₦airaland Forum

Moderator move this to front page to correct yesterdays mistake.... because they are lots of storey building before europeans set foot in nigeria.. especially in kano, katsina etc

Muhammadu korau was one of the greatest hausa kings along side muhammadu rumfa of kano, queen amina of zazzau

Gobarau mineret is a 3 storey building which serves as satellite campus for the famous timbuktu sankore university.. built by the famous hausa king muhammadu korau around 15th century

The Gobarau mosque

The history of the mosque dates back to the introduction of Islam in Hausa land, and the efforts of the celebrated Islamic scholar, Sheikh Muhammadu Abdulkarim Almaghili and that of Sarki Muhammadu Korau the first Muslim ruler of Katsina.

The mosque was said to have been influenced by Muhammadu Almaghili who visited Katsina in the late 15th Century during the reign of Muhammadu Korau, the then Emir of Katsina. Almaghili and Korau conceived the idea of building the mosque to serve as a centre for spiritual and intellectual activities; hence the Gobarau Mosque was built as the first Juma’at mosque in Katsina.


Gobarau Mosque as a center for learning

Gobarau Mosque became an important center of learning, thereby attracting scholars and students from far and wide across the Western and Central Sudan and Magrib. Following this development, the mosque was turned into a University. The tradition of a mosque serving as a praying ground as well as school is not new thing in Islam.

Some historians believe that the Gobarau University was affiliated to the Sankore University in Timbuktu. It was gathered that many Islamic scholars from Timbuktu had visited Katsina and taught Islamic Education in the mosque. For example, John Hunwick, in his book titled Literacy and Scholarship in Muslim West Africa in the Pre-colonial Period, says “Many of the Timbuktu scholars who made the pilgrimage to Mecca and on their return journey, settled for a period of time in Katsina to teach some residents there.

It was also gathered that some of the pioneer lecturers of the Gobarau University included Sheik Qadi Muhammad Al-Tazakhti, Sheik Muhammad Abdulkarim Almaghili, Sheik Umar Bin Aqit, [color=#000000]Sheik Ahmed Bab Ali Timbuktu and Sheik Aqib Al-Ansumani among others.
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The curricula of the university, Sunday Trust learned, comprised Qur’anic recitation, Hadith (Tradition of the Prophet Muahmmad (SAW), Islamic Jurisprudence, Islamic Law, Mathematics, Astronomy, Astrology, Logic, Arabic Grammar, Poetry, History, Philosophy, and other fields.


Structure of Gobarau minaret

The minaret is a building made by local craftsmen using mud, clay, and conical bricks (Tubali) while date palms (Azara) were used for the roofing, doors and windows. The two buildings measured over 122 meters high in their limited construction but new measures 17.11 metres high one with a base of of three blocks made of bricks used as a flight of steps with a way leading to the top, and Katsi was used for coating to prevent erosion and affecting the building.

The minaret has three floors with the first floor as the biggest, followed by the second and then the topmost one, which is the smallest. Several holes were constructed on its wall from the east, west, south and north of the tower. It was through these holes that enemies were sighted while approaching Katsina during war periods. The minaret also has a staircase used for climbing up to the last floor of the building.


Beliefs surrounding the minaret

Alhaji Musa Muhammad Kangiwa is the Principal Heritage Officers who supervises all federal government monuments in Katsina State. Kangiwa told Sunday Trust that there were not many myths surrounding the Gobarau minaret, even in the past. He said this might not be unconnected with the origin of the tower which is religion. It was part of a mosque, therefore, people didn’t have many beliefs about it.

“I was informed that people in the past held the belief that whoever climbed the tower could sight the Holy Ka’abah, but that was not true. I think people had that belief because Gobarau was the highest building in Katsina then, and it was built for religious purposes,” Kangiwa said.

He also recalled that apart from that, people also believed that not all local builders could climb the tower due to its height. At present, he added only the Sarkin Magina of Katsina can lead other builders to do rehabilitation works on the minaret whenever the need arises.


Location of the historic building

Gobarau minaret is located at Gobarau quarters along old Market Road in Katsina Local Government. It shares a border with Gobarau Primary School on the South, and on the North it is bordered by residential buildings. On its eastern part is an average sized pond as a refuse dump.


