In a 2-3 – page essay, use the writings of the Princess Nana Asma’u to discuss the reformers’
ethical argumentation and negotiation of royal authority. What problems necessitated, for them,
revolutionary change in West Africa (read closely Lovejoy, pages 88-93)? What was the difference between
the divine basis of authority in the Hausa dynasty and the Sokoto monarchy (read Levtzion, pages 80-86)?
Why did they claim to replace the Hausa monarchies with a Caliphate (read Sulaiman, pages 238-246)? Why
did they, ultimately, decide to maintain royal power?
Nana Asma’u was a major advocate for women’s education. How did her faith inform her arguments? What
does she claim are the proper obligations of rulers (kings)? The original Caliphate promised religious
freedom, as it governed diverse populations in the Mediterranean world;3 how did the Sokoto reformers
manage the relationship of faith and society in (what would soon become) Northern Nigeria?
2-3– pages, size 12pt Font, double–spaced, 1–inch margins. Quotations should be properly cited (2-
lines max). Be sure to cite at least three of our readings for the week.
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