History of the Hausa People in West and Central Africa

The Hausa people currently reside in West and Central Africa. They are the largest unreached people group in West and Central Africa. Out of 28,000,000 people, there are only 36,000 known Christians.[1] These millions are dispersed throughout the nations of Niger, Nigeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Congo, Chad, Central African Republic, Cote d'Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, Guinea, Togo, Gabon.[2] In Nigeria alone there are 24 million Hausa people, and nearly 6 million in Niger.[3]

The myth of the Hausa's origin begins with their founder, Bayajidda, coming from the east to escape his father. He eventually came to Gaya, where he employed blacksmiths to form him a knife. With this knife, the legend purports that he freed the people from a sacred snake who guarded their well and prevented them from getting water six days per week in their land of Daura. The queen of Daura as a result offered herself in marriage to Bayajidda to show her appreciation. She eventually gave birth to seven sons, whom ruled the seven states that make up Hausaland.

Though this makes for a good story, the fact is that it is not known when the movement of the ancestors of the Hausa people actually occurred; neither has the migrants' place of origin been pinpointed. The seven Habe kingdoms were formed by a merging of strangers with local natives. The emergence of states in Hausaland was apparently associated with the establishment of capital cities as centers of power. They were different from earlier settlements in that they were cosmopolitan, fortified, and each was the seat of a king who was recognized as the superior power throughout the surrounding area. This rise of the Hausa states occurred between 500 and 700 A.D. Though these kingdoms were growing, they didn't fully control the region until about 1200 A.D.[4]

By 1500 AD, Islam had been introduced to the Hausa by Arab traders. Many of the urban Hausa embraced Islam immediately, in hopes of enhancing their business. Villagers however were not as receptive to this new religion. In the "holy wars" of 1804 and 1808, the Hausa were conquered by the Fulani, their strong Islamic neighbors. Many of the villagers were forced or bribed into becoming Muslim. They adopted some of Islam's outward behaviors and rituals, but did not accept Islam wholeheartedly as many of the urban Hausa did.[5] Also, many of the ruling Fulani have become culturally and linguistically Hausa.[6] Today, the Hausa people are the forth largest bloc of Islam in the world.[7]

Sources: International Mission Board, University of Iowa, and Serving in Mission Websites.