Hausa people

The Hausa people are a large ethnic group located mainly in West Africa. Numbering approximately fifty million people, the Hausa live mostly in northwestern Nigeria and southern Niger in a loosely defined region known as Hausaland, though Hausa communities are common in other parts of Africa, too. Hausa origin tales suggest an ancient beginning with a heroic founder named Bayajidda. Historians have found evidence of Hausa settlements dating back to about 500 CE.

Islam spread into Hausaland starting around the eleventh century and became the main religion after holy wars in the early 1800s. Colonization by England in the early twentieth century was followed by the creation of an independent state of Nigeria in 1960 that included much of Hausaland. Modern Hausa are skilled in many areas, from farming to artistry to trade. Ancient customs and language have helped unite the Hausa against the poverty, coups, terrorism, and other dangers that have marked the early decades of Nigeria.

Brief History

Hausa origin tales trace the group's ancestry back to an ancient founder, Bayajidda. Bayajidda first arrived in the Hausaland region while fleeing a murderous father. Once there, Bayajidda had a blacksmith craft him a knife, which he used to rescue some locals from a snake that had prevented them from getting water from their well. This heroic feat won Bayajidda many admirers, including a queen with whom Bayajidda sired seven sons. These sons became the founders of the seven main cities of Hausaland.

Historians have found that the main Hausa settlements began to flourish around 500 CE, forming the basis of what is known in modern times as Hausaland. The Hausa became the dominant ethnic group in the region by approximately 1200. Still, they faced struggles with neighboring groups including the Fulani. In time, the Fulani and the Hausa would become politically and culturally linked.

One of the most important developments in the history of Hausaland was the introduction of Islam around the eleventh century. The religion moved slowly into the region from the northeast and did not gain widespread acceptance until the 1300s. At that time, Islam became one of the main tenets of life for many Hausa. In the 1800s, it was also the basis of a jihad (holy war) that transformed Hausaland.

In the early nineteenth century, a Fulani Muslim leader named Usman dan Fodio declared jihad in Nigeria. His followers quickly took over many Hausa settlements, which dan Fodio combined into the Sokoto Caliphate. This action cemented the influence of Islam among the Hausa and brought the Hausa and Fulani into much closer proximity, leading to extensive trading and intermarriage. The language and traditions of the Hausa, however, remained strong.

About 1900, British colonizers began arriving in the region. In the following years, these colonizers combined the many Hausa and Fulani territories into British protectorates. In 1914, several British colonies in Africa merged to form the Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria. Later, the Hausa and other people in the colonial lands won their independence, and Nigeria became a united and independent state in 1960.

Overview

With a population of approximately fifty million, the Hausa are one of the largest ethnic groups in West Africa. Most of the Hausa population lives in Nigeria and Niger in a loosely defined area known as Hausaland. However, the language and culture of the Hausa are evidenced in many settlements across West Africa and other parts of the world due to the widespread migration, trading, and intermarriage of the Hausa people.

Hausaland is mainly composed of grasslands that are dry much of the year but can support maize, sorghum, and millet farming thanks to a lengthy rainy season. The Hausa traditionally grew cotton, much of which they wove and dyed with indigo to produce unique and beautiful textiles. Between Hausa farms are large urban areas that host much of the commercial interactions of sub-Saharan Africa. Trade was important to the Hausa in ancient times and remains so in the modern era.

The leaders of the Hausa traditionally were selected based on their ancestry; the rightful leaders claimed to have ancestral links to Bayajidda. When Islam became a major factor in Hausaland, rulers generally had to demonstrate adherence to this religion or links to its great prophets. These traditional forms of rule largely faded in the twentieth century during the colonial period. With the assimilation of much of Hausaland into Nigeria, the Hausa now vote for most of their leaders.

One of the fundamental traits of the Hausa, and one that has changed little over time, is the Hausa language, the most common tongue in West Africa and the second most popular Afro-Asiatic language after Arabic. The Hausa language is generally similar to other African languages, with which it shares its roots, but is heavily influenced by Arabic and, to a lesser degree, by neighboring languages such as Fulani. The Hausa language has absorbed many words of English and French, relics of colonial days, showing that the language is highly adaptable.

Like the Hausa language, the Islamic religion remains a crucial part of Hausa identity. Since the arrival of Islam in Hausaland in the eleventh century and its establishment as an official religion in the 1800s, most Hausa have become devout Muslims and have adopted the beliefs and practices of that faith. Islam has influenced Hausa art, ceremonies, laws, and other aspects of everyday life. Still, some Hausa, particularly in rural areas, maintain aspects of traditional pre-Islam Hausa religions.

Modern-day Hausa, like their ancestors, are known for their unique artwork. Textiles, often dyed with indigo, are associated with Hausa artisans, especially in northern Nigeria. Many Hausa are skilled in embroidery and in the tanning of leather. Hausa architecture is noted for its use of vaults, arched forms that support ceilings or roofs, which may be topped with large and ornate domes. Hausa people also build cubic structures from mud bricks and white plaster. Hausa music, both traditional and modern, accompanies ceremonies, poetry readings, and festivals, such as the annual Durbar of Kano festival held in Kano, Nigeria. This festival features colorful horse parades, group prayers, and horse races to celebrate the people's cultural heritage.

The Hausa have experienced many dangers and difficulties. The decades following the establishment of Nigeria were marked by military coups and unstable governments. By the twenty-first century, both the Hausa and the Islamic faith had become powerful forces in government, contributing to a rise in religious strife and terrorism in many parts of Nigeria. In Sudan in the early 2020s, the Husa community of over 600,000 people experienced land disputes with the government and other Indigenous peoples concerning traditional custodian rights in the Blue Nile region. More than 70,000 people were displaced, and hundreds were killed. Many other modern Hausa face similar political and social problems along with the threat of drought, violence, and poverty.

Bibliography

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