The Need for the Reform of Succession Laws of Emirates in Hausaland
The Hausa and Fulani have been living together for centuries long before Danfodio, the religious reformer that led the Fulani Jihad of 1804 in Hausaland, was born. The relationship between the Hausa and the Fulani passed through three distinct phases over time
(i) Before the Jihad when the relationship was that of ‘host’ and ‘guest-cum-subject’. It should be noted that Danfodio was born and bred in Hausaland.
(ii) During the Jihad the relationship became that between ‘Amir’ (Amir is Arabic for leader, also known as Emir in English, the title by which traditional rulers across the Sokoto Caliphate are known today) and Jama’ah (adopted by Danfodio to qualify his followers), where the Fulani was leader and both Hausa and Fulani people are followers.
(iii) After the Jihad, the relationship became that of a King (Hausa: sing. Sarki; plural Sarakuna) and subjects (Hausa: talakawa). It was at the beginning of the third phase that the Hausa people realised, a bit too late, after the dust of the Jihad had finally settled, that they have been hoodwinked. They had traded their Hausa masters with a new set of Fulani masters!
Hausaland has been under the rule of Fulani Emirs since the Sokoto Jihad of 1804. The Hausa people watched as the powers of the Fulani emirs diminished from absolute power to the merely ceremonial status today.
In recent years we started witnessing a disturbing phenomenon. Whenever a new emir is appointed in Hausaland, the emphasis will be on his Fulani identity, not even Islam, the utility vehicle upon which the Fulani rode to power in Hausaland. You hear or read interesting statements like ‘the 14th Fulani Emir of Kano’ or ‘the 19th Fulani Emir of Zazzau’!
Zazzau and Kano are parts of Hausaland! Why call a new emir of, say, Zazzau as the xth Fulani emir of Zazzau? Why not simply new emir of Zazzau? Why the emphasis on the fulaniness of an Emir in Hausaland where the bulk of the people are Hausa?
This recent unfortunate development has some consequences.
First, it introduces tribal identity into an emirate system that is based on Islam thereby not only dividing the emirates along tribal lines but also conferring on the average Fulani, a false sense of superiority and entitlement over the average Hausa in Hausaland.
Second, it puts to question the legitimacy of an emir whose key qualification for the throne of an Islamic emirate is his accident of birth.
Third, it makes the Hausa people, who supported the Fulani Jihadist against their old kings, to loss their sense of belonging and identity with the emirates in spite of the sacrifices of their fathers.
This emerging trend of publicly and officially attributing fulaniness to the person and office of emirs in Hausaland grossly undermine the pride, confidence and self-esteem of the average Hausa person. The Hausa is now seeing himself as an orphan, belonging to the lowest caste, in Hausaland. Something has to be done to restore and boost the dignity, pride and confidence of the Hausa person in Hausaland.
Danfodio’s decision to appoint Fulani Emirs in ‘jihadified’ Hausaland, in spite of the abundance of Hausa people versed in Islamic religion even among his followers and disciples, people like the famous Malam Abdulsalami, followed by the transformation of Amirship to Monarchy by his son Sultan Muhammadu Bello, led to the establishment of Fulani monarchical dynasties across Hausaland which, consequently, ensures that Hausaland remain under Fulani rule!
These monarchical dynasties that confers hereditary dignity on the Fulani in Hausaland and beyond, were later supported, consolidated and sustained by both the British colonial policy of indirect rule and Nigeria’s post-colonial governments, thereby giving traditional institutions in Nigeria in general, and in Hausaland in particular, a seal of permanency!
No people or tribe will like to live permanently under the rule of another people or tribe, even if the rule is merely ceremonial, no matter how magnanimous and generous the ruling tribe is.
Over the years, new traditional chiefdoms and emirates were created across the country, and within the caliphate, since the coming of the Whiteman and Nigeria’s Independence. Smaller tribes and ethnic groups, much smaller compared to Hausa, are now enjoying traditional self-rule and determination while the Hausa, one of the largest tribes, remain under Fulani Emirs.
Take for instance, the present day Kaduna State, which had, at the time of British conquest, only Zazzau and its three vassals states, it now has 32 independent Chiefdoms out of which 10 are of first class status! Almost each tribe, no matter how small has its chiefdom.
For how long will Hausa traditional institutions remain exclusively under the Fulani?
Though the Hausa cannot seek for separate Chiefdoms from the Fulani, he can, and should be allowed to, aspire to the position of Emir in the Emirates within Hausaland!
The way forward is to reform the succession laws for all thrones in the emirates across Hausaland in such a way that descendants of the old Hausa kings can also contest, and be selected, alongside the descendants of the jihadists on a level playing ground. The old Hausa kings were Muslims. Their descendants are Muslims, and can compete with the descendants of the Jihadist in any field of Islamic scholarship.
To this end I wish to recommend the Zazzau Model for its utility and practicability. Zazzau has 4 Ruling Houses: Malian Fulani, Katsina Fulani, Borno Fulani and the Sullubawa Fulani. Whenever, the throne of Zazzau is declared vacant, eligible princes from each of the 4 ruling houses are free to contest. To these 4 ruling houses, in Zazzau for example, we can add a fifth one, the Hausa House.
However, the Zazzau model suggested for Hausaland with descendants of old Hausa Kings included, should not include the Sultanate in Sokoto and the Emirate of Gwandu. These two emirates should remain permanently and exclusively to the heirs of Shehu and Abdullahi respectively.
That notwithstanding, in Sokoto State, the position of Sarkin Gobir of Sabon Birni should be upgraded to a first class Emirate.
We are in a democracy. The beauty of democracy is that it allows people to take their destiny in their hands and decides for themselves.
The good news is that traditional institutions are yet to have a place in our constitution, therefore the issue of revisiting the succession laws in the emirates of Hausaland is exclusively within the purview of the respective state governments, and does not require constitutional amendments.
I am therefore, using this opportunity in calling on the Hausa and the friends of Hausa, especially the Fulani, in the respective states, as well as well-meaning Nigerians everywhere, to help support this struggle for the restoration of the pride, dignity, independence, identity and self-determination of the Hausa in Hausaland by pushing forward this agenda to its logical conclusion in the interest of fairness and equity.
I am sure this is not too much a price for the Hausa to ask of his compatriots. As the dog in Achebe’s Things Fall Apart said “If I fall down for you and you fall down for me, it is play”. Yes, it is play, for the Hausa is a friend to all Nigerians.
Aliyu Ammani 24/02/21
PS: this is an abridged version of a 3000+ word work in progress.
https://www.facebook.com/gadanga.dankasawa/posts/1321911731503362

