ABSTRACT
Monuments like the Kano City Walls are important symbols of a pre-colonial Africa, of African civilisations with architecture, governments and defence mechanisms prior to Western occupation. The Hausa kingdom began to develop around 500–700 AD and though there is little historical or archival documentation on this, the Hausa kingdoms were first mentioned by Arab geographers in the ninth century, due to their role in trade. Seven main city-states emerged – Biram, Daura, Gobir, Katsina, Kano, Rano and Zaria – with each playing a different role in the confederation, providing goods or soldiers or access to trade thus allowing the Hausa states to become important in international trade. In the 10th century, Kano was chosen as the official capital of the Hausa state under the rulership of King Gajemasu (Gijimasu), who began laying the foundations for the construction of the historic walls in 1095.
