /hole o
Ha!salan# an# parts o <orn!%
1
Ro#er, &ol% BSokoto%B MicrosotC St!#ent '??D EDFDG% Re#"on#, &A= Microsot +orporation, '??H%
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%r& 'ohi( )aalba*i( Al-Mawrid( %ar +l"Ilm ,ilmalayin( )eirut( 7
th
+dition( 1--5( .&/36&
3
A%, A#! <oahen, Topics in west African History, Iong"an 1ro!p Ii"ite#, Ion#on, 5-HH, p%)(
5
Mohammed Mujib Index
Number 10070638
Islamic University olle!e " #hana
The Sokoto Jiha# c!l"inating into the a"o!s Sokoto +aliphate 2eca"e one o the
largest e"pires in Arica #!ring the 5-th cent!ry% It /as the center o politics an#
econo"ics in the region !ntil it ell to French an# <ritish colonial ar"ies in the early '?th
+ent!ry% The Sokoto +aliphate /as o!n#e# in 5(?@ 2y 3th"an Dan Fo#io /ho 2eca"e
the irst S!ltan o Sokoto or in the ter"inology o the ti"e, the irst sarkin musulmi
,co""an#er o the aith!l.% Altho!gh Dan Fo#io re!se# to e"2race the ter" S!ltan,
each o his s!ccessors calle# hi"sel the S!ltan o Sokoto%
Dan Fo#io /as a F!lani religio!s lea#er an# teacher /ho li$e# in the Ha!sa city state o
1o2ir% He /as 2orn in Dece"2er 5DJ@ to a a"ily o the Toronka/a clan /hich "igrate#
ro" F!ta Toro in Senegal%
@
Ater the title A"ir!l M!"inin /as conerre# on hi" he
initiate# the Jiha# in 5(?@ as a or" o #eensi$e /ar ater he an# his ollo/ers /ere
persec!te# an# e4pelle# ro" the city o 1o2ir% He /as an a#$ocate or the practice o a
"ore ortho#o4 or" o Isla" an# con#e"ning all nonAM!sli" practices% Accor#ing to
A#! <oahen ,5-HH., 6K there is absolutely no doubt that Usumans main concern was
the purification of and expansion of Islam, the elimination o all unorthodox practices,
and goernment by !od"fearing kings according to the precepts of Islam, all of which
were lacking in Hausaland by the end of the #$
th
century7%
J
He stresse# !rther that so"e
historians call the Jiha# 6the re$ol!tion o the intellect!als7 in reerence to the re$ol!tion
/hich s/ept thro!gh &estern E!rope in 5(@(% Fro" e4ile he calle# or holy /ar against
the lea#ers o 1o2ir an# other Ha!sa city states% 1athering a large ar"y o F!lani an#
Ha!sa s!pporters he conL!ere# 1o2ir an# e$ent!ally Sokoto, Kano, Katsina, an# the
other "a8or city states% <y 5(5J /hen his ar"ies en#e# their conL!ests, 3th"an #an
Fo#io0s religio!s e"pire incl!#e# "ost o /hat is no/ northern Nigeria an# northern
+a"eroon as /ell as parts o Niger%
Tho!gh this is seen as the pri"ary ca!se o the Jiha#, so"e scholars 2elie$e that there
co!l# 2e other re"ote ca!ses% These incl!#e# the 2elie that the Jiha# /as an ans/er to
the political as /ell as racial L!estion pose# 2y the gra#!al iniltration o the F!lani
/
A% A#! <oahen, Topics in west African History, Iong"an 1ro!p Ii"ite#, Ion#on, 5-HH, p%@)
5
I2i#, p%@J
5
Mohammed Mujib Index
Number 10070638
Islamic University olle!e " #hana
thro!gho!t the /estern S!#an% It can also 2e ter"e# as F!lani National re$olt as the
<ororo8e /ho constit!te# the core o Fo#ioMs ar"y /ere aggrie$e# a"ong other things
o$er the cattle ta4 or 6jangali%, 8oine# the re$olt to ree the"sel$es ro" /hat /as
percei$e# as a general threat to all F!lani% The 6talakawa% an# the F!lani no"a#s also
8oine# the re$olt 2eca!se they ha# their o/n grie$ances arising ro" e4or2itant ta4ation,
ar2itrary i"prison"ent, in8!stice an# the oppressi$e r!le that they s!ere# at the han#s o
the Ha!sa kings an# /hich Dan Fo#io /as con#e"ning in s!ch orthright ter"s% In this
sense it co!l# 2e ter"e# as a social "o$e"ent% This is s!""ari:e# 2y A#! <oahen th!s9
6Usuman &an 'odios reolt, then, had strong religious, nationalistic, as well as social
elements in it( )or should we be surprised by this, since it was the interaction of all these
elements that produced the reolt and ensured its success(7
H
Dan Fo#io #ie# in 5(5D an# /as s!ccee#e# 2y his son Moha""e# <ello /ho took
charge o the eastern part o the e"pire /hile Fo#ioMs 2rother A2#!llahi 2eca"e tit!lar