Function of Gobarau tower

The functions of the minaret include the following:-

• It stands as a testimony of the historical contacts, interactions, and influences between the people of western and central Sudan, the Magrib and Middle East.

• The similarity of the minaret with the building design and terms of Mali and Songhai underscores the history of political relationship as well as transmission of local indigenous knowledge and skills.

• It served as centre of learning where Islamic subjects such as Qur’anic recitation and memorization were believed to have been taught, alongside other fields such as jurisprudence, history, philosophy etc.

• A resource base for researches

• Represents a memorial symbol of the Habe period before the Jihad of 1804 in Hausa land and the image of Gobarau is widely used as part of the official insignia of Katsina State.

• Represent an architectural monument of traditional Hausa architecture and building management through the use of sustainable local resources [color=#990000][/color]

• After the decline of Gobarau, the minaret was used as surveillance tower for sighting enemies as they approached Katsina during the inter-communal wars of the 19th century.

• In 1959, the Federal Government declared Gobarau minaret a National Monument of Nigeria and tourists’ attraction site, where every year thousands of people from within and outside Nigeria visit this great historical land mark.


Gobarau minaret as tourist attraction site

It was gathered that researchers from within and outside Nigeria are trooping to Gobarau minaret to see for themselves the historic legacy left behind by the local but talented architects. According to the visitors’ book at Gobarau minaret, researchers, students and even lecturers from Germany, England, America, Argentina, Sudan, Morocco, Canada, Ghana, and Cameroon among other countries, are visiting the place regularly.


Who is the custodian of the tower?

According to Kangiwa, Gobarau was initially under the custody of Katsina emirate council before it was taken over by the federal government in 1959, and identified as a national monument. He said “although the minaret is under the care of the federal government, Katsina Emirate Council is still playing a vital role in the maintenance of the 664-year old ediffice.”

“Eight years ago (2004) Katsina emirate council affected some rehabilitation works on the minaret and in 2009, the American Embassy also carried out similar renovation works on the historic building. Presently Governor Shema-led administration is doing another renovation work on tower,” he said.

Sunday Trust learned that the Shema administration has injected the sum of N26 million for the rehabilitation of three historic sites namely; Gobarau, Turbi-ta-Kushe and old Katsina training college. The emir of Katsina, Alhaji Abdulmumini Kabir Usman is the chairman of the committee handling the renovation work, Sunday Trust gathered.


The role of Sarkin Magina of Katsina

For the past 50 years the Sarkin Magina of Katsina (leader of traditional architects), Alhaji Ma’aruf Audu Gafai has been the overseer of Gobarau minaret. The 82 year old local builder told Sunday Trust “I have been leading local builders here in the renovation works on the minaret. Presently we are doing repairs on it. I employed 14 builders and 40 labourers for the job, and we have so far spent four months working.”

Gafai alleged that colonial masters had once attempted to relocate the minaret to Jos in Plateau State. He recalled that “after they (colonial masters) had sought permission from the Emir Usman Nagoggo, the white men took me to Jos for the construction of a similar minaret and some other traditional structures to reflect the Katsina emir’s palace. I led 13 prominent local builders to Jos for the job. We stayed there for three years, but at the end of the day we were only able to construct three rooms; Dakin cup, Jeka Fadiya and Zauren Jeka fadiya. We could not construct a replica of Gobarau tower in Jos, because I was secretly informed that once I built it, the colonial masters would destroy the original Gobarau in Katsina.”

Interestingly, he added “both the clay and the sand we use in building the Katsina historic site in Jos were brought from Katsina because when I led my people to Jos, I realized that the type of clay and sand they had were not suitable for the building, and therefore I told the white men to provide clay and sand from Katsina. Five tippers were sent from Katsina every Friday to convey clay and sand to Jos for the work.”

Alhaji Ma’ruf Gafai told Sunday Trust that he is the only person that can give permission to local builders to carry out work on the Gobarau minaret, and that he is always leading rehabilitation work on the minaret whenever the need arises.

