Maryam bint al-Shaikh Uthman bin Fudi (born 1810 – died c.1880s), also known by her title Uwardeji, was a scholar, teacher and influential figure in the Sokoto Caliphate. The youngest daughter of the Caliphate's founder, Usman dan Fodio, she was known for her learning and for her role in political and religious life in both Sokoto and Kano. She studied under her father and her sister Nana Asma'u, later becoming active in Asma'u's Yan Taru women's education movement, which she later led. Through her marriages, including to Emir of Kano Ibrahim Dabo, Maryam became connected to leading families of the Caliphate and played a mediating role in Kano–Sokoto relations. She was also regarded as an authority on Islamic eschatology, particularly debates surrounding the Mahdi in the late 19th century.
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Life
Early life
Maryam was born in 1810, likely at Sifawa (today in Sokoto State, Nigeria). She was the youngest daughter of Usman dan Fodio, the Fulani Islamic scholar who established the Sokoto Caliphate. Starting in 1804, he led a reformist jihad which eventually ended in 1808, two years before Maryam's birth. Not much is known about her mother Mariya, who was Usman's only concubine.
Maryam's family was well known for its learning. She studied under her father and her half-sister Nana Asma'u, who was also a respected scholar and poet.