News:

Ramadan Mubarak!

I pray that we get the full blessings of Ramadan and may Allah (SWT) grant us more blessings in the year to come.
Amin Summa Amin.

Ramadan Kareem,

Main Menu

BRIEF HISTORY OF KANO

Started by Rose, April 05, 2003, 02:23:36 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Rose

Salama Alaikum
While i was surfing the net i come across this article,
and though you may be interested.


KANO, Nigeria
BRIEF HISTORY: One of the oldest kingdoms of Africa created c998. Kano became vassal of Bornu in the 18th century. In 1807, the Fulbe Jihad killed the 42nd King and replaced his Habe dynasty with a new dynasty of Emirs. On 3/2/1903, Kano became part of the Northern Nigerian British protectorate. Today, the State of Kano with capital named also Kano.

SOURCES:

Burke’s Royal Families of the World II Africa & The Middle East, London 1980
R.F.Tapsell, Monarch Rulers Dynasties and Kingdoms of the World, Thames and Hudson, London 1983
RELATED WEBSITE: Traditional States of Nigeria http://www.geocities.com/bcahoon.geo/Nigeria_native.html

THANKS TO: John D. McMeekin (26/11/1999)

LAST UPDATE: 16/10/2002

QUALIFICATIONS AND TITLES:
Head of the Family: HRH The Emir of Kano (Sarkin Kano) (Kano, Kano)

PRECEDENCE IN THE HOUSE OF CHIEFS: 4

HEAD OF THE FAMILY: HRH Alhaji Ado Bayero dan Abd Allahi Bayero, 13th Emir of Kano (56th Sarkin Kano) since 12/10/1963, Director of Gulf Bank of Nigeria plc, Amb of Nigeria to Senegal before 12/10/1963, 3rd Chancellor Univ of Ibadan 24/4/1976, CFR, hon LLD, JP, ?1930

PREDECESSORS:
Kings of Kano (Sarkin Kano):
Bagauda, 1st Sarkin Kano 998-1063. Father of:

Warisi, 2nd Sarkin Kano 1063-1095. Father of:

Gijimasu, 3rd Sarkin Kano 1095-1133. Father of:

Nawata, 4th Sarkin Kano 1133-1135. Brother of:

Gawata, 5th Sarkin Kano 1133-1135. Brother of:

Yusa, 6th Sarkin Kano 1135-1193. Father of:

Naguji, 7th Sarkin Kano 1193-1247

Gugua, 8th Sarkin Kano 1247-1290. Son of 3rd Sarkin Gijimasu

Shekarau, 9th Sarkin Kano 1290-1306. Son of 6th Sarkin Yusa and father of:

Tsamia, 10th Sarkin Kano 1306-1342. Brother of:

Osumanu Zamnagawa, 11th Sarkin Kano 1342-1349

Yaji I, 12th Sarkin Kano 1349-1385. Son of 10th Sarkin Tsamia and brother of:

Bugaya, 13th Sarkin Kano 1385-1389

Kanajeji, 14th Sarkin Kano 1389-1409. Son of 12th Sarkin Yaji I and father of:

Umaru, 15th Sarkin Kano 1409-1421. Brother of:

Dauda, 16th Sarkin Kano 1421-1437. Brother of:

Abdullahi Burja, 17th Sarkin Kano 1437-1452. Father of:

Dakauta, 18th Sarkin Kano 1452. Father of:

Atuma, 19th Sarkin Kano 1452

Yakuba, 20th Sarkin Kano 1452-1462. Son of 17th Sarkin Abdullahi Burja and father of:

Muhamman Rimfa, 21st Sarkin Kano 1462-1498. Father of:

Abdullahi, 22nd Sarkin Kano 1498-1508. Father of:

Muhamman Kisocki, 23rd Sarkin Kano 1508-1564. Father of:

Yakufu, 24th Sarkin Kano 1564-1565. Father of:

Dauda Abasama I, 25th Sarkin Kano 1565

Abdu Bakr Kado, 26th Sarkin Kano 1565-1572. Son of 21st Sarkin Muhamman Rimfa

Muhamman Shashere, 27th Sarkin Kano 1572-1582. Son of 24th Sarkin Yakufu

Muhamman Zaki, 28th Sarkin Kano 1582-1617. Son of 23rd Sarkin Muhamman Kisocki and father of:

Muhamman Nazaki, 29th Sarkin Kano 1617-1622. Father of:

Kutumbi, 30th Sarkin Kano 1622-1648. Father of:

al Hajj, 31st Sarkin Kano 1648-1649. Father of:

Shekkarau, 32nd Sarkin Kano 1649-1650. Brother of:

Muhamman Kukuna, 33rd Sarkin Kano 1650-1651 and 1651-1659

Soyaki, 34th Sarkin Kano 1651. Son of 32nd Sarkin Shekkarau

Bawa, 35th Sarkin Kano 1659-1670. Son of 33rd Sarkin Muhamman Kukuna and father of:

