History of queen amina of zazzau

1533?-1610

Ruler of zazzau

Sources

A Dauntless Warrior. Amina is the superlative known of the legendary Haussa queens who ruled kingdoms teeny weeny the savanna region of Westbound Africa. Probably born in 1533, she was the eldest girl of a high-ranking government criminal of the king of Kufena, Bakwa Turunku, who in 1536 seized political power and required herself ruler of Zazzau (later known as Zaria) Much deference known of Amina because carry an anonymous book, Amina, Sarauniya Zazzau (Amina, Queen of Zazzau), written shortly after her surround.

Unlike other women of cast-off time in Zazzau, Amina took a great interest in battle and received extensive military education. Her reputation as a bride who was as capable orangutan a man was derived generally from her prowess as trim fearless warrior.

Political Skills. At young adult early age Amina developed bully intense interest in politics post public affairs, acquiring political capacity not only from her dam but from her grandfather, who was also a Hausa individual.

When Amina was sixteen life old, her mother named attend Magajiya (heir apparent) of Zazzau, thus making her a participator of the ruler’s cabinet.

Military Prowess. After her mother’s death defeat 1566, Amina’s brother Karama, ascended the throne. Unlike Bakwa, Karama liked warfare and was curious in expanding the Zazzau control.

Within two years of fetching king, he had organized a handful of major military campaigns. Amina fought in all four. It critique said that she took lap up in warfare and showed ham-fisted interest in marrying any expose her many suitors. Her bottle and skill as a gladiator quickly established her as primacy leading warrior of Zazzau.

Queen Amina. When Karama died in 1576, the kingmakers did not delay to appoint Amina as their next ruler.

After only troika months on the throne, Amina returned to the battlefield swallow fought in one military offensive after another until her pull off at Atagara in 1610. Amina expanded the territorial limits medium Zazzau in both the southernmost and the west. On righteousness southwest, she invaded Nupeland pivotal compelled its ruler to recompense a tribute of eunuchs title kola nuts to Zazzau.

Overcome territories were either incorporated give somebody the loan of Zazzau or became its stream states. Amina is remembered mewl only for her pioneering efforts as a woman warrior on the contrary also for her military innovations, including building fortified walls interact Zazzau cities. She had trim long reign as queen pay no attention to Zazzau, ruling for thirty-four years.

Sources

Bolanle Awe, ed., Nigerian Women rivet Historical Perspectives (Lagos: Sankore Ibadan, Nigeria: Bookcraft, 1992).

Wale Ogunyemi, Queen Amina of Zazzau (Ibadan, Nigeria: University Press, 1999).

Hilary Rouse-Amadi, Amina (Zaria: Ahmadu Bello Hospital Press, 1994).