₦airaland Forum

I think both fulbe and hausa are great people from great civilizations not to be making it a one sided story given all credit to fulbe even when many are hausa

And no danfodio main reason was reform islam and root out curruption among hausa kings.. danfodio came to us as a muslim before being fulbe

But mind you I have nothing against fula is just that when stating facts we must say it correctly.. which I maintain there is minimal contribution by fula to civilization if northern nigeria.. and also fulbe didnt islamize any major west african tribe... n

Lol I mean the people you guys made muslim... when you are talking of different practice of islam between hausas.. what would you say about the fulbe from guinea and senegal? I think those guyz from this countries are the worst...

And then why must fula greatness be in hausaland.. if they truly great it would be from guinea.. not hausaland which is already great, with rich history,administrative system before fulani came.. you know what even the British used our hausa mode of government

Lol hausa were one of the first set of westafricans to become muslim.. lol and there is this kind of lie people due think fulbe people spread islam in west africa.. and then I asked my self how.. which major ethnic did fula make muslims? Not small one.. if there is anyone to take credit of islam in west Africa .. it would be the mali people the wangara merchants

Fulaman198:
My opinion is that every culture in the North has influenced one another due to mixing heritages and blood lines. That is actually fact and can't be denied.
The fact that the Hausa "Sarakuna" equivalent to the Fulfulde term of "Lambe" are all Fulani by blood should tell people something.
If there was no Fulani influence in the North, there would obviously be a much more widespread Hausa Boori subculture. That's why Kaura's statement is outlandish.
She is correct however that the Hausa were Muslims long before Fulbe (Fulani) came to Nigeria. However, to say that the North has no Fulani influence when the Sokoto Caliphate is one of the greatest Fulani accomplishments of all time is ridiculous.

lol you didnt answer my question... the greatest thing the fulani did is conquering hausa using islam reformation as a measure.. they have no hand in that civilization.. if there is any you can list... and also why would bori be widespread when the first jihad in northern nigeria against the tsumburburq bori cult was a hausa by hausa king sarki kaneneji... lol hausa have great empire's before you did.. queen amina conquered most of the areas of sokoto caliphate and guess what she made her empire to reach the sea shores which danfodio cant.. without hiding behind religion queen amina conquered as hausa before muslim... why danfodio came to us as a muslim reformer.. between them you can know who is great

I hate it when people say hausa-fulani it means like we are one people with same civilization.. when in reality most of the culture,the architecture,the cities,the emirate administration systems, the music the everything are hausa.. fulani didnt contribute to any civilization in northern nigeria..we already have one of the best civilizations, oldest cities in africa, we are already muslims before they came etc

absoluteSuccess:
Wow, I wish we realize she might have donated the name 'Amina' to world history. I know that's the name of the mother of the prophet of Islam. Moreso, God bless anyone that will investigate and establish the conviction that she might be one and the same as Queen Daura. God bless Hausaland and her great people.

oh yeah her story is so fascinating.. do you know that queen amina is the main inspiration behind the tv series xena the warrior princess

The great queen amina of the hausa people

In 1576 she became the undisputed ruler of Zazzau. Distinguished as a soldier and an empire builder, she led campaigns within months of becoming ruler. She built walled forts as area garrisons to consolidate the territory conquered after each campaign. Some of these forts still stand today. She is credited with popularising the earthen city wall fortifications, which became characteristic of all Hausa city-states since then. Towns grew within these protective walls, many of which are still in existence called "ganuwar Amina", or Amina's walls. Amina subdued the whole area between Zazzau and the Niger and Benue rivers, absorbing the Nupe and Kwararafa (kororofa) states ,a Jukun Kingdom. Under her remarkable leadership, Zaria became the most powerful state in Hausaland. Eventually her holdings stretched down to the sea. The Kano Chronicle, an important Hausa history, speaks of her with great respect: "At this time Zaria under Queen Amina conquered every all the towns.... Every town paid her tribute. The Sarkin Nupe [i.e. king of Nupe] sent her forty eunuchs and ten thousand kolas to her. She was the first to have eunuchs and kolas in the Hausaland. Her conquest extended to over 34 years." The kola nut, which she introduced, is one of the great luxuries of Western Sudan; it is prized for its bitter taste, slightly aphrodisiac properties, and its ability to quench thirst.