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Though there was no written or verbal evidence related to its abandonment and eventual collapse, Dr Sani Lugard, the present Wazirin Katsina, has suggested in his book titled ‘The Twin University (2004)’ that the decline of Gobarau minaret might be connected to the lack of enthusiasm towards Islamic development in Hausa land in 17th and 18th centuries. This however, coincided with the opinion of another scholar, John Hunwick, who described that period (17th and 18th Centuries) as an era during which Islam witnessed a serious setback. It was learned that during that period Islamic scholarship was said to have disappeared. This was what prompted Sheikh Usman bin Fodio to wage an Islamic revolution in the early 19th Century.


Other reasons advanced for the collapse of Gobarau Minaret, include the proliferation of mosques in virtually every nook of the City; establishment of traditional Qur’anic Schools system in the entrance halls of local houses (Zauruka), and the construction of the then new central mosque in 1807 by Ummaru Dallaje, the first Fulani Emir of Katsina.

Other sources held the opinion that the inability of the local builders to reach the apex of the minaret to effect repairs, was responsible for the deterioration and eventual collapse of the original tower. It was gathered that, based on this, Emir Dikko ordered for the reduction of its height, so that local builders could effect repairs whenever the need arose.

It was also gathered that in 1927 one of the teachers at the famous old Katsina Training College, Mr E. Mart, snapped some photographs of the remains of the minaret and took them to the colonial masters with a view to rescuing the historic monument. The development was said to have generated concern among the people of Katsina and the British colonial officers. As a result of this the then Emir Alhaji Muhammadu Dikko summoned some prominent local master builders to his palace, and ordered them to rebuild the minaret. The minaret, as it stands today, is the product of that exercise, Sunday Trust gathered.

Fulaman198:
Ful6e women from time to time do marry other ethnic groups, though it is rare. The majority of Ful6e women are with Ful6e men.

yeah in other countries... the case is not so un nigeria..in nigeria alot marry hausa kanuri etc

Leo africanus visit cities like timbuktu,gao,bornu,zaria,gobir, and katsina

Lies lies and lies when you guyz think of nigeria do you think nigeria starts and ends with eastern nigeria

Sorry I mean met

And what do you mean benin empire was the only empire that has organized government structures? You are wrong.. hope you know that when the British conquered the sokoto caliphate they mate a very organized society that made them to adopt what we know as indirect rule because every was so organized from the cities to the palace official etc... if you dont know something you should please research

Those were the first established monarchies.. bayajidda came around 7th century and met queen daurama the ruler of the kingdom of daura.. before daurama there were almost 10 rulers before her go check and stop spreading lies

You are not correct... since early 7th century there's the great hausa city states and the all powerful kanem bornu empire

bobbiekrantz:
At least he later died!!.
mttccheeww!!

and his legacy is still alive

..When the British Bank of West Africa was opened in Kano in 1929, he became the first Kano businessman to utilize a bank account when he deposited twenty camel loads of silver coins. Shortly before his death, he pointed to sixty “groundnut pyramids” in Kano and said, “These are all mine”.

[color=#99000[b]0]..When the British Bank of West Africa was opened in Kano in 1929, he became the first Kano businessman to utilize a bank account when he deposited twenty camel loads of silver coins. Shortly before his death, he pointed to sixty “groundnut pyramids” in Kano and said, “These are all min[/b]e”.[/color]

Alhassan dantata a hausa trader and a caravan merchant was said to be the wealthiest man in west Africa at the time of his death..

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JAN 9, 2014 @ 5:41 AM 54,994 VIEWS
The 10 Leading Family Businesses In Africa

Mfonobong Nsehe
CONTRIBUTOR
I chronicle Africa's success stories and track its richest people
Johann Rupert
Johann Rupert

Family businesses control a significant portion of Africa’s economy. While family businesses are quite common across the continent, only a handful of them enjoy longevity. The survival rate of most African family businesses beyond the founder’s generation is extremely low. For example, the late Nigerian business mogul Moshood Kashimawo Abiola, who at one point was believed to be one of the wealthiest men in Africa, successfully built one of Nigeria’s biggest business empires consisting of an airline, a chain of newspapers, extensive real estate, fisheries and retail. After his death in 1998, his businesses crumbled. None of them exist today.


