A major feature of the system of government in the Sokoto Caliphate was that

1. Analyze the question The question asks for a major feature of how the Sokoto Caliphate was governed. The Caliphate was founded by Usman dan Fodio after the 1804 jihad.

2. Explain the concept A theocracy is a system where religious law and religious leadership guide government. The Sokoto Caliphate was an Islamic state. Its legitimacy came from Islam, and its laws followed the Sharia.

Key features:

• Sultan of Sokoto: also called Amir al-Mu'minin (Commander of the Faithful). He was both the political and the spiritual head.
• Sharia law: it was the basis of the legal system, taxation (zakat, jizya, kharaj), and the courts run by alkali (judges).
• Emirs: they ruled the emirates on behalf of the Sultan and were appointed on the basis of loyalty and religious standing.
• Councils and officials: the Waziri (Vizier) and other officers were chosen with Islamic scholarship and piety in mind.

3. Solution: test each option

• A. Customs and traditions: Wrong. The jihad was a reaction against the mixing of Islam with local customs in Hausa states. The Caliphate replaced customary rule with Islamic law.
• B. Theocratic: Correct. Political authority and religion were fused, and the ruler governed as a religious leader under Islamic law.
• C. Democratic: Wrong. Rulers were appointed, not elected by the people.
• D. Power was effectively decentralized: Not the best answer. The emirates had considerable day-to-day autonomy, but the system was held together by allegiance to the Sultan, and emirs were appointed by him and answerable to him. The defining feature was the religious basis of the system.

4. Answer The correct option is B. it was theocratic.

5. Exam tip When you see "Sokoto Caliphate," think Islam, Sharia, Sultan/Amir al-Mu'minin. Words like "theocratic" or "Islamic" usually point to the right answer. Do not confuse the emirs' local administrative freedom with decentralization as the main feature. The question asks for the major feature, which is the religious foundation.