THE ORIGIN OF FULANI (Asalin Fulani)

Who Are the Fulani People? Origins The
history of the Fulani seems to begin with the
Berber people of North Africa around the
8th or 11th century AD. As the Berbers
migrated down from North Africa and
mixed with the peoples in the Senegal
region of West Africa the Fulani people came
into existence. Over a thousand year period
from AD 900 - 1900, they spread out over
most of West Africa and even into some
areas of Central Africa. Some groups of
Fulani have been found as far as the
western borders of Ethiopia. As they
migrated eastward they came into contact
with different African tribes. As they
encountered these other peoples, they
conquered the less powerful tribes. Along
the way many Fulani completely or partially
abandoned their traditional nomadic life in
favor of a sedentary existence in towns or
on farms among the conquered peoples.
The nomadic Fulani continued eastward in
search of the best grazing land for their
cattle. Their lives revolved around and were
dedicated to their herds. The more cattle a
man owned, the more respect he was given.
Today, some estimate as many as 18 million
Fulani people stretch across the countries of
West Africa. They remain to be the largest
group of nomadic people in the world. What
Do the Fulani Believe? Religion and Beliefs:
The Fulani were one of the first African
tribes to convert to Islam and are today
more than 99% Muslim. The devoutly Muslim
Fulani have seen themselves as the
propagators and preservers of the Islamic
faith in West Africa from as early as the
fourteenth century. Historically it was a
Fulani chief named Usuman dan Fodio,
along with nomadic Fulani herdsmen who
were instrumental in facilitating the spread
of Islam across West Africa through
evangelism and conquest. At times they
would wage "holy wars" or jihad in order to
extend and purify Islam. As the Fulani
migrated eastward they spread their Islamic
beliefs. As they became more powerful and
attained more wealth they began to be
more aggressive with their religion. Their
adoption of Islam increased their feeling of
cultural and religious superiority to
surrounding peoples, and that adoption
became a major ethnic boundary marker.
Some settled in towns and quickly became
noted as outstanding Islamic clerics, joining
the highest ranking Berbers and Arabs.