ABSTRACT
Islam was introduced into West Africa through the conversion of many of the region's rulers to the religion by Berber traders who were first converted through trading relations with the Arabs by the second decade of the eighth century. There were, however, preexisting customs and traditions with which Islam had to contend. As a result, when the religion began to demand total commitment to its tenets, the people resisted both actively and passively. By the end of the eighteenth century, Islamic groups started to aggressively demand the abolition of traditional beliefs, which they called “paganism,” which finally resulted in the onset of jihads (holy wars). This chapter explores the history of Islam's expansion into West Africa, from its inception in the eighth century until the start of the jihads in the nineteenth century. Additionally, it covers the ideological, social, and political context of the jihads as they occurred throughout the century, and their impacts on West Africa.
