Chapters
Sokoto Caliphate
Sokoto · Savanna on the Sokoto–Rima
Play SokotoEra I · Before the Flag
The five ages
- 1
Founding
1809–1817 · town-centre level 1After the reform wars of 1804–1808, in which Gobir’s capital Alkalawa fell, Muhammad Bello founds Sokoto in 1809 as a ribat, a fortified camp, with its first mosque. The movement’s leader, the scholar Usman dan Fodio, moves there in 1815 and dies in 1817. Historians still debate how far the movement was religious or ethnic. Raise walls, a mosque and the first schools.
- 2
Caliphate
1817–1837 · town-centre level 4Muhammad Bello rules as Sarkin Musulmi, Commander of the Faithful, with Gidado as Waziri. In 1818 the wall is extended with seven gates. Bello receives the explorer Clapperton in 1824, faces a Bornu invasion in 1825 and ends Gobir’s revolt at Gawakuke in 1836.
- 3
Golden age
1837–1885 · town-centre level 7From 1838 Nana Asma’u’s Yan Taru teaching circles carry learning to women. Babban Gwani builds arched mud mosques and halls in Zaria, Kano and Bauchi. Some 10–20 million people live in the caliphate, and Kebbi wins recognition of its independence by treaty in 1867.
- 4
Contact
1885–1899 · town-centre level 10By 1885 British treaties reach as far north as Sokoto. The Royal Niger Company, chartered in 1886, attacks Bida and Ilorin in 1897, and firearms reshape the army.
- 5
The Scramble
1900–1903 · town-centre level 13Britain proclaims the Protectorate of Northern Nigeria on 1 January 1900. Zaria falls in 1902, then Kano in 1903, and a British column marches on Sokoto. Here your defences decide.
People of Sokoto
The figures who appear as the city grows, ruled by the Sultan.
Muhammad Bello
Sultan, 1817–1837He founded Sokoto in 1809 and wrote over eighty works; “Bello” means “helper” in Fulfulde.
Portrait: fictional depiction
Gidado dan Laima
Waziri, 1817–1842The first known Grand Vizier; his family cared for the explorer Clapperton in Sokoto.
Portrait: fictional depiction
Nana Asma’u
Scholar, poet and teacher, 1793–1864She wrote over sixty works in Arabic, Fulfulde and Hausa. Her teachers wore a balloon-shaped malfa hat tied with a red turban.
Portrait: fictional depiction
Tamodi
TeacherA granddaughter of the founder, she led Nana Asma’u’s women’s teaching circle, which still exists today.
Portrait: fictional depiction
Babban Gwani
Chief builder, died 1862 or 1863He built Zaria’s Friday Mosque in the 1830s, often working by night; his handprint is said to remain above an arch.
Portrait: fictional depiction
Doshero
First Galadima of SokotoA scholar from Katsina. By about 1900 his office oversaw some 200 towns.
Portrait: fictional depiction
Attahiru I
Sultan, 1902–1903He met the British column outside the city, then led thousands of followers on a long march east that ended at Burmi.
Portrait: fictional depiction
Mai Wurno
Son of Attahiru IAfter Burmi he led the survivors onward and settled in Sudan.
Portrait: fictional depictionYour hero in battle
The Sarkin Yaki
War commanderThe Captain-General of the army. Sokoto’s strength was its cavalry, riders with large oryx-hide shields. Ability: Cavalry charge. The horsemen charge together: +35% damage for 12 seconds.
Portrait: fictional depictionThe council
| Seat | Who they are | Speaks for |
|---|---|---|
| The Waziri | The vizier, the Sultan’s chief minister | people, trade and the treasury |
| The Sarkin Yaki | War commander; the Madawaki leads the horse | the army and Peace |
| The Imam | Leads the prayers at the mosque | Faith |
| The Sarkin Maigini | Chief builder; the jaji teachers run the classes | Progress and research |
| The Galadima | Councillor who oversees the provinces and their tribute | Wealth and Unity |
| The healer | Remedies | Health |
| Nana Asma’u | Scholar, poet and teacher | Unity and women’s learning from the third age |
| The Sultan’s council | The senior officials of the court | whether you keep the throne |
Sign or stand
March 1903. After taking Kano, a British column under Kemball and Morland marches on Sokoto: 25 officers, about 650 soldiers and four Maxim guns. Its terms: the Sultan accepts British rule over the Caliphate and its emirs.
