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61-527: By the 14th century, Katsina had become the most powerful city-state. Katsina was the base for the trans-Saharan trade in salt, cloth, leather, and grain. The Hausa oral history is reflected in the Bayajidda legend, which describes the adventures of the Baghdadi hero, Bayajidda, culminating in the killing of the snake in a well at Daura and the marriage with the local queen Magajiya Daurama . According to

122-639: A " folk personification " of the supporters of Abu Yazid (a tenth-century Kharijite Berber rebel), whose followers fled southwards from North Africa after Yazid's defeat by and death at the hands of Fatimids . According to this theory, the Hausa states would have been founded by Kharijite refugees in the tenth century CE. Elizabeth Isichei , in her work A History of African Societies to 1870 , suggests that Bayajidda's stay in Borno prior to arriving in Hausaland

183-503: A cleric, took control of Katsina declaring himself king. 'Ulama were later brought in from North Africa and Egypt to reside in Katsina. An 'Ulama class emerged under royal patronage. The Hausa rulers fasted Ramadan , built mosques, kept up the five obligatory prayers, and gave alms ( zakat ) to the poor. Ibrahim Maje (1549–66) was an Islamic reformer and instituted Islamic marriage law in Katsina.Generally Hausaland remained divided between

244-457: A cloth, and brought it to Hausaland . Whenever he came to a town, he took a handful of the soil of the country and put it beside that of Medina. If they did not correspond he passed that town. So he journeyed until he came to Kano. And when he compared the soil of Kano with Medina soil they resembled one another and became as one soil. So he said, “This is the country that I saw in my dream.” And he took up his abode at Panisau. Then he sent in to

305-459: A great snake which deprived her people of access to water. By the Queen of Daura, Bayajidda had a son called Bawo, another called Biram by the Borno princess, and yet another son, Karbagari, by his Gwari paramour. Bawo is said to have succeeded his father and had six sons who became the rulers of Daura , Katsina , Zazzau , Gobir , Kano and Rano . These, together with Biram , which was ruled by

366-423: A powerful figure. Bayajidda killed Sarki and because of what he had done the queen married him for his bravery. After his marriage to the queen the people started to call him Bayajidda which means "he didn't understand (the language) before ". The Hausa Kingdoms began as seven states founded according to the bayajidda legend by the six sons of Bawo and himself, the son of the hero and Magajiya Daurama, in addition to

427-456: A prince from Baghdad called "Abu Yazid". When he got to Daura, he went to the house of an old woman and asked her to give him water but she told him the predicament of the land, how the only well in Daura, called Kusugu , was inhabited by a snake called Sarki, who allowed citizens of Daura to fetch water only on Fridays. Since "sarki" is the Hausa word for "King", this may have been a metaphor for

488-671: A princess whom he met at a well, and was involved with metalworkers. Most of the heroes of Genesis met their wives at sacred wells or springs. Abraham married Keturah at the Well of Sheba (Beersheva). Issac (Yitzak) found a wife at a well in Aram. Moses encountered his wife at a well sacred to the Midianites and won her hand after he delivered the women and flocks from Egyptian raiders. In his 1989 book An Imperial Twilight , Gawain Bell suggests that

549-421: A treatise on Muslim governance. Many other scholars were brought in from Egypt , Tunis , and Morocco . This turned Kano into a center of Muslim scholarship. Islamization facilitated the expansion of trade and was the basis of an enlarged marketing network. The ' Ulama provided legal support, guarantees, safe conducts, introductions and many other services. By the end of the fifteenth century, Muhammad al-Korau,

610-410: A week. Bayajidda set out for the well and killed the serpent with the sword and beheaded it with the knife the blacksmiths had made for him, after which he drank the water, put the head in a bag, and returned to the old woman's house. (The Kusugu Well where this is said to have happened is nowadays a tourist attraction.) The next day, the people of Daura gathered at the well, wondering who had killed

