The story of Usman Dan Fodio
Usman Dan Fodio, called Torodo, was born on December 5, 1154 at Maratta near Galmi, Niger. His father Mohammed is a Toucouleur from fouta-Toro, considered a scholar and a holy man (hence the name Usman Dan Fodio. “the son of the scholar”). Thus Usman comes from a family of Fulani letters that have been settled in the Gobir since the late sixteenth century. He belongs to the urban elite of Fulani2, living in Hausa cities.
Usman Dan Fodio was thus master of a huge empire, stretching from Lake Chad to the Hombori Mountains, and embracing in the South almost the entire Niger Valley to the Ocean. But mystic Sheikh, he had doubled. during his triumphs, his ecstatic practices and by 1804 had fallen into a state of Touhidism, which soon brought about his death, in 1816. He had, at the end of his life, his brother Abd Allahi and his son Mohammed Bello, who shared with his cousin Mohammed ben Abd Allah, the paternal heritage; Mohammed Bello Garda the Hausa and all the countries in the South and the South The East, Mohammed ben Abd Allah took the western states of Hausa. Another brother of Othman, Atego. then tried to strip his son. But this one was easily right about this attempt and actively engaged in organizing his kingdom. He enlarged Sokoto, founded by his father, formed an army, created a provincial administration, and laid foundation of sustainable power in a word. Riots were many when he took power. The Gouber, Zamfra, Gouari, Kabbe, Kachena, had risen, after a general massacre of the Puls who were in those provinces. He managed to win them back, at least in part, but had to give them indigenous chiefs. Later, the Nupé, then, in 1822, the Yauri, shook the yoke of the Ful, along with the King of Borno, Mohammed el Kanemi, a moment under control by Usman Dan Fodio. invaded the very center of the empire as far as kano. After Mohammed Bello’s death, in 1832, rebellions multiplied and all Niger’s neighboring states on the right bank, south of Gandho, regained their autonomy. However, Borno empire, new capital that has substituted itself in Sokoto, still extends on the left bank to Benue. On the other hand, the religious link has maintained close relations between its sultans and those of the kingdoms that became actually independent. Although quite powerful themselves, that of Nupé above all, they recognize for the most part the nominal suzerainty of the successors of Othman dan Fodio. The destinies of the portion of the latter’s inheritance, which fell to his nephew Mohammed ben Abd Allah, have been analogued. Gandho, where the scholar Paul had settled, during the last years of his existence, became the capital of the kingdom, which in the middle of the century included in addition the Kebbi and the Yauri on the left bank of Niger, a part of the Borgou and Yoruba. These latter states are now independent just like the Nupé. Gandho sultans have, by the way, recognized the supremacy of those of Wornou, in recent times, although retaining their own apanage. Upon the death of Othman dan fodio, the Gandho fulas stretched quite far along the Niger road, to the Northwest. Their progress had been halted in the west by the Mossis who managed to repel attacks. They had then advanced into the lagha and Libtako. From Hombori mountain side, Songhai.
