SARAUNIYA AMINA
POSTER • 2018
Commonly known as the warrior queen, Queen Amina (Aminatu) of Zaria was the first woman to become the Sarauniya - queen - in a male-dominated society. She expanded the territory of the Hausa people of north Africa to its largest borders in history.
Born around 1533 in Zaria, she was the daughter to the ruler, Bakwa of Turunku, who lived in the city state of Zazzau. Upon the death of her brother after a 10 year rule, Amina had matured into a fierce warrior and earned the respect of the Zazzau military, so she was able to assume the reign of the kingdom.
The context of Queen Amina’s leadership was pre-colonial Nigeria, where men did not feel threatened when women were in powerful positions, as it was usually understood that they deserved to be there because of age, kinship or merit, not gender.
The expansion of Amina’s kingdom made it the trading centre for all of southern Hausaland, guaranteeing Zaria’s prosperity. Amina brought unheard-of wealth to the land.
Amina constructed the strong earthen walls around the city (ganuwar Amina or ‘Amina’s walls’), which became the prototype for the fortifications used in all Hausa states. Many of these walls remain in existence to this day. The walls not only protected Hausa markets from external threats emanating from the south, but also became an enduring testimony to her glorious reign.
According to legend, Amina refused to marry and instead took a temporary husband from the legions of vanquished foes after every battle.
Legend also records that she died during a military campaign at Atagara near Bida in Nigeria. Her exploits earned her the moniker ‘Amina, daughter of Nikatau, a woman as capable as a man.’
As a result, the memory of Queen Amina has assumed legendary proportions in her native Hausaland and beyond. The modern state of Nigeria has immortalized Amina by erecting a statue of her, spear in hand, on a horse, in the centre of Lagos.
Today, her memory represents the spirit and strength of womanhood.
All hail Queen Amina!
