THE PLACE OF ARABIC INSCRIPTIONS IN THE WRITING OF THE HISTORY OF NIGERIA

Some aspectS of Nigerian History cannot be complete if the Arab connection is not mentioned. This is because of the long involvements of Arabs in the area known today as Nigerian. This involvement was mainly on the northern part of Nigeria. The islamisation of the northern part can partly be said to have Arab connection. Arabs were very much involved in the northern part of Nigeria socially, politically. Religiously, economically etc.

Arabic as a language and literary tradition reached the West Africa region mainly by the way of the religion of Islam. In the Nigerian case, Arabic script entered through the Borno Empire around the tenth century. It spread from Borno to Hausa land, middle belt, Yoruba land etc. A good part of theses Arabic manuscripts focus their orientation mainly on Islamic developments. The establishment of Arabic schools led to the teaching of some local on how to write Arabic. By the 17th century, local Islamic scholars with the capability of writing Arabic started emerging. Some of them were Imam Ahmad-Ibn Fartuwa of Borno Empire during the reign of Mai Idris Alooma, Mohammad Salih-Ibn Isharku wrote chronicles of the Kanem-Borno Empire, some notable scholars wrote accounts of the jihad of Usman dan Fodio in Hausa land. These entire write ups were written in Arabic.

Most of these Arabic inscriptions were accounts of travels, visitors, chronicles, copyists, biographies, religious teachings, etc. Some of these Arabic manuscripts in Nigeria can be found in archives in the University of Ibadan, Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, National Archives Kaduna, Arewa House in Kaduna etc. Some can be found in private libraries in Sokoto, kano,Borno and other parts of northern Nigeria.

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