Their problem

Doesn't concern us. If Hausa like let them be Gardners in their fathers house. It's their problem. Freedom is not for everybody

TrueNigerian300:
The Need for the Reform of Succession Laws of Emirates in Hausaland
The Hausa and Fulani have been living together for centuries long before Danfodio, the religious reformer that led the Fulani Jihad of 1804 in Hausaland, was born. The relationship between the Hausa and the Fulani passed through three distinct phases over time
(i) Before the Jihad when the relationship was that of ‘host’ and ‘guest-cum-subject’. It should be noted that Danfodio was born and bred in Hausaland.
(ii) During the Jihad the relationship became that between ‘Amir’ (Amir is Arabic for leader, also known as Emir in English, the title by which traditional rulers across the Sokoto Caliphate are known today) and Jama’ah (adopted by Danfodio to qualify his followers), where the Fulani was leader and both Hausa and Fulani people are followers.
(iii) After the Jihad, the relationship became that of a King (Hausa: sing. Sarki; plural Sarakuna) and subjects (Hausa: talakawa). It was at the beginning of the third phase that the Hausa people realised, a bit too late, after the dust of the Jihad had finally settled, that they have been hoodwinked. They had traded their Hausa masters with a new set of Fulani masters!
Hausaland has been under the rule of Fulani Emirs since the Sokoto Jihad of 1804. The Hausa people watched as the powers of the Fulani emirs diminished from absolute power to the merely ceremonial status today.
In recent years we started witnessing a disturbing phenomenon. Whenever a new emir is appointed in Hausaland, the emphasis will be on his Fulani identity, not even Islam, the utility vehicle upon which the Fulani rode to power in Hausaland. You hear or read interesting statements like ‘the 14th Fulani Emir of Kano’ or ‘the 19th Fulani Emir of Zazzau’!
Zazzau and Kano are parts of Hausaland! Why call a new emir of, say, Zazzau as the xth Fulani emir of Zazzau? Why not simply new emir of Zazzau? Why the emphasis on the fulaniness of an Emir in Hausaland where the bulk of the people are Hausa?
This recent unfortunate development has some consequences.
First, it introduces tribal identity into an emirate system that is based on Islam thereby not only dividing the emirates along tribal lines but also conferring on the average Fulani, a false sense of superiority and entitlement over the average Hausa in Hausaland.
Second, it puts to question the legitimacy of an emir whose key qualification for the throne of an Islamic emirate is his accident of birth.
Third, it makes the Hausa people, who supported the Fulani Jihadist against their old kings, to loss their sense of belonging and identity with the emirates in spite of the sacrifices of their fathers.
This emerging trend of publicly and officially attributing fulaniness to the person and office of emirs in Hausaland grossly undermine the pride, confidence and self-esteem of the average Hausa person. The Hausa is now seeing himself as an orphan, belonging to the lowest caste, in Hausaland. Something has to be done to restore and boost the dignity, pride and confidence of the Hausa person in Hausaland.
Danfodio’s decision to appoint Fulani Emirs in ‘jihadified’ Hausaland, in spite of the abundance of Hausa people versed in Islamic religion even among his followers and disciples, people like the famous Malam Abdulsalami, followed by the transformation of Amirship to Monarchy by his son Sultan Muhammadu Bello, led to the establishment of Fulani monarchical dynasties across Hausaland which, consequently, ensures that Hausaland remain under Fulani rule!
