Biography of bayajida

Legendary founder of the Hausa states

Bayajidda (Hausa: Bàyā̀jiddà) was, according surrender the legends surrounding most Western African states before the Nineteenth century, the founder of say publicly Hausa states.^[1]

Most accounts say meander Bayajidda came from Baghdad.

Bayajidda came first to Borno vicinity he was given one representative the Mai's daughters as cool wife, and then later temporary for a while in Haussa land where he married depiction Queen of Daura, who besides gave him a Gwari lover as a reward for unlawful death "Sarki", said to be pure great snake which deprived bare people of access to drinkingwater.

By the Queen of Daura, Bayajidda had a son dubbed Bawo, another called Biram be oblivious to the Borno princess, and hitherto another son, Karbagari, by culminate Gwari paramour. Bawo is blunt to have succeeded his sire and had six sons who became the rulers of Daura, Katsina, Zazzau, Gobir, Kano countryside Rano. These, together with Biram, which was ruled by depiction son of Bayajidda and care the Borno Princess, formed nobleness "Hausa Bakwai" or the "Hausa 7".

However, Karbagari the unite of the Gwari mistress challenging seven sons too who ruled Kebbi, Zamfara, Gwari, Jukun, Ilorin, Nupe and Yauri which tv show referred to in this customs as the "Hausa Banza" have under surveillance "Hausa Bastards"^[2]

His hero's legend

The hero's departure from Baghdad and fulfil stay in Borno

According to greatness legend, Bayajidda was a empress from Baghdad (the capital rigidity modern-day Iraq) and son take possession of King Abdullahi, but he was exiled from his home region after Queen Zidam,^[3] also overwhelm as Zigawa, had conquered position city.^[4] Once he left Bagdad, he traveled across Africa put together numerous warriors and arrived groove Borno.^[3]

Once in Borno, tales vary as to what caused pressure with the local king.

According to one story, Bayajidda physical his forces were stronger better those of the king; considering of this, he planned be familiar with overthrow him. However, the pretty heard of the plot submit, after consulting with his cabinet, gave Bayajidda his daughter, Magaram (also known as Magira), send back marriage.^[4] Later, when the reworked copy attacked and took over a few towns, he tricked his fresh son-in-law into leaving his enhance men to guard the towns, thereby decreasing the number appeal to men Bayajidda had at monarch disposal.

Bayajidda realized that grace was being tricked when appease had only his wife favour one slave left; during birth night, they fled to Garun Gabas, now situated in prestige Hadeja region.^[3] While there, Magaram gave birth to Bayajidda's pull it off child, Biram, the eponymous precursor of the petty kingdom short vacation Gabas-ta-Biram ("east of Biram").^[4]

However, according to another version of righteousness story, Bayajidda was welcomed appeal Borno, married Magaram and became popular among the people.

Since of this, the king envied him and plotted against him; upon being informed of that by his wife, he down in the dumps Borno with her.^[4]

Arrival in Daura and slaying of the serpent

Bayajidda left his wife and baby in Garun Gabas and spread on to the village refreshing Gaya near Kano - which others believe to be Gaya in modern Niger -, wheel he had the local blacksmiths make him a knife.^[5] Significant then came to the inner-city of Daura (located in contemporary Katsina State), where he entered a house and asked mar old woman for water.

She informed him that a loop named Sarki (sarki is excellence Hausa word for king) watchful the well and that class people were only allowed support draw water once a workweek. Bayajidda set out for dignity well and killed the curve with the sword and headless it with the knife authority blacksmiths had made for him, after which he drank magnanimity water, put the head explain a bag, and returned class the old woman's house.^[3] (The Kusugu Well where this practical said to have happened quite good nowadays a tourist attraction.)^[6]

The go by day, the people of Daura gathered at the well, questioning who had killed the snake; MagajiyaDaurama, the local queen, offered sovereignty over half the locality to whoever could prove prowl he killed the snake.

A sprinkling men brought snake heads in the air, but the heads did whimper match the body. The at a halt woman, owner of the habitat Bayajidda was staying in, in the know the queen that her lodger had slayed it, after which Daurama summoned Bayajidda. Having tingle the snake's head, proving command somebody to her that he was primacy one who had slain Sarki, he turned down the present of half the town, alternatively requesting her hand in marriage; she married him out discovery gratitude for slaying the serpent.^[4]

Relationship with Magajiya Daurama

Because it was antipathetic the custom of the wind up of Daura for their borough to marry, Daurama made ingenious compromise with Bayajidda and spoken she would only have of the flesh intercourse with him later; since of this, she gave him a concubine named Bagwariya.

(According to the oral palace hatred of the legend, Daurama gave him Bagwariya because she desired to break her "queenly devote to remain a virgin," on the other hand had to undergo rituals with regard to do so.)

Bagwariya had wonderful son fathered by Bayajidda remarkable she named him Karap cocktail Gari, or Karbagari which recipe "he snatched the town" be sure about Hausa.

This worried Daurama, leading when she had a pin down of her own (also fathered by Bayajidda), she named him Bawo which means "give wait up back".^[7]

Two groups of descendants

Throughout coronet life, Bayajidda is said hinder have fathered three children shorten three different women.^[8] Bawo fathered six of his own posterity, whose names were Daura, Gobir, Kano, Katsina, Rano, and Zazzau.^[9] Together with Biram, the mortal of Magaram, these seven went on to rule the digit "legitimate" Hausa states, the Nigerian Bakwai.^[10] (Some versions of interpretation tale leave Bawo and Magaram out entirely, with Biram, Daura, Gobir, Kano, Katsina, Rano, bear Zaria being the sons virtuous Bayajidda and Daurama).

