Kano

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Kano
Kano seen from Dala Hill
Kano seen from Dala Hill
Kano (Nigeria )
Kano
Kano
Map of Nigeria showing the location of Kano
Coordinates: 12°00′N 8°31′E / 12, 8.517
State Kano State
Government
 - Governor Ibrahim Shekarau (ANPP)
Population (2007)
 - Total 3,848,885
  estimated [1]
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
 - Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+1)

Kano is the administrative center of the Kano State and the third largest city in Nigeria, in terms of geographical size, after Ibadan and Lagos. In population, it is the second most populous city (with a population of 3,848,885) in the country after Lagos. The city's traditional ruler is the Emir of Kano, and the current Emir, Ado Bayero, has been on the throne since 1963.

Contents

[edit] History

[edit] Foundation and Hausa rule

1850 steel engraving of Kano
1850 steel engraving of Kano

In the seventh century, Dalla Hill, a hill in Kano, was the site of a group of a community that engaged in iron-working; it is unknown whether these were Hausa people or speakers of Niger-Congo languages.[2] Kano was originally known as Dalla, after the hill, and was referred to as such as late as the end of the fifteenth century and the beginning of the sixteenth by Bornoan sources.[3] The Kano Chronicle identifies Barbushe, a priest of a Dalla Hill spirit, as the city's first settler. (Elizabeth Isichei notes that the description of Barbushe is similar to those of Sao people.)[4]

According to the Kano Chronicle, Bagauda, a grandson of the mythical hero Bayajidda,[5] became the first king of Kano in 999, reigning until 1063.[6] (Small chiefdoms were previously present in the area.)[7] His grandson Gijimasu (1095-1134), the third king, began building city walls at the foot of Dalla Hill, and his own son, Tsaraki (1136-1194), the fifth king, completed them during his reign.[7]

Gate to the Gidan Rumfa in 2005
Gate to the Gidan Rumfa in 2005

Muhammad Rumfa ascended to the throne in 1463 and reigned until 1499. During his reign, he reformed the city, expanded the Sahelian Gidan Rumfa (Emir's Palace), and played a role in the further Islamization of the city,[8] as he urged prominent residents to convert.[9] The Kano Chronicle attributes a total of twelve "innovations" to Rumfa.[10]

According to the Kano Chronicle, the thirty-seventh Sarkin Kano (King of Kano) was Mohammed Sharef (1703–1731). His successor, Kumbari dan Sharefa (1731–1743), engaged in major battles with Sokoto.

[edit] Fulani conquest and rule

See also: Fulani Jihad

At the beginning of the 19th century, Fulani Islamic leader Usman dan Fodio led a jihad against Kano, removing its Hausa king and reforming the government and religious authority.[11] Since then the Fulani emirs have remained traditional leaders of Kano.[12]

The city suffered famines from 1807-10, in the 1830s, 1847, 1855, 1863, 1873, 1884, and from 1889 until 1890.[13]

From 1893 until 1895, two rival claimants for the throne fought a civil war, or Basasa. With the help of royal slaves, Yusufu was victorious over Tukur, and claimed the title of emir.[14]

[edit] British colonization and rule

British forces captured Kano in 1903 and made it the administrative centre of Northern Nigeria. It was replaced as the centre of government by Kaduna, and only regained administrative significance with the creation of Kano State following Nigerian independence.

From 1913 to 1914, as the groundnut business was expanding, Kano suffered a major drought, which caused a famine.[15] Other famines during British rule occurred in 1908, 1920, 1927, 1943, 1951, 1956, and 1958.[13]

By 1922, groundnut trader Alhassan Dantata had become the richest businessman in Kano, surpassing fellow merchants Umaru Sharubutu Koki and Maikano Agogo.[16]

In May 1953, an inter-ethnic riot arose due to southern newspapers misreporting on the nature of a disagreement between northern and southern politicians in the House of Representatives.[17] Thousands of Nigerians of southern origin died as a result of the riot.[18]

[edit] Post-independence history

Ado Bayero became Emir of Kano in 1963.

In December 1980, radical preacher Mohammed Marwa Maitatsine led riots in Kano. He was killed by security forces, but his followers later started uprisings in other northern cities.[19]

After the introduction of sharia in Kano State in 2000, many Christians left the city.[20] 100 people were killed in riots over the sharia issue during October 2001.[12]

In November 2007, political violence broke out in the city after the People's Democratic Party (PDP) accused the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) of rigging the November 17, 2007 local government elections.[21] (The ANPP won in 36 of the state's 44 Local Government Areas.)[22] Hundreds of youths took to the streets, over 300 of whom were arrested; at least 25 people were killed. Buildings set on fire include a sharia police station, an Islamic centre, and a council secretariat. 280 federal soldiers were deployed around the city.[23]

[edit] Demographics

Kano is largely Muslim. The majority of Kano Muslims are Sunni, though a minorty adhere to the Shia branch (see Shia in Nigeria). Christians and followers of other non-Muslim religions form a small part of the population, and traditionally lived in the Sabon Gari, or Foreign Quarter. Christians alone comprise about 1% of the population.[12]

[edit] Layout and geography

Kano is situated at 12°00′N 8°31′E / 12, 8.517Coordinates: 12°00′N 8°31′E / 12, 8.517.[24] It has long been the economic centre of northern Nigeria, and a centre for the production and export of groundnuts. Kano houses the Bayero University and a railway station with trains to Lagos routed through Kaduna, while Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport lies nearby. Because Kano is north of the rail junction at Kaduna, it has equal access to the seaports at Lagos and Port Harcourt.

Formerly walled, most of the gates to the Old City survive. The Old City houses the vast Kurmi Market, known for its crafts, while old dye pits – still in use – lie nearby. Also in the Old City are the Emir's Palace, the Great Mosque, and the Gidan Makama Mosque.

