The sultan of Sokoto is the hereditary leader of the Sokoto Caliphate, a Sunni Muslim community in West Africa. The position may also be referred to as the 'Sokoto Caliph' or the "Commander of the Faithful" (Amir-ul-Momineen in Arabic or Lamido Julbe in Fulani). The current holder of this title, since 2006, is Sa'adu Abubakar.
The sultan of Sokoto is the leader of the Qadiriyya Sufi order, historically the most important Muslim position in Nigeria and senior to the Emir of Kano, the leader of the Tijaniyya Sufi order.All Africa: "Nigeria: Updated - Kano Blasts Claim Over 60" by Ismail Mudashir, November 28, 2014 The post has become increasingly ceremonial since British rule defeated the caliphate and replaced it with the Sokoto Sultanate Council in 1903, but the sultan – considered a spiritual leader in the Muslim community in Nigeria – can still carry much weight with Fulani and Hausa people from northern Nigeria.Usman dan Fodio, the founder of the dynasty of Sokoto State and of the Fulani Empire (consisting of the Fulbe Jihad states of which Sokoto was suzerain), never used the high style of Sultan but was simply titled Amir al-Mu´minin . The first to assume the title of Sultan was Fodio's son Muhammed Bello, who ruled from 1817 to 1837. Since the creation of the title, there have been nineteen Sultans of Sokoto, all men from the Torodbe scholar caste who are descended from Usman dan Fodio. Siddiq Abubakar III was the longest serving Sultan, holding the position for 50 years from 1938 to 1988. The shortest reign was that of Muhammadu Attahiru I, who held the position for five months in 1902–03. The 17th sultan, Ibrahim Dasuki, was forcefully deposed in 1996 by the Sani Abacha military government of Nigeria.
Prior to the beginning of the Fulani Jihad of 1804, the ethnic category Fulani was not important for the Torodbe and their literature reveals the ambivalence they had defining Torodbe-Fulani relationships. They adopted the language of the Fulani and much ethos while maintaining a separate, non-ethnic identity. The Torodbe clan at first recruited members from all levels of Sūdānī society, particularly the poorer people.
List of sultans
As mentioned above, the sultans were also styled Amir al-Mu´minin and Sarkin Musulmi ("King of the Muslims"), basically the autochthonous form of the former, which is the Arabic style of caliphs and other independent sovereign Muslim rulers that claim legitimacy from a community of Muslims); Mai, occurring in various sultans' surnames, is another autochthonous title.Sultan of Sokoto: Sarkin Musulumi or Sarkin Fulani?, By Majeed Dahiru 7 December 2017 The table below shows the historical list of the sultan of Sokoto, beginning from 1817.
ImageNameBirth and deathReign startedReign endedLineageHouse1 Muhammed Bello(محمد بلُّو) 1781Unknown–1837Wurno(aged 58) 21 April 1817 25 October 1837 Son ofUsman dan FodioHouse of Bello2 Abubakar I Atiku(أبو بكر عتيكو) 1782Unknown–1842Sokoto(aged 60) 26 October 1837 23 November 1842 Son ofUsman dan FodioHouse of Atiku3 Ali Babba bin Bello(علي ببَّا بن بلُّو) 1808Sala–1859Sokoto(aged 51) 30 November 1842 21 October 1859 Son ofMuhammed BelloHouse of Bello4 Ahmadu Atiku(أحمد عتيكو) c. 1807Unknown–1866Sokoto(aged ~59) 24 October 1859 2 November 1866 Son ofAbu Bakr AtikuHouse of Atiku5 Aliyu Karami 1808 Sala
–
1867
Wurno
(aged 59) 6 November 1866 18 October 1867 Son ofMuhammed BelloHouse of Bello6 Ahmadu Rufai 1814 –
1867
Wurno
(aged 53) 21 October 1867 12 March 1873 Son ofUsman dan FodioHouse of Rufai7 Abubakar II Atiku na Raba 1812 –
1877
(aged 65) 16 March 1873 28 March 1877 Son ofMuhammed BelloHouse of Bello8 Mu'azu 1816 –
1881
(aged 65) 6 April 1877 26 September 1881 Son ofMuhammed BelloHouse of Bello9 Umaru bin Ali c. 1824Sokoto–1891Kaura Namoda(aged ~67) 3 October 1881 25 March 1891 Son ofAli Babba bin BelloHouse of Bello10 Abd al-Rahman bin Atiku c. 1828Unknown–1902Unknown(aged ~74) 25 March 1891 10 October 1902 Son ofAbu Bakr I AtikuHouse of Atiku11 Muhammadu Attahiru IUnknown –
1903
Mbormi 13 October 1902 15 March 1903 Son ofAhmadu AtikuHouse of Atiku12 Muhammadu Attahiru II 21 March 1903 1915 Son ofAli Babba bin BelloHouse of Bello13 Muhammadu dan Ahmadu 1915 1924 Son ofAhmadu AtikuHouse of Atiku14 Muhammadu dan Muhammadu 1924 1931 Son ofMuhammadu dan AhmaduHouse of Atiku15 Hasan dan Mu'azu Ahmadu 1931 1938 Son ofMu'azuHouse of Bello16 Siddiq Abubakar III 15 March 1903Dange–1 November 1988Sokoto(aged 85) 1938 1988 Grandson ofMu'azuHouse of Bello17 Ibrahim Dasuki 23 December 1923Dogondaji-14 November 2016Abuja(aged 93) 6 November 1988 20 April 1996 (deposed) Great-great-grandson ofUsman dan FodioHouse of Buhari18 Muhammadu Maccido 20 April 1926Dange Shuni–29 October 2006(near Abuja)(aged 80) 20 April 1996 29 October 2006 Son ofSiddiq Abubakar IIIHouse of Bello19 Sa'adu Abubakar 24 August 1956Sokoto– 2 November 2006 Current Son ofSiddiq Abubakar IIIHouse of Bello
Genealogical tree of the sultans of Sokoto
Gallery
References
Sources and references Falola, Toyin, (2009) Historical Dictionary of Nigeria Scarecrow Press: Lanham, Maryland Burdon, J. A. (1907) "Sokoto History: Tables of Dates and Genealogy" Journal of the Royal African Society Volume 6, #24.
See also
Grand Viziers of Sokoto