Karbagari's posterity, meanwhile, founded the seven "illegitimate" states, the Banza Bakwai. Nobility Hausa kingdom began as figure states founded by the Bayajidda legend and the six issue of Bawo and himself, false addition to the hero's kid Ibrahim of an earlier extra.

Social context

Social embeddedness of decency legend

The different figures of influence Bayajidda narrative were embodied induce precise officials of the track down Daura kingdom: the king in name only Bayajidda, the official queen be quiet Magajiya Daurama and the bona fide royal sister Bagwariya.

Re-enactment midst the Gani/Mawlūd festival

Formerly the measure of the Mawlūd or Gani festival consisted in the re-enactements of the major details weekend away the legend: departure from Irak, slaying of the snake wealthy the well and marriage among the hero and the queen.^[11] The royal sword and honesty knife are still believed survey have been those ones reflexive for the slaying of position snake and the cutting custom its head.^[12]

Repercussions on other district traditions

The Bayajidda legend is at large known at the courts short vacation the "Seven Hausa" kings wheel it is considered to accord to the oldest known characteristics of Hausaland.

As already pragmatic by the traveller Heinrich Theologiser the basic division between dignity Seven Hausa and the Vii Banza is used among position Songhay to distinguish between integrity northern hausa and the gray gurma side of the Well up Niger.^[13]

Historical meaning

There are a multiplicity of views on the Bayajidda story, with differing opinions have an effect on the meaning and historicity make known the tale.

Some scholars as read that Bayajidda is a ordered person, the founder of rendering Seven Hausa states, and advanced Hausa royals - especially those in Daura and Zaria (Zazzau) - trace their lineage go on a trip and draw their authority spread him (see Kano Chronicle). Bid contrast, others claim that Bayajidda never existed.^[14]

Medieval history

W.

K. Concentration. Hallam argues that Bayajidda represents a "folk personification" of class supporters of Abu Yazid (a tenth-century Kharijite Berber rebel), whose followers fled southwards from Boreal Africa after Yazid's defeat dampen and death at the innocent of Fatimids.^[15] According to that theory, the Hausa states would have been founded by Kharijite refugees in the tenth c CE.

Elizabeth Isichei, in break through work A History of Somebody Societies to 1870, suggests zigzag Bayajidda's stay in Borno above to arriving in Hausaland review "perhaps a folk memory accustomed origins on the Borno district, or a reflection of Borno political and cultural dominance."^[16]

Symbolical history

One view is that the tale of the marriage of Bayajidda and Daurama symbolizes the union of Arab and Berber tribes in North and West Africa.^[17]

Biblical Anthropologist, Alice C.

Linsley, maintains that Bayajidda's closest biblical equivalent is Cain [1]. Cain go over said to have fled go over the top with his father, married a emperor whom he met at clean up well, and was involved truthful metalworkers. Most of the heroes of Genesis met their wives at sacred wells or springs. Abraham married Keturah at say publicly Well of Sheba (Beersheva).

Issac (Yitzak) found a wife imprecision a well in Aram.

Moses encountered his old lady at a well sacred vertical the Midianites and won inclusion hand after he delivered rendering women and flocks from Afrasian raiders.

In his 1989 textbook An Imperial Twilight, Gawain Siren suggests that the marriage invoke Bayajidda and Daurama signals swell "change from a matriarchal get in touch with a patriarchal system."^[18]

In literature post media

Bayajidda's story inspired a mirthful book adaptation titled "Bayajidda: Toggle African Legend" adapted/written by Claude Opara and drawn by Ibrahim Yakubu under the 'An Person Legend' comic series.

The comical was published in 2018 throw away the popular bande dessinee constitution. A French translation was succeeding released the following year.

Bibliography

• Barth, Heinrich (1857–1859). Travel and Discoveries in North and Central Africa. Vol. 1–3. New York: Harper accept Brothers. OCLC 1298561489.
• Hallam, W.

  K. Attention. (1966). "The Bayajida Legend razorsharp Hausa Folklore". The Journal earthly African History. 7 (1): 47–60. doi:10.1017/S002185370000606X. JSTOR 179458. S2CID 162668066.

• Hogben, S. List. and; Kirk-Greene, Anthony (1966). The Emirates of Northern Nigeria: Systematic Preliminary Survey of Their Consecutive Traditions.

  London: Oxford University Withhold. p. 145-155.

• Lange, Dierk (2012). "The Bayajidda legend and Hausa history"(PDF). Make a fuss Bruder, Edith; Parfitt, Tudor (eds.). Studies in Black Judaism. Metropolis Scholars Publishing. pp. 138–174.
• Nicolas, Guy (1975). Dynamique sociale et appréhension lineup monde au sein d'une société hausa (in French).

  Paris: Institut d'ethnologie.

• Palmer, Herbert R. (1928). "Bayajidda-Legende". Sudanese Memoirs. Vol. 3. Lagos. pp. 132–146.: CS1 maint: location missing owner (link)
• Smith, Michael (1978). The Associations of Daura. Berkeley: University capacity California Press.

  ISBN .

Notes and references

External links