Hausaland
Overview & Economy
Hausaland, or the Hausa Kingdoms, was a collection of independent city-states in northern central Africa, situated at a crossroads between the powerful trade empires of Mali and Kanem. The cities grew prosperous from trade in salt, leather, slaves, and gold. Though the Hausa states shared the same lineage, language and culture, the states were characterized by fierce rivalries with each other with each state seeking supremacy over the others.
There were seven central city-states: Biram, Gobir, kano, Katsina, Rano and Zaria. By the 14th century, Kano had become the most powerful city-state, serving as the base for the trans-Saharan trade in salt, cloth, leather, and grain. The city-state Zaria specialized in acquiring slaves by raiding lands to the south. Cities specialised in the manufacture or trade of certain goods, for example, dyes - especially indigo - at Katsina and Daura or silver jewellery at Kebbi and Zamfara. Hausaland became famous (and still is today) for its finely worked leather goods such as water bags, saddles, harnesses, and sacks to transport goods for the region's trade caravans. Various crafts were organised into guilds which ensured standards were maintained and prices were kept fair. Hausa agriculture, boosted by such techniques as crop rotation and the use of fertilizers, produced crops which included millet, sorghum, rice, maize, peanuts, beans, henna, tobacco, and onions. Many cities also had international trade markets where merchants sold items in bulk. Salt, cloth, and slaves were often used as a standardised form of commodity-currency.
The chief cities were protected by massive fortification walls - an indication of the frequent siege warfare that went on in Hausaland throughout its history as city-states battled one another. This constant rivalry hindered their ability to act collectively and ultimately left them vulnerable to invaders.
Hausa Governments & Society
Each city had its own king or ruler, the sarkin kasa, who was advised by a chief councillor or vizier, the galadima, and a small council of elders - typically consisting of nine members who also determined the next ruler in line. Various officials were appointed by the king to, for example, collect taxes and customs duties, lead the city's cavalry units or infantry, maintain security on roadways, and look after certain crops. The city ruled over various smaller chiefdoms or villages in its immediate vicinity, each ruled by a chief or sarkin gari.
Land belonged to the community as a whole. However, as the city-states became more centralised, this system was corrupted by the kings giving out parcels of land as rewards to certain individuals, and agriculture became heavily reliant on slaves. In the cities, society was cosmopolitan, with slaves, craftworkers, merchants, religious officials, scholars, eunuchs and aristocrats (masu sarauta) related to or favoured by the king.
Islam did not make its way to Hausaland until the 14th century. A form of Islam was adopted and adapted following contact with Muslim merchants, missionaries, and scholars, who came from the east, the Niger River bend area. Islam was typically blended with traditional animist rituals and so took on its own distinct character in the region. Mosques were built in the cities and one of the oldest surviving remnants of these early structures is the dried mud Gobarau minaret of the mosque at Katsina (pictured below).
The Gate of the Gidan Rumfa (Emir's House) in the Hausa city-state Kano.