ABSTRACT
This thesis is an attempt at the reconstruction of the history of Karu, Kurape and Kurudu kingdoms c. '1700-1900 A.D. These were Gbagyl kingdoms located in the heart of Nigeria. By the beginning of the 17th century the area had been occupied by the g'bagyi and under the politica l control of Kurape for at least a century. However, by the end of the 18th centuiy the interna l contradictions and the pressures of external forces disabled Kurape effective control of Karu and Kurudu area. By the beginning of the 19th century Karu and Kurudu had become splinte r state s with defined boundaries. Although they had become indapendent of Kurape, they stil l maintained some economic, cultura l and military ties, and sometimes organised consorti im military efforts in order to ward off and curb extern al attacks. In the course of this study it was consistently argued that the interna l factors were of paramount importance in the emergence of the kingdoms. And tJ split of Kurape kingdom was to a large r extent caused by the rulers of Kurape who raided their subjects. The major challenge these kingdoms faced in the 19th century was the jihadist a activitie s in the region. First , there sharp demographic changes. The jihadists activitie s forced down the Hausa, Gwandara, Pulani, Gade, Yeskwa and Koro groups who were given respit e by the kingdoms. There was also drasti c loss of Gbagyi population because of head-hunting. Second, there was the evolution of new settlements which had strong tie s with the Caliphate, and the subsequent change of balance of power in the region in favour of the new centres tha t became Emirates. It was again posited that the relationship between the emerging Emirates and the autochthonous Kurape, Karu :nd Kurudu was very complex type and not as simple as portrayed in the dominant literatur e - the Emirates versus the 'pagan* states. Rather, there were sporadic allianc e systems whereby the emirates sometimes took side with the 'pagan* politie s against a riva l emirate and vice versa . We are of the view tha t there seemed to have been co-existence than a situation of perpetual war in the 19th century. However, the coming of the new groups strengthened the centralisatio n of the kingdoms, increased economic activities, increased trade and external relation s with the neighbouring state s and so on. In the heat of various struggles against the nvading surrounding emeirates of Nassarawa, Keffi, Abuja, Bida and the kingdoms of Igu and Opanda, the European traders and crusaders came in . The Royal Nigeria Company (NRC) Biffied tratie s with many chiefs for trade purposes, and in pre ex to protect the nailer kingdoms against the jihadists. But the RNC eoon revealed tha t it was for trade , and prefered the emirs in the allianc e since the emirs promised the PNC trade rights and were forcibly trying to break the trade barriers put by the autochthonous kingdoms. The emire of Nassarawa and Keffi signed some treatie s which implied ceding out the whole area under study to the RNC without the knowledge of the rulers of the autochthonous polities. In particular, the emir of Nassarawa requested for rifle s and soldiers from the company in order to subdue the kingdoms. And this emir was one of the earliest omeirs to submit to the Britis h invasion and conquest of the Sokoto Caliphate in 1902 (afte r the Emirs of Bida, Ilorin , Muri, Adamawa, Kontagor and Bauchi had .submitted between 1897-1902). The attitud e of Nassarawa, lik e the emirates above, dissabled collective resistanc e to the conquest. Thence the Britis h had changed their attitude s as friends to become foes and conquerrors, and finally as administrators Again, it was the colonial invasion tha t actually destroyed the three kingdoms under study, and not the emirates as normally claimed in the colonial historio - graphy. However, the stiff ;resistance put by the kingdoms partly influenced the British ideology of colonial administration, and marginalised them in the scheme of things.
PLEASE NOTE
This material is a comprehensive and well-researched project, structured into
(1 - 5) chapters for clarity and depth.
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