Institution

Sultan of Sokoto

1804–present · 19th century · Also known as Sarkin Musulmi

The Sultan of Sokoto is the ruler of the Sokoto Caliphate founded by Usman dan Fodio in 1804, styled Amir al-Mu'minin (Commander of the Faithful) and in Hausa Sarkin Musulmi. Dan Fodio's son Muhammad Bello was the first to rule from Sokoto. After the British conquest of 1903 the office survived under indirect rule, and today the sultan is regarded as the spiritual leader of Nigeria's Muslims.

Sultan of Sokoto
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Sokoto CaliphateGovernance, Summary

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Sultan of Sokoto. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/sultan-of-sokoto
MLA
“Sultan of Sokoto.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/sultan-of-sokoto. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Sultan of Sokoto.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/sultan-of-sokoto.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Sultan of Sokoto’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/sultan-of-sokoto (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