Being a paper presented at the First International Conference on Gobir Kingdom, Past And Present: Transformation And Change, held at The Usmanu Danfodiyo University Auditorium, from 9th – 13th July, 2018
The Role of Hausa Women in the Traditional Sarauta System: Reflections on the Office and Institutions of Inna in Gobir Kingdom
Abdullahi Ibrahim Gobir, Ph.D.
Introduction: The Kingdom of Gobir
Pre-colonial
African states – whether as city-states, chiefdoms, kingdoms or empires,
usually had elaborate Sarauta
systems. That is, clearly defined
political structures or organizations with clearly defined offices and
institutions with still, clearly defined roles and functions. These offices,
and/or political institutions provided the basis, nitty-gritty and
justifications for the administration and governance. They were also built in such a way that all
the possible ideological requirements of the state were provided by these
institutions and offices. The offices or
institutions could vary greatly. Some
were social, some were economic, some were cultural-cum-religious; others were
military, etc. Even in modern
governance, the Ministry of Women affairs is quite distinct but as necessary as
the office of National Orientation Agency.
Just as this is no more important than the Department of State
Services. So, governance as it were, was
constituted by state organs, each as important and necessary as the
others. So it was during the empires of
yore.
It is also the
offices that ensured hitch-free rancours in government except in circumstances
where officials and functionaries wanted to play intrigues. Short of this, the systems worked amicably
well and effectively.
The participation
of women in traditional political organizations is a universal phenomenon. In Europe during both the ancient period and
the middle ages, very powerful Queens did partake active roles in governance –
with women, sometimes, determining the fates of princes, palace or court
officials as well as the fates of Diplomats.
It was the same situation in imperial China and India. In Africa it was more or less the same
situation. In Borno, before the early
modern period, Zazzau, Yorubaland, Igboland, women played prominent roles in
governance.
According
to a writer,
Female
leadership is indigenous to African societies and manifested in numerous ways
in both state and stateless entities. In
state societies, female leadership takes the form of queens, queen mothers,
chiefs and paramount chiefs. These women
exercised independent power and prestige and performed prominent political
roles equal to other world celebrated women leaders like Queen Elizabeth 1 of
Britain, Golda Meir of Israel, Margaret Thatcher of Britain and Indira Gandhi
of India.[1]
Between the 14th
and 19th century, Hausaland was, generally speaking, a battleground
among the various Hausa states. Each of
the Hausa states had occasion to enjoy dominance at one point or another. But as observed by Galley, by 1800 Gobir was
the most powerful state in Hausaland.[2]
Hausa Women in the Sarauta
System
It has already
been observed that female participation in governance is a universal
practice. For most of the 16th
century, Zaria was the strongest state in Hausaland.[3] This supremacy and brilliant rise was
occasioned by the remarkable work of a Queen known as Barkwa Turunda. Her daughters too contributed – Amina and
another daughter, Zaria. Together they
laid a formidable history of the role of women in conquest, government and
administration in Hausaland. Even in
post-Jihad Sokoto, Nana Asmau, the daughter of Shehu Usmanu was a pillar of
support in the area of women’s wellbeing in the caliphate. In Zamfara, there was the important office
holder called ‘Yargoje.
The Office and the Institution of Inna in Gobir Kingdom
Islam had co-existed
with traditional religious beliefs. As a
matter of fact it is virtually a struggle; while Islam was trying to suppress
and extinguish traditional beliefs, on the one hand; on the other hand,
traditional belief systems[4]
were fighting back. In the life of
women, such a struggle, tried to undermine the ‘central sources of power and
income available to the women’.[5]
The Inna of Gobir
as will be shown played a central political role in the Gobir kingdom. Inna is known by various other names in Hausaland. That is, Iya
or Magajiya. She is usually appointed by the King. She is usually of the same royal lineage as
the king.[6] In some cases a cousin sister to the king
could be appointed or a senior sister of the king.
Functions of the Inna
Inna performed
certain fundamental functions. She had
political functions because she was a chief, that is, sarauniya as the overall leader of all women in the kingdom. She performed economic functions because, she
collected taxes along with her official subordinates. Such taxes were collected from artisans,
builders, farmers, dyers, butchers etc.
During the king’s absence she acted as the wakiliyi (regent) in the capital.
She also played a military role and would avail herself on the
battlefields on occasions. So she was
sort of war commander. Inna Yarbukuma,
according to information, even launched an attack on Zamfara. It was at Inna’s house that Yunfa took a
critical decision in 1809, that he would not flee as advised by his
brother. Instead, he fought to death.