671-490: Is "perhaps a folk memory of origins on the Borno borderland, or a reflection of Borno political and cultural dominance." One view is that the story of the marriage of Bayajidda and Daurama symbolizes the merger of Arab and Berber tribes in North and West Africa. Biblical Anthropologist, Alice C. Linsley, maintains that Bayajidda's closest biblical counterpart is Cain [1] . Cain is said to have fled from his father, married

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732-587: Is believed to be based on hear-say in Gao or Timbuktu about events that may have transpired around Rumfa's era and sort to glorify the exploits of the Askiya. Other historians have argued that the Songhai authority over Hausaland was "at best ephemeral and perhaps non-existent". Humphrey J Fisher argued that while the invasion may have happened it had no lasting impact and the effects were over-inflated while being open to

793-486: Is said to have fathered three children with three different women. Bawo fathered six of his own sons, whose names were Daura, Gobir, Kano, Katsina, Rano, and Zazzau . Together with Biram, the son of Magaram, these seven went on to rule the seven "legitimate" Hausa states , the Hausa Bakwai . (Some versions of the tale leave Bawo and Magaram out entirely, with Biram, Daura, Gobir, Kano, Katsina, Rano, and Zaria being

854-533: Is widely accepted that if the Songhai Conquest in Hausaland happened, it was merely a paltry event. Rumfa's supposed marriage to Askiyas daughter may have been diplomatic. Some attribute the conquest entirely to Kanta Kotal. Muhammad Rumfa was said to have taken every first born virgin for himself and had a thousand concubines. His most notable spouse is the influential Madaki Auwa, with whom he sired his successor, Abdullahi dan Rumfa and Abubakar Kado ,

915-815: The " Taran Kano " (Council of Nine) who were meant to be advisers and Kingmakers . Kulle ( Purdah ) was first practiced by him. The Sultan established the Kurmi Market to improve trade and also installed an Ombudsman for better governance. Al-Maghili wrote the book "On the Obligation of Princes" as a guide for the Kano Sultan and for a time was an influential figure in his court. Some of Maghili's descendants and that of his entourage (Sharifai) are still in Kano. Luxurious clothing and expensive ostrich feather shoes were common among government officials. The kakaki

976-519: The "Rumfawa", and would last until their replacement by the "Kutumbawa" in 1623. Muhammad Rumfa is considered by historians to be Kano's greatest ruler due to the reforms executed during his reign. The lineage of Muhammad Rumfa and his two predecessors is the subject of much debate. The Kano Chronicle lists Rumfa as the son of Yakubu, the nineteenth ruler of Kano and Fasima Berana (a Kanuri name). However, some sources list Rumfa, Yakubu, and Abdullahi Burja as paternal half brothers and others list Yakubu as

1037-508: The 9th century and they were by the 15th century trading centers competing with Kanem-Bornu and the Mali Empire . The primary exports were slaves , leather , gold , cloth , salt , kola nuts , animal hides, and henna . At various moments in their history, the Hausa managed to establish central control over their states, but such unity has always proven short. In the 11th century the conquests initiated by Gijimasu of Kano culminated in

1098-471: The Bayajidda legend, Hausa states were founded by the sons and grandsons of Bayajidda, a prince whose origin differs by tradition, but official canon records him as the person who married Daurama , the last Kabara of Daura, and heralded the end of the matriarchal monarchs that had erstwhile ruled the Hausa people. According to the most famous version of the story, the story of the Hausa states started with

1159-663: The Islamization of Kano. In total, the Kano Chronicle attributed twelve innovations to him, including; extending the city walls, building a large palace, the Gidan Rumfa, promoting slaves to governmental positions and establishing the Kurmi Market. The Great Mosque of Kano was also built during his reign. Rumfa’s reforms also proved to be the catalyst that would propel Kano to its political peak, resulting in

1220-492: The Muslim cosmopolitan urban elite and the local animistic rural communities. During this time period, Leo Africanus briefly mentions in his book Descrittione dell’Africa descriptions of the political and economic state of Hausaland during that time although it is unknown if he actually visited it; Hausaland seems to have been mostly of a tributary status by Songhai as in his description of Zamfara he comments that "their king

