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 This is a list of rulers of Kano since the establishment of the Bagauda Dynasty in 998. The early rulers are known almost exclusively from a single source, the '' Kano Chronicle'',; iGoogle Books which was composed in the late 19th century. Ba ...

stretching back to the 10th century AD. It tells of eleven clans of animists (such as salt extractors, brewers, or smiths) who were warned by their spiritual leader that a stranger would come and cut down their sacred tree and wrest their dominion from them: “If he comes not in your time, assuredly he will come in the time of your children, and will conquer all in this country” (Palmer 1928: III: 98). Indeed, a man named

Bagauda Daud Dan Bawo, also known as Bagauda or Yakano, was the first King of Kano, reigning from 999 to 1063. He established a Dynasty which would go on to rule the state for over 800 years. According to the Kano Chronicle, all subsequent Kings and Sul ...

arrived soon after, conquered, and became the first king of Kano according to the chronicle (Palmer 1928: III: 97-100).

Authorship

The existing ''Kano Chronicle'' was probably written in the 1880s by Malam Barka, a ''Dan Rimi'' (high-ranking slave official) who worked for Muhammad Bello, the ''Sarkin Kano'' (ruler of Kano) who reigned from 1882–1893. The chronicle may represent the amalgamation of earlier works. The original copy is still with the descendants of Malam Idris al-Khilawiy in Kano.

Translations

The best-known translation is Sir

Richmond Palmer Sir Herbert Richmond Palmer (25 April 1877 – 22 May 1958) was an English barrister, who became a colonial supervisor for Britain during the inter-World War period. He served as a Lieutenant Governor in Nigeria, Governor and Commander-in-Chief ...

's 1908 English translation. Palmer's 1908 English translation of the ''Kano Chronicle'' was derived from a manuscript obtained at Sabon Gari near

Katsina Katsina, likely from "Tamashek" eaning son or bloodor mazza enwith "inna" otheris a Local Government Area and the capital city of Katsina State, in northern Nigeria.

, northern Nigeria. There is also a 1933 translation into Hausa by Rupert M. East, titled ''Labarun Hausawa da Makwabtansu: Littafi na biyu''. Since this translation made use of a different source than Palmer's translation, East's text has some differences from Palmer's text.

Rulers listed

Rulers of Kano listed in the ''Kano Chronicle'' and their years of reign:

Related manuscripts

There are a few 19-century Arabic-language manuscript king-lists from Kano similar to the full-length ''Kano Chronicle'', which are:Abdalla Uba Adamu.
The City At the Edge of Forever – Archiving and Digitizing Arabic Sources on the History of Kano, Nigeria
'. *MS Falke 0704 (Umar Falke Collection in the Melville J. Herskovits Library of Africana,

Northwestern University Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston, Illinois. Founded in 1851, Northwestern is the oldest chartered university in Illinois and is ranked among the most prestigious academic institutions in the world. Charte ...

; ends with the reign of Muhammad Alwali, 1781-1807) *MS Jos 47 (

University of Ibadan The University of Ibadan (UI) is a public research university in Ibadan, Nigeria. The university was founded in 1948 as University College Ibadan, one of many colleges within the University of London. It became an independent university in 19 ...

, and from the collection of Sir

; ends with the reign of

Ibrahim Dabo Ibrahim Dabo was the leader of the Fulani Sullubawa in Kano and founder of the eponymous Dabo dynasty. His progeny has lasted over two centuries reigning as Muslim rulers of the ancient city-state of Kano. The dynasty has become synonymous with ...

, 1819-1846) *MS Jos 53 (University of Ibadan, and from the collection of Sir Richmond Palmer; ends with the reign of Usman, 1846-1855) *MS Paden 399 (Paden Collection of the Melville J. Herskovits Library of Africana, Northwestern University; ends with the reign of Muhammad Tukur, 1893-1895)

References

*. *. Reprinted 1967 by London: Frank Cass.

External links

Kano Archive
{{Rulers of Kano African chronicles Hausa royalty

Chronicle A chronicle ( la, chronica, from Greek ''chroniká'', from , ''chrónos'' – "time") is a historical account of events arranged in chronological order, as in a timeline. Typically, equal weight is given for historically important events and lo ...