Muhamman Dadi dan Bawa, 36th Sarkin Kano 1670-5/1702. Father of:

Muhamman Sharefa dan Muhamman Dadi, 37th Sarkin Kano 5/1702-7/1730. Father of:

Muhamman Kumbari dan Muhamman Sharefa, 38th Sarkin Kano 7/1730-2/1743. Father of:

al Hajj Kabe dan Muhamman Kumbari, 39th Sarkin Kano 2/1743-5/1753

Muhamman Yaji II ibn Muhamman Dadi,40th Sarkin Kano 5/1753-5/1768. Son of 36th Sarkin Muhamman Dadi and father of:

Babba Zaki dan Muhamman Yaji, 41st Sarkin Kano 5/1768-2/1776. Brother of:

Dauda Abasama II dan Muhamman Yaji, 42nd Sarkin Kano 2/1776-12/1780. Brother of:

Muhamman Alwali dan Muhamman Yaji, 43rd Sarkin Kano 12/1781-3/1807 (42nd Sarkin according to Burke's), +(killed) 1807

Emirs of Kano:
Sulaymanu dan Abahama, 1st Emir of Kano (44th Sarkin Kano) 3/1807-22/8/1819, +1819

Ibrahim Dabo dan Muhamman Cigari (Town Conqueror), 2nd Emir of Kano (45th Sarkin Kano)21/9/1819-9/2/1846, +1846. Father of:      
 
Uthman I dan Ibrahim Dabo Ma je Ringim, 3rd Emir of Kano (46th Sarkin Kano)3/1846-26/8/1855, +Ringim 1855. Brother of:

Abd Allahi dan Ibrahim Dabo Sarkin Yanka, 4th Emir of Kano (47th Sarkin Kano) 16/9/1855-8/9/1882, +Ma je Karofi, Katsina 1882. Brother of:

Muhamman Bello dan Ibrahim Dabo, 5th Emir of Kano (48th Sarkin Kano)  9/1882-25/11/1893, +1893. Father of:
     
Muhamman Tukur dan Muhamman Bello, 6th Emir of Kano (49th Sarkin Kano) 12/1893-16/3/1895, +Gurin 1895    
     
Aliyu Baba dan Abd Allahi, 7th Emir of Kano (50th Sarkin Kano) 16/3/1895-4/1903, in rebellion from 19/8/1894, exiled to Lokeja when captured bu the ruler of Gobir, +Lokoja 1926. Son of 4th Emir Abd Allahi and brother of:    
     
Muhammadu Abbas dan Abd Allahi, 8th Emir of Kano (51st Sarkin Kano) 3/4/1903-1/5/1919, +1919. Brother of:
     
Uthman II dan Abd Allahi, 9th Emir of Kano (52nd Sarkin Kano) 1919-1926, +1926  

Abd Allahi Bayaro dan Muhammadu Abbas, 10th Emir of Kano (53rd Sarkin Kano) 1926-25/12/1953, ?1883, +1953. Son of 8th Emir Muhammadu Abbas and father of:

Muhammadu Sanusi dan Abd Allahi Bayero, 11th Emir of Kano (54th Sarkin Kano) 1/1/1954-abdicated 1963, retired to Azare, ?1905

Muhammadu Inuwa Abbas dan Muhammadu Abbas, 12th Emir of Kano (55th Sarkin Kano) 1963-8/10/1963, ?1901, +1963. Son of 8th Emir Muhammadu Abbas

HRH Alhaji Ado Bayaro dan Abd Allahi Bayero, 13th Emir of Kano (56th Sarkin Kano) since 12/10/1963. Son of 10th Emir Abd Allahi Bayero (see above, Head of the Family)
aNo Ta DaBo ChiGaRii, GaRi Ba KaNo Ba DaJin ALLaH.

IBB

African Legacy - School of Conservation Sciences, Bournemouth University
HAUSALAND WALLED CITIES & TOWNS - remote sensing studies.
Surveying the rich visible archaeology of the sudan savannah
Project: Mapping Africa's Visible Archaeology
Funding:

Leventis Foundation, 2000: per diems and in country expenses of wider environmental programme
Bournemouth University Department of Archaeology, 2000: air-fare, use of facilities and UK expenses
African Legacy has met some living expenses by its own marketing activities

Aims:
To map all Africa's visible archaeology, beginning with Nigeria and West Africa
To photograph, measure profiles and determine construction techniques of selected sites
To obtain ancillary oral histories and other cultural data associated with the features

 
Typical rectilinear town wall, probably C19th.  Note enigmatic linear feature to north-east.  
 
Bifossate rectilinear town wall; and circular enclosure to north.  
 
Karai-Karai: ovoid and circular enclosures - univallate, bifossate and multivallate  
 
Distribution of mapped Karai-Karai enclosures: a process of colonisation several centuries ago, in which middle-belt 'shoulder-carriers' moved north during a humid phase.  
 
