*The History of Fulani in West Africa*

The origin of the Fulani people of West Africa is not well known. Because of their somewhat non-Negroid physical features (light skin, straight hair, straight nose, thin lips and slight physique), some have suggested that they came from Persia, India or some other places in western Asia. Others have suggested that they were descended from the early non-Negro people in ancient Ghana. The Fulani are, however, today classes as among the Negro peoples of West Africa. They speak a language which is closely related to that of Tukolor of the lower Senegal.
The Fulani first appeared in West African history in Tekrur about the ninth century and this is regarded as their probable place of origin in West Africa. J.O. Hunwick seems to agree with this opinion. He says that "The Fulani trace their origin in West Africa back to Futa Toro in Senegal..." . But we have seen above that Futa Toro was the successor state of the ancient state of Tekrur.
The Fulani were at first wholly pastoralists. After the fall of Old Ghana in the thirteenth century, they started spreading eastwards across the Sudan with their herds of cattle. By the fifteenth century, they appeared in Hausaland where the first recorded reference was made to them in 1422. Today Fulani are found scattered over the grassland belt of the Sudan from Senegal to the northern Cameroons. But their greatest concentration are found in Futa Jallon in the Guinea Republic, Massina in the Sudan Republic and Adamawa in northern Nigeria.
The Fulani may be divided into two groups. The Town Fulani or Fulanin Gida (Sedentary Fulani), have settled in towns and intermarried with the settled farmers such as the Hausa and become Muslims. These have acquired pure Negro features. The others -- the Cattle Fulani, or Bororoje, lived as nomadic cattle keepers. They kept separate from the settled communities and manage their affairs quite independently of the peoples among whom they lived. Because of this separate existence, the cattle Fulani have retained many of their original Fulani features. Again, they remained mostly pagans until the nineteenth century.
The Town Fulani, however, have been more historically important in West Africa. They eventually became the principal inheritors of the traditions of Sudanese Muslim scholarship which survived the Moroccan conquest of Songhai. They were the acknowledged intellectuals of the Sudan and gained great influence as advisers and clerks to the Kings and rulers. It was from this class of Muslim scholars that the leaders of Fulani _jihads_ of the nineteenth century emerged.

We need to kick them back to futa toro

Those people possibly have the most fine features in Africa. Africa's history, ehm, Nigeria's pre-colonial history should be taught in Nigeria secondary schools. I can rightly say a large percentage of us are clueless of our pre-colonial history. Does anybody have any book on this aforementioned history.

the first picture looks familiar............

tunjilomo:
Those people possibly have the most fine features in Africa. Africa's history, ehm, Nigeria's pre-colonial history should be taught in Nigeria secondary schools. I can rightly say a large percentage of us are clueless of our pre-colonial history. Does anybody have any book on this aforementioned history.

If there is a negative like you probably with get one from me.....

The second picture is clearly not Fulani though. . .

tunjilomo:
Those people possibly have the most fine features in Africa. Africa's history, ehm, Nigeria's pre-colonial history should be taught in Nigeria secondary schools. I can rightly say a large percentage of us are clueless of our pre-colonial history. Does anybody have any book on this aforementioned history.

I agree with you, we need to learn our own history.

OJODEL10:
the first picture looks familiar............

The picture is used for the ₦10 currency note