View source for Yunfa

{{Short description|Hausa ruler}}
{{more footnotes needed|date=July 2013}}
{{Infobox royalty
| name         = Yunfa dan Nafata
| title        = Sultan of Gobir<br>ساركين ڬوبير
| reign        = 1801–1808
| predecessor  = [[Nafata of Gobir|Nafata]]
| successor    = ''position abolished''
| death_date   = 1808
| death_place  = [[Alkalawa]]
}}
'''Muhammadu Yunfa''' {{Pronunciation|Ha-Yunfa.ogg |help=no}} (reigned 1801&ndash;1808) was a king of [[Gobir]], a city-state in [[Hausa Kingdoms|Hausaland]] in what is now [[Nigeria]]. He was the son of a Sultan of Gobir [[Nafata of Gobir|Nafata]]. He is particularly remembered for his conflict with [[Islamic]] reformer [[Usman dan Fodio|Shaikh Usman dan Fodio]].

Usman was a teacher to Yunfa before his ascent to the throne of Gobir. Usman also had a large following in Gobir which was increasing rapidly. He had a large community of preachers and teachers. It is said the Usman helped Yunfa secure the throne as the number of candidates eligible for the throne were numerous. A year after Yunfa became Sultan, he attempted to kill the Shaikh in fear of his growing influence and proposed religious reforms. Yunfa invited the Shaikh to a meeting of which the Shaikh agreed to. Usman came with his brother, [[Abdullahi dan Fodio|Abdullahi]] but that did not stop Yunfa from attempting his assassination plot. When they met face to face, he pulled out his pistol and tried to shoot at Usman. The pistol backfired and wounded him in the hand. This act by Yunfa sent a clear message to Usman that negotiating with him was off the table.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|last=Waldman|first=Marilyn Robinson|date=1965|title=The Fulani Jihād: a Reassessment|journal=The Journal of African History|volume=6|issue=3|pages=333–355|doi=10.1017/s0021853700005843|s2cid=161304957 |issn=0021-8537}}</ref>

In late 1803, Yunfa seized some Muslim captives at Gimbana, but when the captives passed dan Fodio's hometown of [[Degel]], the religious leader somehow managed to have them released.<ref name=":0" /> When his demands to have the captives returned were ignored, Yunfa threatened to destroy Degel.<ref name=":0" /> In response, dan Fodio and his followers fled to Gudu in February 1804.

Uthman soon called for help from other Fulani [[nomad]] groups, and after an election was held, he was declared [[Amir al-Mu'minin]] of a new [[caliphate]].  A widespread uprising soon began across [[Hausaland]], and in 1804, Yunfa appealed to rulers of neighboring city-states for aid.  In December of that year, Yunfa won a major victory in the [[Battle of Tsuntua]], in which Dan Fodio's forces were said to have lost 2,000 men, 200 of whom knew the Koran by heart.

However, dan Fodio soon launched a successful campaign against [[Kebbi State|Kebbi]] and established a permanent base at [[Gwandu]].   In October 1808, the jihadists seized the Gobir capital of [[Alkalawa]] and killed Yunfa.

==References==
<references />
*"Uthman dan Fodio."  ''Encyclopædia Britannica Online'', accessed October 1, 2005.
*Daniel, F. "Shehu dan Fodio." ''Journal of the Royal African Society'' 25.99 (Apr 1926): 278–283.

[[Category:Sokoto Caliphate]]
[[Category:Year of birth missing]]
[[Category:18th-century births]]
[[Category:18th-century Nigerian people]]
[[Category:19th-century Nigerian people]]
[[Category:1808 deaths]]


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