Nupe

Nupe was the country of the Nupe people between the Niger and Kaduna rivers. Its communities farmed and traded for centuries before a unified kingdom emerged.

Tradition credited Tsoede, a leader of Igala origin, with conquering neighbouring peoples and becoming the first Etsu, or king, in the 15th century. Etsu Jibiri adopted Islam around 1770, and the kingdom reached its height under Ma'azu, who died in 1818. Fulani jihadists exploited the succession wars, and by 1835 the old kingdom had become a Fulani-led emirate.