In her time all the products of the west came to Hausaland. The southern expansion provided large supplies of slave labour. Moreover, Zazzau came to control the trade route from Gwanja and began to benefit from the trade previously enjoyed only by Kano and Katsina, two other Hausa city-states. Amina's achievement was the closest that any ruler had come in bringing the region now known as Nigeria under a single authority."
Queen Amina never married though she had men in her life. After Amina`s death, her sister Zaria succeeded to the throne, but Zaria, the kingdom, soon faded from history as a great West African power. Amina is remembered today as “Amina, Yar Bakwa ta san rana,” meaning “Amina, daughter of Nikatau, a woman as capable as a man.”
A statue at the National Arts Theatre in Lagos State honors her, and multiple educational institutions bear her name

Public sculpture of the warrior Queen Amina in Nigeria

source:http://www.whenweruled.com/articles.php?lng=en&pg=11

QUEEN AMINA: WEST AFRICAN WARRIOR-QUEEN, THE GREATEST CONQUEROR OF THE NIGERIAN REGION AND ITS GREATEST MILITARY ARCHITECT
Queen Amina of Hausaland (ruled 1576-1610 AD) was a Hausa Muslim Warrior Queen of Zazzau (now Zaria) and a brilliant military strategist she fought many wars and won them all. Amina is credited with building the famous Zaria wall.

Queen Amina, the greatest military strategist, warrior queen and a nation builder. Courtesy anheuser-busch

The preeminent Princess (gimbiya) Amina of the Hausa city state of Zazzau was born around 1533. The Arabic female name Amina means truthful, trustworthy and honest. One source postulates that Amina was a daughter of Queen Bakwa Turunku, who founded the city of Zaria, West Africa, in 1536. It must be noted that the seven original states of Hausaland were Katsina, Daura, Kano, Zazzau, Gobir, Rano, and Garun Gabas cover an area of approximately 500 square miles and comprise the heart of Hausaland. In the sixteenth century, Queen Bakwa Turunku built the capital of Zazzau at Zaria, named after her younger daughter. Eventually, the entire state of Zazzau was renamed Zaria, which is now a province in present-day Nigeria.
However it was her elder daughter, the legendary Amina (or Aminatu), who inherited her mother's warlike nature. Amina was 16 years old when her mother became queen and she was given the traditional title of magajiya ( the heir apparent) in 1549. With the title came responsibility for a ward in the city where she convened daily councils with other officials. She also began training in the cavalry.
Queen 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 him in the morning following their night together.

The seven original states of Hausaland: Katsina, Daura, Kano, Zazzau, Gobir, Rano, and Garun Gabas cover an area of approximately 500 square miles and comprise the heart of Hausaland. In the sixteenth century, Queen Bakwa Turunku built the capital of Zazzau at Zaria, named after her younger daughter. Eventually, the entire state of Zazzau was renamed Zaria, which is now a province in present-day Nigeria.

However it was her elder daughter, the legendary Amina (or Aminatu), who inherited her mother's warlike nature. Amina was 16 years old when her mother became queen and she was given the traditional title of magajiya. She honed her military skills and became famous for her bravery and military exploits, as she is celebrated in song as "Amina daughter of Nikatau, a woman as capable as a man."

Amina is credited as the architect who created the strong earthen walls around the city, which was the prototype for the fortifications used in all Hausa states. She built many of these fortifications, which became known as ganuwar Amina or Amina's walls, around various conquered cities.

The objectives of her conquests were twofold: extension of Zazzau beyond its primary borders and reducing the conquered cities to vassal status. Sultan Muhammad Bello of Sokoto stated that, "She made war upon these countries and overcame them entirely so that the people of Katsina paid tribute to her and the men of Kano [and]... also made war on cities of Bauchi till her kingdom reached to the sea in the south and the west." Likewise, she led her armies as far as Nupe and, according to the Kano Chronicle, "The Sarkin Nupe sent her [the princess] 40 eunuchs and 10,000 kola nuts. She was the first in Hausaland to own eunuchs and kola nuts."

