Maryam bint Uthman

Maryam bint al-Shaikh Uthman bin Fudi, 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.