In 1903, Kano's city walls (above) were regarded as West Africa's most impressive monument. They were 25km long and up to 18m high with narrow fortified gateways. In the mid-C19th, Barth could not get his laden camels through most of the gates; and the above reconstruction has been widened to cater for motor traffic.  

Background: Between Lake Chad and the Atlantic Ocean, there are about 10,000 town walls, 25% or more of them on deserted sites. They represent the largest concentration of past urban civilization in black Africa; yet only a handful have been surveyed. There are also about 250,000 unsurveyed tumuli, several million un-charted iron-smelting sites, and an unknown number of ancient terracotta sites, most of which now may have been looted (see main menu for details). Old aerial photographs and other more modern remote-sensing methodologies offer an opportunity to record much of what will otherwise soon be lost altogether.
Kofar Kabuga
Old gateway in the south-west of Kano city walls, still has its old gate of riveted iron strips which were once mounted on borassus palm doors


 
Kano City walls:
Above - in situ ruins in the early 1990's. The Kano City walls were considered the most impressive monument in West Africa in 1903; but they have become severely eroded today, with borrow-pits for housing encroaching from both sides, and the nouveaux riches building ostentatious houses right across the old wall.  Most gateways have had to be modified to allow modern traffic; but at least one gateway may now be restored authentically with some sections of the wall alongside.
 
 
 
 
 
 

Below:  Reconstruction of the Kano City wall at the Museum of Traditional Nigerian Architecture in Jos, where higher rainfall conditions have meant constant repair work.  The upper parapet was manned by archers and riflemen using loopholes in the wall; whilst cavalry moved rapidly around inside the walls to ensure protection at the weakest spots.  The walls were built entirely of tubali - pear-shaped, sun-dried mud blocks to create a 24 km long, 20m high perimeter.
 

Results: Over 2,500 different past walled sites have been listed in a growing gazeteer. These have been culled from:
historical sources: local records (e.g.: Kano Chronicle, Song of Bagauda); C19th explorers (e.g.:Barth, Rolf, Clapperton, Lander brothers); C20 observers (e.g.: military route maps, Talbot, Falconer, May, Moody, Babayemi, Willett, Connah, Soper, Darling, Gilliland, Mabongunge, Achi & Bityong, Hourou)
map archives: Nigeria's early maps were based on more detailed ground surveys than later maps based on aerial photos and some sheets provide an excellent record of past settlement walls - other sheets being most unsatisfactory
aerial photographs: 1:40,000 and 1:25,000 aerial photographs reveal that, in overall terms, the cartographers making the above maps only recorded about 10% of the walled settlements: 25% or so of the walled sites identified to date are deserted, and a major cluster of over 120 deserted cirular/ovoid enclosures have been identified just west of Potiskum (below)
fieldwork surveys and inspections: this includes over 1,600 km of the 16,000 km long Benin earthwork complex (see menu); the 160 km long Sungbo's Eredo (see menu); the 45 km long Orile Owu walls (see menu); the walls of Old Oyo (see menu); Old Egbe, Kwiambana, Old Ningi (see below), Gogoram, Pauwa, Old Rano, Old Sumaila and several other northern towns.
e-mail and other correspondence: this has received data on other linear earthworks in West and East Africa.
Old Ningi was a nineteenth century cult settlement (ruins above) opposing Kano, Zaria and Bauchi from its hill fortress base using up to 4,000 cavalary. Its mud walls (below) were built on stone-based parapets and presented a complex defence strategy, which the larger kingdoms were unable to breach. It was captured by the British using a local traitor to show a secret way in near the beginning of the C20th.
Goats, supposedly the harbingers of environmental destruction, provide the key to environmental enhancement in the Kano close-settled zone - an extensive, densely populated area in the semi-arid zone of northern Nigeria. Tethered (above) during the rainy season when crops are growing, their dung is gathered to make taki (manure), which is then placed on the fields under permanent cultivation. Over the centuries, more people has resulted in more goats, more taki, better soils, higher crop yields and more trees - the last being mainly gawo (Faidherbia albida), as this ovides browse for the goats when it leafs during the dry season. This is just one of many examples, which qualify many of the negative arguments about the population/environment interface.  


 
Survey plans and photographs are being scanned so that they can be related to 16-bit grey scale images of Federal Survey base maps, as well as other cultural and environmental data. African Legacy will supply plan details for educational purposes only: other forms of data dispersal await copyright clearances.
For those wishing to inspect the gazeteer listing, copies can be obtained from:

 
Legacy,
27 Boyle Street, Onikan,
Lagos, Nigeria. African Legacy
explore@africanlegacy.info



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Return to main menu
Return to Cultural landscapes



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

All data and graphics are copyright to African Legacy  Last Updated December 2001, unless otherwise stated.
Site hosted by School of Conservation Sciences, Bournemouth University
IHS