That was an unplanned consequence of the creation of the Sokoto Caliphate in 1804. At its peak, the Sokoto Caliphate was the most populous state in Africa. The Caliphate occupied most of north-central and north-west Nigeria, as well as parts of neighboring countries of nowadays Nigeria. Internal peace and market integration was a basis of the commercial prosperity of the Caliphate. Hausa merchant diasporas ran an extensive export-trade network and the state had regular increase of the labour supply through the importation of “pagan” captives as slaves. Many cities became bigger, especially, its commercial capital Kano, which was the biggest manufacturing center in the region. The clothing was exported from Kano to all over West Africa.