The surprise for new readers is how few written sources mention Amina, and how late they are. Historians have identified a handful, and they do not agree with each other.
| Source | What it says | Remarks |
|---|---|---|
| Kano Chronicle (compiled in the nineteenth century from older material) | Places Amina as a contemporary of the Kano king Muhammad Dauda (1421–1438). Says her armies conquered as far as Nupe and Kwararafa and gives her a reign of 34 years. | The chronicle is the standard written source, but its early chronology is debated. |
| Muhammad Bello, <em>Infaq al-Maysur</em> (early nineteenth century) | Calls her the first to organise government among the Hausa, and says Katsina and Kano paid her tribute. | Gives no dates. The tribute claim is doubted by modern historians. |
| Zaria local chronicle (nineteenth century, extended to 1902) | Does not mention Amina. | Silence in a local source is a reason for caution. |
| Chronicle of Abuja (a Nupe-related account) | Is reported to describe tribute from the Nupe ruler that included kola nuts. | The source of the kola story; details are uncertain. |
| Oral tradition and praise-songs | Many stories of her campaigns, her walls and her courage. | Valuable for memory; not a contemporary witness. |
Salamone mentions Amina only briefly, in his chapter on Hausa states. The unsigned overview used as an outline for this site gives the popular dates 1576–1610, which we do not treat as certain.
Sources for this article
- Palmer 1928, Kano Chronicle (translation)
- Last 1967, introduction