Uthman Danfodio was a Muslim Teacher and scholar. He came from Northern Africa in 19 century to settle in Gobir, one of the seven Hausa Kingdoms in the present day Nigeria.
Dan Folidio was a guest of the King of Gobir and because of Folidio’s vast knowledge in Quran and Islamic affairs, the King put his son, Yunfa, under the tutelage of the Islamic Scholar. At the time, Islam was just a budding religion as it had few adherents. Dan Foldio’s popularity as an Islamic scholar was to later drawn a large followership to him. They were people who daily took tutorial from the man, who was versed in Islamic doctrination.
The presence of Dan Foldio soon turned Gobir into a centre of Islamic learning that was attracting students of Quran and Islamic knowledge in drove. As the army of Islamic students swelled population of Gobir, the indigenes of the town, who were Hausa and knew the implication of a large number of Fulani in their mist, expressed fear on the security of the indigenes and their property.
When Yunfa’s father died and Yunfa became the King, the change of his status visa-vice his former teacher could not but raised suspicion and hostility.
Utman Dan Fodio’s former student, has become the King of Gobir. Dan Fodio was by the virtue of his promince an Islamic scholar of repute. He had carve a niche for himself with a large number of devoted followership, he could not be regarded as inferior to the King of the town, who was his former student. To Yunfa, he had been elevated to the number 1st seat in the town and he believed he was entitled to the loyalty and obedience of all residents whatever may be their status.
Before the end of 1803, hostility between the palace and Makanrata, centre of Islamic learning in Gobir, had raisen to a boiling point. The hostility that started as allegation by the Quranic pupils and students who were angry because King Yunfa no longer saw Dan Fodio as a master, but a subject. The hostility quickly degenerated into bitter enmity. Dan Fodio intensified his preaching against idolatory and paganism. This did not go down well Yunfa, who regarded Dan Fodio’s utterances as not only provocative, but equally an insurrection.
Hausa people, who were indigenes of Gobir, mounted subtle pressure on their King not to succumb to machination of the Muslims and their leader, Dan Fodio, who still wanted to cash in on the past relationship between him and Yunfa who had become the new King the town. This was unacceptable to people, who wanted and demanded maximum respect from the Islamic teacher to their King and also from all residents. They were King’s subjects. The stand of the indigenes was, however, unacceptable to the faithful, who were Dan Fodio’s followers.
Yunfa, who strongly believed in the support and backing of his people took the confrontation to a new height that made war inevitable.
He sent Dan Fodio packing out of Gobir into exile. Dan Fodio, on his part, did not waste time in maximising the benefit of the hostility. He called the faithful to order. He told them that the pagans in Gobir had declared war against people of God. Thus, on his part, fighting the cause of Allah would not succumb to intimidation of infidels. He too declared a jihad on Yunfa and his people. Muslim faithful were, therefore, mobilised to go into holy war against Gobir’s people, who were regarded pagans and, of course, their King, Yunfa too.
On February 21, 1804, the hostility broke into open arms confrontation. Dan Fodio’s men quickly over powered and supressed the Gobir’s army. The King himself was killed. That was how Dan Fodio returned to Gobir and became Cleric Lord of the town or Sakin Gobir.
His success in the Gobir’s war unexpectedly attracted more loosed-feet Fulani auxillary soldiers.
They, without even being urged teamed up with the forces of Dan Fodio to further englarge the army. This gave impetus to continue wagging war against the Hausa Kings and invations of their kingdom. The Fulani believed that Allah had mandated them to destroy kingdoms of infidels who must be Islamised.
After the fall of Gobir to the hands of Dan Fodio, six more Hausa kingdoms kissed the ground in quick succession.
They were no match to the Dan Fodio’s unstoppable conquering Islamic army. For more than four years Dan Fodio’s army held sway in today’s Northern Nigeria. Kebbi, Zazzau, Katsina, Daura, Kano and Biranfell to swords of Dan Fodio. By 1808, all the Hausa Kings in the meantioned kingdoms had been replaced by Sarkin who were Fulani.
Later in 1830s, the waves of Islamisation hit the Oyo empire. A rebellious generalismo of Yoruba army, Afonja, who had earlier enlisted the support of Fulani auxillary under Mallam Alimi against Alaafin, was killed in what was a palace coup by Alimi’s men.
Though, the resolve of the jihadists to sweep Yorubaland to the ocean and lagoon was repelled by Ibadan army in 1842, a large territory in Nigeria today had come under the influence of the sultanate that was set up in Sokoto after the fall of seven Hausa kingdoms. Despite that Shehu of El Kanem empire resisted and defeated Dan Fodio’s attempt to expand the sultanate to Borno in the North-East of Nigeria, the population of Muslim in the El-Kanem enclave was not as large as that under the control of the Sultan of Sokoto. Though, Yoruba received Islam from Malian traders who came to Ile-Ife in the 12 century and not from the Fulani, who came in 19 century, the population of Yoruba faithful is smaller than that of Fulani. The Sultan is recognised as the leader of Muslim faithful in Nigeria and authority on Islamic affairs that is why all Muslims in Nigeria always toe the line of the Sultan on Islam and its faithful.
The Sultan, recognised as the leader of the Muslim faithful in Nigeria became the authority to make pronouncement on Islam and Muslim affairs in the country. Besides, there is also the Supreme Council of Nigerian Muslim Affairs, which the officially recognised body on Islamic affairs in Nigeria. It is headed by Sultan on a perment bosis.
– Tajudeen Adigun
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