Muri, Nigeria
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Muri (Fula: Lamorde Muri 𞤤𞤢𞤥𞤮𞤪𞤣𞤫 𞤥𞤵𞥅𞤪𞤭) is a
town A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...
and traditional
emirate An emirate is a territory ruled by an emir, a title used by monarchs or high officeholders in the Muslim world. From a historical point of view, an emirate is a political-religious unit smaller than a caliphate. It can be considered equivalent ...
in
Jalingo Jalingo is the capital city of Taraba State in north-eastern Nigeria, named in Fula language, fulfulde (the word Jalingo means "superior place") and has been estimated with population of 418,000 as of 2018, The city has received the highest num ...
but covers Karim Lamido LGA ARDO KOLA Yoro, Taraba LGA and others, in northwestern
Taraba State Taraba is a States of Nigeria, state in north-eastern Nigeria, named after the Taraba River, which traverses the southern part of the state. It is known as "Nature's Gift to the Nation". Its capital is Jalingo. The state's main Demographics ...
, northeastern
Nigeria Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It covers an area of . With Demographics of Nigeria, ...
, approximately between 9° and 11° 40′ E. and 7° 10′ and 9° 40′ N. The
Benue River Benue River (), previously known as the Chadda River or Tchadda, is a major tributary of the Niger River. The size of its catchment basin is 319,000 km2 (123,000 sq mi). Almost its entire length of Approximation, approximately is navigable dur ...
is nearby, and the portion on the southern bank of the river is watered by streams flowing from the
Cameroon Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon, is a country in Central Africa. It shares boundaries with Nigeria to the west and north, Chad to the northeast, the Central African Republic to the east, and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the R ...
region to the Benue. In 1991, the town was estimated to have a population of 56,570. The valley of the Benue has a climate generally unhealthy to Europeans but there are places in the northern part of the province, such as the Fula settlement of Wase on a southern spur of the Murchison hills, where the higher altitude gives an excellent climate. Tula–Waja languages such as
Dadiya Dadiya (Dadiya, Loodiya) is one of the Savanna languages of northeastern Nigeria. They are found in Gombe, Adamawa & Taraba state. The Dadiya people of Gombe State Gombe State (; ) is a States of Nigeria, state in North East (Nigeria), northea ...
and Bangwinji are spoken in the
Muri Mountains The Muri Mountains are a mountain range in Northern Nigeria. They consist of two nearly parallel sandstone mountain chains running east to west along the boundaries of the federal states of Bauchi, Gombe, Taraba, and Adamawa. A river cuts thro ...
.