| Sign | Accept the protectorate, as Attahiru II later did, and keep the title with powers limited to Sokoto Province. Unity falls hard for a month. |
| Stand | Attahiru I’s choice: ride out and meet the column. Hold the city and history changes. |
What really happened (the game tells you at the end)
On 15 March 1903 Sultan Attahiru I met the column outside the city; after nearly two hours the British occupied the largely deserted city, and Attahiru II was installed with reduced powers. Attahiru I led thousands of followers east and was killed at Burmi on 27 July 1903; his son Mai Wurno led the survivors on to Sudan. Your city rebuilds: the column will come again while you stay in the Scramble.
Raiders and bosses
Who comes for the city in each age. Bosses come once you are into their age. How raids work.
| Age | Raiders | Boss |
|---|---|---|
| First Founding | Raiders from Gobir | None |
| Second Caliphate | Bornu’s army | Gobir’s revolt Gawakuke, 9 March 1836 |
| Third Golden age | The army of Kebbi | The Kebbi war Kebbi’s revolt, 1849–1867 |
| Fourth Contact | Raiders on the trade roads | The Royal Niger Company’s force Bida, January 1897 |
| Fifth The Scramble | Patrols from the Protectorate | The British column 15 March 1903 then sign or stand |
Soldiers
| Soldier | From level | |
|---|---|---|
| Spearman | Foot soldiers with spear and hide shield. | 2 |
| Archer | Bowmen who shoot from behind the spears. | 3 |
| Armoured horseman | Cavalry was the core of the army: riders with large oryx-hide shields, some in mail over quilted armour. | 7 |
| Musketeer | Late in the century firearms shifted the army toward infantry. One heavy shot, a long reload. | 10 |
Buildings
Every building Sokoto can raise, shown as it looks in the middle of the story. What each type does.
People
Family compound
Unlocks at town-centre level 1Flat-roofed rooms of smooth earth plaster, a round entrance hut and a clay granary inside a compound wall. Houses your people.
Healer’s house
Unlocks at town-centre level 4Herbs, roots and remedies. Raises Health. Raiders never touch it.
Alkali’s court
Unlocks at town-centre level 5The judge hears cases under a pillared roof. Raises Trust and some Peace.
Economy
Millet farm
Unlocks at town-centre level 1Millet and sorghum, with onion beds by the water. Tap the farm when it fills to bring the harvest in.
Woodcutters’ camp
Unlocks at town-centre level 1Thorn wood and timber hauled in from the bush. Materials.
Mud-brick yard
Unlocks at town-centre level 2Clay shaped into cone bricks and dried in the sun. Materials.
Granaries
Unlocks at town-centre level 1Round clay granaries raised on stones under thatched lids. Raises your Food storage; raiders can take only part of it.
Storehouse
Unlocks at town-centre level 1A flat-roofed store for timber and bricks. Raises your Materials storage.
Treasury
Unlocks at town-centre level 3Cowries and gold under a domed roof. Raises your Wealth storage.
Yardole market
Unlocks at town-centre level 3Sokoto’s central market: cotton, indigo cloth, kola, shea, grain, onions and leather goods under mat roofs. Wealth.
Caravan station
Unlocks at town-centre level 10Traders rest beside bales of cloth, hides, goatskins and kola. Leather goods were a major Sokoto export. A large Wealth producer.
Culture
Mosque
Unlocks at town-centre level 1Like the first Sultan Bello Mosque: thick mud walls and a flat roof on beams. Raises Faith and gives a little knowledge. Raiders never touch it.
Scholars’ school
Unlocks at town-centre level 4Students learn with wooden slates under the eyes of the scholars. Makes Knowledge and runs research. Raiders never touch it.
Durbar ground
Unlocks at town-centre level 4Open ground for horsemen’s parades and festivals. Raises Unity.
Sarkin Yaki’s house
Unlocks at town-centre level 7Home of the war commander and his horsemen. Brings the Sarkin Yaki to your army.
Library of manuscripts
Unlocks at town-centre level 8Domed halls of books in Arabic and Ajami, with a reading court. Heritage for the ladder.
Defence
Watch tower
Unlocks at town-centre level 3A mud tower over the wards. Raises Peace.
Archers’ tower
Unlocks at town-centre level 2Archers shoot from a crenellated mud tower.
