It is one of Nigeria's ancient cities ' ambient, quintessentially beautiful, planned, increasingly liberal and also peaceful. It is Zaria, the second largest city in Kaduna State. Here is the story of a town founded by a woman over 700 years ago and how its people have preserved its values even unto modern age.WHEN a roll call of Nigeria's most ancient towns is being taken, Zaria, a major city in Kaduna State will certainly be among those that will come atop the list. Like Kano, Lagos, Benin City, Ibadan, Jos, Onitsha and Enugu among other foremost cities in Nigeria, Zaria has a rich history that spans centuries, and which has been zealously preserved by the people.In The BeginningAccording to recorded history made available to The Guardian at the Emir of Zaria's (also known as Emir of Zazzau) palace during a recent visit, the city was established as the seat of the throne of Zazzau Emirate more than 700 years ago, while the whole kingdom of Zazzau is about 1,000 years old and is among the oldest and most populous kingdoms in northern Nigeria. The emirate is situated in the centre of northern Nigeria and at present covers an area of approximately 20, 800 square kilometres located between latitude nine and 12 degrees North and longitude seven and nine degrees East.Zaria, the administrative headquarters of Zazzau Emirate, is named after the younger sister of the late famous Queen Amina who conquered and annexed almost all the important Hausa states. Evidences of her conquests are still visible in some of the Hausa towns where the security walls (Ganuwa Amina) still exist.'As a result of the successful expeditions especially during the reign of Queen Amina whose activities have gone down into the books of history, the frontiers of Zazzau were extended to cover the present day Nasarawa State; its boundaries reached Niger, Kano, Plateau, Katsina and Bauchi States.'By the close of the 18th century, the Kingdom of Zazzau covered an area of about 37, 850 square miles. Therefore, it is important to note that within that period, the capital of the kingdom was transferred from Turunku to Kufena (Kufena rock can be sighted from the Emir's palace), and finally to Zaria City, due to its favourable geographical location.'The long reign of the Habes (non-Fulani rulers) came to a close in the early part of the 19th century after they had produced 60 Emirs as a result of the Fulani conquest of 1804,' the recorded history reveals.The Advent of Fulani AdministrationFollowing the success of Danfodio's Islamic Reformation in 1804, some prominent Fulani scholars were given flags (symbol of authority) to administer their respective places. The history adds: 'Mallam Musa (founder of Mallawa dynasty in Zazzau) became the flag bearer in Zaria, and was accompanied by Mallam Yamusa (founder of Bare-Bare dynasty in Zazzau) and Mallam Abdulkarimu (founder of Katsinawa dynasty in Zazzau) on the instruction of Danfodio.'On arrival in Zaria, the envoy attempted to enter into the city through Kofar Doka gate. When this proved to be fruitless, they entered through Kofa Bai gate. This event marked a turning point in the history of Zazzau.'The coming of the Fulani brought about the emergence of four ruling houses or dynasties, that is, Mallawa, Bare-Bare, Katsinawa and Sullubawa, from which an Emir is appointed at any given time.'The Executive Officer Administration in the Emir's palace who identified himself simply as Mr. Hamza, says the emirship stool does not rotate amongst the four dynasties.'Zaria has four ruling houses. And any man from the ruling houses can be selected to rule. Assuming the Emir dies now, every house can contest for the emirship stool. It is the council members that make decisions. So far, 18 Fulani Emirs have ruled Zazzau with the incumbent Emir, Alhaji Shehu Idris still on the throne to date from 1975. He is from Kasanawa ruling house. The position is not rotational. The council members can appoint anybody from any of the ruling houses. It depends on how God has accepted their decision on the person that wins,' Hamza says.The city's recorded history extols the advent of Fulani administration, saying it ushered in transformation and improvement on the people's lives. It says: 'The Fulani administration transformed and improved on the lives of the people, not only politically, but also socio-economically and educationally as there was greater quest for knowledge which eventually led Zazzau to become the centre of Islamic education in Hausaland. Zazzau continued to flourish under the Fulani rulership with an organised political system, until the coming of the British in 1900. Presently, Zaria is a cosmopolitan city with tribal nationalities from all parts of Nigeria and other West African countries co-existing harmoniously in the midst of the warm receptive traditional values and norms of the people of Zazzau.'The CityZaria was already a flourishing city with an organised political system before the coming of the Europeans in 1900. Although the people had put up a strong resistance to ward off the intruders, Zazzau was eventually conquered in 1903. But that also came with some blessings: The colonial government in 1906 established the northern Headquarters of the Nigerian Railways at Zaria, thereby linking Baro (now in Niger State), Kano and Bauchi. This eased the transportation of goods and services to and fro the town and expectedly, increased the volume of economic activities in the town. Today, Zaria boasts the presence of notable establishments such as British-American Tobacco Company, Electric Meter Company of Nigeria (EMCON), Comrades Cycles, Zaria Industries Limited (a tarpaulin manufacturing company) and Sunseed Industries, among many others.It also has well established, one stop shop markets such as the Tudun Wada Market, Samaru Markert and Sabon Geri Market. But one can virtually get every household and food items along the streets ranging from upholstery to rugs, electronic gadgets, motor/motorcycle spare parts, clothing, coconut, corn, fruits, roasted plantain, Irish potato, onions and yam, among others.Agriculture, however, is the people's major occupation. Nevertheless, the people also engage in handcrafts such as black smith, pottery, leather works and embroidery of traditional dress.Another benefit of Zaria's early contact with the Europeans is in the area of education, as that ushered in the era of Western education into the city. And gradually, Zaria has emerged as one of Nigeria's most decorated cities in terms of the number of both federal and state academic institutions it hosts.The first university to be established in the northern part of Nigeria and one of Nigeria's top educational institutions, Ahmadu Bello University, is located in Zaria. The Nigerian Air Force Training Command, Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NITT), Federal College of Education, Nuhu Bamalu Polytechnic, Nigerian Military School, National Animal Production