The Rise and Fall of the Ancient Hausa States

The Hausa States (also Hausa Bakwai or Hausaland) were a loose confederation of city-states (or kingdoms) located between the Niger River and Lake Chad, in modern-day northern Nigeria and Niger. The seven states—namely Biram, Daura, Gobir, Kano, Katsina, Rano and Zaria (also Zazzau)—were unique in that though interconnected, they never consolidated under one leader state.

The states sometimes worked together, but most of the time engaged in internecine wars. Nonetheless, they collectively flourished due to trade and agriculture from the 16^th century till the early 19^thcentury, when they were conquered and made emirates of the rising Fulani Sokoto Caliphate during a holy war. The following century, the former emirates, together with Bornu, were annexed to form the northern provinces of the British Protectorate of Nigeria.

In this article, we will look into how the Hausa States came to be and the events that led to their fall.

Origins

Some historical accounts suggest settlements existed in Hausaland as far back as 500 and 700 AD, but they first appear in the historical record of North African Muslim geographers in 800s. However, these settlements did not become major trade centers until the 1500s.

According to Hausa legend, the kingdoms were established by a Muslim prince from Baghdad called Bayajidda. Bayajidda apparently arrived at the court of the ruler of the Kingdom of Kanem, but after being poorly received, headed eastwards to the city of Daura. There, he killed a giant snake that had been troubling the people of Daura and subsequently married their queen. The queen, who already had 6 sons before, then gave birth to a 7^th (Bawogari) for Bayajidda and all 7 sons went on to become rulers of the 7 kingdoms.

Bayajidda also had 7 sons with the queen’s maidservant who went on to rule their own states. The 7 illegitimate states, known as Banza Bakwai, were Zamfara, Kebbi, Yauri, Gwari, Nupe, Korrofa and Yoruba—different from the Yoruba people of present-day South-West Nigeria.

However, the historical accuracy of this legend is widely questioned, especially since it is believed to have been conceived around the 16^th century and fails to explain the origins of Daura. The story points to the influence of the merchants from the Middle East on the region.

While some historians believe the states may have been founded by Berber tribesmen from North Africa who mixed with indigenous peoples, others believe they may have been founded by East African immigrants.

Economy and Government

Neighboring the Kingdom of Ghana, the great Mali Empire and the Songhai Empire, the Hausa States enjoyed a prime location that opened them up to the trade that flowed between West Africa, North Africa and even the Middle East. The Hausa traded in salt, gold, ivory, kola nuts, leather goods, horses, animal hides and—like most ancient African empires—slaves.

Additionally, the Sahel region wherein they were located provided fertile land for agriculture. They also developed clever techniques such as crop rotation and fertilizer use, which further boosted their agricultural sector. The Hausa’s main crops were millet, sorghum, rice, maize, peanuts, beans, henna, tobacco and onions.

Each state had its own contribution to the overall confederation. Daura and Katsina were known for their dye production and trade with sub-Saharan caravans; Biram and Gobir were known for their soldiers and protecting the borders of the kingdoms; Kano and Rano were known for their production and trade of cotton and textiles; while Zaria was known for its trade in grain and slaves.

By the 14^th century, Kano had become the dominant Hausa State, serving as the center of trade, culture and education. Based on its superior status, Kano tried to exert rule over the other Hausa states on multiple occasions, but failed as each state fought for its independence.

Kano’s prominence was only closely followed by that of Katsina. However, under the great Queen Amina’s leadership, Zaria enjoyed numerous conquests and even collected tribute from Kano and Katsina, albeit for a short period of time.

Each state had its own king or ruler (sarkin kasa), a chief councillor (galadima) and a small typically 9-member council of elders who also determined the next ruler. The sarkin kasas appointed officials who collected taxes and custom duties, led the state’s calvary units and armies, maintained security on the roadways and oversaw agriculture. The state ruled over smaller communities in its vicinity, which were each ruled by a chief (sarkin gari).

