THE QUAKE: THE HAUSA CITY-STATES (Nupe)

           

NUPE CITY-STATE

The Nupe people may be regarded as distant relations of the Hausas. Nupe state is located around southern part of the Hausa Bakwai(pure Hausa states). The people of Nupe state were skilled craftsmen who made quality brass, silver and glass works, also they were renowned for their skill in boat-building.

At the beginning of their history Nupe state was not united. The state was made up of twelve clan-like separate groups. Among the twelve two became more powerful, Keyede which was located at Mureji near the Niger Kaduna confluence and Beni. The Beni group established sub-clans that played important role in resisting foreign invasions. One interesting thing about Beni was the full co-operation between the Beni clans, this allowed for a central leadership among these clans known as Nku located near modern Bida. Bayajidda tradition tells us that the people of Nupe states at their earliest history were tributary to the Ata of Igala who controlled a vast empire. The Ata of Idah (Igala) demanded an annual tribute of one male slave from each Nupe Family.

 Nupe began her march to greatness in the first half of the 15^th century when Tsoede (The Hero of Nupe land) united all the people of Nupe and won independence from the Ata of Igala. Tsoede was believed to be the son of a prince of Igala living in Nupe who married the daughter of the chief of Nku. Before Tsoede was born his father was recalled to Idah (Igala) where he became the new Ata. His father left his unborn son two presents; a charm and a distinctive ring. It was these two gifts that helped the Ata identify his son when Tsoede was sent to Igala as a slave-tribute of the royal house of Nku.

The Ata was overjoyed on seeing his lost son that he took him into his care. He provided all the needs of Tsoede making sure the boy was happy staying in his court. History tells us that at one time Tsoede saved his father’s life by being the only son among his step-brothers who was able to climb a tall palm tree to pluck the only fruit that has the power to cure his father’s illness. In the process of plucking the fruit Tsoede split his lip so badly that it became a mark of honor. Today any Nupe child born with hare-lip will be given the name Tsoede as an honor.

The successes of Tsoede in Igala incurred the jealousy of his Igala half-brothers. His aging father fearing for his life advised him to flee Igala to Nupe, his father also made him the ruler of Nupe areas. Tsoede left Igala a successful man, he was given different arrays of rich gifts and numerous symbols of authority and royal rank such as bronze ceremonial trumpets, bronze canoe and iron chains and fetters symbolizing judicial authority.

His departure angered his half-brothers that they took some men and pursued him. Before his flight from Igala he was given twelve slaves to accompany him, these twelve helped him escape the searching eyes of his brothers. They hid in the creek of Ega to avoid their pursuers, it was from here Tsoede began his war campaigns. First he defeated the people Nupeko with his few men and made Nupeko his military base. From Nupeko he launched many campaigns against the separate groups in Nupe land defeating and uniting the whole Nupe in the process. He placed the twelve companions with him as sub-rulers of the now united Beni towns.

Tsoede began to build a strong cavalry force, then he led a united Nupe through years of territory expansion. He subdued Yagba, Bunu and Kakanda peoples at the south of the River Niger. Tsoede also led his men into old Oyo Yoruba dynasty where he drove them out of their capital. To the North he expanded his authority over the people of Ebe, Kamuku and Kamberi areas. All this while he launched his attacks from his base at Nupeko which was also the capital of now expanded Nupe land. Nupeko was too small to support the needs of a capital befitting a large state, to remedy this he founded a new capital at Gbara on the lower Kaduna river. Gbara was still unable to accommodate the now large court, warriors and war-horses. A new settlement Dokomba was built in order to house his thousands of horses.

Apart from his successes militarily, he also brought new skills to the people of Nupe. He brought skilled blacksmiths, glass –manufacturers and bronze-casters from Idah to Nupe. He also introduced the technical knowledge necessary to build large canoes for war and trade. He introduced human sacrifices, bride price and many other traditions to Nupe. At the age of hundred and twenty years (120yrs) he died during a war campaign at the northern edge of his territory. The ruler of Nupe is now referred as ‘Etsu Nupe’, a derivation from Tsoede

We know little about Nupe after the life of Tsoede. Four of Tsoede’s sons were believed to be later rulers of Nupe land but none of them lived up to their father’s achievements. Nupe dynasty became a Muslim state during the reign of Etsu Jibrin who died in about 1759. The Muslim Nupe continued to wax strong under the leadership of Etsu Ma’aza but at his death in 1795 Nupe state fell into a state of anarchy.

Etsu Ma’aza’s death saw internal rivalry thus causing a steady decline of power. This rivalry caused the founding of Raba in about 1796 which grew into a flourishing trade center.