Amina was a preeminent gimbiya (princess) but various theories exist as to the time of her reign or if she ever was a queen. One explanation states that she reigned from approximately 1536 to 1573, while another posits that she became queen after her brother Karama's death, in 1576. Yet another claims that although she was a leading princess, she was never a queen.

Despite the discrepancies, over a 34-year period, her many conquests and subsequent annexation of the territories extended the borders of Zaria, which also grew in importance and became the center of the North-South Saharan trade and the East-West Sudan trade.
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Books

General History of Africa, Vol. IV: Africa from the Twelfth to Sixteenth Century, UNESCO. University of California Press, 1986.
Buy it in hardcover: Amazon.com | Amazon.ca
Buy it in paperback: Amazon.com | Amazon.ca

A Short History of West Africa: A.D. 1000 to the Present, T.A. Osae, S.N. Nwabara and A.T.O. Odunsi, Hill and Wang, 1973.
Buy it in hardcover: Amazon.com

The Story of Nigeria, Michael Crowder. Faber and Faber, 1962.
Buy it in hardcover: Amazon.com
Buy it in paperback: Amazon.com

West Africa Before the Colonial Era: A History to 1850, Basil Davidson. Addison-Wesley, 1998.
Buy it in hardcover: Amazon.com | Amazon.ca
Buy it in paperback: Amazon.com | Amazon.ca

Women Leaders in African History, David Sweetman. General Publishing Company, Limited, 1984.
Buy it in paperback: Amazon.com

Search for 'Queen Amina' on Amazon.com or Amazon.ca.
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Links

BBC World Service's The Story of Africa: West African Kingdoms

Recording West Africa's Visible Archeology: Hausaland Walled Cities and Towns
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Visit Art.com
Copyright © 1996-2008 5x5 Media and African Images. All rights reserved.

Even our great queen amina use horse to conquer

The first ones are known as yan lifidda.. they are emirs guards

Horse is very dear to hausa people.. it is a status of nobility and high class in hausa society

Pictures of hawan sallah

Even before that hausa have developed an equestrian based culture which is still a status of nobility and high status in hausa society

The hawan sallah was started by sarkin kano muhammadu rumfa in the 14th century

The Emir of Katsina, Alhaji Abdulmumini Kabir Usman, enters the parade ground under a huge parasol, surrounded by a splendid entourage of indigo turbaned horsemen, guards bedecked with ostrich feathers, camels and servants in brightly-colored robes.


Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero

Over millennia, a tribe or a nation, proudly displayed military might by organized parades. In Mamluk Egypt, ceremonial processions and parades showcased the military’s training and displayed their horsemanship and preparedness for war. “Mamluks reminded the whole population of Mamluk utility and ferocity by continually training in military skills, publicly practicing horsemanship (polo), and parading in disciplined regiments behind the sultan, who was shielded by a gold-embroidered yellow umbrella…” (Urbain Vermeulen, D. De Smet, J. van Steenbergen. Egypt and Syria in the Fatimid, Ayyubid, and Mamluk Eras.). Cultural, religious and military traditions moved into Northern Nigeria along the trans-Saharan trade route.

(Click here for history of the Royal Umbrella.)

In the long history of a military parade, the origin of the word, durbar, comes from Urdu, darbār, (dar meaning door and bār meaning entry or audience.) In Nigeria, the Durbar dates back 200 years when horses were used in warfare to protect the Emirate. Each noble household was expected to defend the Emirate by forming a regiment. Once a year, the regiments would gather for a military parade to demonstrate allegiance to the Fulani ruler, by showcasing their horsemanship, readiness for war, and loyalty.


The Durbar celebrates special occasions such as the Muslim festivals or Sallah (from the Arabic word, Salat, meaning prayer) to honor visiting Heads of State, government officials, and installation of new emirs.

I am in Northern Nigeria, with the Nigerian Field Society and organizer Paulette Van Trier, to witness the Katsina and Kano Durbar Festivals. Tied to the lunar calendar, the Durbar is celebrated at the end of Ramadan, Eid el-Fitr, and at the start of the pilgrimage to Mecca, Eid el-Kabir. My journey begins as the Hausa guide explains his name, Danjuma, born on a Friday; his English name, Friday; his Muslim name, Essa. I marvel at three distinct identities that reflect the heterogeneous nature of Nigeria.