1281-525: The Sarkin Kano. The Sarkin Kano Rimfa went out together with his men, and escorted Abdu Rahaman back to the city together with his men, of whom the chief were Hanatari, Gemindodo, Gadangami, Fokai and others, 10 in all. Abdu Rahaman lived in Kano and established Islam. He brought with him many books. He ordered Rimfa to build a mosque for Friday, and to cut down the sacred tree and build a minaret on

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1342-537: The Sultan was said to be the first ruler to utilize the "Dawakan Zagi", a form of psychological warfare . The army of Askiya the Great , in alliance with his hausa Aide de camp Muhammad Kanta Kotal of Kebbi , was said to have subdued most Hausa States. The Songhai marched into Kano on the invitation of Kano's sister states Zazzau and Katsina who sought for Askiya's intervention in dealing with Kano but ended up being

1403-467: The Sultanate, humbling the pagans (Abagayawa in particular) in the process and banning their practices. He built a minaret on the site of the pagan sacred tree after cutting it down. Rumfa also built numerous mosques and during his reign Eid al-Fitr was first celebrated in Kano. Rumfa granted slaves positions in his government, some of whom he entrusted with the treasury. He is also said to have formed

1464-450: The abundance of rice, corn, cotton and citrus fruits. Though Kano experienced growth and opulence under Rumfa's reign, the sultanate was engaged in a war with Katsina and was reportedly the victim of an invasion by the powerful Songhai Empire though the latter is historically dubious. Rumfa's war with Katsina marked the first time a war ensued between the two states. It lasted for eleven years with no decisive victor. During this war,

1525-484: The administrative reforms during his reign are still being used in Kano today. The Kings palace, Gidan Rumfa, is named after him. So is the prestigious Rumfa college, Kano . Below is a full biography of Muhammad Rumfa (or Muhammad Rimfa) from Palmer 's 1908 English translation of the Kano Chronicle . The 20th Sarki was Mohamma, son of Yakubu , commonly called Rimfa. His mother’s name was Fasima Berana. He

1586-495: The birth of the first united Hausa Nation, although it was short-lived. During the reign of King Yaji I (1349–85) Islam was first introduced to Kano . Many Muslim traders and clerics used to come from Mali, from the Volta region, and later from Songhay . King Yaji appointed a Qadi and Imam as part of the state administration. Muhammad Rumfa (1463–99) built mosques and madrassahs. He also commissioned Muhammad al-Maghili to write

1647-595: The desert from the north. Gobir , located in the west, was the "Chief of War" and was mainly responsible for protecting the empire from the invasive Kingdoms of Ghana and Songhai. According to the Bayajidda legend, the Banza Bakwai states were founded by the seven sons of Karbagari ("Town-seizer"), the son of Bayajidda and the slave-maid, Bagwariya. They are called the Banza Bakwai, meaning "bastard/bogus seven", on account of their ancestress' slave status. They are: The Hausa Kingdoms were first mentioned by Ya'qubi in

1708-537: The first Kanoan Empire under his grandson, Muhammad Kisoki.. He was the first Sarki (Hausa title for chief) who used "Dawakin Zaggi" in the war with Katsina Emirate . He was also the first sarki who practised "Kame". He appointed Durman to go round the dwellings of the Indabawa and take every first-born virgin for him. He was the first sarki to have a thousand wives. His era of oligarchs came to be eponymously known as

1769-417: The first casualties of his conquest. After a long siege, Kano fell to Songhai forces. Askiya had some of his men, reside in kano to collect the imposed tax and exhorted Rumfa to marry his daughter believed to be Madaki Auwa to solidify his position. The conquest of the Songhai in Hausa land was mainly drawn from the accounts of Leo Africanus. But his venture into Hausaland is the subject of debate. His account

1830-538: The first of the Rumfawa. These sources state Rumfa's mother to be Fatima, a woman from Rano. Furthermore, some historians theorize that he came from Daura by way of Gaya or from Kula in Northern Gaya. It is believed that while the Rumfawa were likely descendants of Bagauda, their faction were primarily based in or ceased power with the aid of Gaya and possibly the backing of Bornu. The events that transpired in