and Research Institute (NAPRI), Leather Research Institute and the National Research Institute for Chemical Technology (NARICT) are all located in Zaria.The third benefit is in the aesthetics of the city. The campaign to preserve the environment by going green is not for Zaria as it had already gone green considerably, with both ageing and adolescent trees lining its major routes, providing shade for the people against the abrasive weather that is characteristic of the region, especially during the dry season. When were these trees planted, who planted and tended them, who gave them the foresight to embark on the project, are likely questions a first time visitor to Zaria would ask. But there is still room for improvement in this regard as one would not need to be told that one is the north when one gets to some parts of the city.Movement in the city is mainly by 10-seater buses and commercial motorcycles (Okada) and the fares are still relatively cheap. People still pay N10 to move from a very short distance to another while the longest shuttle within the city costs about N100 by bus. Okada can however take you to any part of the town provided you can vividly describe your destination. But the main language of communication is Hausa.While fun spots may not dot the entire landscape of the city, there are a number of restaurants and relaxation centres along IBB Circular Road within White House area of the GRA that are open until at least midnight on a daily basis. This could be surprising given that the inhabitants of the city, like in most Hausa/Fulani cities, are predominantly Moslems whose religious creed abhors the consumption of alcohol. But more surprising is that you find women and ladies in trousers just as you find them in hijab. It goes to show the extent of the liberality of the city and its people.Hamza attributes the peaceful co-existence to the efforts of the state government and the leadership of the emirate at ensuring peace. 'The Emir calls the district heads, ward heads, and village heads every week for security meetings to avoid crisis. The state government has also given him more powers. He is the chairman of the all the Emirs in the state. He also meets with the executive governor frequently to strategise on how to maintain the peace of the city and entire state. Meanwhile, the awareness is there to ensure peaceful co-existence between Christians and Moslems in the state,' he says.Between Zaria And 'Zaria City'A major striking thing about Zaria is that you could be in Zaria but not in Zaria. You arrive Zaria proper when you get to 'Zaria City', the seat of the emirate. And so, it is a tale of two cities in one. While one revels in modern architecture and good city planning, and houses all notable establishments in the ancient city, the other Zaria holds tightly to its heritage and takes pride in its preservation than anything else.Zaria CityAlthough the Emir's palace is located in the latter, the beauty of Zaria begins to fade as you arrive the gate (Kofar Doka) to Zaria City and proceed into the 'city', which can rarely qualify as a city in deed. But that is how it has come to be known and described. This is the part of Zaria where poverty and squalor stares you in the face. This is where you find mud houses with rickety roofs supported with heavy stones as reinforcement against storm in their numbers. This is where you find refuse-filled streets and gutters; this is where you find a good number of children loitering along the streets during school hours. This part of Zaria is home to Almajiris. But this is where you find traditional Hausa/Fulani architecture and painting. You see here, a people who are happy with life and who, perhaps, are not even conscious of the abnormalities you find in their midst.Hamza, however, explains that there is only one Zaria, which is Zaria City. 'Zaria means Zaria City. Zazzau means the whole of Kaduna State. You know we have almost 11 Local Council Areas that are under Zazzau Emirate Council. So, Zaria means only here, inside Zaria City. Zazzau is general, so outside Zaria city, every other part of the town is Zazzau. The sword that Queen Amina used is named Zazzau.'The gate of Zaria City was built during Queen Amina's reign. Queen Amina was the only queen in northern Nigeria. During her lifetime, she conquered almost the entire northern Nigeria. So, she is the one that built the gate because of the enemies. Over 700 years back, the mud fence was round the whole of Zaria City. The main gate was rebuilt with concrete blocks some years back but the thick mud walls adjoining it are signs that you have arrived Zaria. So, there is only one Zaria,' he said.Tourist AttractionsZaria City WallsThese walls circumnavigate Zaria City and are between 14 and 16 kilometres long with eight beautiful and magnificent gates leading into the city. The walls were built with mud and with the sole aim of providing security to fend off the growing invading forces, which were frequent in the area during pre-colonial period. What remains of the old mud walls built by Queen Amina at the beginning of her reign in the 16th century Zaria can still be found around the city gate. Though largely dilapidated, the remains of the old Zaria City walls still stand as a relic of the people's past and their history of greatness. They are about 10 feet tall and extremely thick, enabling them to last over many years. The Zaria City walls remain one of the most impressive monuments among the cities of Northern Nigeria and a good tourist attraction.Emir of Zazzau's PalaceThe old palace in Zaria City from which Queen Amina ruled Zazzau in the 16th century has become one of the most important tourist sites in Zaria, nay Kaduna State. It is still serving the same purpose following the coming of the Emirate system in Northern Nigeria following the 1804 Jihad of Usman Dan Fodio. Though the palace has expanded from what it was, it still houses the relics of the old palace, the living quarters of the legendary Queen Amina at the beginning of her reign.The palace consists of four council chambers named after former Emirs. There is a large living area for guards and serfs and offices for administrative purposes. The interior of the old palace reveals the architectural ingenuity of the people ' the thickness of the walls, the wood, the locally constructed concrete roofs that also serve as the ceiling; the intricate drawings and exquisite paintings that give the palace its splendour, are simply thought provoking. Despite the warm climate of Zaria in most periods of the year, the interior of the palace maintains its room temperature owing to the walls that insulate the building from the heat of the sun. Ever filled with people ranging from Quoranic pupils to praise singers and hospitable ushers, whether the Emir is around or not, one is at home with nature and beauty at the palace of Emir of Zazzau.
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