THE FALL OF KATSINA: A Civilization Burned, A History Erased, A People Subjugated – Essay by Khaleed Yazeed Sparks Debate

A powerful and provocative essay by Khaleed Yazeed, titled “The Fall of Katsina,” has sparked widespread debate, presenting a detailed historical account of the 19th-century conquest of the Hausa kingdom by Fulani forces and its lasting impact on the region.

Yazeed describes Katsina before the Fulani jihad as a “universe” – the commercial capital of the Western Sudan and an intellectual centre that surpassed Timbuktu. The essay details how Katsina, founded in the 10th or 11th century, had a population of 100,000, walls stretching 13.5 miles, and the Gobarau Minaret, believed to be the first multi-storey building in West Africa.

The Siege and Fall

The essay recounts the seven-year siege (1807-1814) that led to Katsina’s fall, describing a “frightful famine” during which carrion birds, lizards, and snakes were sold at exorbitant prices. The Fulani forces, led by commanders Umarun Dallaje, Malam Na Alhaji, and Umarun Dunyawa, eventually captured the city.

The Erasure

Yazeed alleges that the Fulani conquerors burned Katsina’s historical records, razed the town of Dankama, and replaced the Hausa king with a Fulani emir who answered to the Sultan of Sokoto. He argues that this was a deliberate attempt to erase Hausa history and subjugate the people.

The Legacy

The essay concludes that the Gobarau Minaret still stands as a “monument not to Katsina’s greatness but to its fall,” and that the Hausa people of Katsina “live as subjects in the land of their ancestors.” Yazeed calls for remembrance and reclamation of what was lost.

The essay has been met with both praise and criticism, with some hailing it as a courageous truth-telling and others dismissing it as divisive. The debate over the Sardauna’s legacy continues to shape political discourse in Northern Nigeria.