During the founding of the Sokoto Empire and its initial consolidation, their main adversary was Gobir and its allies. Gobir was the leading pagan city state of Hausaland. They had ruled with an iron hand for fifty years before the Sokoto jihad began.

The Gobir’s sultan had actually forced the jihad by expelling all non-Taureg Moslems from Gobir territory. These exiles rallied around Shaikh, whose followers were well organized and eventually formed the Sokoto Empire.

The Gobir had few allies, due to their prior harshness. One of these was the town of Gummi located to its southwest. Another group that surprisingly supported Gobir were many of the Taureg tribes located to the north and east. Although Moslem, the Tauregs needed the trade and grassing lands found in Gobir and allied with Gobir.

Many of the smaller Gobirawa towns would be captured but the Sokoto had a tough time capturing its capital at Alkalawa. Four major expeditions were conducted against it. It was finally captured in 1807. Even after the fall of Alkalawa, many of the Gobirawa scattered to the hills and continued resistance to the Sokoto.

The SOKOTO Empire not only included Moslems from the area but also included a large number of pagan city states. Many of these allies of the early migration jihad would become enemies later during the consolidation period.

Hausaland and the Growth of the Sokoto Caliphate

Introduction
Equipment, Training and Weapons
Tactics and Campaigns
Pre-Jihad Chronology of Hausaland
The Sokoto-Gobirawa War 1804-07
The Sokoto Early Migration Trek
The Sokoto Empire Consolidation Era 1817-1859
Key Personalities of Sokoto and Hausaland
Key Hausa Towns