Description
Book SynopsisMuslims from the region that is now Nigeria have been undertaking the Hajj for hundreds of years. But the process of completing the pilgrimage changed dramatically in the twentieth century as state governments became heavily involved in its organization and management. Under British colonial rule, a minimalist approach to pilgrimage control facilitated the journeys of many thousands of mostly overland pilgrims. Decolonization produced new political contexts, with nationalist politicians taking a more proactive approach to pilgrimage management for both domestic and international reasons. The Hajj, which had previously been a life-altering journey undertaken slowly and incrementally over years, became a shorter, safer, trip characterized by round trip plane rides. In examining the transformation of the Nigerian Hajj, this book demonstrates how the Hajj became ever more intertwined with Nigerian politics and governance as the country moved from empire to independence.
Table of ContentsIntroduction: Colonising and decolonising the pilgrimage to Mecca from Nigeria
Part I – Colonising the Hajj
1 Colonial ideology and the Nigerian pilgrimage, 1907-26
2 Power, patronage, and privilege: the 1921 Hajj of Muhammadu Dikko, Emir of Katsina
3 Regulating the overland route: Sudanese reforms and the Nigerian Pilgrimage Scheme, 1926-45
Part II – Decolonising the Hajj
4 Sir Alhaji Ahmadu Bello and the politics of pilgrimage in Northern Nigeria, 1954-63
5 Corruption, commerce, and control: the business of pilgrimage administration
6 Cracks in the road: citizenship, nationality, and the rise of the air Hajj
Conclusion: Legacies of colonisation and decolonisation on the post-colonial Hajj
