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Sokoto's Past: Slavery, Trade & Language Collide
4 Oct
Summary
- Play explores pre-colonial Sokoto Caliphate history, spanning 1865-1903.
- It details the economics of intra-African slavery using cowrie currency.
- Philology and language evolution are depicted through rival alphabets.
Inua Ellams' latest theatrical work, Once Upon A Time In Sokoto, offers an immersive journey into the pre-colonial history of the Sokoto Caliphate and its surrounding regions.
Spanning 24 scenes from 1865 to 1903, the play vividly reconstructs life within West Africa's numerous emirates, with narrative diversions to Libya and Egypt. It anchors its expansive story in the lives of Zinari, an upper-class matriarch, and Nafisa, her former slave advocating for greater autonomy.
The production intricately details the economics of intra-African slavery, representing Nafisa's commodified value in millions of cowries. It also illustrates the currency's volatility, influenced by competition, taxation, inflation, and the market crash triggered by imported cowries, presenting a sharp critique of economic exploitation.
Further exploring themes of philology, the play depicts conflicts over rival alphabets and the impact of colonial linguistic imports. It also unpacks the term "Boko Haram" and showcases traditional storytelling methods, including audience participation in Hausa chants, weaving a rich tapestry of history, culture, and language.