We travel by bus to Katsina, 200 kilometers northwest of Kano. The bus enters the Palace gates and we climb stairs to the covered reviewing stands that overlooks a sandy parade field. People and food vendors begin to gather. The Nigerian National Anthem plays loudly and the crowds grows silent and still. On the last note, everyone jostles for first row position. The procession starts with groups of horses lead by noble households and district heads. Horse and riders circle the grounds counter clockwise, passing to pay respect to the dignitaries.


“Ranka ya Dede”, the horsemen shout. The right arm bent at the elbow and raised with fist and thumb directed toward the sky, “May you live long”! Their greeting is in Hausa to honor both elders and royals. The Durbar is a ‘men-only’ event. Turbans with one ‘ear’ or two denote royal lineage.

The procession is strictly men only dressed in magnificent turbans many with one ‘ear’ or two sticking out denoting their royal linage. Young and old participate to insure that tradition is observed through generations. All approach the viewing stands raising their fist and shout “Ranka ya Dede”, proudly proceeding to line the sides of the parade ground. Rhythms of the talking and traditional drums fill the air with the shrill of trumpeters and fluters. Acrobats flip and catch one another, musicians, warriors riding brightly armored horses make their way to assemble along the parade grounds. When hundreds of horsemen are on the parade grounds, the Emir’s procession begins down the center, including his guards, his sons, riderless horses for his wives, and camels. Finally, the Emir himself rides among his guards and servants amidst the shooting of flintlock muskets. The Emir is immediately recognized, veiled and clad in white with a huge fanning parasol lifts up and down over him. After he pays respect to the governor, the horse regiments race up to the Emir at a gallop to demonstrate their courage, agility, and respect. The Emir gives an Eid el-Kabir address to the crowd’s approval.

Durbar! – Nigerian Style
Roaring muskets flash salutes as thousands of warrior horsemen race onto a dusty parade ground in front of the Emir’s palace marking the start the annual Durbar festivals in Northwestern Nigeria. Horseman clad in colorful robes, indigo turbans, ostrich feathers and glistening swords honor their Emir who enters the parade shielded from the sun by a massive twirling parasol.

It is the season for the Durbar!

In the northern reaches of Nigeria lies two cities, Kano and Katsina, both famous for Durbar festivals. Kano is the oldest city in West Africa settled over 1000 years ago by the Hausa people. Today, it is the second largest city in Nigeria. The old city of Kano is surrounded by a massive 11th century mud-brick wall that extends 17.7 kilometers. The wall still stands and must be navigated by a series of sixteen gates. Not to be outdone, Katsina is surrounded by 21 kilometers of a mud-brick wall and is Nigeria’s northernmost city. Both cities are predominantly Muslim, comprised mainly from Fulani and Hausa ethnic groups.


One of the sixteen, mud-brick gates that surrounds the old town of Kano

Often we think that goods and ideas travelled one-way into Africa and overlook the fact that the ancient trade routes were a two-way street. Camel caravans carried luxurious and rare commodities in both directions along the trans-Saharan trade route creating a thirst for highly prizes items and curiosity for new beliefs. Out of Africa, went indigo, gold, ivory, kola nuts, cowry shells, salt, and ostrich feathers. From Timbuktu, Katsina and Kano were the crossroads of trade with flourishing markets. Arab traders brought Islam. The Hausa and Fulani groups converted to Islam in the eleventh century and remained under Hausa leadership until 1804 when the area was engulfed in bloody wars and fell to the conquering Fulani armies under the Islamic reformist, Usman Dan Fodio.

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Inside Africa

Nigeria's 500-year-old dye tradition under threat
From Christian Purefoy, CNN
November 26, 2010 -- Updated 1039 GMT (1839 HKT)