1891-413: The following year. Muhammad Rumfa Muhammad dan Yakubu, pronunciation known as Muhammad Rumfa pronunciation was the sultan of Kano from 1463 until 1499. His reign was characterized by wealth and opulence and signaled the rise of the Kano's commercial dominance in the region.Under the guidance of famed Berber Scholar, Muhammad Al-Maghili, he was also responsible for much of

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1952-415: The hero's son, Biram or Ibrahim, of an earlier marriage. The states included only kingdoms inhabited by Hausa speakers: Since the beginning of Hausa history, the seven states of Hausaland divided up production and labor activities in accordance with their location and natural resources. Kano and Rano were known as the "Chiefs of Indigo." Cotton grew readily in the great plains of these states, and they became

2013-445: The king heard of the plot and, after consulting with his advisors, gave Bayajidda his daughter, Magaram (also known as Magira), in marriage . Later, when the king attacked and took over several towns, he tricked his new son-in-law into leaving his own men to guard the towns, thereby decreasing the number of men Bayajidda had at his disposal. Bayajidda realized that he was being tricked when he had only his wife and one slave left; during

2074-476: The king represented Bayajidda, the official queen mother Magajiya Daurama and the official royal sister Bagwariya. Formerly the celebrations of the Mawlūd or Gani festival consisted in the re-enactements of the major details of the legend: departure from Iraq, slaying of the snake in the well and marriage between the hero and the queen. The royal sword and the knife are still believed to have been those ones used for

2135-474: The legend, the hero had a child with the queen, Bawo, and another child with the queen's maid-servant, Karbagari. Though the 7 Hausa states shared the same lineage, language and culture, the states were characterized by fierce rivalries with each other with each state seeking supremacy over the others. They constantly waged war on each other and would often work with invaders to the detriment of their sister states, hindering their collective strength. According to

2196-466: The legends surrounding most West African states before the 19th century, the founder of the Hausa states. Most accounts say that Bayajidda came from Baghdad . Bayajidda came first to Borno where he was given one of the Mai's daughters as a wife, and then later lived for a while in Hausa land where he married the Queen of Daura, who also gave him a Gwari mistress as a reward for slaying " Sarki ", said to be

2257-410: The marriage of Bayajidda and Daurama signals a "change from a matriarchal to a patriarchal system." Bayajidda's story inspired a comic book adaptation titled "Bayajidda: An African Legend" adapted/written by Claude Opara and drawn by Ibrahim Yakubu under the 'An African Legend' comic series. The comic was published in 2018 using the popular bande dessinee style. A French translation was later released

2318-676: The night, they fled to Garun Gabas, now situated in the Hadeja region. While there, Magaram gave birth to Bayajidda's first child, Biram, the eponymous ancestor of the petty kingdom of Gabas-ta-Biram ("east of Biram"). However, according to another version of the story, Bayajidda was welcomed into Borno, married Magaram and became popular among the people. Because of this, the king envied him and plotted against him; upon being informed of this by his wife, he fled Borno with her. Bayajidda left his wife and child in Garun Gabas and continued on to

2379-530: The oral palace version of the legend, Daurama gave him Bagwariya because she wanted to break her "queenly vow to remain a virgin," but had to undergo rituals to do so.) Bagwariya had a son fathered by Bayajidda and she named him Karap da Gari , or Karbagari which means "he snatched the town" in Hausa . This worried Daurama, and when she had a son of her own (also fathered by Bayajidda), she named him Bawo which means "give it back". Throughout his life, Bayajidda

2440-646: The possibility that the invasion never happened at all. Furthermore, the Songhai and Hausa Chronicles make no mention of this event. The Kano Chronicle while fair enough to mention Kano's misfortunes at various times made no mention of the Songhai Conquest. Others like Lady Lugard , have argued that the omission of the Songhai Invasion from the Hausa Chronicles is due to the indifference of the Hausa States when it came to non Hausa States. It

