Definition: The Fulani are modern African pastoralists who today live in Mali, Guinea, Cameroon, Senegal and Niger. They are dispersed over a wide area and are known by several different local names, such as Peul, Felaata, Fulbe, or Fula. They are primarily Muslim, and they arose in the early 19th century as a backlash to what they considered a lax form of Islam.
The origin of the Fulani can be traced to the middle Senegal River of the 13th century AD, but the jihad against the lax Hausa began about 1804 under the leadership of Uthman dan Fodio.
Archaeologists are interested in the movement because the change in religious practices can be traced archaeologically, at sites such as Hamdallahi in Mali and Bé in Nigeria.
The origin of the Fulani can be traced to the middle Senegal River of the 13th century AD, but the jihad against the lax Hausa began about 1804 under the leadership of Uthman dan Fodio.
Archaeologists are interested in the movement because the change in religious practices can be traced archaeologically, at sites such as Hamdallahi in Mali and Bé in Nigeria.
Sources
David, Nicholas. 1971. The Fulani compound and the archaeologist. World Archaeology 3(2):111-131.
Insoll, Timothy. 2003. The Archaeology of Islam in Sub-Saharan Africa. Cambridge World Archaeology, Cambridge University, Cambridge.
This glossary entry is part of the Dictionary of Archaeology. Any mistakes are the responsibility of Kris Hirst.