City wall
Unlocks at town-centre level 4Build the wall section by section. In 1818 Sokoto’s wall was extended with seven gates, among them Kofar-Kade and Kofar-Rini.
City gate
Unlocks at town-centre level 4A gatehouse where an avenue passes through the wall.
Musket post
Unlocks at town-centre level 10Firearms behind thick mud walls. Hits hard, reloads slowly.
War council
Unlocks at town-centre level 13The commanders plan the city’s defence against the British columns. Needed to stand in 1903.
Army
Cavalry stables
Unlocks at town-centre level 2Horses, fodder and spear racks. Each level holds more soldiers.
Blacksmiths
Unlocks at town-centre level 5Iron for spears, hoes and horse gear. Raises Progress.
Landmarks
Hubbare
Unlocks at town-centre level 4The tomb of the scholar Usman dan Fodio, visited by people from across the region. Unity, Faith and visitors’ gifts.
Shehu’s Mosque
Unlocks at town-centre level 6The mosque of 1815, with thick mud walls and a flat roof on beams. Unity and Faith.
Research
| Technology | Branch | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Millet and sorghum | Farming | Grain crops suited to the dry season: +10% Food. |
| Clay granaries | Farming | Raised granaries keep pests out: +15% Food storage. |
| Irrigated onion beds | Farming | Gardens along the rivers: +15% Food. |
| Rice and new seed | Farming | Rice in the river valleys: +20% Food. |
| Cone bricks | Building | Sun-dried cone bricks: builds 8% faster. |
| Plastered walls | Building | Smooth earth plaster sheds the rain: buildings +10% sturdier. |
| Masons’ guild | Building | Guild masons cut the cost of building by 8%. |
| Master builders | Building | Babban Gwani’s methods spread: builds 10% faster. |
| Iron spearheads | Defence | The blacksmiths arm the infantry: +8% damage. |
| Archery drill | Defence | Faster, steadier volleys: towers +12% damage. |
| Quilted armour | Defence | Thick cotton armour for riders and horses: +12% unit health. |
| Firearms | Defence | Guns reshape the army late in the century: +12% damage. |
| Cowries and gold | Trade | Two ways to pay in one market: +10% Wealth. |
| Caravan roads | Trade | Safer roads to the market towns: +12% Wealth. |
| Trans-Saharan trade | Trade | Leather, cloth and kola for the desert caravans: +20% Wealth. |
| Qur’anic schools | Learning | A school in every ward: +15% Knowledge. |
| Ajami writing | Learning | Hausa written in Arabic script reaches more readers: research 15% faster. |
| The libraries | Learning | Copied manuscripts fill the libraries: +20% Knowledge. |
| Festival calendar | Heritage | Feasts and parades through the year: Faith and Unity rise. |
| Embroidered robes | Heritage | Master embroiderers dress the court: Heritage. |
| Poetry of the court | Heritage | Poems in Arabic, Fulfulde and Hausa: Heritage. |
| The Yan Taru signature | Heritage | Signature tech. Nana Asma’u’s teaching circles for women: Knowledge and Progress in every ward. |
| Bakan gizo vaults signature | Defence | Signature tech. Palm-rib arches carry wider roofs: city walls 25% stronger. |
Did you know?
- The name Sokoto is traced to the Arabic suk, “market”.
- Sokoto began in 1809 as a ribat, a fortified frontier camp.
- In 1818 the wall was extended with seven gates, among them Kofar-Kade and Kofar-Rini.
- Sokoto’s central market is called Yardole.
- The first Sultan Bello Mosque had thick mud walls and a flat roof on beams.
- By 1837 the caliphate had 10–20 million people.
- Farms grew cotton, indigo, kola, shea nuts, grain, rice, tobacco and onions.
- Leather goods were a significant Sokoto export.
- Nana Asma’u knew four languages: Arabic, Fula, Hausa and Tamacheq.
- “Yan Taru” means “those who have come together”.
- Sarkin Musulmi, “Commander of the Faithful”, was the Hausa form of the Sultan’s title.
- Bello’s private room had a vaulted ceiling resting on eight ornamental arches.
- Master masons treated 1.8 m as the safe span for a beam of azara palm wood.
- The emir’s elite horsemen wore mail shirts over quilted armour.
- In 1857 Heinrich Barth estimated Sokoto’s population at 20,000–22,000.