Sokoto Caliphate
A Sunni Muslim caliphate in West Africa, founded in 1804 by Usman dan Fodio, that became the most populous empire in the region before its dissolution in 1903.
The Sokoto Caliphate, also known as the Sultanate of Sokoto, was a Sunni Muslim caliphate in West Africa founded by Usman dan Fodio in 1804 during the Fulani jihads after defeating the Hausa Kingdoms in the Fulani War. Its boundaries extended to parts of present-day Cameroon, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Nigeria. By 1837, it had a population of 10–20 million, becoming the most populous empire in West Africa. It was dissolved when the British, French, and Germans conquered the area in 1903 and annexed it into the Northern Nigeria Protectorate, Senegambia and Niger, and Kamerun respectively.
- Founded
- 1804
- Founder
- Usman dan Fodio
- Type
- Sunni Muslim caliphate
- Peak Population
- 10–20 million (by 1837)
- Capital
- Sokoto
- Dissolved
- 1903
- Region
- West Africa (present-day Cameroon, Burkina Faso, Niger, Nigeria)
Verified Timeline
Quick Facts
- Common Name
- Sokoto Caliphate
- Era
- Fula jihads
- Native Name
- ha · Daular Khalifar Sakkwato / ar · دَوْلَةُ الخِلَافَة فَي بِلَاد السُودَان / ar · Dawlatu'l-Khilāfah fī Bilād as-Sūdān
- Event Start
- Founded
- Year Start
- 1804
- Date Start
- 21 February
- Event End
- Battle of Burmi
- Year End
- 1903
- Date End
- 27 July
- Event2
- Fall of Alkalawa
- Date Event2
- 3 October 1808
- P1
- Sultanate of Kano
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The caliphate emerged after the Hausa King Yunfa attempted to assassinate Usman Dan Fodio in 1802. Usman and his followers migrated to Gudu in February 1804, where followers pledged allegiance to him as Commander of the Faithful. By 1808, the caliphate controlled Hausaland and surrounding states. Under the sixth caliph Ahmadu Rufai, it reached its maximum extent. In 1903, the twelfth and last caliph Attahiru was assassinated by British forces, marking the end of the caliphate. The caliphate was a loose confederation of emirates recognizing the suzerainty of the Sultan of Sokoto. Slaves worked plantations and much of the population converted to Islam. By 1900, Sokoto had at least 1 million and perhaps as many as 2.5 million slaves.
Reader's Guide
The Sokoto Caliphate linked over 30 different emirates and 10–20+ million people, becoming the largest independent polity in Africa at its peak. According to historian John Iliffe, Sokoto was 'the most prosperous region in tropical Africa'. The title of sultan was retained after European colonization and remains an important religious position for Sunni Muslims in the region. Usman Dan Fodio's jihad inspired related jihads in other parts of the Sudanian Savanna and Sahel, leading to Islamic states in regions now in Senegal, Mali, Ivory Coast, Chad, the Central African Republic, and Sudan.
Did You Know?
- The Sokoto Caliphate was also known as the Sultanate of Sokoto.
- Usman dan Fodio founded the caliphate in 1804 after defeating the Hausa Kingdoms in the Fulani War.
- By 1837, the caliphate had a population of 10–20 million people.
- The caliphate was dissolved in 1903 when British, French, and German forces conquered the area.
- The twelfth and last caliph Attahiru was assassinated by British forces in 1903.
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