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Although the vast majority
of its inhabitants were Muslim by
the 16th century, they were attacked
by Muslim Fulani jihadists in the
early 19th century, when the last
Hausa state was finally incorporated
into the Sokoto Caliphate.
Islam
Islam reached the Sahel in the 8th
century, when the written history of
West Africa begins. It was accepted
as early as 850 in the Kingdom of
Tekrur, situated on both banks of
the Senegal river, whose subjects
were the first indigenous people to
accept Islam.
Islam arrived via traders from
the Maghreb, becoming a personal
faith rather than a state ideology. It
became a religion largely of the
rulers, while their subjects
intermingled Islam with traditional
beliefs. Islam then declined among
the ruling classes and non-Islamic
rule became common, a situation
that continued until the revivalist
and reform movement of the 18th
century. Beginning as early as the
17th and 18th centuries, but
mainly in the 19th century, the
Fulani, reputed to be a people of
Semitic origin, launched jihads,
and took control of various West
African states.
The Yoruba States
The Yoruba make up approximately
21 per cent of Nigeria’s total
population, and around 30 million
individuals throughout West Africa.
There were seven Yoruba states,
including the Oyo kingdom, Ife, and
Benin, the people being non-Bantu
Kwa speakers. These states had
elected monarchs, some more
dictatorial than others, but which
were removable, while in the 18th
century there were instances of rule
by councils of eminent citizens. It
was a sophisticated society, with the
military wielding power, and guilds,
societies, clubs, and religious groups
providing social control. The cities
were wealthy and there was
patronage of the arts, the people
excelling in wood carving,
metalwork (especially brass),
pottery, weaving, beadwork, and the
production of masks.
Benin, between 1300–1850, was
a wonderfully complex Yoruban
West Africa
The Hausa
A Hausa woman in
Nigeria. The modern
Hausa of Nigeria are mainly
concentrated in the provinces of
Kano, Katsina, Sokoto, and Zaria,
their population probably
numbering between 6 and 8
million in Nigeria alone. The
Hausa language is an important
lingua franca in West Africa.
OPPOSITE:
Statue of King Béhanzin in
Abomey, Benin. Béhanzin (1844–1906)
is considered the eleventh King of
Dahomey, modern-day Benin.
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