I set out to produce a list of 10 successful African family businesses, canvassing my database of African companies and entrepreneurs to find families that have successfully passed on business entities to successive generations. To do so, I enlisted a panel of 8 judges from across Africa to help identify African companies with annual revenues of $50 million or more, where the share capital controlled by the family members is in at least its second generation and the family controls at least 30% of the company’s equity and voting rights.

Cut across luxury goods to construction, agriculture, banking and retail, these are the most successful African family businesses that have sustained the vision for decades and are poised to prosper for generations to come

Family businesses control a significant portion of Africa’s economy. While family businesses are quite common across the continent, only a handful of them enjoy longevity. The survival rate of most African family businesses beyond the founder’s generation is extremely low. For example, the late Nigerian business mogul Moshood Kashimawo Abiola, who at one point was believed to be one of the wealthiest men in Africa, successfully built one of Nigeria’s biggest business empires consisting of an airline, a chain of newspapers, extensive real estate, fisheries and retail. After his death in 1998, his businesses crumbled. None of them exist today.

Pictures of emir of kano abbas and entourage in 1903.. and one of the gate of thousand year old kano city walls

Do you think aliko dangote is the most popular hausa man alive.. yes or no?

Fulani are not minority in Nigeria.. how can you call people that are almost 30 percent in kano, 40 percent in katsina,60 percent of gombe, 30 percent in jigawa, 10 percent kaduna, 40 percent in adamawa, 30 percent in both zamfara and kebbi, 30 percent of sokoto, 30 percent in taraba many more in nassarawa,niger,jos,yobe,borno etc... so how are they minority? Just 30 percent of kano is almost 4million add with 40 percent of katsina which is like 3 million add with gombe like 2 million, plus bauchi almost 3million, plus the 2 million in jigawa, plus the 2 million in adamawa etc.. just because you speak hausa don't make you hausa. it would surprise you guys to know the population of people speaking hausa who are not hausas is more than the population of the hausa.. like for example my mum is fulani but she speaks hausa you can find this scenario all over northern nigeria

Could it mean nawata,gawata,warisi etc were the real hausa names before islam

Sulaiman (1807-1819)
II Sullubawan Dabo Dynasty

Ibrahim Dabo (1819-1846)
Usman Maje Ringim (1846-1855)
Abdullahi Maje Karofi (1855-1883)
Muhammad Bello (1883-1893)
Muhammad Tukur (1893-1894)
Aliyu Babba (Alu) (1894-1903)
Muhammad Abbas (1903-1919)
Shehu Usman (1919-1926)
Abdullahi Bayero (1926-1953)
Sir Muhammad Sanusi (Khalifa) (1953-1963)
Muhammad Inuwa (March-October 1963)
Ado Bayero (1963-2014)
Muhammad Sanusi II (2014-)
LONGEST REIGNS 999-2014 (OVER FIFTY YEARS)

Bagauda (999-1053)

Naguji (1194-1247)

Muhammad Kisoki (1509-1565)

Ado Bayero (1963-2014)

Sarakuna Kano 999 – 2014

Bagaudawa Period

Bagauda (999-1053)
Waris (Gwamaja) (1063-1095)
Gajimasu (1095-1134)
Nawata and Gawata (1134-1136)
Dariki (Tsaraki/Yusa) (1136-1194)
Naguji (1194-1247)
Guguwa (1247-1290)
Shekarau (1290-1307)
Umaru Tsamiya (1307-1343)
Usman Zamnagawa (1343-1349)
Ali Yaji (1349-1385)
Bugaya (1385-1390)
Kanajeji (1390-1410)
Umaru (1410-1421)
Daud (1421-1438)
Abdullahi Burja (1438-1452)
Dakauta (1452)
Atuma (1452)
Yakubu (1452-1463)
Muhammadu Rumfa (1463-1499)
Abdullah (1499-1509)
Muhammad Kisoki (1509-1565)
Dauda Abasama (1565)
Abubakar Kado (1565-1573)
Muhammad Shashere (1573-1582)
Muhammad Zaki (1582-1618)
Muhammad Nazaki (1618-1623)
Kutumbi (1623-1648)
Alhaji (1648-1649)
Shekarau (1649-1651)
Muhammad Kunkuna (1651-1652)
Soyaki (1652)
Muhammad Kunkuna (Reinstated 1652-1660)
Bawa (1660-1670)
Dadi (1670-1703)
Muhammad Sharafa (1703-1731)
Kumbari (1731-1743)
Alhaji Kabe (1743-1753)
Yaji II (1753-1768)
Baba Zaki (1768-1776)
Dauda Abasama II (1776-1781)
Muhammad Alwali Kutumbi (1781-1807)
Adopted from ‘Kano Chronicle’ translated by Sir Richmond Palmer in 1915 from the Arabic manuscript Tarikh Arbab Kano

