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Scholarship, the reason for Fulani dominance over the Hausas –Ibrahim Ado Kurawa

In recent times, many have questioned the legitimacy of Fulani leaders in Hausa-owned lands, as well as in Kwara State where the Emir is a Fulani; Ibrahim Ado Kurawa says this is due to the scholarship of the Fulanis.

Northern states

According to Ibrahim Ado Kurawa, Kano state former Special Adviser and Director of Research and Documentation, during an interview with PREMIUM TIMES, the Fulanis emigrated to the North as Islamic scholars, bringing along scholarship for the Hausa tribe, who were more concerned with farming and trading.

“Being scholars of Islam, they had great opportunity and the only opportunity for one to have social mobility is to have knowledge. So, most of those who happened to be at leadership positions were educated people. What happened during the jihad, which was a movement of intellectual scholars, was that Danfodiyo had several students from Hausa land who were Fulani”.

Kurawa describes the Hausa tribe as uninterested in education, so when the Colonial masters came with Western education, the Fulanis, who were students of Islamic knowledge already in the path of scholarship, found it easier to adapt to the western educational system.

“The first Hausa man to go to Middle School in Kano was Musa Iliyasu (and later his brother Salihi), somewhere around 1939 or 1940. He was even many years behind people like Aminu Kano who was in Katsina Middle School around 1936 and was at Middle School by 1930. Musa Iliyasu was about 20 years later after Bello Kano, Dokaji, Ahmadu Matidan, Sani Dan Chiroma all went to Katsina Middle School in 1921 or 1922. Four of them were Fulanis while Ahmadu Matidan was an Arab from Kano”.

Although the Fulani tribe is predominantly in positions of authority, Kurawa says the way of life of the populace is highly inspired by the Hausas, thus bringing unity among Northern Nigerians.

“The Hausa language, mode of dressing, food, even the system of traditional institutions in all the states in northern Nigeria, is in Hausa. So what is the difference between Hausas and Fulani? Our ancestors were just Fulani or Hausa. That is all. There was no kind of hegemony or deliberate conspiracy against the Hausas”, Kurawa concludes.

Kwara Emirate

Historically in the 19th century, Salih Janta aka Shehu Alimi (a nomadic Fulani) arrived Ilorin, the military outpost of Old Oyo, and was hosted by Afonja, the then Aare Ona Kakanfo (Generalisimo) to the Alaafin of Old Oyo. Soon afterward, a disagreement ensued between the Alaafin and his Generalisimo, who sought the assistance of Alimi, due to the latter’s military and spiritual strength.

The war was victorious for Afonja, with the Alaafin fleeing Old Oyo to a place now known as Oyo state. Impressed by Alimi’s prowess, Afonja employed him to teach his children the secrets of power.

After their deaths, Alimi’s son, Abdul Salami, continued in his father’s duty and when the time to pick the village head came, Abdul Salami overpowered Afonja’s eldest son to the throne ,but not without help from his fellow Fulani kinsmen, creating an Emirate under the Sokoto Caliphate which has continued since 1824.

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