It is generally bilieved that the Gwandara people came from Kano. They migrated at about 1476 to escape religious persecution or forced conversion to Islam, which had become the religion of the court in Kano. The people were asked to abandon their juju and become Muslims and they refused. For them "Gwanda rawa da Sallah" meaning, juju dance is better than Sallah(the Muslim prayer). So they left Kano under leader (Karshi), Gwandara became their name, the short form of "Gwanda rawa". in order to ascertain who they are in kano and how the migrated from there. It is neccessary to examine the early History of Kano itself.
The original settler were some hunters that came from the north. They settle around the hill of Dala,Gwauran, Magwan and Dutsen Faninsu. Other people joined them and they became many, they were conflict between them, the need of leadership arose. The juju priests useally settle disputes and also made laws regulating hunting, festivals and wars(Abubakar Dokaji, 1958).
Up on the hill of Dala, there was a powerful juju priest called Barbushe. He was a tall huge man with hair on his face and body. He could kill an Elephant and carry it home alone. No wonder he was feared by all people. He had a juju shrine in a round hut, the shrine was called Tsumburbura. It was believed that spirits lived in this shrine and Bori people worshiped them. Barbushe was the only person who could enter into the hut of Tsumburbura to receive the yearly messages for all the people. Barbushe came down form Dutsen Dala only once a year. During the celebration, the people of the entire surrounding village could gather under the hill of Dala with their black Goats and Dogs which they offered to the shrine. It was then that Barbushe will come down and lead the people up the hill to worship Tsumburbura. All the people men and women would be naked and run around the juju shrine several times. Barbushe, who called himself the Magaji of Dala, would enter the hut and would not deliver that years messages and rules as he recieved them from Tsumburbura. As time went on, the people of Barbushe began to diminishe and all the surrounding villagehad no effective leader anymore. so they stated to fight among themselves. It was at this point that Bagauda, the son of Bawa from Daura, was sent to Kano to rule from 999-1065. This was part of the origin of seven Hausa states and the beginning of Habe rule in Kano.
Bagauda met many tribes in Kano like Gazargawa, Zadawa, Fangon, Zaura, Dundunzuru, Shiriya, Sheme, Gande and Kokorawa(Abubakar 1958). The cities of Gazargawa were from Jakara to Santolo. Those of Fangon from Santolo to Barkum. Saura accupied fromBompai to Wasai. While Dundunzuru was from Watari to Dutsen Karya, Shiriya was from Santolo to Shike, and Sheme Was from Damargu to Kazaure. Gande was from Barkum to kera and Tokarawa was from Karmani to Ringim. Bagauda was not able to rule all the tribes.
Tsumburbura worshiper were very strong and they continued to be threat to many rules of Kano, Tsamiya(from 1315-1352) succeeded in destroying Tsumburbura. He attack the shrine, which was defended by the worshipers . Barde Bajere,a great warrior, secceeded in entering the hut where he found a juju standing with a snake in his hand. Bajere pierced the juju with his spear. The juju shouted and ran out and fell in the river and, through Kofar Ruwa, went out of Kano. Bajere and his followed him but could not find him. The juju went out at Dankwai. That was why it was believed that the worriorthat drank the water at Dankwai would never be victorious and chiefs of Kano that went out of Kano through Kofar Ruwa would never return to Kano alive. Tsamiya destroy the bush. Zamna-Gawa became the leader and continued to worship their juju. Zamna-Gawa launched a counter attsck on Tsamiya and killed him in his own house. He looked up Tsamiya dead body in his house for seven days. Hence he was called Zamna-Gawa. He ruled from (1352-1396).
It was suggested that the Gwandara who were of the Maguzawa stock might have migrated from Kano by this period. This could nt be true since by This peiod, Islam had not entered Kano. So they couldn't have been called "Gwanda rawa da Sallah"
During the reign of Yaji (1359-1396), the Wangarawa Fulani from Mecca came to Kano. They were 40 in number, led by Abdul-Rahman Zaite, Mandawari Shehu, Jujin yan Labon and Mandatai. They preached Islam and Yeji was the first Habe ruler to accepts Islam to counter the threat of Tsumburbura. The tribe of Gazargawa that occupied from Jakara to Damargu did not accept Islam. They messed up the Mosque with faeces. Prayer was said by the Muslims and the Gazargawa leader went blind as a result. It seems most likely that the Gade, who left Kano much earlier than the Gwanda, might have left by this time. The Gade might have been originatd from Gande, one of the tribe that have been originated from Kano. They occupied from Barjum to Kera (1359-1396).
When Kanajeji came to the throne of Kano (1401-1421), he went to war against Zaria but failed to win. He returned to Kano and cosulted Suri the priest of Tsumburbura who told him the spirit of Tsumburbura that was driven to Dankwai by Tsamiya must be appeased. Suri brought a stick and broke it, out of the stick came out a snake, the snake was killed and a pair of shoes was made out of the skin for Kanajeji. A little drum was also made out of the wood and was throne into Dankwai. That, it was believed, gave Kanajeji victory over Zaria. As a result, Tsumburbura regained power again in Kano.
The last Habe ruler was Yakubu who ruled from (1465-1476). After him a powerful ruler, Muhammadu Rumfa, came to the throne. Some say Rumfa was a descendant of Bagauda while others say he came from Daura and first settle at Gaya where he build some stall(Rumfa) from which he got his name. Some says that the origin of the name, Rumfa, was that during the reign of Muhammadu Rumfa, they were many dogs in Kano, he was used to going out to tour the town. So his food would be kept for him on a stall (Rumfa) so that dogs would not get at it. So the chief got associated with the name Rumfa. During the time of Rumfa. Kano reached the highest peak of its glory. He was the person that built the present palace of the Emir of Kano.
During his reign, a learned Mallam called Al-Magili came to Kano from East. It was said that AL-Magili came from Madina. That in Madina, he had a dream in which was told by Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) to go westwards to preach Islam. So he took some sand in Madina. When he reached to Kano, the soil of Kano looked the same as the one he brought from Madina. So he decided to settle there. He was accepted by Rumfa into the court where, earlier on, the worshipers of Tsumburbura had gained access during reign of Kanajeji. Al-Magili revived Islam at the court, town and the surroundings. the sharia was more vigorously applied.
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