HISTORY OF AGAIE
Agaie is an ancient
town founded around fourteenth century.
The first settlers
were pegans and called Mamas, they were later joined by the Ganaganas and zhitako
tribes. The Ganaganas were more populous there but ousted by Mamas and Zhitakos
and became the overloads.
Originally, and
prior to the Fulani jihad, Agaie was known as Gan-ye meaning to be heard and
understood.
The Fulani jihad
brought the founder of Agaie in person of Mallam Babba and his brother
Suleimanu who met the Tswagaieci household, fought them, conquered them and
established his own kingdom.
The appearance of
the Fulani in Agaie was dated far back as 1832 the year majiya fought Mallam
babba and mallam dendo near Rabba and eventually defeated their forces around
Pati Nami, some 19 killometers East of Agaie.
Mallam Muhammadu
Babba and his brother mallam dendo fought the already settled Ganaganas or
Zhitakos whoes chief was then called Tswagaiechi. Mallam babba was the flag
bearer of shehu Usman Dan Fodio From Yantumaki in Katsina
The Zhitako who
claim to have settled and established since time immemorial also did ousted the
Mamas a tribe related to the present day bassa tribe. There also traditions of
conflicts between Ganaganas and a tribe called the Epas who have large pierced
ears. However, whether they later settled before or together with the Ganaganas
was not clear. The Epas, were immigrants from Borno and like the Ganaganas the
appeared to have suffered from in the hands of Nupe speaking Gwafagbazhi who
came down to Kontagora and treated them despicably as the Fulani were later
treat them. The Epas are now nearly extinct. At the time of the advent of
Fulani, Etsu Majiya, the sarkin gwagba, was overload of the Agaie Ganaganas and
to him they paid their tribute. After the death of sarkin gwagbaat Nami, Mallam
babba rejoined mallam Dendo and it was
not till 1822 that they finally left Rabba and came to Yeko- Cheppa ( a spot
nearly 5 kilometer’s west of Agaie still marked by the Rimis (a kind of tree he
planted ) to carve out for himself a country of which he would be ruler. He
wage even as far as the river Kaduna on the west, while to the south his
territory extended to the Niger and included the present day Baro, Katcha,
zhitu and other numerous villages now part of Bida emirate. For five years,
Mallam Babba carried on his wars through his capable commanders, Daudu maza.
Together they conquered most of the arears now known as Agaie emirate. In 1827,
daudu maza, some 27 kilometers east ward and carve out his own domain known as
lapai emirate. Five years later mallam babba sent his brother Suleiman to
Gwandu for permission to install his son Abdullahi as Emir of Agaie. However
though abdullahi bore the tittle, effective power was in the hands of mallam babba who acted as
regent.
In 1814 usman Zaki
driven out of rabba by sarkin gwandu passed through Agaie in his flight, Mallam
babba and Etsu Abdullahi out of respect proposed to abandoned Agaie to follow
him to Gwandu but Usman Zaki demurred. Seven years later Mallam babba died.
From 1843 – 1852
masaba reigned supreme at ladi until he was then over thrown by umaru Majiya
who at the end of his three years supremacy entreated Etsu Abdullahi of Agaie already
sick and almost by his grave side for his support against umaru Majiya. The
former refused to give but his successor. Etsu muhammadu dikko (1855-1877) who Jantabo of lapai joined
forces with those of umaru’s opponents. In 1857 Usman zaki returned and ruled
for two years who masaba was reinstated over the rabba Fulani.
The growth of agaie
during the period, chiefly from the
inlux of bida people and extension of the walls for more than half a mile on both side of the
town towards the south, roused jealously of Agaie farms. Etsu Muhammad appealed
to sarkin sudan who threatened to come and camp at kwakwagi and treat the Bida
farmers in like manners unless masaba resisted. The threat as affected the Bida
people appeared subsequently to have adopted a policy of peaceful penetration
while Agaie followed Mallam Babba’s injuction to embark on new wars.
In 1877, Muhammadu
died and was succeeded by Etsu Nuhu (1877-1900) Etsu Nuhu did not appear to
have been on the best of tearms with Maliki of Bida, but joined in the latter’s
slave raiding expeditions. When the royal Niger company’s forces took Bida in
1897 , Buhari (Kpotun of Agaie and present Kusodu’s father) was in charge of
the contogent that went in aid of bida. Two month later when Ubandawaki of bida
came through Agaie on his way to the Emir of lapais forces in a slave raiding
expendition near the niger, Etsu Nuhu forbid his sarakuna to accompany
ubandawaki to raid the royal Niger company stores. All district chiefs, however
ignore his orders and went away, the company forces were later defeated at gulu
and Etsu Nuhu sent his messengers together with his troops of his company
stationed at badeggi. He also sent the liman (the religious leader) and other
to his camp outside the walls of Agaie in which the messenger got to the town
that the then Emir was sum mourned (for what nobody Knew) and the whole town
was in a comfused state which made the town a ghost town. They flew to village
called dakpan and because of the flight of Emir to the village Dakpan, the people
decided to change the name of the village from dakpan to Etsugaie 9 Etsu flew
here)
A small contigent
of Army troops camped in agaie, remaining for about fourty days. The rest
proceeded to katcha while the troops reched agaie. Another raid took place near
ndamaraki to capture the then Emir of lapai but unfortunately passed his camped
at night and he escaped while the Lukpan into whose camp the king was killed.
On receiving the news of this, the emir of agaie fled Etsugaie to tswachiko
(Bida gakokpan) and only returned on the evacuation of the Agaie contigent .
Hence to Lapai and on the arrival of the troops all Agaie fled to Rukwaji from
Lapai which the troops found empty. They returned through agaie to Bida. The
advice given to Agaie messenger’s by the newly installed Emir of Bida
(Muhammadu) induced Etsu Abubakar to return to Agaie.
On 24th July, 1919,
Abubakar died at Agaie at an advanced age. A highly respected and trusted
member of the administration who had conducted the affairs of his emirate with
considerable success since his inauguration in 1919. He was succeeded by
Abubakar II the district head of kutriko who was elected on 19th August, 1919.
He formally installed and received his staff of office from his excellency, the
governor, and sir. Hugh Clifford on 12th September . he died in 1926. Here are his successors and years of the reign:
ABDULLAHI (1926 –
1935), ALIYU (1935 -1953), MUHAMMADU BELLO 91953- 1989), ETSU MUHAMMADU
ATTAHIRU (1989 -1994), ETSU ABUBAKAR BAGUDU BELLO III reigned from 1995 -1998,
ETSU MUHAMMADU ATTAHIRU reigned again from 2004 till his death which gave way
to the throne ship of HRH Alhaji muhammadu Kudu Abubakar III who reigned till
death.
It is worth nothing
that since the founding of Agaie Fulany dynasty all along there has been
peacefull co-existence between its big and small neighbors though not without some minor disagreements
and dispute which were resolved amicably while cases of land disputes,
boundaries etc were resolved diplomatically too.
The traditional
Fulani kingdom of agaie is to date over a century (1832 -2002) i.e about one
hundred and seventy years old . people and culture .
Agaie is
cosmopolitan in outlook but the majority of the inhabitant are nupes. The men
wear big gowns, trousers and caps but the elders put on turban. Agaie people
are muslims and popularly known to be versed in Quranic knowledge. In the east
southern part, there are few Ganaganas popularly known as Dibo. They are also
Musliims and dress similar to nupes. There are few Christians in Kakpi and
Loguma villages.
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