r!ler o the /estern section% Mean/hile <ello /as recogni:e# as the secon# S!ltan o
Sokoto, r!ling the /hole caliphate% The +aliphate gre/ to 2e the "ost pop!lo!s e"pire in
&est Arica 2y the en# o <elloMs r!le in 5()D% The e"pire e4ten#e# o$er 5,??? "iles
ro" c!rrent #ay <!rkina Faso to Northern +a"eroon%
Moreo$er the Jiha# an# esta2lish"ent o the +aliphate ha# reso!n#ing an# ar reaching
conseL!ences% A#! <oahen classiies the conseL!ences into three na"ely9 political,
econo"ic an# great re$i$al an# sprea# o Isla"% Nolitically it le# to the total o$erthro/ o
all the Ha!sa #ynasties an# the esta2lish"ent o F!lani E"pire, #i$i#e# into e"irates
controlle# 2y e"irs /ho /ere nearly all F!lani% Econo"ically there e"erge# a !nior"
syste" o go$ern"ent% This "eant a consi#era2le eli"ination o the internecine /ars that
ha# characteri:e# the history o the Ha!sa states in the eighteenth cent!ry% The pre$ailing
peace sti"!late# co""ercial an# in#!strial acti$ities% The Jiha# c!l"inate# into a great
re$i$al an# sprea# o Isla", it also ser$e# as a great sti"!l!s to e#!cation an# learning%
F!rther"ore <ello an# the irst generation o e"irs 2eing sincere M!sli"s esta2lishe#
tr!e Isla"ic 8!#icial, political an# social instit!tions% As rightly p!t 2y A#! <oahen, 6if
6
Ibid( .&/7
5
Mohammed Mujib Index
Number 10070638
Islamic University olle!e " #hana
today Islam is a big force to reckon with in )igeria then it is as a result of the
reolutionary moement of Usuman &an 'odio(7
D
F!rther"ore, 2arely t/o #eca#es ater the Jiha# an# esta2lish"ent o the Sokoto
+aliphate, its shock /a$es hit other parts o the continent% M!sli" scholars /ho /ere
also #issatisie# /ith the syncretic nat!re o Isla" in their respecti$e co!ntries le# si"ilar
re$olts% For instance Ah"a# Ia22o, a st!#ent o the Sokoto Jiha# lea#ers, rose against the
tyranny in Masina, in conte"porary Mali, carrie# o!t a 8iha# /hich le# to the
esta2lish"ent o a caliphate% Another three #eca#es later, AlAHa88 3"ar alAF!ti, a #isciple
o S!ltan M!ha""a# <ello, starte# his o/n ro" the shores o the Atlantic an#
e$ent!ally esta2lishe# a state at Seg!, in conte"porary Mali% >et another three #eca#es
later, the ollo/ers o Sheh! 3s"an /ho ha# "o$e# in to the Nile $alley in anticipation
o the appearance o the Mah#i, rose to s!pport M!ha""a# Ah"a# alAMah#i
(
, /ho
carrie# o!t a 8iha#, li2erate# S!#an an# esta2lishe# an Isla"ic polity on the r!ins o the
colonial state%
In concl!sion tho!gh so"e historians ascri2e other reasons to the "oti$ation 2ehin# the
Sokoto 8iha# that le# to the esta2lish"ent o the Sokoto caliphate9 like political, econo"ic
an# social actors 2esi#es the pri"ary reason, religio!s, the act still re"ains that Dan
Fo#io an# his s!pporters 2elie$e# in the ca!se they /ere ighting% They o!ght /ith :eal
an# passion till their eort /as cro/ne# /ith s!ccess% Also his e4a"ple /as e"!late# 2y
other scholars 6other &an 'odios7 in other parts o the continent e/ #eca#es ater his
a"o!s $ictory /as in#icati$e o the act that syncretis" ha# crept into Isla" an# that
religio!s reor"ists /ere n high #e"an#% &ill one thereore 2e right to say that 1hana
ha# its air share o the ater shock o the Sokoto Jiha#s, ha$ing its o/n 6&an 'odios7 in
scholars like9 Ala A8!ra o Ta"ale, Sheikh A#a" <a2a o Tao K!"asi an# Ha88 Sh!ai2
o Accra a"ong othersO >o!r g!ess is as goo# as "ine%
Reerences=
7
I2i#, p%@-
8
BM!ha""a# Ah"a#%B MicrosotC St!#ent '??D EDFDG% Re#"on#, &A= Microsot +orporation, '??H%
5
Mohammed Mujib Index
Number 10070638
Islamic University olle!e " #hana
a& A% A#! <oahen, Topics in west African History, Iong"an 1ro!p Ii"ite#, Ion#on,
5-HH%
b& Microsot St!#ent '??D EDFDG% Re#"on#, &A= Microsot +orporation, '??H%
c& %r& 'ohi( )aalba*i( Al-Mawrid( %ar +l"Ilm ,ilmalayin( )eirut( 7
th
+dition(
1--5
d& "Usman dan Fodio." +ncyclo.0dia )ritannica& +ncyclo.0dia
)ritannica $00- 1tudent and 2ome +dition& hica!o3 +ncyclo.0dia
)ritannica( $00-&