Gidan Yarima, located in Unguwar Yarima in Katsina, was built in 1870 by the Emir of Katsina, Ibrahim. He constructed the house for his son, Yarima Abubakar, who at that time held the title of Yarima, before later becoming the Emir of Katsina in 1887. Yarima Abubakar resided in this house during that period.
The house is a large and prominent building situated between Unguwar Alkali and Unguwar Sararin Kuka. The title of Yarima is traditionally the title of the Emir’s eldest son, dating back to the era of the Habe rulers. The word Yarima was borrowed from Borno, meaning the principal prince and heir to the throne.
Historical records show that apart from Gidan Korau (the present Emir’s palace), there was no other building of such grandeur in Katsina like Gidan Yarima. For this reason, when the British colonialists arrived in Katsina in 1903 under the leadership of Lord Lugard, they were accommodated at Gidan Yarima as a mark of respect.
It was within this house that an agreement was reached with the British that there would be no war against them. The colonial administration continued to rule alongside Emir Abubakar from 1903 to 1905. In 1905, however, the British deposed Emir Abubakar and took him to Ilorin, later moving him to Kano, where he eventually died in 1940.
After his deposition, Malam Yero, who was the younger brother of Emir Abubakar’s father, was appointed Emir in 1905, but he too was deposed by the British in 1906. This marked the end of the reign of the Dallazawa dynasty in Katsina.
Subsequently, Durbi Muhammadu Dikko was appointed Acting Emir in 1906, and in 1907 he was officially confirmed as the Emir of Katsina and presented with the Staff of Office. Emir Dikko became the first Emir of Katsina from the Fulani Sullubawa lineage.
After the deposition of the Dallazawa rulers, the eldest son of Emir Abubakar, Yarima Abdulkadir, gathered members of the Dallazawa family and relocated to his father’s farmland in Tarkama village, within Kaita District, where they continued farming and animal husbandry.
During a later visit to Katsina, Lord Lugard inquired about Yarima Abdulkadir and was informed that he was in Tarkama village in Kaita. Lugard ordered that he be summoned and asked what title he currently held. Yarima Abdulkadir replied that he held no title. Consequently, Lord Lugard instructed Emir Dikko and the colonial authorities to allocate him land in Yandaka District, at a place called Tsaskiya, appointing him as the district head and restoring to him the title of Yariman Katsina. He later moved his headquarters to Safana.
From that time onward, whenever Yarima Abdulkadir came to Katsina for Eid al-Fitr or Eid al-Adha, he stayed at Gidan Yarima. Thus, the house continued to bear the name Gidan Yarima.
Today, Gidan Yarima remains one of the most important historical buildings in Katsina, as it was the first residence where Lord Lugard was accommodated when the British colonialists arrived in Katsina in 1903.
Alhaji Musa Gambo, Kofar Soro
