Kanajeji Dan Yaji, known as Kanajeji, was the 13th ruler of

Kano Kano may refer to: Places *Kano State, a state in Northern Nigeria * Kano (city), a city in Nigeria, and the capital of Kano State **Kingdom of Kano, a Hausa kingdom between the 10th and 14th centuries **Sultanate of Kano, a Hausa kingdom between ...

and, for a period, the ruler of

Zazzau The Zazzau, also known as the Zaria Emirate, is a traditional state with headquarters in the city of Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria. The current emir of Zazzau is Alhaji Ahmed Nuhu Bamalli who succeeded the former emir, late Alhaji Shehu Idris. Ea ...

. He reigned from 1390 - 1410. Like his father,

Yaji I Ali Dan Tsamiya known as Yaji I or Ali Yaji Dan Tsamiya was a king and later the first Sultan of Kano, a state in what is now Northern Nigeria. Yaji I ruled from 1359 to 1385 CE. A prominent figure in the state's history, Yaji used a religious re ...

, Kanajeji was an intrepid king whose reign was characterized by war, conquest, and religious reformation. Kanajeji engaged in two long and pivotal wars with Umbatu and

, and eventually prevailed in both, after lengthy feuds. He took Umbatu in four attempts, and Zazzau after two battles. He also renewed the suzerainty his father had imposed over the

Kwararafa Kororofa (Kwararafa in Hausa) was a multiethnic state and/or confederacy centered along the Benue River valley in what is today central Nigeria. It was southwest of the Bornu Empire and south of the Hausa States. They rose to prominence before ...

. However, in a bid to conquer Zazzau, his reign also saw the return of the pagan practices his father sought to expunge. He is credited with revolutionizing Kano's army through the introduction of quilted leather armors (''lifidi''), steel armors, coats of mail, and iron helmets.

Lineage and Accession

He was the son of the first Sultan of Kano, Ali Yaji Dan Tsamiya and Aunaka. The short reign of his father's successor, his uncle, Muhammad Bugaya, was pervaded with peace and tranquility because Yaji had finally solidified their family's grasp on Kano. His uncle sought repose and handed over official duties to the Galadima. Kanajeji succeeded Bugaya after his death in 1390.

Reign

Like his father, Kanajeji he immediately set out to extend the reach of the Sultanate, engaging in multiple conquests all over the region. He requested that the Kwararafa paid tribute to him like they did his father so they sent him two hundred slaves. The Kwararafa continued to send him slaves while he continued to send them horses.

War with Umbatu

Kanajeji's first attempt at subduing Umbatu resulted in an emphatic defeat. The casualties Kano suffered forced him to modernize his army by introducing armor, iron helmets, and coats of mail. He returned to Umbatu twice more in two successive years but failed both times. However, after failing a third time, he vowed " I will not return to Kano, if Allah wills, until I conquer the enemy.". The fourth attempt, he utilized the same strategy that his father had used to conquer the Kwararafa. He started a siege which lasted for two years until the people of Umbatu were starved out and forced to concede defeat. They gave the Sultan a thousand male slaves and a thousand female slaves from among their children, and then gave him another two thousand slaves. ''"No one shall again conquer Umbatu as I have conquered it, though he may gain spoil."''

First Battle With Zazzau

After Umbatu, Kanajeji then set his sights on the

Hausa Hausa may refer to: * Hausa people, an ethnic group of West Africa * Hausa language, spoken in West Africa * Hausa Kingdoms, a historical collection of Hausa city-states * Hausa (horse) or Dongola horse, an African breed of riding horse See also ...

State of Zazzau. This was Kano's first recorded war with Zazzau. He camped at Turunku, where their armies clashed. The men of Zazzau defeated the men of Kano after which they taunted "What is Kano? Kano is 'bush!'".

Reintroduction of pagan practices

''Sarkin Tchibiri: "Re-establish the god that your father and grandfather destroyed...Whatever you wish for in this world, do as our forefathers did of old"'' ''Kanajeji: "True, but tell me what I am to do with it...Show me, and I will do even as they did."'' Disappointed by his defeat in Zazzau, the Sultan of Kano sought advice as to how to defeat them. He was advised by the Sarkin Tchibiri to reintroduce the gods his father and grandfather had outlawed. He was then guided through a few pagan rituals by Sarkin Tchibiri while singing the "Song of Barbushe".

Return to Zazzau

A year after the first battle, Kanajeji set out to Zazzau once again. This time he camped at Gadaz and the army of Zazzau came to meet him. The army of Kano slayed the King of Zazzau and most of their chiefs. The men of Zazzau fled for their lives. He entered Zazzau and reigned near Shika for eight months where he gained much spoil from the people of Zazzau. ''"Son of Kano, hurler of the kere, Kanajeji, drinker of the water of Shika, preventer of washing in the Kubanni, Lord of the town, Lord of the land"''

Death

Kanajeji died in 1410. The three subsequent rulers of Kano were his sons, Umaru, Dauda, and

Abdullahi Burja Abdullahi Dan Kanajeji, known as Abdullahi Burja, was the sixteenth ruler of Kano. Through forging of powerful alliances and the creation of trade routes, Burja shifted the identity of the Kano Sultanate towards trade and commerce, what Kano and i ...

Biography in the ''Kano Chronicle''

Below is a full biography of Kanajeji from

Palmer Palmer may refer to: People and fictional characters * Palmer (pilgrim), a medieval European pilgrim to the Holy Land * Palmer (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Palmer (surname), including a list of people and ...

's 1908 English translation of the ''

Kano Chronicle The ''Kano Chronicle'' (''Tarikh arbab hadha al-balad al-musamma Kano'' in Arabic) is an Arabic-language manuscript that lists the rulers of Kano. Summary The ''Kano Chronicle'' is a list of rulers of Kano stretching back to the 10th century A ...

''.; i
Google Books

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kanajeji Monarchs of Kano 14th-century births 1410 deaths Year of birth unknown