The Kano Chronicle and the Founding of the Seven Hausa States
The Kano Chronicle records the oral traditions of the Hausa people, tracing the founding of the seven legitimate Hausa states (Hausa Bakwai) to the sons of Bayajidda. After Bayajidda married Queen Daurama of Daura, their son Bawo fathered six sons who founded Kano, Katsina, Zaria, Gobir, Rano, and Daura itself, while Bayajidda's elder son Biram founded the seventh state. Kano grew into a major commercial hub of trans-Saharan trade, Katsina became a center of Islamic learning, and Zaria was later ruled by the legendary warrior queen Amina. This genealogy serves as a political charter that struc