Kingdom of Zazzau


The Kingdom of Zazzau was a Hausa kingdom centred on the city of Zazzau in modern-day northern Nigeria established sometime in the early second millennium, and endured until its conquest during the jihad of Usman dan Fodio in 1804. Following this, its dynasty was replaced by a Fulani, and the polity continues to exist today as the Zaria Emirate, a non-sovereign monarchy in Nigeria. The current emir of Zaria is Ahmed Nuhu Bamalli, who succeeded the former emir in 2020, the late Shehu Idris.

History

Origins

The early history of Zazzau is unclear. 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. According to tradition, the kingdom was founded by Gunguma, a descendant of the legendary Bayajidda. Zazzau's regnal list dates this to 1010 CE.
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 daughter.
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.

Apogee

Bakwa was succeeded by her son, Ibrahim and her younger brother Karama. 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 is disputed. While she doesn't appear on any regnal lists, local traditions say she ruled the lands she conquered. Amina waged a 34-year campaign against her neighbors, to expand Zazzau territory. 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. She conquered large tracts of land as far as Kwararafa and Nupe, 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. She is also said to have built earthen walls around many camps and towns, now known as Ganuwar Amina. According to tradition Amina dominated Hausaland for 34 years and died at Attaagar in battle, with her body not being recovered.
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.
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.

Fulani conquest

In December 1808 the kingdom was captured in the Fulani jihad.
The Hausa 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.

Rulers

Hausa kingdom

Names and Dates taken from John Stewart's African States and Rulers.
Capitals : Turunku, Wuciciri, Rikoci, Kawar
StartEndRuler
c. 1010?Gunguma
??Matani
??Tumso
??Tamusa
??Sulimano
??Nasabo
??Danzaki
??Saiwago
??Kwasari
??Nwaiku
??Besekal
??Kuna
??Bashikarr
??Maji Dadi
??Kirari
??Jenhako
?1505Sukana
15051530Rabon Bawa
15301532Gudumua Muska
15321535Tukuariki
15351536Uwan
15361539Bakwa Turunku
15391566Ibrihimu
15661576Karama
15761578Kafow

List of rulers of Zazzau according to the tradition of Queen Amina:
StartEndRuler
?c. 1535Nohir
c. 1535c. 1536Kawanissa
c. 1536c. 1566Bakwa Turunku
c. 1566c. 1576Karama
c. 1576c. 1610Amina
c. 1610?Zaria

The kingdom's name changed to Zaria at the end of the 16th century.
Capital : Zaria
StartEndRuler
15781584Ali
15841597Bako Majirua
15971608Bako Su Aliyu
16081611Bako Mahama Gabi
16111611Bako Hamza
16111618Bako Abdu Ashkuku
16181621Bako Brima
16211646Bako Ali
16461647Bako Majam Rubu
16471660Bako Brima
16601670Bako Shukunu
16701678Bako Aliyu
16781682Bako Brima Hasko
16821710Bako Mahama Rubo
17101718Bako
17181727Bako Aliyu
17271736Bako Dan Musa
17361738Bako Ishihako
17381750Bako Makam Danguma
17501757Bako Ruhawa
17571758Bako Makam Gaba
17581760Bako Mair ari Ashaka Okao
17601762Kao
17621764Bako Bawa
17641770Yonusa
17701788Baba
17881793Aliyu
17931795Chikkoku
17951796Mai haman Maigano
17961802Ishihako Jatao
18021804Makkam

Independent Fulani rulers

The kingdom was taken over by the Fulani Empire in 1804 and became an emirate in 1835. The Hausa rulers went into exile and founded Abuja. The emirate was taken by the British in 1902.
Rulers of the independent Fulani emirate:
StartEndRuler
180417 May 1821Malam Musa ibn Suleiman Ibn Muhammad
18041825Muhamman Makau
June 18211834Yamusa ibn Mallam Kilba
18251828Abu Ja
183418 December 1846Abd al-Karim ibn Abbas
6 January 184628 February 1846Hammada ibn Yamusa
15 Apr 1846Apr 1853Muhammad Sani ibn Yamusa
Apr 1853Dec 1853Sidi `Abd al-Qadir ibn Musa
Jan 18545 Aug 1857Abd as-Salam ibn Muhammad Ka'i
21 Sep 1857Oct/Nov 1871Abd Allah ibn Hammada
22 Nov 1871Jun/Jul 1874Abu Bakr ibn Musa
Aug/Sep 1874Nov/Dec 1879Abd Allah ibn Hammada
26 Dec 1879Jan 1888Muhammad Sambo ibn Abd al-Karim
Jan 188813 Feb 1897Uthman Yero ibn Abd Allah
17 Apr 1897Mar 1902Muhammad Lawal Kwassau ibn Uthman Yero

Colonial period and later rulers

Rulers of the independent Fulani emirate:
Startend;Rulers
March 19038 April 1903Sulayman
8 April 19039 November 1920Ali ibn Abd al-Qadir
19201924Dallatu ibn Uthman Yero
19241936Ibrahim ibn Muhammad Lawal Kwassau
1937August 1959Malam Jafar ibn Ishaq
September 19594 February 1975Muhammad al-Amin ibn Uthman
8 February 197520 September 2020Shehu Idris
7 October 2020Ahmed Nuhu Bamalli