OMISSIONS IN THE HISTORY OF HAUSA LAND

Most of those who wrote about the history of Hausa land did so after the rise and development of the Hausa states. They did not bother to trace the origins of these states. This is evident in the history of Hausa land, where most researchers—ranging from Arabs, Wangarawa, Berbers, Fulani, Sulubawa, Torankawa, Zabarmawa,   Tuaregs, and others who migrated to Hausa land—only documented it after its establishment, the flourishing of its trade relations, and the peak of its cultural development. Many of these writers or researchers did not look back at the earlier history. Among the ancient writers from the 9th to the 12th century were Arabs like Al-Idrisi, Al-Maqrizi, and Al-Ya’aqubi. Others came later, such as Leo Africanus in the 14th-15th century. Through their writings, it is known that the Hausa people established a city named Maranda.

The history of the Hausa people and their land faced challenges mainly from the Berbers and the Fulani. Surprisingly, the Berbers, who arrived in Hausa land in the 13th century, had their scholars write about the origins of the Hausa people. They claimed that Bawo was a servant of the king of Borno, and even the name "Daura" was allegedly derived from "Dauratu," a servant of the Berbers. The Berbers conquered the Ingizim land by war, taking over its capital, Ngizim. The warriors of the Jukun and the Zaghawa fled the city—Jukun migrated to rebuild their settlement in Wukari, while the Zaghawa moved west of Lake Chad. The Ingizim tribe made peace with the Berbers, who then jointly rebuilt the city in 1395. The Berbers only began interacting with Hausa land around 1400-1405. No Hausa state ever engaged in war or fell under Kanem-Borno’s rule, as Professors Muhammad Nur Alkali, Kyari Tijjani, and Yusufu Bala Usman confirmed. Only tribute money was sent annually by some to Borno. Before 1395, there were no relations between the Hausa and the Berbers.

GOBIR

For example, anyone who attempts to write the history of Gobir by naming Alkalawa as the first city built by the Gobirawa is late to the story. The narrative becomes incomplete and distorted. The Gobirawa built more than five cities before settling in Alkalawa. Questions arise: "What is the story of the Gobirawa's time in the earlier cities they built? What about the kings of these earlier cities? What major events led to the construction, abandonment, or relocation from these cities?" It is crucial for any historian to know that before becoming prominent in Gobir land, the Gobirawa first built a city called Maranda (Marandeth). This city was described by Arab writers as comparable to Rome or Carthage. What fascinated a certain writer about Maranda was how its inhabitants honored their ancestors by inscribing their names on tombstones with a summary of their lives and bravery. Before the Gobirawa were known by this name, they were referred to as the Marandawa.

After leaving Maranda, the Gobirawa built a city in the middle of a body of water and named it Tsibiri (Island) . At that time, the region was a watery coast, not the desert it is today. This demonstrates that the Gobirawa have an ancient history overlooked by many writers. The Bayajida legend does not account for the Gobirawa before they founded Gobir after migrating from Maranda. Between Maranda and Tsibiri 1, Tsibiri 2, and Tsibiri 3, extending to Agades, lies a history spanning over a thousand years.

KANO

Similarly, those who documented the history of Bagauda or Ba-Dauda (Baba Dauda) failed to ask, "Where did Bagauda originate?" Before Kano's establishment, who were the people residing in the area? They overlooked earlier settlements such as Santolo. The residents of Santolo contributed over half of the population that later formed Kano. Residents of Santolo controlled the forest region managed by Kanau-maƙeri or Kanau the blacksmith, and his associates. Before Santolo, there were two other cities: Pallau and Pangwai. These ancient cities, whose names derive from the Hausa prefix "Pa," meaning "rocky terrain," demonstrate that the area had a rich history. The history of Kano ignores these earlier settlements and the millennium of Hausa presence in the area prior to Bagauda's establishment.

Furthermore, other Hausa groups who left Kano over a millennium ago eventually formed communities such as the Warjawa, Sayawa, Kuramawa, and others. This suggests that Hausa history in Kano far predated the commonly narrated story.

KATSINA

Similarly, the history of Katsina often begins with its urban establishment, ignoring earlier settlements like Kuyambana, Kwatarkwashi, and Durɓi-ta-Kusheyi. Kuyambana, for instance, was once ruled by Muhammadu Kanta, the son of the Sarkin Kuyambana, King of Kuyambana. This challenges the notion that Katsina’s history began with the establishment of the city of Katsina. Earlier towns and settlements contributed to its formation.

