Arms and Armour in the Warfare of Pre-Colonial Hausaland

Abstract

Warfare was an important factor in pre-colonial Hausaland in the expansion and consolidation of such Hausa States as Daura, Zaria, Katsina, Kano and Kebbi. It also contributed to the disintegration of the conquered areas. It took the forms of either military confrontations, ambushes, or raids in which all available forces were marshalled to defeat the enemy entirely and to force the loser accept the conditions of the victor. The weapons of attack and of defence are reflection of the technological achievement, political centralization, geographical position and the economic base of the society. In this paper, attention is focused on the weapons of attack and of defence manufactured and improved upon over time to meet new tactics and strategies of war. These changes in weapons were costly affairs that could only be met by societies with a sound economic base. This paper also traces the evolution of military specialists in Hausaland and how these were mobilized and organized by Hausa Kings to meet the war requirements of the society. In the conclusion, the paper contrasts warfare in Hausaland with warfare in other areas and comes to the conclusion that success in war was a combination of strength and skill. The paper laments, the technological stagnation of the area today which is traceable to the imposition of colonial rule in the early 20th century.