A History of the Hausa people

What up African world it's Home Team here and I'm back at it with another video of African History, Culture, and Worldview and welcome back to my series A Closer Look and today we're going to take a closer look at the House of People. And as always if you want to support the home team you can do so on patreon.com. Also go to afrographics.com website where you can find helpful illustrative infographics on African history. All the basic information you need is neatly compiled for you there. It's a really good resource and introduction to African history for beginners. The link to Patreon and Afrographics is in the description box below. The Hausa are no doubt one of the largest ethnic groups in Africa. Their history is interesting because even though at times they mixed in with their neighbors, they always seem to maintain their cultural identity. The Hausa tend to expand and assimilate outsiders, thus simultaneously creating diversity and a culturally homogenous group. The Hausa are located in many countries, but they primarily inhabit southern Niger and northern Nigeria, numbering around 70 million people. They also have significant populations in Cameroon, Ghana, the Central African Republic, and many more. The Hausa language is considered an Afro-Asiatic language of the Chadic group. Even though the Hausa are a patrilineal group of Africans, one of their most prominent cultural heroes is actually a woman, known today as Queen Amina. The Hausa have a very detailed and elaborate oral tradition that speaks on the founding of their city-states. The Hausa peoples of Nigeria and Niger Republic commonly regard the legendary character Bayajida as founder of the Hausa states. Different traditions note that Bayajida was the son of King Abdu'l-Khali and was a prince of Baghdad, capital of Iraq. When Queen Zidam, also known as Zegawa, conquered Baghdad, Bayajida fled Iraq with a large number of followers. They traveled through the Sahara Desert and arrived at Kanem-Burnu, an already well-developed state. Once he arrived in Burnu, many of the traditions claim that he was well-received. A few claim that the reception was not a positive one. One of the accounts notes that the people of Kanem-Burnu feared Bayajida because of the large numbers of his men. In yet another version, he is said to have planned to overthrow the Burnu king. In this particular account, the Burnu king received word of this plan and consulted with his chiefs. The chiefs advised the king to deal diplomatically with Bayajida, owing to the sheer size and war-readiness of his men. In order to win Bayajida's loyalty, the king invited him to the palace and offered his only daughter, Magaram, also known as Magira, to Bayajida in marriage. However, according to another version that mentions his marriage to Magaram, Bayajida was well-received in Burnu and was said to be very popular among the populace. The king grew envious of Bayajida's popularity and plotted against him. Bayajida's wife learned of the plot and advised Bayajida to leave Burnu. Traditions note that soon after Bayajida, his wife and slave, settled at Garun-Gabas, he left for Dara. Stopping briefly at Gava near Kano, a local blacksmith made him a sword. Bayajida finally arrived at Dara, the modern-day Katsina state. Thirsty and tired, he stopped at a house and pleaded for water to quench his thirst. He was bewildered when the old woman of the house informed him of the predicament the town faced with their only source of water. A mystical snake called Sarkin, meaning king, inhabited the major spring where the community obtained its water. The entire community was allowed to draw water from the spring only once in a week, armed only with his sword, Bayajida made for the spring where he fought and killed the snake. After drinking to its heart's desire, he returned to the woman's house with the snake's head in his bag. Because of this heroic deed, Magajiva Durama, the queen and ruler of Dara, offered Bayajida half of Dara kingdom. However, Bayajida refused, preferring to marry Dararama instead. Dara tradition, however, forbade the queen to engage in intercourse or to get married. The queen gave him her female slave Bagwariya as a wife. Some versions describe Bagwariya as a concubine. They named their first child Karbagari, which in the Hausa language means he snatched the town. Fearing that Bayajida would one day take her country from her, Dararama, contrary to tradition, offered herself in marriage to Bayajida. She named her son Bawo, which in the Hausa language means give it back. These oral traditions relate that Bayajida bore three sons by three women. Bawo had six sons, Dara, Gober, Kano, Katsina, Rano, and Zarya, also called Zazao. Together, Bawo and his sons originated the so-called legitimate Hausa states, the Hausa Bakwai. Beram, son of Magaram, and Karbagari, son of Bagwariya, raised seven other children who ruled the seven illegitimate states, the Banza Bakwai. The first Chadic speakers are believed to have cultivated cereals such as millet and sorghum some 6,000 years ago in the vicinity of Lake Chad. Chadic speakers subsequently brought their language and agricultural traditions to present-day Hausaland and merged with existing populations. Their descendants are the present-day Hausa people. The earliest Hausa states probably formed by 1200 CE. The first towns apparently coalesced around traditional shrines, which attracted pilgrims and became centers for trade. An increase in traffic along the Trans-Saharan trade routes to the Hausa towns expanded the commerce and slaves, gold and cola, from the savanna and forest regions to the south. This thriving trade generated wealth that enabled the rulers of these towns to establish states. The seven so-called true Hausa states, Beram, Kano, Rano, Katsina, Dara, Zazao, and Gobur, which the Hausa consider the core of Hausaland, emerged during this period. Arabian horses obtained from the Trans-Saharan traders enabled the Hausa to raid southern groups for slaves, who provided a valuable source of labor. By the 15th century, Kano was one of the most important trading centers in Africa, with a population perhaps approaching 50,000 people. Contacts with the neighboring empires of Mali, Songhai, and Canembranu probably brought Islam to the Hausa towns as early as the end of the 11th century. By the 14th century, Islam had been embraced by Hausa leaders and was prevalent through much of the region. Although most Hausa eventually adopted Islam, the Maguzawa, a rural Hausa subgroup, maintained their traditional African beliefs. At their peak around 1650, the independent Hausa states stretched from the borders of Brno in present-day northern Nigeria to the Niger River. Hausa traders traveled to markets across West Africa, exchanging salt and leather goods from Hausaland for gold and other products of the forest zone. Today, a substantial Hausa diaspora persists in countries such as Ghana and Chad. Hausa communities in West African cities often live in separate districts known as Zangos. In the early 19th century, Fulani warriors joined Hausa peasants and merchants under the leadership of Uzuman Danfodio in a jihad, or holy war, to unite Hausaland under the Sokota Caliphate. The formerly independent Hausa states became joined with the Caliphate. Initially, Fulani rulers dominated the Caliphate. Gradually, however, these Fulani adopted the Hausa language and customs and merged with Hausa elites to form a northern Nigerian ruling class, best described as Hausa Fulani. Under the stable rule of the Caliphate, Hausaland prospered during the 19th century. Slaves owned by the Fulani or Hausa nobles worked the fertile fields of Hausaland and produced a surplus that sustained a substantial number of artisan producers, including weavers, blacksmiths, and leather workers. The pre-colonial elites of Hausaland not only survived colonialism but have remained powerful since independence. Because they are Nigeria's largest ethnic group, the Hausa have played a dominant role in many of Nigeria's civilian and military governments. Well I'm Olau guys, if you like these videos and want support in this continued production, you can go to Patreon.com. You can also check out Afrographics.com for illustrative infographics on African history. Links are in the description box below. Know thyself. Remember your ancestors. Peace.