The first of the states, Gobir and Rano, emerged around 1000. The Hausa City States were independent political entities in what is now northern Nigeria.
All the states were independent until they were conquered by the Sultanate of Sokoto between 1804-1815. The Hausa city states emerged as southern terminals of the Trans-Saharan caravan trade. much larger cities such as Gao and Timbuktu in the Mali Empire, these city states began as centers of a long distance trade that included leather, gold, cloth, salt, kola nuts, and animal hides. The trade probably influenced political development as ideas (and people) from the Middle East and North Africa made their way south to the cities. the Hausa city state creation myth suggests that northern influence. According to the myth, the city states began when Bayajidda, the prince of Baghdad, arrived in Daura (the oldest of the Hausa city states) and married the queen of the town.
Their seven sons founded the other states of Katsina, Zazzau, Gobir, Kano, Rano, and Biram. Certainly trade influenced religion. By 1200 all of the city states had Muslim rulers.The Hausa are the largest ethnic group in Nigeria and one of the largest ethnic groups in Africa. They are one of the three majority ethnic groups in Nigeria. The Igbos and the Yorubas are the remaining two. Unlike the other 2 major ethnic groups, the Hausas are a more culturally homogeneous people. All the thirty-six states in Nigeria has an ethnic group which dominates others in the settlements. The settlement of ethnic groups in Nigeria is based on their migration history and expansion. Mentioned already, the Hausas dominates the states in the Northern part of Nigeria. The Yorubas dominates mainly the states in the South-Western part of Nigeria while the Igbos mainly live in the states located in the South-Eastern part of the Nigeria. Before Nigeria was created as a country and before the creation of all the 36 states in Nigeria, the true Hausa settlements were: Daura Kano Katsina Zaria (Zazzau) Gobir Rano Biram.
All These were founded by Bawo and his six sons. Bawo who was the son of Bagwariya, who according to myth is believed to be the eponymous ancestor of the Hausa. These seven were predominantly occupied only by Hausa speaking people.The List of Hausa states in Nigeria today. Though it cannot be said that some states are inhabited 100% by the Hausa people, but we definitely can name the states where a big number of the population really belongs to this ethnic group. These states include:
- Bauchi State
- Borno State
- Kano State
- Katsina State
- Plateau State
- Taraba State
- Niger State
- Adamawa State
- Kaduna State
- Sokoto State
- Jigawa State
- Kebbi State
- Zamfara State.