2501-459: The primary producers of cloth, weaving and dying it before sending it off in caravans to the other states within Hausaland and to extensive regions beyond. Biram was the original seat of government, while Zaria supplied labor and was known as the "Chief of Slaves." Katsina and Daura were the "Chiefs of the Market," as their geographical location accorded them direct access to the caravans coming across

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2562-472: The reign of his predecessor signified the full assimilation of Gaya into Kano and saw the men of Gaya come into prominence in the state. The Kano chronicle states that after Yakubu's accession, the King of Gaya, Agalfati, who was also the son of the King of Machina , came to Kano and his kin assumed stewardship of various important towns in Kano, mainly, the historic Hadejia, Gayam, and Dal. The new ruler of Hadejia

2623-517: The site. And when he had established the Faith of Islam, and learned men had grown numerous in Kano, and all the country round had accepted the Faith, Abdu Karini returned to Massar, leaving Sidi Fari as his deputy to carry on his work. Rimfa was the author of 12 innovations in Kano. The Galadima Dabuli built a house at Goda, and the Madawaki Badosa built a house at Hori. Chiroma Bugaya built

2684-581: The slaying of the snake and the cutting of its head. The Bayajidda legend is widely known at the courts of the "Seven Hausa" kings where it is considered to correspond to the oldest known history of Hausaland. As already observed by the traveller Heinrich Barth the basic division between the Seven Hausa and the Seven Banza is used among the Songhay to distinguish between the northern hausa and

2745-421: The snake; Magajiya Daurama , the local queen, offered sovereignty over half the town to whoever could prove that he killed the snake. Several men brought snake heads forth, but the heads did not match the body. The old woman, owner of the house Bayajidda was staying in, informed the queen that her guest had slayed it, after which Daurama summoned Bayajidda. Having presented the snake's head, proving to her that he

2806-478: The soils. There he concluded that he had found his destination. He came with many Islamic books and sought to teach the people about the Islamic faith. When he felt that he had accomplished his goal and learned men were ubiquitous, he left Kano for Masr ( Egypt ), leaving Sidi Fari to carry on his work. Under the tutelage of Al-Maghili, Rumfa made numerous Islamic reforms and encouraged the pure practice of Islam in

2867-570: The son of Bayajidda and of the Borno Princess, formed the " Hausa Bakwai " or the "Hausa 7". However, Karbagari the son of the Gwari mistress had seven sons too who ruled Kebbi , Zamfara , Gwari , Jukun, Ilorin , Nupe and Yauri which are referred to in this tradition as the " Hausa Banza " or "Hausa Bastards" According to the legend, Bayajidda was a prince from Baghdad (the capital of modern-day Iraq ) and son of King Abdullahi, but he

2928-479: The sons of Bayajidda and Daurama). Karbagari's descendants, meanwhile, founded the seven "illegitimate" states, the Banza Bakwai . The Hausa kingdom began as seven states founded by the Bayajidda legend and the six sons of Bawo and himself, in addition to the hero's son Ibrahim of an earlier marriage. The different figures of the Bayajidda narrative were embodied by precise officials of the former Daura kingdom:

2989-597: The southern gurma side of the River Niger. There are a variety of views on the Bayajidda story, with differing opinions on the meaning and historicity of the tale. Some scholars suppose that Bayajidda is a historical person, the founder of the Seven Hausa states, and contemporary Hausa royals - especially those in Daura and Zaria (Zazzau) - trace their lineage to and draw their authority from him (see Kano Chronicle ). By contrast, others claim that Bayajidda never existed. W. K. R. Hallam argues that Bayajidda represents

3050-459: The time of the founding of Kano, until it shall end...surely there was no Sarki more powerful than Rumfa” Rumfa succeeded his father in 1463. His reign was characterized by unprecedented economic growth, numerous administrative reforms and great infrastructural development. Rumfa inherited a booming economy which saw a wave of migration of scholars and traders, mostly of Arab , Kanuri , Berber and Fula descent. The most notable of these migrants

