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. [1]
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.[2] 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.[3]
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.[4] The Torodbe clan at first recruited members from all levels of Sūdānī society, particularly the poorer people.[5]
| Royal Title: | Sultan |
| Realm: | Sokoto |
| Coatofarmscaption: | Flag of the Sokoto Caliphate |
| Incumbent: | Abubakar IV |
| Incumbentsince: | 2 November 2006 |
| First Monarch: | Muhammed Bello 1817–1837 |
| Residence: | Gidan Bello |
| Appointer: | Sokoto Sultanate Council with approval from the Sokoto State Government |
| Began: | 1807 |
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.[6] The table below shows the historical list of the sultan of Sokoto, beginning from 1817.
| width=1% | width=5% | Image | width=150 | Name | width=80 | Birth and death | width=80 | Reign started | width=80 | Reign ended | width=160 | Lineage | House | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Muhammed Bello (محمد بلُّو) | 1781 Unknown – 1837 Wurno (aged 58) | 21 April 1817 | 25 October 1837 | Son of Usman dan Fodio | House of Bello | ||||||||
| 2 | Abubakar I Atiku (أبو بكر عتيكو) | 1782 Unknown – 1842 Sokoto (aged 60) | 26 October 1837 | 23 November 1842 | Son of Usman dan Fodio | House of Atiku | ||||||||
| 3 | Ali Babba bin Bello (علي ببَّا بن بلُّو) | 1808 Sala – 1859 Sokoto (aged 51) | 30 November 1842 | 21 October 1859 | Son of Muhammed Bello | House of Bello | ||||||||
| 4 | Ahmadu Atiku (أحمد عتيكو) | c. 1807 Unknown – 1866 Sokoto (aged ~59) | 24 October 1859 | 2 November 1866 | Son of Abu Bakr Atiku | House of Atiku | ||||||||
| 5 | Aliyu Karami | 1808Sala – 1867 (aged 59) | 6 November 1866 | 18 October 1867 | Son of Muhammed Bello | House of Bello | ||||||||
| 6 | Ahmadu Rufai | 1814– 1867 (aged 53) | 21 October 1867 | 12 March 1873 | Son of Usman dan Fodio | House of Rufai | ||||||||
| 7 | Abubakar II Atiku na Raba | 1812– 1877 (aged 65) | 16 March 1873 | 28 March 1877 | Son of Muhammed Bello | House of Bello | ||||||||
| 8 | Mu'azu | 1816– 1881 (aged 65) | 6 April 1877 | 26 September 1881 | Son of Muhammed Bello | House of Bello | ||||||||
| 9 | Umaru bin Ali | c. 1824 Sokoto – 1891 Kaura Namoda (aged ~67) | 3 October 1881 | 25 March 1891 | Son of Ali Babba bin Bello | House of Bello | ||||||||
| 10 | Abd al-Rahman bin Atiku | c. 1828 Unknown – 1902 Unknown (aged ~74) | 25 March 1891 | 10 October 1902 | Son of Abu Bakr I Atiku | House of Atiku | ||||||||
| 11 | Muhammadu Attahiru I | Unknown– 1903 | 13 October 1902 | 15 March 1903 | Son of Ahmadu Atiku | House of Atiku | ||||||||
| 12 | Muhammadu Attahiru II | 21 March 1903 | 1915 | Son of Ali Babba bin Bello | House of Bello | |||||||||
| 13 | Muhammadu dan Ahmadu | 1915 | 1924 | Son of Ahmadu Atiku | House of Atiku | |||||||||
| 14 | Muhammadu dan Muhammadu | 1924 | 1931 | Son of Muhammadu dan Ahmadu | House of Atiku | |||||||||
| 15 | Hasan dan Mu'azu Ahmadu | 1931 | 1938 | Son of Mu'azu | House of Bello | |||||||||
| 16 | Siddiq Abubakar III | 15 March 1903 Dange – 1 November 1988 Sokoto (aged 85) | 1938 | 1988 | Grandson of Mu'azu | House of Bello | ||||||||
| 17 | Ibrahim Dasuki | 23 December 1923 Dogondaji - 14 November 2016 Abuja (aged 93) | 6 November 1988 | 20 April 1996 (deposed) | Great-great-grandson of Usman dan Fodio[7] | House of Buhari | ||||||||
| 18 | Muhammadu Maccido | 20 April 1926 Dange Shuni – 29 October 2006 (near Abuja) (aged 80) | 20 April 1996 | 29 October 2006 | Son of Siddiq Abubakar III | House of Bello | ||||||||
| 19 | Sa'adu Abubakar | 24 August 1956 Sokoto – | 2 November 2006 | Current | Son of Siddiq Abubakar III | House of Bello | ||||||||
