Muhammadu Attahiru I (died 1903) was the twelfth

Sultan Sultan (; ', ) is a position with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", derived from the verbal noun ', meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be use ...

of the

Sokoto Caliphate The Sokoto Caliphate (, literally: Caliphate in the Lands of Sudan), also known as the Sultanate of Sokoto, was a Sunni Islam, Sunni Muslim caliphate in West Africa. It was founded by Usman dan Fodio in 1804 during the Fula jihads, Fulani jihads ...

from October 1902 until March 15, 1903. He was the last independent Sultan of Sokoto before the Caliphate was taken over by the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

Reign as Sultan

Attahiru came to the throne upon the death of Abderrahman dan Abi Bakar in October 1902 while the British forces had already taken over parts of the

. During the last year of Abderrahman's reign, British General Frederick Lugard had been able to use rivalries between the emirs in the south with the Sokoto Caliphate to prevent a coherent defense against British troops. A British led force was quickly approaching the city of Sokoto with clear intentions to take it over. Attahiru I organized a quick defense of the city and decided to fight the advancing British army outside of the city of Sokoto. This battle ended quickly in favor of the British with superior firepower causing high casualties on the side of Attahiru I. Attahiru I and many followers fled the city of Sokoto on what Attahiru I described as a '' hijra'' to prepare for the coming of the

Mahdi The Mahdi () is a figure in Islamic eschatology who is believed to appear at the Eschatology, End of Times to rid the world of evil and injustice. He is said to be a descendant of Muhammad in Islam, Muhammad, and will appear shortly before Jesu ...

. The British moved into the largely depopulated Sokoto and appointed Muhammadu Attahiru II the new Caliph. Lugard essentially abolished the Caliph and retained the title ''Sultan'' as a symbolic position in the newly organized

Northern Nigeria Protectorate Northern Nigeria ( Hausa: ''Arewacin Najeriya'') was a British protectorate which lasted from 1900 until 1914, and covered the northern part of what is now Nigeria. The protectorate spanned and included the emirates of the Sokoto Caliphate ...

. Attahiru I begun traveling through the rural regions of the

pursued by the British gathering supporters for his movement. The British and emirs working with the British were shocked at the large number of people who joined Attahiru and his force grew to thousands. Marching through Zamfara and Kano, the

became increasingly concerned with the force. The British attacked the rebels in the Mbormi Battle Ground, near present-day Gombe, in 1903 and Attahiru I was amongst those killed. The British then proceeded to decapitate Attahiru, took photographs of the beheaded sultan, and then displayed the photographs throughout Northern Nigeria to ''"convince the diehards of the futility of fighting"''. His son, Muhammad Bello bin Attahiru or Mai Wurno continued to lead the remaining members of the movement and eventually settled in Sudan, where many of the descendants still live today.

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Muhammadu Attahiru I 1903 deaths Sultans of Sokoto 20th-century monarchs in Africa Year of birth missing People from colonial Nigeria 19th-century births 19th-century Nigerian people 20th-century Nigerian people African resistance to colonialism Sons of sultans

Reign as Sultan

See also

References