List of Sultans of Sokoto

Entrance to the modern Sultan's palace in Sokoto
Sokoto Caliphate in the 19th century

The Sokoto Caliph was the ruler of the Sokoto Caliphate. The official title is Sultan of Sokoto and includes the title "Amir-ul-Momineen". The post has become increasingly ceremonial since British rule, but the Sultan, considered a spiritual leader in the Muslim community in Nigeria, can still carry a lot of weight with Fulani and Hausa people from northern Nigeria.

Shaihu 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 (his son was the first to do so), but was simply titled Amir al-Mu´minin, also styled Lamido Julbe (which literally means Governor of the believers in Fulani). 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 less populous Tijaniyya sufi order.[1]

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.

#NameBirth and deathReign startedReign endedLineage
1 Usman dan Fodio 1754
Gobir
–
1817
Sokoto
(aged 63)		 1804 1815
2 Muhammed Bello 1781
Unknown
–
1837
Wurno
(aged 58)		 21 April 1817 25 October 1837 Son of
Usman dan Fodio
3 Abubakar I Atiku 1782
Unknown
–
1842
Sokoto
(aged 60)		 26 October 1837 23 November 1842 Son of
Usman dan Fodio
4 Ali Babba bin Bello 1808
Unknown
–
1859
Sokoto
(aged 51)		 30 November 1842 21 October 1859
Son of
Muhammed Bello
5 Ahmadu Atiku 24 October 1859 2 November 1866 Son of
Abu Bakr Atiku
6 Aliu Karami 6 November 1866 18 October 1867 Son of
Muhammed Bello
7 Ahmadu Rufai 21 October 1867 12 March 1873 Son of
Usman dan Fodio
8 Abubakar II Atiku na Raba 16 March 1873 28 March 1877 Son of
Muhammed Bello
9 Mu'azu 6 April 1877 26 September 1881 Son of
Muhammed Bello
10 Umaru bin Ali 3 October 1881 25 March 1891 Son of
Ali Babba bin Bello
11 Abderrahman dan Abi Bakar 25 March 1891 10 October 1902 Son of
Abu Bakr Atiku
12 Muhammadu Attahiru I 13 October 1902 15 March 1903 Son of
Ahmadu Atiku
13 Muhammadu Attahiru II 21 March 1903 1915 Son of
Ali Babba bin Bello
14 Muhammadu dan Ahmadu 1915 1924
15 Muhammadu dan Muhammadu 1924 1931
16 Hasan dan Mu'azu Ahmadu 1931 1938
17 Siddiq Abubakar III 15 March 1903
Dange
–
1 November 1988
Sokoto
(aged 85)		 1938 1988 Grandson of
Mu'azu
18 Ibrahim Dasuki 23 December 1923
Dogondaji
-
 6 November 1988 20 April 1996 (deposed) Great-great-grandson of Uthman dan Fodio[2]
19 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
20 Sa'adu Abubakar 24 August 1956
Sokoto
–		 2 November 2006 Current Son of
Siddiq Abubakar III

References

  1. ↑ All Africa: "Nigeria: Updated - Kano Blasts Claim Over 60" By Ismail Mudashir November 28, 2014
  2. ↑ http://articles.latimes.com/1991-05-14/news/wr-1921_1_ibrahim-dasuki/2

See also

Sources and references