Yauri (or Yawuri) is an emirate in Nigeria's Kebbi State, occupying the Yauri Local Government Area. Today, Yauri is one of the smallest historical emirates in Northern Nigeria. In 1972, the population was about 112,000 people inhabiting a land area of about and scattered over six major districts.
History The area was first settled by an eastern group around early 1000-1200 AD, predominantly by a Benue–Congo linguistic group, the Kamberis. Then for a brief period of time, Yauri was invaded by the Songhai Empire and it incorporated a few Songhai invaders into its social structure. The increasing agricultural surplus exhibited by the early settlers and the availability of fertile land near a river brought in a diverse and malleable group of migrants seeking fertile land to farm, and the groups were initially dominated by the Gungawas. This became the second wave of migration into Yauri. In the early sixteenth century, the island-dwelling Gungawa kingdom expanded through war with the Kamberis to become the dominant political group in the area under the first Emir of Yauri, Sarkin Yauri Garba. He founded the capital of Bin Yauri and named it after himself.
However, by the eighteenth century, slave raiding had clipped the political and economic structures of the area. The need for a much more powerful political entity became necessary in order to strengthen the emirate against slave raiders from without. A movement by the ruling and malleable Gungawas to assimilate with the dominant Hausas in the region led to a gradual inter-ethnic political relationship with Hausas. However, in early nineteenth century, the success of the Fulani jihad made Yauri a tributary state of Gwandu.Salamone, Frank A., Gods and goods in Africa: persistence and change in ethnic and religious identity in Yauri Emirate, North-Western State, Nigeria.
Sarkin Abdullahi was a native ruler of Yauri after the disastrous rule of Aliyu, a fulani ruler. He was quite educated and was a teacher before his coronation as Sarkin. He was known for his meticulous dedication to education, health and generally most services under his emirate. He was born in 1910, and was educated at the Provincial School Kano.Frank A. Salamone, Indirect Rule and the Reinterpretation of Tradition: Abdullahi of Yauri. African Studies Review > Vol. 23, No. 1 (Apr., 1980)
Independent rulers
Following is the kings list of the Yauri Emirate.
Start End Ruler1411 1433 Tafiraulu1433 1456 Kamuwa1456 1480 Bunyagu1480 1505 Sakazu1505 1531 Yauri1531 1536 Kisagari1560 1572 Jerabana I1572 1600 Gimba I1600 1601 Gimba II1601 1620 Kasafaugi1620 1663 Jerabana II1663 1663 Gimba III1663 1665 Kasagurbi1665 1666 Kana1666 1670 Janrina1670 1674 Dutsi1674 1675 Lafiya1675 1689 Kada1689 1709 Gandi1709 1714 Dan Ibrahim1714 1723 Muhammadu1723 1745 Lafiya II1745 1745 Yanzu1745 1748 Umaru Gandi1748 1770 Suleiman Jarabana1770 1773 Aliyu Lafiya1773 1790 Amadu Jarabana1790 1790 Shu’aibu Madara1790 1793 Mustafa Gazari1793 1838 Muhammadu Albashir Dan A’i1838 1844 Ibrahim Dogon Sarki1844 1853 Jibrin Gajeren Sarki1853 1858 Abubakar Jatau1858 1878 Suleiman Dan Ado1878 1880 Yakubu Dan Gajere1880 1890 Abdullahi Gallo1890 1904 Abdullahi Abarshi1904 1915 Jibrin Abarshi1915 1923 Aliyu of Jabo1923 1955 Abdullahi Jibrin1955 1981 Muhammadu Tukur1981 1999 Shu’aibu Yakubu Abarshi1999 Dr. Muhammad Zayyanu Abdullah
References