Amina was born in 1533, she was a warrior queen of Zazzau (now Zaria, Nigeria). She is sometimes referred to as Amina Sarauniya Zazzau. Amina lived approximately 200 years before the establishment of the Sokoto-Caliphate Federation, that governed Nigeria during British colonial rule, following the Islamic jahad (holy war) that swept over the region in the 19th century. According to most sources, Amina ruled Zazzau for 34 years, at the turn of the 16th & 17th centuries (though this is debated, some put her reign in the 15th century). Her domain, Zazzau, was a city-state of Hausaland (now the state of Kaduna, Nigeria). Although many details of her life, are disputed by historians, it is generally accepted that she did indeed exist & is believed to have been Muslim. Much of what is known of her, is from, The Kano Chronicles; a translation by Mohammed Bellows about pre-colonial African tradition, partly based on anonymous Hausa writings. Other details are borrowed from Nigerian oral tradition. As a result Queen Amina's memory has assumed legendary status, in her native Hausaland & beyond. The extent of her military prowess & performance in battle is shrouded by lore & remains uncertain.
Her reign took place when Zazzau was located at the crossroad of three major trade routes in northern Africa, connecting the Sahara with the remote markets of the forested lands of the south & western Sudan. The rise & fall of the more powerful, influential Songhai (aka. Songhay) people & subsequent competition for trade routes, triggered long-term conflicts amongst the Hausa people & neighbouring tribes, in the 15th & 16th centuries. It wasn't until later when a co-ruling agreement was reached between the Hausa & Fulani people, that ultimately brought peace to the region & lasted into the colonial era in the 18th century.
Amina was the 24th habe, as the rulers of Zazzau were called. She is believed to have been the granddaughter of King Zazzau Nohir: Amina is speculated to have been born during his reign, around 1533, which would corroborate the theory that her reign was at the end of 16th century. The citizens of Hausaland were skilled in the arts of tanning, weaving & metalworking; unlike neighbouring peoples, where agriculture played a more prevalent role. The Hausa hierarchy therefore was less rigidly bound by traditional customs, based on hereditary factors. Amina was the eldest of three siblings. She was 16 when her parent, the powerful Bakwa of Turunku (aka. Barkwa Turunda), the 22nd habe, ascended to the throne of Zazzau. Accounts vary if Bakwa was her mother or father.
Though Bakwa's reign was relatively peaceful & prosperous, the history of the Hausa people was filled with military campaigns, attempting to bolster the local economy & there were many warring factions within their borders, particularly between the years 1200-1700. These warring factions eventually formed their own communities & Hausa was subsequently invaded by these various peoples. During the reign of Bakwa, Amina honed her fighting skills with the aid of the Zazzau military.
As per Hausa tradition, upon Bakwa's death in 1566, the throne passed to Amina's brother, Karuma. Though Karuma was younger than Amina, it was the sons who took precedence in the line of succession. Amina's sister, Zaria eventually fled the area. Amina ascended to the throne when Karuma passed away, after ruling only 10 years: by that time Amina had matured into a fierce warrior & earned the respect of the Zazzau military. She had in fact established her presence in the Zazzau cavalry before she became ruler of the city-state.
After only three months on the throne, Amina embarked on her first campaign, the first of many continuous conflicts that would occur on a frequent basis during her 34-year reign. She personally lead the Zazzau cavalry into many battles & spent most of her 3 decades in power on campaign. Though her efforts were described to ensure the safety of Zazzau & other Hausa trade routes into the Sahara, they also proved effective in expanding the Zazzau territory; it became larger than it had ever been prior to Amina's reign. She came to occupy much of the territory known as Hausaland & beyond, an area which was called Kasashen Bauchi; this region would be defined as "the middle belt of Nigeria" nowadays. At one time, Amina also controlled all trade routes connecting western Sudan with Egypt & Mali in the north. As was customary at the time, she collected kola nuts & male slaves from her subject cities, she also built defensive walls around these regions. Some of which are still intact to this day, preserving her legacy in both the regional culture & landscape, for hundreds of years after her reign came to an end.
Some historians say she also introduced metal armour, including metal helmets & chainmail, into the Hausaland territory; regardless if this is true or not metal armour was introduced to the area during Amina's reign. The Hausa of Zazzau were skilled in metalworking, so it isn't unreasonable that Amina's army was well-equipped with this type of armour. Amina has also been credited with starting the Hausa custom of building military garrisons behind fortress walls. A 15km wall, in the modern city of Zaria, is called ganuwar Zaria (Amina's Wall).
Amina died in 1610.
https://biography.yourdictionary.com/amina-of-zaria
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