Chapter Five: Battelfield

The war with the Musgum took place at the foot of the Mandara mountain, were the Habe were suspected to be hiding. According to history, their forefathers had been driven there by the Fulani in the early 17th century, during the Jihad led by Modibbo Adama, a disciple of Usman the Great. They hid in the rocky terrains because it prevented the Fulani cavalry from following them into the crevices. The Musgum, along with the Massa and Sumeya clans were the original inhabitants of the region and the Fulani later arrived as nomadic cattle herders who wandered into their territory in search of greener pastures. The original inhabitants accommodated them, gave them lands, and they thrived. Before long, the Fulani began to take advantage of them and started claiming the land as theirs. Inspired by the Jihad in Sokoto, they acquired a newfound superiority complex over the natives, whom they referred to collectively as Habe due to their practice of idol worship, while referring to themselves as Fulbe. They were not satisfied with merely co-existing, but also sought to rule and enslave them. The Fulbe were breeders of horses and excellent blacksmiths. Because of that, they had some of the best weapons of the time. Over the centuries, backed by the Sokoto caliphate, they fought the natives and took over their lands and property. Those who embraced Islam were spared while those who did not were killed or sold into slavery. Their women were forced to become concubines for the royal families. The lucky ones escaped and hid in the Mandara Mountains.

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