Socially, the
Inna’s house was where royal brides and grooms were housed during their
marriage festivities. One scholar
described the Inna as
a
very commanding figure; her booted feet were not allowed to touch ground; mats
were laid for her to walk on. She was
very intelligent and took care of widows and orphans. She was relaxed and pleasant except when
circumstances demanded that she behave otherwise. She was generous and distributed booty
fairly; she never betrayed any trust placed in her and stood by her kinsfolk.[7]
Uniqueness and Continuity
The Inna was quite
a deputy to the king. To demonstrate her uniqueness, sort of distance her from
feminism and move her closer to masculinity, she wore male attires and regalia
on public occasions – trousers, boots long traditional gown and a turban. On top of the turban, she capped it all with
a Hausa traditional hat, malfa –
usually worn by people of advanced ages.
She was well respected and one of her epithets is – maidamarar fama (a warrior); one always ready for action – war or
any eventuality.[8]
So the office of
the Inna is at once a spiritual, political and commanding office. As a social institution, it caters for royal
marital ceremonies, serves as a tax-collection institution and head of the
womenfolk in the kingdom. According to
oral information, there had been 754 kings in the Gobir kingdom from the first
king to the recent one in Sabon Birni (in 2018), who is now late, all these
were supposed to have ruled along with various Inna.
The Office of Inna in the Post Jihad Period
It is worthy of
note that, after the fall of Alkalawa in 1809, the people of Gobir migrated. They settled in
different areas including Birnin Kadaye and Gawon Bazau. From there, some were
reported to have left to Tsibiri (now in Niger Republic), while some under the
leadership of Yariman Gobir Dan Halima founded the Sabon Birnin Dan Halima near
River Bunsuru in 1853, they however, relocated to the present Sabon Birni after
flood from the river destroyed the old Sabon Birni.[9]
The Sarakunan Gobir of Tsibiri continued to ensure the survival of the office
of Inna, while in Sabon Birni, from
1874 to 2003, only four have been recorded as follows:
1.
Inna Yar Bukuma - 1874-1878
2.
Inna Bahillata - 1945-1969
3.
Inna Ta Allah - 1970-1974
4.
Inna Atumbulla - 1974-2003
Further research
may reveal more of them. Worthy of note,
however, since 2003, after the demise of Inna
Atumbulla, no Inna was appointed.
This important office ought not to be killed.
It should be maintained, and even modernized. This is in view of the modern roles and even
new roles the modern society assigns to women.
For example, the office of the Inna can effectively be in charge of
girl-child education and scholarships.
It can also be mobilized to facilitate seeking for jobs for women. It can also as well organize workshops and
sensitization seminars for women in women-related issues such:
-
Birth attending
-
Period of cholera and
plagues
-
Children’s issues and
programmes such as immunization, etc.
Concluding Remarks
This presentation
had been a brief discussion on the office of the Inna and its social, economic,
political and military significance. It
is my candid opinion that this office should not only be maintained but
modernized to assume modern roles. Her
office should have clearly defined functions and should be given to well
educated women. This should be the
reform and new requirement.
[1] A.B. Bawa, ‘History and Gender: A
Cursory Look at the Forgotten Female
Heroines in the former Zamfara and
Gobir Kingdoms’, paper presented at the 60th Congress of the
Historical Society of Nigeria, held at the Management Sciences Auditorium, Main
Campus, University of Abuja, 11th – 134th October, 2015,
p.2
[2] Harry A. Galley, History
of Africa from the Earliest Times to 1800. I The Dryden
Press Inc., Illinois, 1970. P.82.
[4] A.I. Yandaki, ‘The State of Islam and Traditional
Religious Belief Systems in
Kasar Hausa or Hausaland from the
earliest time to the Beginning of the 19th century’. Being a paper
presented at the Religious Studies Conference, organized by the Department of
Religious Studies, University of Ibadan, 1990.
[5] H. Bodman and N. Tohidi, especially
article by Barbara M. Cooper, ‘Gender and
Religion in Hausaland: variations
in Islamic practice in Niger and Nigeria’ Boulder Colorado, Lynne Rienner
Publishers, 1998, pp. 21-37.
[6] A.B. Bawa ‘Bori Practice: Cultural domination of Hausa
women in Northern Nigeria’ paper presented
at Toyin Falola Annual Conference organized by Ibadan Cultural Studies Group, University of Ibadan, 4th
– 6th July, 2011, p.2
[8] Ibid.
[9] A. I. Maikano, “The Biography of Sarkin
Gobir, Sabon Birni, Alh. Abdulhamid Balarabe
Salihu”, B.A. Project, Dept of
History, UDUS, 2012, p. 17.
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