Historical development Sokoto

market @ sokoto, 1850s



the sokoto area, crudely shown on 1897 map



sokoto caliphate in 19th century

sokoto had been used october 1804 shehu usmanu dan fodiyo venue meeting galadima, yunfa s vizier. subsequently, used muhammad bello staging post attack on dufua in spring of 1806. bovil suggested area/district may have been known sokoto seventeenth century. in historical perspective, sokoto founded ribat (military camp or frontier) in 1809, when shehu usmanu @ sifawa. later became capital of caliphate after shehu s death.

in 1820s, sokoto @ peak of prosperity coinciding peak of `rulers powers @ center of caliphate, receiving annual tribute fiefs before long period of decline. explorer hugh clapperton (1827) highly impressed prosperity , effects on city.

clapperton noted importance of sokoto s closely settled surroundings: rivers, rather long-distance trade, in city s economy. trade of sokoto @ present inconsiderable, owing disturbed state of surrounding country.

by time explorer heinrich barth arrived in 1853 sokoto thinly inhabited , dilapidated. barth in 1857 estimated population @ 20,000–22,000, market still supplied , attended, , thriving suburb outside wall more animated sokoto itself.

bovil aptly described sokoto strong position, steep escarpments east north-west , small valley on west , south west protecting against surprise cavalry attacks. town dominates broad lowland 2 rivers, rima , sokoto meet, being junction of roads gobir in north, kebbi in south , burmi zamfara in east.

in 19th century, town (sokoto) divided wards. such wards include magajin gari ward, waziri ward, sarkin musulmi ward, sarkin adar ward, magajin rafi ward, , sarkin zamfara ward. @ time wards small , surrounded wall, included mosques of sultan bello , shehu, sultan palace , other buildings compound of shehu.

in 1818, wall extended extent has gates come in , out of birni wall. such gates kofar-kade, kofar-kware, kofar-rini, kofar-dundaye, kofar-taramniya, kofar-aliyu jedo, , kofar-marke.

the area of present sokoto home of many empires , kingdoms of pre-colonial western sudan. these include gobir , kebbi kingdoms world-renowned caliphate spiritual , political capital headquarters of state.

following conquest of caliphate british in 1903, various components made autonomous , joined government of northern nigeria. northern region made of parts of sokoto caliphate , kanem-bornu empire. continued january 1967 when states created replace regional governments general yakubu gowon. sokoto became headquarters of north-western state created in 1967. in 1976 following creation of niger state out of north western state, sokoto state emerged headquarters. yet in sokoto, kebbi , zamfara states carved out of sokoto, in 1991 , 1996 respectively.

sokoto metropolis has been capital of various governments since establishment caliph muhammad bello in 1809.