Many earthen walls in Zazzau and nearby regions are called ganuwar Amina, “Amina’s walls”. Hausa cities were built behind earthen walls for centuries (see the chapter on Cities), and the habit of crediting a famous builder with a wall is common in traditions around the world. It is likely that some walls were built or extended in her time, but no document or excavation yet proves that she built a particular one.
The same caution applies to her conquests. The Kano Chronicle and Muhammad Bello’s book both speak of campaigns against Nupe and Kwararafa. Modern historians have found no independent confirmation of the extent of these campaigns. Figures that appear in popular accounts, such as an army of twenty thousand foot soldiers and a thousand horsemen, are part of the tradition rather than documented numbers.
Kola nuts appear in two different claims. One account says the ruler of Nupe sent her tribute that included kola nuts. Another credits her with introducing the nut to Hausaland, or even its cultivation. These are different claims, and neither can be taken as established. What is certain is that kola became an important trade good in Hausaland (see the chapter on Trade).
Sources for this article
- Palmer 1928, Kano Chronicle (translation)
- Unsigned overview (n.d.), section “The Degradation of the Kano City Walls” (background on walls)