Kingdom of Zazzau

Origins

The early history of Zazzau is unclear.^[2]: 274 The most important source for the origins of Zazzau is the Chronicle of Zaria, composed in the early 20th century and based on oral tradition.^[3]: 29 According to tradition, the kingdom was founded by Gunguma, a descendant of the legendary Bayajidda.^[4]: 486 Zazzau's regnal list dates this to 1010 CE.^[5]: 298

Scholars have had differing views on the early history of Zazzau. Abdullahi Smith considered the Hausa to have inhabited the area for over a millennium before a state emerged. There were various city-state-type polities, with the most powerful being Turunku and Kufena, who had authority over the others. In the late 15th century, Turunku ruler Bakwa took power in Kufena, and built a capital just east of Kufena, which was named "Zaria" after her/his^[a] daughter.^{[2]: 274–275}

Murray Last theorised the area to have been inhabited by a Kamuku federation named Kangoma from 1200 CE, who were the descendants of the Nok culture. Accordingly, the Kangoma kingdom, renamed Zegzeg, emerged at Turunku after the federation's collapse, with the Hausa assuming control as late as 1641, however this is not supported by linguistic evidence.^[2]: 274

Apogee

Bakwa was succeeded by her son, Ibrahim (r. 1539-1566) and her younger brother Karama (r.1566-1576). Karama pursued aggressive and expansionist campaigns, with one of Bakwa's daughters, Amina, rising to be the state's most prolific general and warrior. Some traditions have Amina succeeding Karama in 1576, although whether she was queen (sauraniya) is disputed. While she doesn't appear on any regnal lists, local traditions say she ruled the lands she conquered.^[6] Amina waged a 34-year campaign against her neighbors, to expand Zazzau territory.^[7][8][9] According to tradition, she rejected many suitors when younger, and in each town she conquered would behead a man after spending the night with them. Expansion north was blocked by Kano and Katsina, and east by the Jos Plateau; therefore Amina campaigned to the southeast and southwest.^[6] She conquered large tracts of land as far as Kwararafa and Nupe,^[9] including Bauchi and Yauri. Sokoto caliph Muhammad Bello claimed she reached what presumably was the confluence of the Niger and Benue rivers, and extracted tribute from Katsina and Kano, however contemporary historians dispute the latter claim. The Chronicle of Abuja says Amina received 40 eunuchs and 10,000 kola nuts from Nupe's ruler, introducing these to Hausaland.^[6] She is also said to have built earthen walls around many camps and towns, now known as Ganuwar Amina ("Amina's walls"). According to tradition Amina dominated Hausaland for 34 years (until 1610) and died at Attaagar (likely Idah) in battle, with her body not being recovered.^[6]

Zazzau was a collection point for slaves to be delivered to the northern markets of Kano and Katsina, where they were exchanged for salt with traders who carried them north of the Sahara.^[10] According to the history in the chronicle, Islam was introduced to the kingdom around 1456, but appears to have spread slowly, and pagan rituals continued until the Fulani conquest of 1808. At several times in its history, Zazzau was subject to neighboring states such as Songhai, Bornu and Kwararafa.^[11]

Fulani conquest

In December 1808 the kingdom was captured in the Fulani jihad.^[12] The Hausa (Habe) ruler had escaped to Abuja, where he established a state now known as the Suleja Emirate, retaining his independence and the title of "Sarkin Zazzau". The ruler of the modern Zazzau Emirate also uses the title "Sarkin Zazzau" or "Sarkin Zaria". After the jihad, the culturally similar but pastoral or nomadic Fulani intermarried with the more settled Habe farmers, and the people of the Emirate today are generally known as Hausa–Fulani. The government of the Zaria Emirate differed from other emirates created at this time in that offices were rarely hereditary, but were appointed based on merit or obligation.^[11]

Hausa kingdom

Names and Dates taken from John Stewart's African States and Rulers (1989).^[5][13]

Capitals (c. 1010 – c. 1578): Turunku, Wuciciri, Rikoci, Kawar^[14]

List of rulers of Zazzau according to the tradition of Queen Amina:^[15]

The kingdom's name changed to Zaria at the end of the 16th century.^[14]

Capital (c. 1578 – 1835): Zaria (originally founded in 1536 and named after Chief Bakwa's daughter Zaria)^[16]

Independent Fulani rulers

The kingdom was taken over by the Fulani Empire in 1804 and became an emirate in 1835.^[16] The Hausa rulers went into exile and founded Abuja.^[16] The emirate was taken by the British in 1902.^[16]

Rulers of the independent Fulani emirate:^[12]

Colonial period and later rulers

Rulers of the independent Fulani emirate:^[12]