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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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