Katsina

Overview

Katsina began with the Durbawa priest-kings at Durbi ta Kusheyi. In the mid-15th century the scholar-wrestler Muhammadu Korau killed the last of them and founded the walled city at a crossroads of trade, making it a Muslim kingdom whose Gobarau mosque drew scholars from Timbuktu. Songhai ruled it from 1512 to 1554; then it turned to Bornu, sending each new king's tribute of a hundred slaves to Ngazargamu. It outlasted Kano's wars and Kwararafa's raids to become, in the 18th century, the leading market and seat of learning in Hausaland. The jihad took it in 1806–7, and its Hausa kings carried on at Maradi, in today's Niger.^[1],[6]High confidence

Through the centuries

1. c. 1015–1445

   The Durbawa at Durbi ta Kusheyi

   Tradition makes Kumayo, a grandson of Bayajidda, the first king, ruling from Durbi ta Kusheyi near Mani, 18 miles south-east of today's city. The Durbawa, its first people, married into the line, and seven burial mounds there are said to hold early kings such as Kumayo, Ramba-Ramba and Sanau. A Katsina account has its king fighting Kwararafa in 1260.^[1]Medium confidence

   Capital: Durbi ta Kusheyi (approximate)

2. c. 1445–1493

   Korau founds the walled city

   Muhammadu Korau, a scholar from Yandoto, challenges King Sanau to a wrestling match at a feast, wins once Sanau's wife has stolen his charm, and stabs him. Korau builds the walled city of Katsina at a crossroads of trade near an iron mine and a shrine, is its first Muslim king, and takes tribute in iron bars from the chiefs around, the start of the haraji tax. He campaigns against Nupe and Kwararafa, founds the Gobarau mosque, and hosts al-Maghili in 1493.^[1],[4]Medium confidence

   Capital: Katsina

3. 1493–1512

   Prayer or prison

   Ibrahim Sura takes Kwiambana and Koton Koro and orders his subjects to pray or go to prison; here, unlike in Kano, the common people take up Islam. Ali Murabus builds the city's outer walls. Kano's Rumfa fights an eleven-year war with Katsina.^[1],[5]Medium confidence

   Capital: Katsina

4. 1512–1554

   Under Songhai

   Askia Muhammad of Songhai conquers Katsina, which becomes a vassal of Gao. Timbuktu scholars come to teach, and one, Muhammad bin Ahmed, stays as judge. In 1554 400 Katsina horsemen meet 24 Songhai riders under the Hi-Koi Ali Dudo at Karfata; the Songhai fight so bravely that the victors send the wounded survivors home with honour. Katsina is free again.^[1]High confidence

   Capital: Katsina

5. 1554–1650

   Free, then Bornu's client

   In the 1570s Katsina strikes Kano and reaches its gates; Kano raids back at the end of the century. As Songhai falls, Katsina turns to Bornu: every new Sarki sends the mai a hundred slaves, and Bornu in return protects it. The city grows to a circuit of seven or eight miles, with quarters for people from Bornu, Gobir, Mali, Songhai and Agadez, and the leather craft of Agadez takes root.^[1]High confidence

   Capital: Katsina

6. c. 1650–1690

   Kwararafa in the city

   Under Uban-Yari Katsina beats Kano repeatedly, killing several of its kings, then makes alliance with Kano against Kwararafa. Kwararafa still breaches Katsina's walls and holds the western city, throwing many people into a pit remembered as Giwa-Rano, but withdraws when its general falls dead; tradition credits the prayers of Dan Masani. Bornu's Mai Ali later drives Kwararafa out of Hausaland, and Katsina's poet Dan Marina celebrates it.^[1],[2]High confidence

   Capital: Katsina

7. c. 1700–1750

   Commercial height

   Katsina is the leading market of Hausaland for the Saharan caravans, taking the place Kano once held. Scholars prefer it to Timbuktu; Muhammad al-Kishwani teaches at Gobarau, and Yandoto and Birnin Katsina are known for mathematics and the science of magic squares. Barth later judged the city must once have held a hundred thousand people, and its Hausa the purest and its manners the finest. Its influence runs north to Maradi, west to Zamfara and south to Birnin Gwari.^[1],[6]Medium confidence

   Capital: Katsina

8. c. 1750–1805

   Agwaragi beats Gobir

   In the mid-18th century Sarkin Katsina Agwaragi defeats Yakubu of Gobir and takes his sword, Bebe, “the deaf one”, still among Katsina's regalia. The tribute of slaves to Bornu goes on until Agwaragi's reign (1784/5–1801/2).^[1]Medium confidence

   Capital: Katsina

9. 1806–1900

   The jihad, and a kingdom at Maradi

   Sullubawa Fulani take up the jihad. Umaru Dallaji marches from Radda to Sabon Birni and kills Sarkin Katsina Mahmudu; some 30,000 Katsinawa withdraw to Dankama and fail to win the city back, and Sarki Halidu throws himself into a well. The rest go north and found Maradi, in today's Niger, from which the Hausa kings of Katsina raid the new emirate for the rest of the century.^[1],[6]Medium confidence

   Capital: Maradi

Wars, treaties and turning points

• The Kano–Katsina warsWar · c. 1463–1565
• Songhai rules KatsinaWar · 1512–1554
• Kwararafa against Katsina, Zazzau and BornuWar · c. 1670–1684
• Soba of Gobir raids to IlorinRaids · c. 1715–1742
• The jihad of Usman dan FodioWar · 1804–1809
• Katsina's kings go to MaradiMigration · 1805–1807

Today

Emir of Katsina, Katsina

The Emir of Katsina, of the Fulani Dallazawa dynasty, reigns at Katsina; the Hausa line rules as Sarkin Katsina Maradi in the Republic of Niger. Korau's short sword, Gajere, is still the emblem of Katsina.^[1]High confidence

Its people

Hausa

Living in its lands today

Peoples whose homelands lie inside its lands at its height, by number of LGAs.

Hausa

Sources

Every claim carries a confidence level: high (well attested), medium (one source or approximate) or disputed (sources disagree).

1. Wikipedia contributors. Kingdom of Katsina
2. Wikipedia contributors. Kwararafa
3. Wikipedia contributors. Jukun people (West Africa)
4. Wikipedia contributors. Gobarau Minaret
5. Wikipedia contributors. Kingdom of Kano
6. Usman, Yusufu Bala. (1981). The Transformation of Katsina, 1400–1883. Ahmadu Bello University Press, Zaria (cited elsewhere, not yet checked directly)
7. Wikipedia contributors. Hausa Kingdoms