ELLEMAN TIJJANI.

HADEJIA A YAU!

When Umar Futi died his son Ahmadu Shehu (from the union with Satiru) became Sarkin Tijjani, or king of the whole western Fulani empire extending from Kayes on the Senegal to Aribinta in the East, and Segu became the capital. Eventually Ahmadu changed his capital to Nioro, and his son Ahmadu Madaniyo remained as his representative in Segu. Both Ahmadu Shehu and Ahmadu Madaniyo refused to allow tree passage for French traders, and in about 1893 French pressure caused them to flee to the east. It took two years to reach Sokoto, and there Ahmadu Shehu died, to be succeeded by his brother, Bashiru.

 

According to colonial records, Bashiru started on a pilgrimage to Mecca, but on reaching the Emirate of Misau, Amadu, the father of the present Emir of Misau, persuaded him to stay and gave him a town. Subsequently the Sarkin Musulmi arrived in his fight from the British and Bashiru followed him to Burmi, where he was captured and then taken to Lokoja. Mr. Temple, Resident Bauchi, made Ahmadu Madaniyo to be Sarkin Tijjani, but after the encounter at Burmi, the Tejani scattered in all directions and settled in different parts of the country. Ahmadu Madaniyo went with a few followers to Hadejia where he was given a town Dakkayawa by the Sarkin Hadejia.

Many contemporary Kano mallams believe that the flight of Bashiru from Sokoto to Misau by way of Kano was the first major contact of Kano with Tijaniyya followers. Colonial records suggest that both Sokoto and Kano gave the refugees a warm welcome. According to oral testimony, however, both the Kano and Sokoto rulers were very much afraid of the refugees, for they were numerous and well armed. The contemporary successors to Bashiru, who live in Hadejia, maintain that he did not even stop at Kano but followed a course between Zaria and Kano."

When Ahmadu Shehu reached Sokoto he is reported to have had seven sons with him; Bashiru also is reported to have had seven sons with him. The sons of Bashiru, except Dahiru and Tijani, were to die before the battle of Burmi; these two surviving sons were exiled to Lokoja with Bashiru. Ahmadu Madaniyo did not oppose the British and after Burmi was given land in Hadejia at Yalleman, where he settled with about 200 families. The descendants of this group are still living there. Tijani followers who actively opposed the British at Burmi fled to a place in Sudan near Khartoum (a village called Sennar), by way of Nahud and El-Obeid. Descendants who fled to Sudan are still settled there under the leadership of Aliyu b. Usman.

According to Isa Warure of Kano, "When Ahmadu came to Nigeria from French territory, he went to Sokoto, but was refused entry. This was probably because Ahmadu was well equipped with guns and a powerful army. The people of Sokoto were afraid of him. Therefore the Tijani people went to a place in Sokoto province called Mai Kulki, where they lived until Ahmadu died. Then the people of Ahmadu came to Kano where they asked Emir Abbas if they could have land. Again they were refused, so they went to the Emir of Hadejia, Mai Shahada, where they were received and given a place called Yelleman. 

The leader of the Tijani at this time was Ahmadu Madani. His descendants still lead the Tijaniyya in Hadejia. This settlement was quite large and was built on the banks of the river Dakayyawa. Some of the Tijani did not stop in Hadejia, but went on to the Sudan, to a place called Sennar Taqāțțu on the banks of the River Nile, near Khartoum. They called their village Dar-es Salam. They still live there" interview, Kano November 1, 1964; Hausa).

According to Muhammad Ghali, Sarkin Tijaniyya, "The trip from Sokoto to Hadejia took eight years. When the refugees had arrived in Sokoto they included about 60 chiefs, each with several hundred followers. They did not ask to stay in Sokoto because they intended to settle in Mecca. From Sokoto they did not come to Kano, but followed a route between Kano and Zaria. One representative from Sokoto accompanied them on the journey. The emir of Zaria said they could not enter Zaria; they had no communication with the emir of Kano. The actual route from Sokoto to Hadejia was as follows: From Sokoto to Gusau [Sokoto Province] to Garko [Kano Province] to Gaya [Kano Province] to Darajiya [Bauchi Province] to Bisirka [Bauchi Province] to Darazu [Bauchi Province to Wura-Dugga [Bauchi Province] to Jego [Bauchi Province] where they spent two years to Misau [Misau emirate] to Nafada [Gombe Emirate] to Hashidu [Bauchi Province] to Gungura [Bauchi Province] to Hadejia [Kano Province]" (interview, Yelleman, Hadejia, May 12, 1965, Hausa).

The contemporary Tijani community in Yalleman exists as an enclave of about 500 to 1000 families mainly traders, farmers, and mallams-under the leadership of Sarkin Tijaniyya Muhammad Ghali b. Umar, a grandson of Ahmadu Shehu. Contact is maintained between Yalleman and Senegalese. Umarian Tijaniyya, and also with the Traditional Tijaniyya of Zaria and with Reformed Tijaniyya of Kano. The emirs of Hadejia were initiated into Tijaniyya in the twentieth century (they are reported to have been sympathetic to Mahdiyya in the late nineteenth century) and are of the Umarian persuasion. The major center of Umarian Tijaniyya in northern Nigeria in the nineteenth century was Adamawa, which was partly due to the influence of Raji. These same Umarian areas were among those that came to follow Mahdiyya.

The lines of Umarian succession to authority in Kano Province (Hadejia) have been dynastic, and the Umarian community has come to be associated primarily with those who had some kin or disciple relationship with Umar. The link that Umar represents with the Jihad leadership, however, has been of major importance to the twentieth century legitimization of a "northern religious community" composed of both Tijaniyya and Qadiriyya. 

Reference… Religion and political culture in Kano by Paden, John N. Publication date 1973.