The Battle of Santolo was a decisive battle between the newly declared Kano Sultanate and the Animist Hausa Kingdom of Santolo, it was the first recorded Islamic
Jihad
Jihad (; ar, جهاد, jihād ) is an Arabic word which literally means "striving" or "struggling", especially with a praiseworthy aim. In an Islamic context, it can refer to almost any effort to make personal and social life conform with Go ...
waged and fought in Sudanic Africa.
Background
In the 14th century, Islamic influence from the Mali empire had crept into Hausa land. In 1349, the King of Kano Ali
Yaji I
Ali Dan Tsamiya known as Yaji I or Ali Yaji Dan Tsamiya was a king and later the first Sultan of Kano, a state in what is now Northern Nigeria. Yaji I ruled from 1359 to 1385 CE. A prominent figure in the state's history, Yaji used a religious rev ...
dissolved the cult of Tsumbubura, the powerful theocratic cult of the Hausa Animist religion, this sparked a wave of rebellion throughout the kingdom. At some point afterwards, the remnant of the high priests of the cult converged on Santolo, an important seat of Hausa Animism. Invigorated by religious zeal, the new 'Sultan', with the support of Wangara Muslims, descended on Santolo where the battle was fought.
Repercussions
The Battle of Santolo was to be the first in a wave conquest soon to be initiated by the
Sultanate of Kano
The Sultanate of Kano was a Hausa kingdom in the north of what is now Nigeria that dates back to 1349, when the contemporary king of Kano, Ali Yaji (1349–1385), dissolved the cult of Tsumbubra and proclaimed Kano a sultanate. Before 1000 AD, K ...
, a wave that was to see Kanoan power culminating into a Hausa Empire in the reign Sultan Muhammadu Kisoki whom according to Sultan
Muhammed Bello
Muhammadu Bello ( ar, محمد بلو) was the second Sultan of Sokoto and reigned from 1817 until 1837. He was also an active writer of history, poetry, and Islamic studies. He was the son and primary aide to Usman dan Fodio, the founder of the ...
of sokoto, " was to rule the length and breath of hausa land, from the east to the west"
See also
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Yaji I
Ali Dan Tsamiya known as Yaji I or Ali Yaji Dan Tsamiya was a king and later the first Sultan of Kano, a state in what is now Northern Nigeria. Yaji I ruled from 1359 to 1385 CE. A prominent figure in the state's history, Yaji used a religious rev ...
References
{{reflist
History of Northern Nigeria
History of Kano
Politics of Northern Nigeria
Jihad
Offensive jihad