Usman Dan Fodio of the Sokoto Caliphate
Usman Dan Fodio was born on December 15th, 1754, in the village of Maratta, Gobir (a Hausa-speaking city state in modern day northern Nigeria).
A scholar, Usman Dan Fodio studied law, theology & philosophy in Agadez (modern day Niger Republic) under Islamic scholar Jibril Ibn Umar. After his studies, Dan Fodio returned to his home city of Gobir and started preaching Islam to the people, who at that time mixed paganism with Islam.
His popularity grew in Gobir to the point where then King of Gobir, Rimfa, began to consider him a threat and attempted to assassinate him. Dan Fodio escaped and began passing through various rural communities, preaching, teaching and writing, gradually garnering many devoted followers.
In 1803, Dan Fodio and hundreds of his followers migrated to Gudu where he continued to propagate Islam. While there, Usman declared a holy war (jihad) against King Yunfa of Gobir and his people, feeling that their way of life did not correspond with Islamic teachings.
In 1804, he formally declared a jihad on the whole of Hausaland. Dan Fodio and his followers later conquered Gobir, Kano and other Hausa city-states. He retired from battle in 1811 and returned to teaching and writing, though his armies continued their conquests until 1815.
This religious revolution led by Dan Fodio united the Hausa states under Islamic law and led to the establishment of the Sokoto Caliphate, composed of emirates and sub-emirates. The Caliphate became the most powerful economic & political system of the region in the 19th century and played a major role in the Islamization of Northern Nigeria.
Cited:
Deutsche Welle. (2020, February 24). Usman Dan Fodio: Sokoto Caliphate founder . dw.com. Retrieved January 12, 2023, from https://www.dw.com/en/usman-dan-fodio-founder-of-the-sokoto-caliphate/a-51995841