emirate · West Africa
Muri Emirate
Origins
Muri was founded around 1817 by Hamman Ruwa, a kinsman of Buba Yero of the Gombe Emirate, who led Fulani forces south into the Benue valley. He established a separate emirate, centred first on Muri, among the Jukun, Mumuye and other peoples, and it was later recognised directly by Sokoto.
Rule and society
The emirate controlled stretches of the Benue river, a growing route for trade in ivory, slaves and later palm produce. Its rulers were frequently at war with the Kingdom of Wukari and with hill peoples who resisted conquest, and succession disputes among Hamman Ruwa's descendants divided it. In the 1890s the capital moved to Jalingo.
Decline and legacy
The Royal Niger Company signed treaties with Muri in the 1880s, and British forces occupied it after 1900. It became part of the Protectorate of Northern Nigeria, and the Emir of Muri still reigns at Jalingo in Taraba State.
Few sources survive for this state; details are uncertain.
On the connections map
Open the full map →Connections (1)
- Muri Emirate was part of Sokoto Caliphate1817 CE – 1903 CE
Cite this page
- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). Muri Emirate. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/muri-emirate
- MLA
- “Muri Emirate.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/muri-emirate. Accessed .
- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “Muri Emirate.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/muri-emirate.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Muri Emirate’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/muri-emirate (Accessed: ).
Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