3111-399: The twenty fifth ruler of Kano with. Oral traditions dictate that his epithet "Rumfa" came because during his time, wild dogs were rampant and feasted on the food of Kano's inhabitants. When they came to the Sultan for a solution, his grandson Muhammad, who was playing in his court, suggested they build rumfa (sheds) where they could keep the food out of the dogs' reach. At first, the Sultan

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3172-486: The vast majority of its inhabitants were Muslim , by the 19th century, they were conquered by a mix of Fulani warriors and Hausa peasantry, citing syncretism and social injustices. By 1808 the Hausa states were finally conquered by Usuman dan Fodio and incorporated into the Hausa-Fulani Sokoto Caliphate . Bayajidda (mythology) Bayajidda ( Hausa : Bàyā̀jiddà) was, according to

3233-437: The village of Gaya near Kano - which others believe to be Gaya in modern Niger -, where he had the local blacksmiths make him a knife. He then came to the town of Daura (located in modern-day Katsina State ), where he entered a house and asked an old woman for water. She informed him that a serpent named Sarki ( sarki is the Hausa word for king ) guarded the well and that the people were only allowed to draw water once

3294-522: Was a good man, just and learned. He can have no equal in might, from the time of the founding of Kano, until it shall end. In his time the Sherifs came to Kano . They were Abdu Rahaman and his people. There is a story that the Prophet appeared to Abdu Rahaman in a dream and said to him, “Get up and go west and establish Islam.” Abdu Rahaman got up and took a handful of the soil of Medina , and put it in

3355-469: Was also bestowed the stewardship of Garin Gabas. Dal was located strategically between Burum Burum, Rano and the pagans of Southern Kano. This could be seen as a reward for Gaya's role in the Rumfawa's accession or part of the terms for their submission to Kano. Gaya was one of the last major provinces to be fully incorporated into Kano. “He was a good man, just and learned. He can have no equal in might, from

3416-484: Was also first used during his reign. His wealth is owed to Kano's commercial prosperity during this period. Kano arguably achieved the height of its reputation as a trading center in the Middle Ages during his reign. Leo Africanus 's description of Kano is believed to be that of Rumfas era. He described the locals as "wealthy merchants and skilled craftsmen" and commended the cavalry of the Sultan's army. He also noted

3477-479: Was dismissive of the child's advice but his advisers saw the wisdom of the child's statement and compelled the Sultan to consider it. The child's advice worked and the people prayed that he would one day become Sultan. Muhammad would later become the twenty second ruler of Kano and the first Emperor of the Kanoan Empire. Rumfa is widely considered to be Kano's greatest king. Some of the structures he built and

3538-469: Was exiled from his home town after Queen Zidam, also known as Zigawa, had conquered the city. Once he left Baghdad, he traveled across Africa with numerous warriors and arrived in Borno . Once in Borno, tales differ as to what caused tension with the local king. According to one story, Bayajidda realized his forces were stronger than those of the king; because of this, he planned to overthrow him. However,

3599-543: Was popular Berber scholar Muhammad Al-Maghili who claimed to be a Mujaddid . He had a brief stop in Katsina before coming to Kano. It is said Al-Maghili was implored by the Islamic Prophet Muhammad in a dream to go west and spread Islam. He then took the soil of Medina as a sample and set out comparing the soil sample to each place he visited until he came to Kano where he saw a resemblance between

3660-503: Was slaughtered by the Askiya and themselves made tributary" and the same is said for the rest of the region. Despite relatively constant growth from the 15th century to the 18th century, the states were vulnerable to constant war internally and externally. By the 18th century, they were economically and politically exhausted. Famines became very common during this period and the Sultans engaged in heavy taxation to fund their wars. Though

3721-493: Was the one who had slain Sarki, he turned down the offer of half the town, instead requesting her hand in marriage; she married him out of gratitude for slaying the serpent. Because it was against the custom of the people of Daura for their queens to marry, Daurama made a compromise with Bayajidda and said she would only have sexual intercourse with him later; because of this, she gave him a concubine named Bagwariya. (According to

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