History

In 1817, Muri was founded as a Fulbe jihad state. From the death of the founder of Muri, Hamman Ruwa, in 1833 to 1880, the emirate went through a period of "extreme" disunity. Some districts within the Emirate, like
Gassol Gassol is a Local Government Area in Taraba State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Mutum Biyu (or Mutumbiyu or Mutum Mbiyu) on the A4 highway at. It has an area of 5,548 km and a population of 244,749 at the 2006 census. The ...
and Wurio, operated independently under princes of the central dynasty. It was only during the reign of Emir Abubakar dan Hamman Ruwa that a central government was able to operate throughout the Emirate. The Emirate was also engaged in constant battle with the Jukun Chiefdoms, particularly in Kona. Not long after Emir Abubakar death in 1896, the districts of Gassol and Wurio once again revolted against the Emirate, heavily defeating its army which was commanded by Hassan (soon to be Emir). A year later, rebels from the two districts were joined by the Emir's younger brother, Muhammadu Mafindi, as he felt the new Emir was not adequately catering for his many younger siblings. The Emirate's army was able to regroup and repel the rebels who were fast approaching
Jalingo Jalingo is the capital city of Taraba State in north-eastern Nigeria, named in Fula language, fulfulde (the word Jalingo means "superior place") and has been estimated with population of 418,000 as of 2018, The city has received the highest num ...
, its capital. The
Royal Niger Company The Royal Niger Company was a mercantile company chartered by the British government in the nineteenth century. It was formed in 1879 as the ''United African Company '' and renamed to ''National African Company'' in 1881 and to ''Royal Niger C ...
had established a settlement, Ibi, within the Emirate since 1883. In 1884, 1888 and 1891 it sacked and burnt the town of Jibu. The comparatively weak Emirate was able to successfully apply a military sanction against the Company at Kunini and Lau in 1889. Lieutenant Antoine Mizon helped the Company conquer Kona in 1892. The company also sacked the towns of Wurio and Suntai in 1897 and 1899. In 1901, the Emirate, under Emir Hassan, submitted peacefully to the British. From 1892 to 1893 it was a de facto French
protectorate A protectorate, in the context of international relations, is a State (polity), state that is under protection by another state for defence against aggression and other violations of law. It is a dependent territory that enjoys autonomy over ...
, under Governor Louis Mizon (b. 1853 – d. 1899). In 1901 it became a 25,800 m2. province of the British protectorate of
Northern Nigeria Northern Nigeria (or Arewa, Arewancin Nijeriya) was an autonomous division within Nigeria, distinctly different from the southern part of the country, with independent customs, foreign relations and security structures. In 1962, it acquired t ...
, bordered S. by Southern Nigeria, SE. by
German Cameroon Kamerun was an African colony of the German Empire The German Empire (),; ; World Book, Inc. ''The World Book dictionary, Volume 1''. World Book, Inc., 2003. p. 572. States that Deutsches Reich translates as "German Realm" and was a for ...
, E. by the province of Yola, N. by
Bauchi Bauchi (Fula: ''Leydi Bauchi'' 𞤤𞤫𞤴𞤣𞤭 𞤦𞤢𞤵𞤷𞥅𞤭) is a States of Nigeria, state in the North East (Nigeria), North-East geopolitical zone of Nigeria. It is bordered by Jigawa State, Jigawa to the north, Yobe State, Y ...
, W. by Nasarawa and Bassa with an estimated population of about 828,000. The district of
Katsina-Ala Katsina-Ala is a Local Government Area (LGA) of Benue State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Katsina-Ala where the A344 highway starts. It is also the location of an important archeological site where artifacts of the Nok culture hav ...
extends south of the Benue considerably west of 9° E., the approximate limit of the remainder of the province. The province is rich in forest products, and the
Niger Company Niger, officially the Republic of the Niger, is a landlocked country in West Africa. It is a unitary state bordered by Libya to the north-east, Chad to the east, Nigeria to the south, Benin and Burkina Faso to the south-west, Mali to the wes ...
maintained trading stations on the river. Cotton is grown, and spinning thread, weaving and dyeing afford occupation to many thousands. Muri province included the ancient Jukun empire together with various small
Fula Fula may refer to: *Fula people (or Fulani, Fulɓe) *Fula language (or Pulaar, Fulfulde, Fulani) **The Fula variety known as the Pulaar language **The Fula variety known as the Pular language **The Fula variety known as Maasina Fulfulde *Fula alpha ...
states and a number of pagan tribes, among whom the Munshi, who extended into the provinces of Nassarawa and Bassa, were among the most turbulent. The Munshi occupy about 4000 m2. in the
Katsina-Ala Katsina-Ala is a Local Government Area (LGA) of Benue State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Katsina-Ala where the A344 highway starts. It is also the location of an important archeological site where artifacts of the Nok culture hav ...
district. The pagan tribes in the north of the province were lawless cannibals who by constant outrages and murders of traders long rendered the mail trade route to Bauchi unsafe, and cut off the markets of the Benue valley and the Cameroon from the Hausa states. Only two routes, one via Wase and the other via Gatari, passed through this belt. In the south of the province a similar belt of hostile pagans closed the access to the Cameroon except by two routes, Takum and Beli. For Hausa traders to cross the Muri province was a work of such danger and expense that before the advent of British administration the attempt was seldom made. Muri came nominally under British control in 1900. The principal effort of the administration has been to control and open the trade routes. In 1904 an expedition against the northern cannibals resulted in the capture of their principal fortresses and the settlement and opening to trade of a large district, the various routes to the Benue being rendered safe. In 1905 an expedition against the Munshi, rendered necessary by an unprovoked attack on the Niger Company's station at Abinsi, had a good effect in reducing the riverain portion of this tribe to submission. The absence of any central native authority delayed the process of bringing the province under administrative control. Its government was organized on the same system as the rest of Northern Nigeria, and under a British
Resident Resident may refer to: People and functions * Resident minister, a representative of a government in a foreign country * Resident (medicine), a stage of postgraduate medical training * Resident (pharmacy), a stage of postgraduate pharmaceut ...
. It was divided into three administrative divisions -east, central and west- with their respective headquarters at Lau, Amar and Ibi. Provincial and native courts of justice were established. The telegraph was carried to the town of Muri. Muri is one of the provinces in which the slave trade was most active, and its position between German territory and the Hausa states rendered it in the early days of the British administration a favorite route for the smuggling of slaves.


List of Emirs


References


External links


WorldStatesmen - NigeriaThe Emirs of Muri: A Brief History Britannica website about Muri Emirate
{{Nigerian traditional states Sokoto Caliphate French West Africa Populated places in Taraba State 1817 establishments in Africa Emirates of the Sokoto Caliphate Sub-emirates of the Adamawa emirate