These monarchical dynasties that confers hereditary dignity on the Fulani in Hausaland and beyond, were later supported, consolidated and sustained by both the British colonial policy of indirect rule and Nigeria’s post-colonial governments, thereby giving traditional institutions in Nigeria in general, and in Hausaland in particular, a seal of permanency!
No people or tribe will like to live permanently under the rule of another people or tribe, even if the rule is merely ceremonial, no matter how magnanimous and generous the ruling tribe is.
Over the years, new traditional chiefdoms and emirates were created across the country, and within the caliphate, since the coming of the Whiteman and Nigeria’s Independence. Smaller tribes and ethnic groups, much smaller compared to Hausa, are now enjoying traditional self-rule and determination while the Hausa, one of the largest tribes, remain under Fulani Emirs.
Take for instance, the present day Kaduna State, which had, at the time of British conquest, only Zazzau and its three vassals states, it now has 32 independent Chiefdoms out of which 10 are of first class status! Almost each tribe, no matter how small has its chiefdom.
For how long will Hausa traditional institutions remain exclusively under the Fulani?
Though the Hausa cannot seek for separate Chiefdoms from the Fulani, he can, and should be allowed to, aspire to the position of Emir in the Emirates within Hausaland!
The way forward is to reform the succession laws for all thrones in the emirates across Hausaland in such a way that descendants of the old Hausa kings can also contest, and be selected, alongside the descendants of the jihadists on a level playing ground. The old Hausa kings were Muslims. Their descendants are Muslims, and can compete with the descendants of the Jihadist in any field of Islamic scholarship.
To this end I wish to recommend the Zazzau Model for its utility and practicability. Zazzau has 4 Ruling Houses: Malian Fulani, Katsina Fulani, Borno Fulani and the Sullubawa Fulani. Whenever, the throne of Zazzau is declared vacant, eligible princes from each of the 4 ruling houses are free to contest. To these 4 ruling houses, in Zazzau for example, we can add a fifth one, the Hausa House.
However, the Zazzau model suggested for Hausaland with descendants of old Hausa Kings included, should not include the Sultanate in Sokoto and the Emirate of Gwandu. These two emirates should remain permanently and exclusively to the heirs of Shehu and Abdullahi respectively.
That notwithstanding, in Sokoto State, the position of Sarkin Gobir of Sabon Birni should be upgraded to a first class Emirate.
We are in a democracy. The beauty of democracy is that it allows people to take their destiny in their hands and decides for themselves.
The good news is that traditional institutions are yet to have a place in our constitution, therefore the issue of revisiting the succession laws in the emirates of Hausaland is exclusively within the purview of the respective state governments, and does not require constitutional amendments.
I am therefore, using this opportunity in calling on the Hausa and the friends of Hausa, especially the Fulani, in the respective states, as well as well-meaning Nigerians everywhere, to help support this struggle for the restoration of the pride, dignity, independence, identity and self-determination of the Hausa in Hausaland by pushing forward this agenda to its logical conclusion in the interest of fairness and equity.
I am sure this is not too much a price for the Hausa to ask of his compatriots. As the dog in Achebe’s Things Fall Apart said “If I fall down for you and you fall down for me, it is play”. Yes, it is play, for the Hausa is a friend to all Nigerians.
Aliyu Ammani 24/02/21
PS: this is an abridged version of a 3000+ word work in progress.
https://www.facebook.com/gadanga.dankasawa/posts/1321911731503362

