Kano -> History

It was only after the traveler Leo Africanus visited the area in 1513 AD that the rest of the world came to know Kano. According to local tradition, the Abagayawa people were the original inhabitants. The legend continues that they were descended from a common ancestor called Kano, who reportedly migrated from Gaya (near the present town of Kano) to explore the surrounding areas for iron ore and charcoal.

The original community was not very large and the members had developed a patrilineal form of administration. The most capable male member was placed at the head of the group in charge of the affairs of the community. He was given the title of ‘Barbushe', and was to be a good hunter, a ceremonial priest, an efficient and competent leader and a dynamic personality. In fact, the rest of the community saw something super-human in him, crediting him with the power to kill an elephant with just a stick and then carry the dead animal on his back. The focus of this generally peaceful community was centered on the worship of a supreme deity, called ‘Tsumburbura', at a shrine by a tree on the Dala Hill, and the Barbushe was their high priest.

The communities living around the Abagayawa were deeply influenced by the serene life style of the people, and this encouraged them to intermingle with the Abagayawa and settle among them. But one such group was the aggressive Bagauda, who soon subdued all the others and established their control over the area. The successors of Kano were removed from power and a new era was brought in, the reign of the Habe dynasty.