The Sokoto Caliphate

When fighting broke out between the community and the state of Gobir, the demands of war changed the community from a scholastic group enjoying popular sympathy to one depending largely on the military strength of Fulani clans. After the war an administration based on Islamic principles was developed. Since the dominant position of some of these clans alienated other peoples in the community, the policy of the Caliph Muhammad Bello and his successors was to reduce the relative power of the clan leaders by giving territorial commands to scholars loyal only to the Caliph.

This tender to preserve the Islamic nature of the Caliphate, and thus strengthened the authority of the Caliph over the outlying emirates