The Northern Nïgeria Before Islam. The History They Don't Want You to Know.
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| Northern Nïgeria Before Islam |
Pre-Islamic Northern Nigeria: Indigenous Traditions, Diversity, and the Politics of Historical Memory
Abstract
Before the spread of Islam into Northern Nigeria from the 11th century onward, the region was home to diverse ethnic groups with established religious systems, political institutions, moral codes, and economic networks. This paper documents the indigenous traditions of major Northern Nigerian ethnic groups and examines how selective historical narratives have been politically misused to erase or diminish this plural past. The study argues that Islam entered functioning societies and interacted with—rather than created—civilization in the region (Falola & Heaton, 2008; Crowder, 1978).
1. Introduction
Northern Nigeria is frequently portrayed as historically uniform and exclusively Islamic. Scholarly evidence, however, demonstrates that this perception is a modern reconstruction rather than an accurate reflection of pre-Islamic realities. Prior to Islam, societies across the region possessed functioning political systems, moral orders, and religious institutions rooted in African Traditional Religions (Ajayi & Crowder, 1971; Falola, 1999).
2. Indigenous Religious and Cultural Systems by Ethnic Group
2.1 Hausa
Before Islam, the Hausa practiced Maguzanci, an indigenous religious system centered on a supreme creator (Ubangiji) and a structured spirit complex known as Bori. Religious life included ritual healing, festivals, ancestor reverence, and spirit possession (Paden, 1973; Barkindo, 1992).
Hausa city-states such as Kano, Katsina, Zazzau, Gobir, and Daura were politically organized, with kingship, markets, taxation, and customary law in place well before Islam (Smith, 1987; Crowder, 1978).
2.2 Kanuri (Kanem–Bornu)
Pre-Islamic Kanuri society revolved around sacred kingship, where the Mai ruled through ritual legitimacy believed to ensure fertility, rain, and military success. Religion and governance were inseparable (Urvoy, 1954; Smith, 1987).
Islam reached Kanem–Bornu early, but for centuries coexisted with indigenous ritual practices that remained embedded in statecraft and royal ceremonies (Hiskett, 1984).
2.3 Gbagyi (Gwari / Gbaki)
The Gbagyi believed in a supreme deity, Shekwoyi, alongside nature spirits and ancestral forces. Religious practice emphasized moral behavior, land stewardship, and communal harmony (Idowu, 1973; Gunn & Conant, 1960).
Political authority was largely decentralized, vested in councils of elders rather than divine kingship (Falola, 1999).
2.4 Fulani (Fulɓe)
Before Islam, Fulani religious life involved belief in a high creator, ancestral reverence, and a strong ethical code known as Pulaaku, emphasizing self-restraint, courage, modesty, and honor (Johnston, 1967).
Islam later became a unifying religious and political identity among the Fulani, particularly from the 18th–19th centuries onward, but it was not intrinsic to early Fulani culture (Last, 1967; Lovejoy, 2012).
2.5 Nupe
The Nupe practiced spirit worship and ancestor veneration within a framework of sacred kingship. Their kingdom displayed advanced political organization, economic specialization, and craftsmanship, particularly along the Niger River system (Nadel, 1942).
2.6 Jukun
The Jukun of the Kwararafa Confederacy emphasized ancestor veneration and ritual kingship. Political authority was tied to religious legitimacy, and the confederacy emerged as a major pre-Islamic power rivaling Hausa states (Crowder, 1978; Ajayi & Crowder, 1971).
2.7 Tiv
The Tiv believed in a supreme being, Aondo, with ancestors serving as moral regulators of social conduct. Tiv society was notably egalitarian, lacking centralized kingship and instead organized around kinship, age grades, and communal justice (Bohannan, 1957).
2.8 Berom (Birom) and Other Middle Belt Groups
Berom and related Middle Belt societies practiced nature-centered religions emphasizing sacred landscapes such as hills, rivers, and stones. Religious life was closely linked to agriculture, fertility, and ancestral continuity (Parrinder, 1969; Mbiti, 1970).
3. Common Myths and Historical Corrections
Myth 1: Islam brought civilization to Northern Nigeria
Historical evidence shows that political systems, laws, trade networks, and moral orders existed long before Islam’s arrival (Crowder, 1978; Falola & Heaton, 2008).
Myth 2: Northern Nigeria was always Muslim
Islam spread gradually between the 11th and 19th centuries, often coexisting with indigenous religions for generations (Hiskett, 1984; Last, 1967).
Myth 3: Indigenous religions were primitive
African Traditional Religions were ethically regulated, socially binding, and institutionally structured, despite lacking written scriptures (Mbiti, 1970; Horton, 1960).
Myth 4: Sharia filled a legal vacuum
Customary legal systems based on mediation, restitution, and communal responsibility were already well established (Bohannan, 1957; Paden, 1973).
Myth 5: Ethnic identity equals religious identity
The fusion of ethnicity and religion is a modern political construct rather than a historical constant (Ranger, 1983; Mamdani, 1996).
4. Political Misuse of History
4.1 Retroactive Religious Rewriting
Pre-Islamic rulers and institutions are often retrospectively labeled Islamic to legitimize present political authority (Ranger, 1983).
4.2 Selective Use of the Sokoto Jihad
While often framed purely as religious reform, the Sokoto Jihad also functioned as a political revolution that displaced existing indigenous systems (Last, 1967; Lovejoy, 2012).
4.3 Cultural Delegitimization
Indigenous religions are frequently portrayed as inferior, justifying cultural erasure and social marginalization (Mamdani, 1996).
4.4 Educational Omission
Colonial and post-colonial curricula have minimized pre-Islamic history, contributing to collective amnesia and identity distortion (Falola, 1999; Crowder, 1978).
5. Conclusion
Northern Nigeria’s past is plural, multi-ethnic, and multi-religious. Islam is a significant historical force, but not the origin of civilization in the region. Honest historical scholarship strengthens coexistence, cultural dignity, and national unity by resisting the political weaponization of the past (Falola & Heaton, 2008).
Keywords
Northern Nigeria; Pre-Islamic History; Indigenous Religion; Hausa; Kanuri; Fulani; Gbagyi; Historical Memory; Political Narratives
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