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Fulani People
Intro Both desert and grazing land, the Sahel has attracted a population as varied as its environment. Some are semi-nomadic cattle herders, moving with the seasonal flooding of the Niger. Others are farmers, eking out a living from millet and sorghum. The border with the Sahara is fluid and many of the people found in one region Ð the Tuareg and Hausa -- can be found in the other. But many groups owe their culture strictly to the Sahel. The Fulani, the wordÕs largest group of nomadic herders, have long played an influential role in the region not only for their cattle, but for their advocacy of Islam. Their neighbors, the Dogon, practice a set of traditional beliefs that illustrate the power of the relationship between Africans and their environment. History The Fulani are renowned for the vast herds of dairy cattle that provided the historical basis for their wealth and power. The Fulani have their roots in Senegal, from which they spread to Nigeria and, later, to the Niger River delta. But their hold on the Sahel goes beyond cattle. One of the first West African peoples to adopt Islam, they have built a lasting reputation for Islamic scholarship. And for past jihads. In 1804, the great Fulani national hero and Islamic cleric Shehu Usman dan Fodio launched a jihad against the Hausa, one of the SahelÕs most powerful states. The Fulani used their triumph over the Hausa to build the largest of West AfricaÕs empires, later consumed by the British into Nigeria. Today, the Fulani can be found in positions of political power throughout West Africa. But despite their influence in urban centers, they still cling to their roots. For a definition of the ÒtrueÓ Fulani, city professionals look to their pastoral cousins. Language The Fulani are known for their wealth of oral and written literature. The glories of the Fulani empire are a recurring theme for poetry and histories, though the Fulani also have a large treasury of folklore, riddles and proverbs. The Fulani speak Fulfulde, a member of the Niger-Congo family of African languages. There are 13 million Fulfulde speakers in the world. Given the FulanisÕ geographical spread, dialects and outside influences are numerous. Fulani is now written in a Roman script, though, traditionally, Arabic was used, with modifications to handle local sounds and words. Religion Islam has long been used by the Fulani as part of their cultural identity, a way of distinguishing themselves from other groups. Few Fulani will admit to being non-Muslim. But urban Fulani are overwhelmingly Muslim. Nomadic cattle herders much less so. Muslim dietary restrictions are generally followed as is polygamy. However, like other West African people, the Fulani are not above using the services of traditional religious leaders who may have special curative or supernatural powers. Customs Reserve. Stoicism. Love of cattle. The true Fulani is someone who displays Òpalaaku,Ó a mixture of these three values. Celebrated in oral literature, palaaku is put into action in a male initation ceremony in which young men beat each other with walking sticks. No signs of pain are allowed. Palaaku also comes into play when a brideÕs father transfers one of his cattle to the groom. Only then is the marriage considered official. Perhaps because of the absence of cattle, urban Fulani are scorned by their nomadic cousins. Herding is an all-male occupation that during the flooding of the Niger delta sends young men to dry-season camps for months at a time. |
