Why did Islam spread so slowly south of the Sahel compared to in and to the North of it?

by Labenovo

During some research into Boko Haram, I've come across the claim a few times that if it were not for European colonialism, Islam would have eventually spread all over West Africa. For example the powerful Sokoto Caliphate had been expanding throughout the territory of contemporary north west Nigeria during the early 19th century - eventually to be defeated by the British in 1903.

Prior to this, there had been relatively large and sophisticated Islamic states expanding in the sahel since the 14th century. For example the Sultunate of Kano, the Songhai empire, the Wadai empire, and the Bornu empire. These states were not Islamised by Arab conquest but by conversion of military leaders and parts of the population, who would subsequently convert the rest of the population.

However expansion into the land south of the sahel seems to have been insignificant. There are accounts of Muslims living among the Igbo, for example, but not in any great strength.

Considering that Islam spread throughout the entire southern and eastern mediterranean in about 100 years in the 7th and 8th centuries, and seems to have spread througout the sahel by the 14th century, why did it not spread from the Sahel to the West African southern coast in the 500 years before European colonisation? There's four possible factors I'm thinking of:

  1. Culture - it seems to me that Islam would have had a large cultural advantage over the animist areas to the south, not least because it brought literacy, and also connection to a huge cultural and intellectual world. But this advantage doesn't seem to have translated into territory.
  2. Military ability - Was there something about the territory that made wars of conquest by Islamic states successful in the sahel but not south of it?
  3. The value of the land and people - were Islamic 'missionaries', traders and conquerors simply not interested in the societies and land south of the sahel?
  4. European trade before formal colonisation - perhaps bringing goods and ideas into coastal regions from the 15th century contributed to a lesser influence for Islam?
EllesarisEllendil

I can be of some help here, Firstly some clarifications:

  • "For example the powerful Sokoto Caliphate had been expanding throughout the territory of contemporary north west Nigeria during the early 19th century - eventually to be defeated by the British in 1903".------------Not really,the Sokoto Caliphate expansion was stopped by the Ibadan Kingdom in the 1800s.

  • Secondly, Islam did spread to the south of Nigeria, there is a significant number of Muslims in Yorubaland.

Now to your major question, as to why Islam spread so quickly in the North. Because of two men, the first being Mai(pronounced May) Umme(Humme) Jilmi of Bornu who converted to Islam in the 11th century. His conversion, if not inspired by outright faith also brought certain advantages to his empire such as a literate bureaucracy and a unifying factor for the different trbes under his rule. With Islam the official religion of Central Sudan's most prominent empire, conversion began to spread as Bornu reigned supreme until the 1700s.

As Bornu declined, several successor states came to the fore with the most militarily viable being Gobir. Islam was by now in flux, certainly in theory it was the official religion of all kingdoms in the region, in practice however the rulers were corrupt and exploitative, Bornu was declining and unable to maintain peace, Gobir was on the warpath first allying with Zamfara to destroy Kebbi and inturn then destroying Zamfara. The chaos led to the usual exploitations all too common in wartime, as the rulers increased taxes to fund their lifestyles and the army. The Mallams(Muslim Preachers) who were supposed to be the conscience of the rulers were divided into two camps, the Court Mallams who enjoyed the benefits of misrule and as such were indulgent and the itinerant Mallam whose sympathies lay with the people. This was a powderkeg which needed a spark, that spark would ironically be born in Gobir.

In 1754 the second most important figure in Islam's spread was born , his name was Mohammed b. Salih b. Mohammed Fodio AKA Shehu Usman dan Fodio. Usman was born to a family of scholars, he would complete his studies in Agades and would begin preaching in 1774 at the age of 20, he avoided the courts and toured round the countryside extolling the virtues of Islam and calling for reform, he naturally found many a sympathetic ear.

In the 1780s(sorry recalling from memory) the Gobir King Bawo(Bawa) Jan Gwarzo would call an Eid el Kabir feast and would reward all the Mallams with rich gifts, only Usman would refuse. He instead asked for these:

  • That he be allowed to call people to God.

  • That all who heeded his call be unmolested.

  • That respect be accorded all turbaned Men.

  • That there be a reduction of taxes.

  • That all Muslim(some textbooks say "all") political prisoners be released.

Gwarzo acceded to all these requests raising Usman's reputation in the eyes of the people, this arrangement was doomed to fail ofcourse and it did, with Dan Gwarzo's Grandson Nafata making the following laws:

  • That none may be Muslim except Muslim born

  • That all return to the religions of their Fathers.

  • None may be turbaned nor veiled.

This would increase tensions, the actual cassus belli was the forceful freeing of Muslim prisoners en route to Alkawa the Gobir capital. This would lead to the declaration of the jihad in February 1804. Inspired by the Shehu and due to mutual mistrust the other Hausa states had for Gobir(remember what they did to Zamfara) the Jihadists defeated Gobir and the other Hausa states. All the major Islamic empires of the 18th to 19th century can be traced to this movement, all the Emirates in present day Nigeria originated from Jihadists who received flags from the sheikh himself, the Theocratic state of Masina was founded by Seku Ahmadu who sent emissaries to Usman, Alhaj Umar was who founded the Segu caliphate was inspired by Usman, Samori Toure who founded Mandinka was inspired by Alhaj Umar.

Unto your factors:

Culture: In some ways yes, with all the major powers of the region being Muslim aided in its spread, infact in present day central Nigeria, the jihad was caused by the animist rulers demanding Juris Noctis rights from the Fulani leaders. Secondly, the Fulani were united under a fellow Torodobe(settled Fulani), this gave them an advantage in their conquests against disunited tribes harbouring mistrust.

  • Military Ability: This was the most important reason! One word Horses. The Sahel region is open plains unlike the thickly forested areas of Eastern Nigeria. The Jihad would have achieved its ambition to "dip the Koran in the Sea" had Ibadan not developed a viable anti-Calvary force thanks to their firearms. Not to mention further down south, livestock is exposed to the TseTse Fly and they would quickly find that Guns>>>>>>>>>>Horses and Bows and Arrows.

  • Had nothing to do with it. It was a Jihad against infidels, value of land had nothing to do with it, any group of Fulani who felt oppressed by the "infidels" went to Sokoto for a flag and declared a Jihad. From 1804 per the Sheikh's declaration there was Dar El Islam(territory of Islam) and Dar El Harb(Territory of War). Very black and white.

  • The European factor: Helped, yes not by spreading ideas but by selling Guns. As mentioned previously Guns>>>>>>>>Horses e.t.c

Sorry for the late answer, this is an overview, if you need anything indepth..............