The Emirate of Say was an Islamic state founded in 1825 by

Alfa Mohamed Diobo Alfa Mahaman Diobbo was an Islamic preacher, leader and the founder of the Emirate of Say in Say, Niger. In many books, Diobbo is generally presented as the son of a Fulani marabout from Macina (Present-day Mali). Born in Bamba, a town locate ...

, a Qadiriyya Sufi leader who came to Say from

Djenné Djenné (Bambara language, Bambara: ߘߖߋߣߣߋ tr. Djenne; also known as Djénné, Jenné and Jenne) is a Songhai people town and an Communes of Mali, urban commune in the Inland Niger Delta region of central Mali. The town is the administrativ ...

(Mali) in 1810. Though Diobo was no conqueror, his control over Say was ensured by both his clerical renown and the diplomatic protection of the

Sokoto Empire The Sokoto Caliphate (), also known as the Fulani Empire or the Sultanate of Sokoto, was a Sunni Muslim caliphate in West Africa. It was founded by Usman dan Fodio in 1804 during the Fulani jihads after defeating the Hausa Kingdoms in the Fula ...

, also founded by a Fulani Qadiriyya Sufi cleric,

Usman Dan Fodio Usman Ɗan Fodio ( ar, عثمان بن فودي, translit=ʿUthmān ibn Fodio; 15 December 1754 – 20 April 1817) was a Fulani scholar, Sunni Islamic religious teacher, revolutionary, and philosopher who founded the Sokoto Caliphate and rul ...

. In its heyday, the emirate of ''Say'' was widely known from Gao to

Gaya Gaya may refer to: Geography Czech Republic *Gaya (German and Latin), Kyjov (Hodonín District), a town Guinea * Gaya or Gayah, a town India *Gaya, India, a city in Bihar **Gaya Airport *Bodh Gaya, a town in Bihar near Gaya *Gaya district, Bi ...

as a center for Islamic learning and piety. It is reputed to have had at one time 30,000 inhabitants and to have launched its own trans-Saharan caravans. The city of '' Say'' has retained from those days a traditional government held by the descendants Of Diobo in the office of "al/aize" (literally, son of the cleric, in zarma). They are as follows; Alfa Mohamed Diobo (1825—1834), Boubacar Modibo (1834–1860), Abdourahman (1860–1872), Moulaye (1872–1874), Abdoulwahidou (1874–1878), Saliha Alfa Baba (1878–1885), Amadou Satourou Modibo (1885—1893), Halirou Abdoulwahabi (1893—1894).

References

Former empires in Africa History of Niger Ancient peoples History of Africa Zarma people 19th-century Islam Former emirates Former monarchies of Africa 1860s establishments in Africa 1890s disestablishments in Africa Spread of Islam 19th century in Africa Muslim dynasties Countries in precolonial Africa {{Africa-hist-stub