AUTHORITY AND INFLUENCE IN THE KANO HAREMa

Abstract

The acknowledged center of Hausaland is Kano, an ancient city in northern Nigeria which has been heavily influenced by Arab culture through its cross‐Saharan trade relations with North Africa since the 14th century. Hausa‐speakers, numbering approximately 80 million, are concentrated throughout the sub‐Saharan region of West Africa. Hausa settlements can be found scattered as far to the North and East as Tripoli and Khartoum. The Hausa ethnic group is defined by Hausa language and social customs. In urban centers such as the Nigerian cities of Kano, Katsina, Zaria, and Sokoto, there has been considerable mixing of Hausa and Fulani peoples, largely as a result of resocialization following the 19th century jihad led by Shehu Usman 'dan Fodio. The jihad, through which the Shehu sought to reform Islamic practices in the region, involved the replacement of all Hausa kings with Fulani emirs who, since then, have served as traditional rulers in the region. Although Nigerian independence in 1960 technically replaced the emirs with national political leaders, in the major northern Nigerian cities, they continue to be influential and respected as traditional leaders of the Hausa‐Fulani population.Hausa social structure is often described as hierarchical, ranging from a base level that includes blacksmiths and entertainers, to royalty at the top. The majority of society are urban craftspeople and traders, and long distance trade is a hallmark of Hausa culture. Because Hausa culture is set in a savannah region, traditional crafts that make use of local resources are standard market items: woven baskets and mats, decorated gourds, leather goods, and decorated horse tackle. The rural Hausa traditionally farmed the land, while rural Fulani were pastoral people, following the movement of their cattle. Although rural populations have diminished considerably over the 20th century, some non‐Muslim Hausa can still be found, especially in remote, hilly regions of Nigeria's northeast. These people subsist primarily by hunting and farming small plots. Most individuals who now identify themselves as Hausa, however, are urban‐dwellers, English‐speaking, educated, and employed in sectors of the city as white‐collar, craft, and market professionals. Depending on her level of education, a Hausa woman, to varying degrees, will be secluded in the home, employed as a teacher, nurse, religious scholar, agricultural extension agent, or work with media such as television, radio, and the newspapers. Islam, the most important influence in Hausa culture, was introduced in the 15th century, perhaps earlier. Because of Islam and its focus on the family, Hausa culture has long adhered to customs that include gender‐specific socio‐religious obligations, the fulfillment of which mark Hausa culture. Among them are over‐arching requirements that a man support his family and act as a Muslim role model for his children, and that a woman bear and raise children as Muslim. Islam has flourished in urban areas; bringing with it a focus on literacy. It has produced in Hausa culture a long and rich tradition of poetic productivity, poetry being the mode of communication in the Sahel region for centuries prior to the 20th century.