The Fulanis have always have the taught that they will always get away with their lies and fool the Hausas for eternity. But it is just a matter of time before their lies consume them, there is no such thing as Hausa-Fulani but deception and hypocrisy. You are either Hausa or Fulani particularly in African context where you belong to the tribe of your father. Now, they tell hausa people that they are one but people like Sanusi, E-Rufai, Sultan etc are quick to tell how proud they are as Fulanis at every opportunity. They are rubbishing the dignity of the hausas the real ones not bastards whenever they say that. Every race and tribe has right to self dignity and self esteem and those kind of attitudes among the fulani rulers only kill the pride and dignity of the hausas. You are probably less than 20% of each of the hausa states you control and telling them how proud fulani you are is like calling them fools.

What Dan Fodio did should not be acceptable anywhere in the world, he never won the war in hausaland by bravery but treachery. He was able to convinced the hausas against their leaders and have his ways. The hausas never saw anything wrong in making him their leader since he was a muslim and religion come first before any other things for muslims. But where they made the mistake was not questioning his actions of appointing fulani rulers everywhere in hausaland. Dan Fodio didn't bring Islam to hausaland and there are hausa islamic scholars as well, how come he found none of them good enough

The biggest losers if Nigeria disintegrate are the Fulanis, people naturally like to point fingers when things are not working their ways we can see this all over the country. Yorubas are saying other tribes are the reason they are not progressing, Ibo same things and others as well. Now hausas have been made to believe that their interests with that of Fulanis are same else they will blame others except fulanis for their problems. If Nigeria should disintegrate hausas will now have to point finger at the fulanis and Ijebu yoruba will point finger at Ekiti same for the Igbo.

With education many hausas are waking up and the fulani leadership over their land is not sustainable anymore. The reason why you all see Fulanis from other african countries is because the Fulanis want to solidify their presence in Nigeria particularly in hausaland since they are minority. The truth is many edcuated and the uneducated hausas are not happy with the status of leardership in their land. How can you say you are one and all emirs and almost all political posts are held by the fulanis and they are the minority in your land.

I hope the fulanis are wise enough to see the hand-writing on the wall.

Which hausa? Hausa have seen themselves as fulani slaves. They will even boastfully tell you "Hausa is fulani, fulani is hausa" they are blood brothers.

You guys dont know what you are talking about.. Havent you seen hausa leaders coming out to defend herdsmen

lol

Funny,are you saying that we still have Hausas in this country?