Gwandu, also called Gando, is a

town A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...

and

emirate An emirate is a territory ruled by an emir, a title used by monarchs or high officeholders in the Muslim world. From a historical point of view, an emirate is a political-religious unit smaller than a caliphate. It can be considered equivalent ...

Kebbi State Kebbi State (; Fulfulde: Leydi Kebbi 𞤤𞤫𞤴𞤣𞤭 𞤳𞤫𞤦𞥆𞤭) is a state in northwestern Nigeria, bordered to the east and north by the states of Sokoto and Zamfara, and to the south by Niger State while its western border ...

Nigeria Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It covers an area of . With Demographics of Nigeria, ...

. The seat of government for the

and district of this name is in

Birnin Kebbi Birnin Kebbi is a city located in Northwestern Nigeria It is the capital city of Kebbi State and headquarters of the Gwandu Emirate. As at 2007 the city had an estimated population of 125,594 people. Kebbi is mostly a Hausa and Fulani state, wit ...

, which is the capital of Kebbi State and was capital of the historical Kingdom of Kebbi. Founded in the sixteenth century by the Kabbawa, a

Hausa people The Hausa (Endonym, autonyms for singular: Bahaushe (male, m), Bahaushiya (female, f); plural: Hausawa and general: Hausa; exonyms: Ausa; Ajami script, Ajami: ) are a native ethnic group in West Africa. They speak the Hausa language, which is the ...

Gwandu today acts as one of the four emirates composing Kebbi State. The town became important during the

Fulani jihad The Jihad of Usman dan Fodio was a religio-military conflict in present-day Nigeria and Cameroon. The war began when Usman dan Fodio, a prominent Islamic scholar and teacher, was exiled from Gobir by King Yunfa, one of his former students. Us ...

, and from 1815 it was one of the two capitals of the

Fulani empire The Sokoto Caliphate (, literally: Caliphate in the Lands of Sudan), also known as the Sultanate of Sokoto, was a Sunni Muslim caliphate in West Africa. It was founded by Usman dan Fodio in 1804 during the Fulani jihads after defeating the Haus ...

until it came under British control in 1903.

History

The name "Gwandu" derives from the

Hausa Hausa may refer to: * Hausa people, an ethnic group of West Africa * Hausa language, spoken in West Africa * Hausa Kingdoms, a historical collection of Hausa city-states * Hausa (horse) or Dongola horse, an African breed of riding horse See also ...

word ''gandu'', which translates to "royal farmlands." The town's origins can be traced back to its earlier days as a small village under the leadership of the royal farmer of

Kanta Kotal Muhammadu Kanta (died 1561), also known as Kanta Kotal, was a Hausa warrior-king and founder of the Kebbi Empire, the last of the Hausa states to emerge. Kanta rose from humble beginnings to establish a small but formidable empire that resisted ...

, who was the first King of Kebbi who reigned from 1517 to 1561. Over time, the village developed and expanded, eventually becoming a town. One of the factors contributing to the growth of Gwandu was its favorable geographical location and the presence of fertile lands. The area boasted rich pasturelands, which attracted

Fulani The Fula, Fulani, or Fulɓe people are an ethnic group in Sahara, Sahel and West Africa, widely dispersed across the region. Inhabiting many countries, they live mainly in West Africa and northern parts of Central Africa, South Sudan, Darfur, ...

pastoralists to settle there. After the Kebbi expedition during the Sokoto jihad, Gwandu emerged as a significant and permanent base for

Usman dan Fodio Shehu Usman dan Fodio (; full name; 15 December 1754 – 20 April 1817). (Uthman ibn Muhammad ibn Uthman ibn Saalih ibn Haarun ibn Muhammad Ghurdu ibn Muhammad Jubba ibn Muhammad Sambo ibn Maysiran ibn Ayyub ibn Buba Baba ibn Musa Jokolli ibn ...

and his followers. Recognizing the strategic importance of the town, Muhammad Bello ordered the construction of a protective wall around the town in 1806. This defensive wall aimed to fortify the city and enhance its security against potential external threats. Although Usman eventually departed from Gwandu, the town retained its significance within the context of the jihad. It became the capital of the newly established Gwandu emirate under the leadership of

Abdullahi dan Fodio Abdullahi ɗan Fodio (; ca. 1766–1828), was a prominent Islamic scholar, jurist, poet and theologian, and the first Amir of Gwandu (r. 1812–1828) and first Grand Vizier of Sokoto. His brother, Usman dan Fodio (1754–1817) was the found ...

. The geographical location of Gwandu, nestled in a valley with surrounding ridges, provided natural advantages for defense against external attacks. The town's topography further contributed to its status as a stronghold.

Emirs of Gwandu

Climate

In contrast to the dry season, which is hot and partially cloudy, the wet season is oppressively hot and cloudy.

References

{{LGAs and communities of Kebbi State Local Government Areas in Kebbi State Populated places established in the 16th century Emirates of the Sokoto Caliphate