Lamido (Adlam: , pl. Lamibe ) is the Anglicisation of a term from the Fula language or Fulfulde, used to refer to a

ruler A ruler, sometimes called a rule, line gauge, or scale, is a device used in geometry and technical drawing, as well as the engineering and construction industries, to measure distances or draw straight lines. Variants Rulers have long ...

. In the language it is properly ''laamiiɗo'' (, pl. ''laamiiɓe'' ), derived from the verbal root ''laamu-'' meaning "leadership", and hence may be translated more specifically as "leader". The title ''laamiiɗo'' is higher in rank than ''laamɗo'', which means simply a "leader" or "king". Therefore, "laamiiɗo" means a "great king" or "great leader". It has been used by the traditional leaders of certain Fulani emirates in West Africa, originally as head of confederations of ruling and subordinate (often vassal) states. Its use persists within a number of post-colonial republics. The word may have its origins from the old Serer title ''

lamane Lamane or laman (also ''laam'' or ''lam'') means "master of the land" in the Mandingue, Wolof, and Serer languages. The name was also sometimes the title of chiefs or kings of the Serer people of the Senegambia region which includes modern day S ...

'' (or ''laman'') which means master of the land, inheritor or heir in old Serer (Fula and Serer are closely related languages). The Lamans were the ancient Serer kings before the fall of the Serer lamanic class in the 14th century. The Fula title ''Lam Toro''—who later became leaders of

Futa Toro Futa Toro ( Wolof and ff, Fuuta Tooro ''𞤆𞤵𞥄𞤼𞤢 𞤚𞤮𞥄𞤪𞤮''; ar, فوتا تورو), often simply the Futa, is a semidesert region around the middle run of the Senegal River. This region is along the border of Senegal and ...

, originated from the Serer title ''Laman''.The Seereer Resource Centre, ''Seereer Lamans and the Lamanic Era'' (2015) nThe Seereer Resource Centre

/ref>

States where the title "lamido" was used

Examples of Fula jihads#Fulani jihad states, Fulani Jihad states: *

Bauchi Emirate The Bauchi Emirate ( Fula: Lamorde Bauchi 𞤤𞤢𞤥𞤮𞤪𞤣𞤫 𞤦𞤢𞤵𞤷𞥅𞤭) was founded by Fula in the early 19th century in what is now Bauchi State, Nigeria, with its capital in Bauchi. The emirate came under British "protect ...

, since its foundation in 1805. * Bibemi, since its 1770 foundation, until the higher Muslim title Sultan was assumed.

Compound title

*Laamiiɗo juulɓe 'Emir of the Muslims (, lit. ''those who pray'')' was a title, alongside the proper Arabic '' Amir al-Mu´minin'' (which was maintained), of the Imam `Usuman dan Muhammad Fodio, the original leader of the largest of the Fula jihads (conquests by the Fula people in the name of spreading Islam) in

Sokoto Sokoto is a major city located in extreme northwestern Nigeria, near the confluence of the Sokoto River and the Rima River. As of 2006 it has a population of over 427,760. Sokoto is the modern-day capital of Sokoto State and was previously the ...

, the home state of the leader of the

Fulbe jihad The Fula (or Fulani) jihads ( ar, جهاد الفولا) sometimes called the Fulani revolution were a series of jihads that occurred across West Africa during the 18th and 19th centuries, led largely by the Muslim Fula people. The jihads and th ...

, whose heirs (since 1817) adopted the title Sarkin Musulmi and became known as

Sultan of Sokoto Sultan (; ar, سلطان ', ) 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 ...

, still considered the paramount ruler of traditional Islamic people in Nigeria *Baban-Lamido in Adamawa (now partially in

Cameroon Cameroon (; french: Cameroun, ff, Kamerun), officially the Republic of Cameroon (french: République du Cameroun, links=no), is a country in west-central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west and north; Chad to the northeast; the C ...

) since its foundation in 1809

Sources and references

WorldStatesmen- here Nigerian Traditional states
Heads of state Royal titles Fula language Monarchs {{Royalty-stub