The Fulani people of West Africa are
the largest nomadic group in the world.
As a people group they actually
contain a large number of people from diverse groups who were conquered and
became a part of the Fulani through the spread of Islam. The original Fulani
however are of the North African or middle eastern origin and have lighter
skin, thinner lips, and straighter hair. They are known as "white people" to
many Africans. The first group of people in West Africa to convert to Islam
through jihads, or holy wars, they were able to take over much of West Africa
and establish themselves not only as a religious force but also as a political
and economical force. The Fulani are a very proud people, they are the
missionaries of Islam and ended up conquering much of West Africa.
The
Fulani are primarily nomadic herders and traders. Through their nomadic
lifestyle, they established numerous trade routes in West Africa. Many times
the Fulani go to local marketers and interact with the people there getting
news and spreading it through much of West Africa.
The most important object in Fulani
society is cattle, and there are many names, traditions, and taboos concerning
cattle. The number of cows a person owns is a sign of his wealth. This has
caused significant conflict in recent months between the Fulani and other
ethnic groups. The reason for this is that the cows will many times go into the
fields and eat the grain of local farmers. With increasing numbers of other
transportation being used the Fulani are at risk of losing their identity as
nomads and are being forced to settle in farms and villages. This sometimes
creates other problems, because the Fulani are very proud people of their
unique culture and used to ruling over the other people.
Another difference between the Fulani
and other African people is that the Fulani have a huge respect for beauty.
Beauty is considered very important and one of the ways this is shown is
through tattoos that are put all over the body. A distinguishing feature of a
Fulani can be their lips, which are many times a blackish color from the use of
Henna or tattooing done on the mouth. Being brave and fearless are very
important for the Fulani as is seen by their numerous weapons. One tradition is
that when 2 boys reach coming of age they two boys hit each other with their
staffs not showing any pain but instead laughing. Many have died in these
ceremonies which are now against the law in many countries but continue to be
practiced.
The Fulani normally raise large amounts of cattle and have
therefore settled in large plain areas of Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso and Guinea.
The Fulani hold to a strict caste system. The 4 caste subdivisions are the
nobility, merchants, blacksmiths, and descendents of slaves of wealthy Fulani.
The Information above and top image is kindly provided by
Africa Imports
Recommended
Book
Freedom in
Fulani Social Life : An Introspective Ethnography A
remarkably well-written and insightful account of Fulani life. . . . In
addition to using the conventional approaches of participating in and observing
the daily activities of the Jelgobe . . . Riesman enriches his account by
examining his personal feelings about particular incidents.Library
Journal
As a people group they actually
contain a large number of people from diverse groups who were conquered and
became a part of the Fulani through the spread of Islam. The original Fulani
however are of the North African or middle eastern origin and have lighter
skin, thinner lips, and straighter hair. They are known as "white people" to
many Africans. The first group of people in West Africa to convert to Islam
through jihads, or holy wars, they were able to take over much of West Africa
and establish themselves not only as a religious force but also as a political
and economical force. The Fulani are a very proud people, they are the
missionaries of Islam and ended up conquering much of West Africa. 