Amina (also Aminatu; d. 1610) was a Hausa Muslim Warrior Queen of Zazzau (now Zaria), in what is now north central Nigeria.[1] She is the subject of many legends, but is widely believed by historians to have been a real ruler, though contemporary evidence about her is limited. There is controversy among scholars as to the date of her reign, one school placing her in the mid-15th century, and a second placing her reign in the mid to late 16th century.

The Arabic female name Amina means truthful, trustworthy and honest.

History and sourcesEdit

The earliest source to mention Amina is Muhammed Bello's history Ifaq al-Maysur, composed around 1836. He claims that she was "the first to establish government among them," and she forced Katsina, Kano and other regions to pay tribute to her.[2] Bello, unfortunately provided no chronological details about her. She is also mentioned in the Kano Chronicle, a well-regarded and detailed history of the city of Kano, composed in the late 19th century, but incorporating earlier documentary material. According to this chronicle, she was a contemporary of Muhammad Dauda, who ruled from 1421–38, and Amina conquered as far as Nupe and Kwarafa, collected tribute from far and wide and ruled for 34 years.[3] A number of scholars accept this information and date her reign to the early to mid-15th century.[4][5]

There is also a local chronicle of Zaria itself, written in the 19th century (it goes up to 1902) and published in 1910 that gives a list of the rulers and the duration of their reigns.[6] Amina is not mentioned in this chronicle, but oral tradition in the early 20th century held her to be the daughter of Bakwa Turunku, whose reign is dated by the chronicle from 1492–1522, and on this basis some scholars date her reign to the early 16th century.[7] Abdullahi Smith, using similar discripancies places her reign after 1576.[8] [9]

Legendary exploitsEdit

More recent oral tradition has a series of lively stories about the queen, and these have found their way into popular culture. Among them were: Amina was a fierce warrior and loved fighting. As a child, her grandmother Marka, the favorite wife of her grandfather Sarkin Nohir, once caught her holding a dagger. Amina holding the dagger did not shock Martha, rather it was that Amina held it exactly as a warrior would. As an adult, she refused to marry like Elizabeth the First of England for the fear of losing power. She helped Zazzau (Zaria) become the center of trade and to gain more land. Her mother, Bakwa, died when Amina was 36 years old, leaving her to rule over Zaria. She was also said to have taken a lover from among the conquered people after each battle, and to have killed or castrated him in the morning following their night together.[10]

Yeah fulaman I agree fufulde suppose to be in this list considering that fulfulde is spoken in most west african countries.. I think fulfulde should be second to hausa in west africa[quote author=Fulaman198 post=35727505]The list is wrong.
Where is Fulfulde/Pulaar? That's possibly the most spoken language in West Africa seeing as Fulani people are in every West African country.[/quote

Fula do you know this girl is a confirm hausa girl daughter of emir of daura umar faruk umar her name is sadiya umar

Lol you guyz are the ones claiming everyone... to you any person that's beautiful or great you immediately claim him.. and for those guyz I know them I think he is a hausa singer naziru the other girl is also an actress

What of does guyz singing in the video are they not hausa? But you fail to state they are hausa..but you just post a picture fr Google which has no authenticity

Whether mixed or not mixed we are just hausa..

And second picture you post are not fulani.. those are hausa's although mixed ... fulaman why do you like fancying on pictures of some too dark hausas you said are pure who are just a small percentage of larger hausa people.. average hausa looks like dangote, president issoufou of niger republic etc.. I dont know where you get that idea of full blooded hausa resemble nilotic.. am hausa person but I dont fall to that criteria..maybe you should give me example of any famous hausa not just some google pictures you post here