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Résumé :
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This account of the nomadic pastoral Fulani of Bornu, Northern Nigeria, based on field work conducted between 1951 and 1953 is regarded as a seminal text. It begins with a brief historical sketch of the ancient kingdom of Bornu and its vicissitudes, of the Holy War of the nineteenth century and its repercussions on the Fulani pastoralists themselves. There follows a detailed analysis of the family structure of the pastoralists (or Wodaabe), their organization into lineage groups, their forms of marriage and of inheritance, the status and functions of leaders in the lineage group and the cattle camps, and the central place in the whole social structure occupied by the herds. Part II is concerned with changes in the traditional structure and way of life consequent on the British administration, in particular the effects of the introduction of village headships and of new methods of taxation. A concluding chapter describes current plans for improving the general economy of the pastoralists, by developing various modifications of their methods of agricultural and animal husbandry, and by establishing forms of settlement.
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