When Yunfa took the throne in 1803, he soon found himself in conflict with dan Fodio, and after failing to assassinate him, exiled dan Fodio and his followers from Degel. Dan Fodio responded by assembling the nomadic Fulani clans into a jihadist army, beginning the Fulani War. Despite some initial successes by the forces of Gobir and the other Hausaland states (most notably at the Battle of Tsuntua), dan Fodio continued to take surrounding territory. His forces seized the Gobir capital, Alkalawa, in October 1808, killing Sarkin Yunfa. The state was then partially absorbed into the Fulani Empire.