# The Sokoto Caliphate

> The Sokoto Caliphate was an Islamic state founded by the Fulani scholar Usman dan Fodio after an 1804–1808 jihad against the Hausa city-states of what is now northern Nigeria. Governed from Sokoto as a confederation of some 30 emirates under a sultan, it became West Africa's largest 19th-century state before falling to a British military campaign in 1903.

**Category:** History · **Updated:** 2026-07-23 00:55:07 · **Canonical:** https://nigeriastuff.org/a/sokoto-caliphate

## Key facts
- **Founder:** Usman dan Fodio (1754–1817)
- **Jihad:** 1804–1808, against Gobir and other Hausa states
- **Capital founded:** Sokoto, 1809
- **Ruler's title:** Sultan (Sarkin Musulmi, "Commander of the Faithful")
- **Peak structure:** c. 30 emirates by the mid-19th century
- **Peak extent:** c. 1,500 km, Dori (Burkina Faso) to southern Adamawa (Cameroon)
- **Successor of Usman:** Muhammad Bello (Sultan, 1817–1837)
- **Ended:** Conquered by Britain, Kano (Feb 1903) and Sokoto (Mar 1903)

## Sources
- Nigeria: Usman dan Fodio and the Sokoto Caliphate — Library of Congress Country Studies (Federal Research Division) (https://countrystudies.us/nigeria/9.htm)
- British Conquest of the Sokoto Caliphate, 1897 to 1903 — Historical Nigeria (https://historicalnigeria.com/british-conquest-of-the-sokoto-caliphate-1897-to-1903/)
- Rise of the Sokoto Caliphate under Usman Dan Fodio (18.6.2) — TutorChase (IB History HL notes) (https://www.tutorchase.com/notes/ib/history/18-6-2-rise-of-the-sokoto-caliphate-under-usman-dan-fodio)
- Usman dan Fodio: Progenitor of the Sokoto Caliphate — HistoryVille (https://www.thehistoryville.com/usman-dan-fodio/)

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