Click to play
Fabric dyeing in northern Nigeria
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Kano is said to be home to the oldest dye pits in Africa, dating back to 1498
Indigo, potassium and ash are mixed with water to produce a deep blue dye
The tradition is under threat from cheap fabric imports from abroad
Kano, Nigeria (CNN) -- Residents of Kano in Nigeria are struggling to keep alive their centuries-old tradition of hand-dying delicate cloth a deep indigo blue, with their trade under threat from the realities of modern commerce.
Kano's pits are said to date back 500 years and were once the center of a bustling Saharan trade in dyed cloth.
There are still over 120 pits in Kano but only 30 of them are functioning. Many of them have been filled in, often because families have moved on to other businesses, but sometimes because they're waiting for their children to grown up, dig out the pit and reclaim their tradition.
Sixty-five-year-old Yusuf Abdu has worked in the dye pits since he was a boy. The pits are family owned and Abdu has trained his 21-year-old son to continue the tradition, but such dedication is rare.
Gallery: Nigeria's dye pits
"A lot of our elders have died, so we are calling our families to come back and embrace the work again," said Abdu, who is hoping his son will pass on the knowledge to another generation.
Indigo, potassium and ash are mixed with water in the pits, and then the cloth soaked for up to six hours. The longer it's soaked, the deeper the color.
"We are using the same ways dyers used when the pits began in 1498," explained Abdu.
A lot of our elders have died, so we are calling our families to come back and embrace the work again
--Yusuf Abdu, dye pit worker
RELATED TOPICS
Nigeria
Culture and Lifestyle
Trade
"We cannot use modern methods because that will change our tradition."
Methods of ironing the cloth are just as traditional; material is beaten with a mallet to remove creases. But these ancient production lines are now being hammered by competition from cheaper foreign fabrics and the rising costs of energy and materials at home.
"There have been a lot of changes. Materials that once cost $10 now cost $40," said Abdu.
Despite its rich history, regional demand for the dyed wares has fallen as fashions have changed, so the dyers are looking to tourists as potential buyers.
Abdu hopes that with their custom the dye trade will continue, as it has for centuries, and that one day his son will be passing on the traditional techniques to his grandson.

It is the same blue indigo turban produce by hausa traders in ancient city of kano that serves as trade mark for trans saharan trade.. and made it popular all over the sahel

Alasho is an indigenous Hausa long turban, worn across the head and. neck. It is near identical in length, colour and dimensions to that of the Tuareg tagelmust, but is wrapped differently to the Tuareg method, leaving the sides of the head and some of the lower neck free. A similar style turban is worn by Songhai men, known as 'fatalaa' in Zarma.

Once common throughout Hausa society as common male clothing, today it only survives when used for important occasions or ceremonies, rite of passage rituals to the adult age, marriage or in the inauguration of a social leader. The Alasho veil has traditionally been manufactured in Kano, and was sold to Tuareg and Songhay clients and traders.

Queen amina of zazzau on horseback

Sorry to say fulbe didn't came to nigeria on horseback they came in as pastoralist and settle in nigeria..even danfodio was born in nigeria.. hope you know hausa people main occupation are great merchant's engaging in trading with caravans hence that explains their relationship with horses... the horse is to hausa what the cattle is to fulbe

Horse riding is part of hausa culture from niger republic to nigeria... we even have important titles for slaves who are in charge of horses known as shamaki.. but nowadays shamaki is in charge of both the cars and horses of the Emirates

Fulaman the horse riding is also part of hausa culture.. sorry to say the one we have in nigeria is from hausa culture which we practice since before the coming of fulbe to nigeria.. hawan daushe has a history dating back to 14th century it has no fulbe influence

Fulaman198:
Horse riding has always been a part of Fulbe culture as it is done everywhere in Fulbe lands (How do you think Fulani came to Nigeria):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjZDS81OGcw
The Hausa system in Nigeria has been heavily influenced by the Fulbe. Sorry to say that.

Fulaman why is it that your people in nigeria like copying hausa culture in nigeria.. from the traditional hausa horse riding eg hawan daushe, . to organize hausa administration system in using hausa titles such as turaki,wambai,waziri etc, hausa architecture eg tubali architecture, hausa food and most importantly hausa language.. heck even danfodio use hausa administration system which is one of the best I have seen..why is it so?

Issoufou is nt zarma, kanuri or any other tribe.. he is pure hausa

Mixed with who? Why would you think in the first place he is not hausa... when we all know he is proud hausa

ScreledrusMortm:
The question is how pure is he? I'm starting to think the nigeriEns I meet everyday aren't Hausas but zarmas, which would explain why they speak another Second language. And I thought the hausa population in Niger would be more than that.

l