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Sarkin Kano Sulaiman (Died 1819)
Sarkin Kano Ibrahim Dabo
Sarkin Kano Usman, Maje Ringim
Sarkin Kano Abdullahi, Maje Karofi
Sarkin Kano Bello (d.1893)
Sarkin Kano Tukur (d. 1895)
Sarkin Kano Alu (Aliyu Babba)
Sarkin Kano Abbas
Sarkin Kano Shehu Usman
Sarkin Kano Alhaji Abdullahi Bayero
Sarkin Kano Alhaji Sir Muhammadu Sanusi
Sarkin Kano Muhammadu Inuwa
Sarkin Alhaji Ado Bayero
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Shehu Usman Danfodio appointed him Sarkin Kano sometime in 1806 at Birnin Gada where the Shehu was represented by Muhammad Bello (Ado-Kurawa 1989: 45, Last 1966: 468, Smith 1997: 211). The Jama’ah of Kano or followers of Shehu Danfodio were given a choice and they chose him and the Shehu formalized the appointment.He first lived at Gidan Makama until the Shehu gave him the permission to enter Gidan Rumfa. But even before he settled in the palace the daily sessions of the emirate council were held there. Some of the Jihad leaders opposed the use of Gidan Rumfa as the seat of power. The most outspoken opponent of this decision was Mallam Jibril of Yola who was reported by the Kano Chronicle to have said: “If we enter the Habe’s houses and we beget children, they will be like these Habes and do like them” (Palmer 1928:128).There were few uprisings during his reign. The last battle with the Kutumbawa dynasty was fought in Burumburum in 1807 and their last Sarkin Kano Alwali was killed there. According to Alkali Zangi the official historian of the Jihad, Mallam Bakatsine led the forces that defeated Alwali while other sources stated that it was Mallam Jamo who led the contingent (Ado-Kurawa 1989: 45 and Smith 1997).According to Temple Sarkin Kano Sulaiman made several appointments and he noted the titles (Lovejoy, Mahadi and Mukhtar 1993:55). But Alkali Zangi stated the names of his advisers and most of them without titles because the pre-Jihad titles had not been fully restored during reign of Sarkin Kano Sulaiman. The titles used at that time according to Alkali Zangi’s account were allocated to the servants of the Sarki they were Wambai and Sarkin Bai. All the clan leaders were members of his council when Jamo died he appointed Dabo to succeed him and when Abdurrahman Goshi died he appointed his nephew Umaru Nayaya son of Jibril to succeed him (Ado-Kurawa 1989: 45).Although Sulaiman’s rule was the beginning of the Emirate under the Sokoto Caliphate it was nevertheless peaceful except for a few uprisings. The most notorious was the Fagam revolt and he was able to subdue the area. Dantunku of the Yarimawa clan also began his preparation to revolt, which came up later during the reign of Sarkin Kano Dabo (Ado-Kurawa 1989: 46).During the reign of Sarkin Kano Sulaiman, Islamic scholarship flourished in Kano and the area was blessed by the sojourn of the great scholar Shehu Abdullahi Danfodio. He was in Kano on his way to Makkah when he decided to leave Sokoto because he was dissatisfied with the administration of the Caliphate at that time. In Kano he established the position of the qibla (direction of the Ka’aba faced during prayer), he led the eclipse prayer in the month of Ramadan, read the Tafsir (Commentary) of the Qur’an and wrote his book titled Diya al-Hukam when the Kano Jama’ah requested for guidance on the process of establishing Islamic government (Ado-Kurawa 1989: 46).

Kano’s economic pre-eminence began during the reign of Sarkin Kano Sulaiman because of the uneasiness in Katsina its main rival. And Sarkin Kano Sulaiman played a significant role of encouraging merchants and artisans to settle in Kano. Sulaiman would also be remembered for his uprightness and commitment to the ideals of the Jihad. Material comfort was not important to people like him and they did not amass wealth. It was reported that: “he continued to work on his farm and owned so little property that he lacked the sacrificial lamb for a festival” (Isichei 1983: 307 and Fika 1978: 18). He died on 22nd August 1819 (Last 1966: 468).

 

Last Updated on Monday, 25 August 2008 22:13
 
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