Elaborately dressed horseman returns after paying tribute to Emir of Kano during the Durbar of October 2006
Elaborately dressed horseman returns after paying tribute to Emir of Kano during the Durbar of October 2006

Kano has six districts. They are the Old City, Bompai, Fagge, Sabon Gari, Syrian Quarter, and Nassarawa.[25]

As of November 2007, there are plans to establish an information technology park in the city.[26]

[edit] Durbar Festival

The Emir of Kano hosts a Durbar to mark and celebrate the two annual Muslim festivals and Eid-El-Fitr (to mark the end of the Holy Month of Ramadan) and Eid-el-Kabir (to mark the Haj Holy Pilgrimage). The Durbar culminates in a procession of highly elaborately dressed horsemen who pass through the city to the Emir's palace. Once assembled near the palace, groups of horsemen, each group representing a nearby village, take it in turns to charge towards the Emir, pulling up just feet in front of the seated dignitaries to offer their respect and allegiance.

[edit] References

  1. ^ ""The World Gazetteer"". Retrieved on 2007-04-06.
  2. ^ Iliffe, John (2007). Africans: The History of a Continent. Cambridge University Press, 75. ISBN 0521864380. 
  3. ^ Nast, Heidi J (2005). Concubines and Power: Five Hundred Years in a Northern Nigerian Palace. University of Minnesota Press, 60. ISBN 0816641544. 
  4. ^ Isichei, Elizabeth (1997). A History of African Societies to 1870. Cambridge University Press, 234. ISBN 0521455995. 
  5. ^ Okehie-Offoha, Marcellina; Matthew N. O. Sadiku (December 1995). Ethnic and Cultural Diversity in Nigeria. Africa World Press, 40. ISBN 978-0865432833. 
  6. ^ "Kano". Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. 
  7. ^ a b Ki-Zerbo, Joseph (1998). UNESCO General History of Africa, Vol. IV, Abridged Edition: Africa from the Twelfth to the Sixteenth Century. University of California Press, 107. ISBN 0520066995. 
  8. ^ "Caravans Across the Desert: Marketplace". AFRICA: One Continent. Many Worlds.. Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County Foundation. Retrieved on 2007-05-06.
  9. ^ "50 Greatest Africans - Sarki Muhammad Rumfa & Emperor Semamun". When We Ruled. Every Generation Media. Retrieved on 2007-05-05.
  10. ^ Nast, p. 61
  11. ^ Ado-Kurawa, Ibrahim. "Brief History of Kano 999 to 2003". Kano State Website. Retrieved on 2007-07-12.
  12. ^ a b c "Kano: Nigeria's ancient city-state", BBC online, BBC (2004-05-20). Retrieved on 2007-07-12. 
  13. ^ a b Milich, Lee (1997-07-17). "Food Security in Pre-Colonial Hausaland". College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Retrieved on 2007-10-26.
  14. ^ Stilwell, Sean (2000). "Power, Honour and Shame: The Ideology of Royal Slavery in the Sokoto Caliphate". Africa: Journal of the International African Institute, 70 (3): 394–421. Edinburgh University Press. doi:10.2307/1161067. Retrieved on 2007-10-26. 
  15. ^ Christelow, Allan (1987). "Property and Theft in Kano at the Dawn of the Groundnut Boom, 1912-1914". The International Journal of African Historical Studies 20 (2): 225–243. Boston University African Studies Center. doi:10.2307/219841. Retrieved on 2007-10-26. 
  16. ^ Dan-Asabe, Abdulkarim Umar (November 2000). "Biography of Select Kano Merchants, 1853-1955" ([dead link] – Scholar search). FAIS Journal of Humanities 1 (2). Retrieved on 2007-10-09. 
  17. ^ Ernest E., Uwazie; Isaac Olawale Albert and G. N. Uzoigwe (1999). "The Role of Communication in the Escalation of Ethnic and Religious Conflicts", Inter-Ethnic and Religious Conflict Resolution in Nigeria. Lexington Books, 20. ISBN 0739100335. 
  18. ^ Uwazie et al., p. 73
  19. ^ Hunwick, John Owen; Ibrahim Gambari (chapter author) (1992). "The Role of Religion in National Life: Reflections on Recent Experiences in Nigeria", Religion and National Integration in Africa: Islam, Christianity and Politics in the Sudan and Nigeria. Northwestern University Press, 90. ISBN 0810110377. 
  20. ^ "Nigeria's Kano state celebrates Sharia", BBC News (2000-06-21). Retrieved on 2007-11-04. 
  21. ^ "Army patrols Kano after clashes", News.BBC.com, BBC News (2007-11-21). Retrieved on 2007-11-21. 
  22. ^ Karofi, Hassan A; Halima Musa (2007-11-21). "ANPP Sweeps Kano LG Polls", Daily Trust online. Retrieved on 2007-11-21. 
  23. ^ Shuaibu, Ibrahim (2007-11-21). "Kano Death Toll Rises to 25", Thisday online, Leaders & Company. Retrieved on 2007-11-21. 
  24. ^ ""The Fallingrain.com Gazetteer"". Retrieved on 2007-04-06.
  25. ^ "Kano". Encyclopædia Britannica. (2007). Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. 
  26. ^ "Nigerian city of Kano plans IT park", Panapress, Afriquenligne (2007-11-04). Retrieved on 2007-11-04. 

[edit] Further reading

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
  • Maconachie, Roy (2007). Urban Growth and Land Degradation in Developing Cities: Change and Challenges in Kano, Nigeria, King's SOAS Studies in Development Geography. Ashgate Publishing. ISBN 9780754648284. 

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kano"
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