Battle of Tsuntua

The Battle of Tsuntua, fought in December 1804, was one of the largest battles of the Fulani War.

Battla of Tsuntua
Part of the Fulani War
Location Tsuntua, modern-day Nigeria Result Gobir victory
Belligerents
Sokoto Caliphate Kel Air Tuaregs Allied Hausas[1]	Gobir Kel Gress Tuaregs Kel Itesen Tuaregs Kel Tegama Tuaregs
Commanders and leaders
Sa'ad bin al-Hasan	Yunfa
Strength
Unknown	Unknown
Casualties and losses
2,000 dead	Unknown

Background

In 1804, Yunfa of Gobir realized the growing threat that his former teacher, Fulani Islamic reformer Usman dan Fodio, posed to the Hausa city-states. Appealing to the other Hausa rulers for help, Yunfa assembled an army to capture and kill Usman. Meanwhile, Usman's followers spread word of a jihad against the Hausa rulers, attracting a number of Fulani nomads to their cause, and declared Yunfa an infidel.^[2] In a dispute between them, Yunfa attempted to kill Usman, but his gun malfunctioned and only wounded his arm.^[3] Usman returned to the Fulani state of Gulu, where he raised a large army to crush the Hausa.

The Battle

One of the first engagement of the war would be Tsuntua. Yunfa, possessing an army composed of Hausa warriors and Tuareg allies, defeated dan Fodio's forces, which lost more than 2,000 to 3,000 men, 200 of whom were said to have been Hafiz (people who know the Quran by heart).^[4] The Tuaregs of Kel Gress, Kel Itesen and Kel Tegama were from around Gobir. They used the valleys around the area for grazing during the winter season yearly. These Tuaregs allied with Yunfa as they did not think the Fulbe jihadists could win against Gobir and they wanted to continue using these valleys for winter grazing. The Tuaregs were instrumental in many of Gobir's victories especially in Tsuntua and Alwassa.^[5]

The Muslims were camped less than a day's journey from Alkalawa and were most likely dispersed looking for food. This provided a desirable opportunity for Yunfa's force to attack. The army attacked in Tsuntua leading to a loss for the Muslims. This battle was likely during Ramadan, so the Muslims might have been fasting. Key leaders of the jihad could not participate in this battle for various reasons. Bello was sick, Abdullah had an injured leg and Ali Jedo was not mentioned. The Muslim leader was a cousin of Bello, Sa'ad bin al-Hasan and among the dead were Imam Muhammad Sambo, Zaid bin Muhammad Sa'ad and Mahmud Gurdam.^[5]

However, the Gobir victory proved to be short-lived, as Uthman's forces seized Kebbi and Gwandu the following year, ensuring the survival and growth of their party.^[6]

References

1. Tucker, Spencer C. (23 December 2009). A Global Chronology of Conflict: From the Ancient World to the Modern Middle East [6 volumes]: From the Ancient World to the Modern Middle East. ABC-CLIO. pp. 1037–. ISBN 978-1-85109-672-5.
2. Hendrix, Scott E.; Uchenna Okeja (1 March 2018). The World's Greatest Religious Leaders: How Religious Figures Helped Shape World History [2 volumes]. ABC-CLIO. pp. 188–. ISBN 978-1-4408-4138-5.
3. Falola, Toyin; Genova, Ann; Heaton, Matthew M. (21 June 2018). Historical Dictionary of Nigeria. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 978-1-5381-1314-1.
4. Smith, Robert Sydney (1989). Warfare & Diplomacy in Pre-colonial West Africa. University of Wisconsin Press. pp. 34–. ISBN 978-0-299-12334-5.
5. Last, Murray (1967). The Sokoto Caliphate. Internet Archive. [New York] Humanities Press. pp. 31–32.
6. Tucker, Spencer C. (2009). A Global Chronology of Conflict: From the Ancient World to the Modern Middle East [6 volumes]. ABC CLIO. p. 1037. ISBN 978-1-85109-672-5. Retrieved 19 November 2014.

• "Usman dan Fodio." Encyclopædia Britannica Online.

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