Usman dan Fodio

Uthman ibn Fudi (dan Fodio in Hausa) was a Fulani Islamic scholar, reformer, and founder of the Sokoto Caliphate in what is now northern Nigeria. He conducted a successful jihad against the corrupt Hausa states, establishing a caliphate based on Maliki law. He was a prolific writer on Islamic law, theology, and governance, and championed women's education and rights. The Sokoto Caliphate he founded became one of the largest states in African history. His scholarship influenced Islamic movements across West Africa to this day. He died in 1232 AH.