The rural populations were largely farmers who worked on communal lands, but as the states became more centralized, kings began to unfairly share portions of land as rewards to those who had their favor. Hausa agriculture also grew too dependent on slaves.

The people of Hausaland practiced a mix of Islam and traditional animism. Many of the Hausa nobility adopted Islam, probably owing to the elevated status it granted them when dealing with their trade partners. King Yaji I of Kano converted to Islam in the late 14^th century and made Kano a center of Islamic life. Muslim scholars immigrated there in droves, and consequently, great mosques were built.

By the end of the following century, Islam had spread farther throughout the kingdoms, owing to the work of Muslim missionaries who sometimes resorted to brutal methods of proselytization. Still, many commoners continued to practice traditional religions well into the 19^th century.

On the other hand, the main cities had cosmopolitan societies, with a mix of craftworkers, merchants, religious clerics, scholars, eunuchs, aristocrats and slaves.

Decline

Fed up by years of being treated as inferior by the Hausa elite, the Fulani, a minority ethnic group in the region, started an uprising. The Fulani were a nomadic tribe who had migrated from Senegal and settled in Hausaland in the mid-16^th century. However, even after centuries, they were never fully accepted in the region, especially with regard to their devout practice of the Islamic religion.

In 1804, a Fulani cleric in Gobir named Usman dan Fodio launched a holy war on the Hausa States. In the years leading up to the war, dan Fodio, who regarded the sarkin kasas as morally depraved, had gone around educating the Fulani and Hausa masses about the pressing need for religious reform.

Aside from the religious angle, many of the Hausa peasants were disgruntled over the unsavory conditions they had been subjected to, such as famines and heavy taxation used to fund wars. Dan Fodio capitalized on this deep dissatisfaction by presenting them with hope of a revolution. Some of his numerous followers were able to infiltrate strategic positions that later enabled the takedown.

Wary of dan Fodio’s influence, Sarkin Yunfa, the king of Gobir clamped down on some of his followers by capturing, killing and imprisoning them. Yunfa had drawn the battle line and dan Fodio responded in good time.

After seeing to the release of the captives, dan Fodio accused Yunfa of issuing a proclamation that “no one should be a Muslim except those who had inherited the faith from their fathers and that turbans should not be worn by men or handkerchiefs by women”. This was a worrisome proclamation as it threatened the spread of Islam.

Dan Fodio sent word to Malam Adamu at Adamawa and Malam Yakubu at Bauchi to stage a coup d’état in those regions on the grounds of religious practices that went against Islam. These attacks were replicated throughout Hausaland, until in 1815, all seven states had become emirates of the newly established Muslim Sokoto Caliphate, ending nearly a millennia of independent existence.

After conquering Hausaland, Dan Fodio cast his net farther to conquer other parts of present-day Nigeria, including Ilorin in the mighty Oyo Empire.

Many historians opine that Hausaland’s Achille’s heel was its failure to consolidate under a single state. Even as interconnected states, they were hardly ever united, but often had intense economic and political rivalries. It is easy to see how such division left them vulnerable to external penetration, although they did eventually (unsuccessfully) band together to ward off Fulani opposition.

Aftermath

Today, the Hausa States are major cities in Northern Nigeria, a region which is three times the size of the other two major regions—Eastern and Western Nigeria—combined. Some of the cities have been combined into single northern states, for example, Daura and Katsina city are both in the modern Katsina state.

Kano, now a city in an eponymous state, is the second largest city in Nigeria after Lagos, with over 10 million inhabits. The city is ruled by an Emir and an emirate council—the system that was established during its Fulani conquest—and is predominantly populated by a mix of Hausa and Fulani peoples. However, the rule of the Emir is limited as he still has to answer to the modern democratic government.

Kano remains an important trade center in Nigeria, with the state even earning the slogan “Centre of Excellence”. It is also the hometown of the world’s richest Black person, Aliko Dangote.