ZAMFARA

In Zamfara, history often begins with its city, Zamfara. However, earlier settlements like Dutsi existed, where early Zamfarawa ancestors lived under the rule of leaders such as Sarki Dakka or King Dakka. Prominent figures like, Sarauniya 'Yargoje or Queen ‘Yargoje expanded the Zamfara Kingdom, relocating its capital to what is now Zamfara. This history spans over a thousand years, challenging claims of Zamfara's later emergence in the 13th century.

KEBBI

The history of Kebbi also shows a deep connection to earlier Hausa communities. The area was once part of Katsina, referred to as "Katsina-Laka." Early settlers included people from Kuyambana and Katsina. The legendary Muhammadu Kanta, a Prince of Kuyambana, later unified these communities, leading to Kebbi's emergence as a significant Hausa State.

 

ZAZZAU

Writers who have distorted the history of the Hausa people have had the opportunity due to the negligence of the Hausas themselves in documenting the history of their ancestors, especially in recent times. Whoever lists the city of Zaria as the center of the Zazzau kingdom in the history of Bayajida is mistaken. Before Zaria, there were cities in Kufena. Before Kufena, the capital of the Zazzau kingdom was in Turunku, and before that, it was in Shika. Although, Zaria became the seat of the Zazzau Kingdom twice: the first time in Kufena, and the second time, when Kufena and Zaria were merged, which made Zaria smaller compared to the vast Kufena.

As shown in the Kargi Manuscript, which was written in Ajami script, the history of the founding of the Zazzau kingdom reveals that the Zagezagi people originated from a village called Ƙawuri. From there, they moved to Kargi, then to Rikoci, Wucicciri, Turunku, Kufena, and eventually settled in Zaria. Other Zagezagi people continued to live in the towns listed. Most historians of the Zazzau kingdom failed to mention anything about the history of Ƙawuri, Kargi, Rikoci, or Wuciciri. Researchers who make an effort to explore the history of Turunku or Kufena are rare. How is it that someone writing the history of the Zazzau kingdom fails to mention Gadas, Kuzuntu, Anchau, Bugau, Haskiya, Tal, or Mah, and yet claims to have written about the origin of the Hausas? This indicates that the history of Bayajida was written after the Zagezagi people had finished spreading across the northeastern to southwestern parts of Zazzau. During the time of Gunguma, Zaria did not yet exist. The history of the Zagezagi origins would make more sense if it were said that Gunguma ruled during the time of Ƙawuri. But alas, Ƙawuri, Gadas, Shika, Kargi, and Rikoci were skipped over. This indicates that over a thousand years of Zagezagi history were overlooked, and the origin was traced to Turunku, Zariya, or Kufena, even though they later settled there. Even the history of Bayajida does not recognize that the ancestors of Gunguma came from Kawuri.

From this brief historical overview, one can understand the vast gap created by those who have distorted the history of the Hausa states, reducing the history of the Hausa kingdoms by more than two-thirds. This manipulation also applies to the history of Daura. The ancient history of Daura has not been included, nor has the history of the nine queens who ruled before Queen Daurama. This same problem extends to other Hausa kingdoms. Bauchi, for example, is one of the original Hausa states, founded by a warrior- hunter, Baushi. The name "Bauchi" is a distortion of the original name due to the influence of non-Hausa who settled in the village founded by Baushi. 

This is how history is minimized: when a historical narrative is shortened, it becomes easy to erase the history of the Hausas. Similarly, other Hausa states, which have been overlooked, have been erased because of the contemptuous treatment by writers who have distorted the history of their ancestors, either due to malice or ignorance. Since the colonial era, writers such as Abdullahi Smith, Murray Last, Norma Perchnok, Sir Palmer, and Sir Hodgkin have emphasized that the pure Hausas should be asked about their history and that what they say should be written down with their consent before it is published. Unfortunately, the collapse of governance made this impossible. Since most Hausas have been under the Fulani rule since 1804, the production of such history has not been legally feasible. The awareness of the Hausas about the history of their ancestors poses a threat to the Fulani rulers who control the Hausa throne, and they have been resistant to it.

Ibrahim Kusfa-Zariya

#hausaactivist #Gimbiyarhausa