The late Emir of Gombe, Alhaji Shehu Usman Abubakar (Center left) receives U.S. Embassy Charge' d’Affaire Robert E. Gribbin (center right) outside the emir's palace in Gombe (20 September 2007)
Emirs Palace Gombe

The Gombe Emirate (Fula: Lamurde Gombe 𞤤𞤢𞤥𞤮𞤪𞤣𞤫 𞤺𞤮𞤥𞤥𞤦𞤫) is a traditional state in Nigeria that roughly corresponds in area to the modern Gombe State.The current Emir of Gombe is Alhaji Abubakar Shehu Abubakar III, who acceded on 6 June 2014. The late Emir of Gombe, Alhaji Shehu Usman Abubakar, who precedes his father Abubakar II had been Emir since August 1984.[1]

History

Early history

The Gombe emirate was founded in 1804 during the Fulani jihad by Buba Yero, a follower of Usman dan Fodio.[2] Buba Yero made Gombe Abba his headquarters for a campaign against the Jukun settlements of Pindiga and Kalam, followed by extensive raids in which he went as far as Adamawa on the other side of the Benue River. Further lands were subdued by his son, Muhammadu Kwairanga, Emir of Gombe from 1844 to 1882.[3] The Gombe emirate at one time extended from Gombe Abba to Jalingo, but in 1833 the Muri Emirate was created from part of its territory to form a state for the Emir's brother.[4][5]

During the reign of Emir Zailani (1882–1888) a religious zealot, Mallam Jibril Gaini, established himself at Burmi on the border between Gombe and Fika. Gaini managed to hold out for years against the combined forces of Gombe and neighboring emirates, and was finally defeated and exiled by the British Royal Niger Company in 1902.[3] The British conquered Gombe at the battle of Tongo in 1902.[6] They moved the capital of Gombe to Nafada in 1913, and moved the capital again in 1919 to the present Gombe Doma.[7] Waja was separated from Gombe in 1930 to become an independent District.[4] However, the Waja headmen chose Sarkin Yaki of Gombe, brother of the former Emir Umaru dan Muhammadu, as their chief.[8]

Post-colonial era

The British had set up the Gombe Native Authority system, which continued to function after independence in 1960. In 1976, the military regime of Olusegun Obasanjo broke up the Native Authority into the Gombe, Akko and Dukku Local Government Areas. In 2002, Gombe State Governor Abubakar Habu Hashidu broke up Gombe Emirate into parts, ruled by 2nd Class Emirs and two Senior District Heads.[9] The following year Governor Mohammed Danjuma Goje created two additional Senior District Heads. This has reduced the authority of the Emir at a time of increasing conflict between farmers and nomadic Udawa herders, compounded by violence from extremist religious groups.[4]

Culture

The Emir's Palace

The Gombe Palace serves as Gombe Emirate's administrative headquarters. It was built by the late Shehu Usman Abubakar, the 10th Emir of Gombe, who ruled from January 1984 until May 2014.[10]

Central Mosque of Gombe Emirate, Gombe State

The Emir of Gombe Palace is one of the Gombe State people's cultural treasures. It has been regarded as a key tourist attraction in Gombe for numerous years. The palace is regarded as Gombe State's most impressive architectural design due to its superb structure.[10]

Language

The Gombe Emirate is a multiethnic and multicultural community, however Fulfulde is the most widely spoken language in the emirate. The Fulani tribe found themselves in a position of power and leadership after the traditional rulers were overthrown all over Hausa territory and beyond. In a multiethnic and multicultural society, it is assumed that the ruling class is always well-liked. As a result, the ruling class's ethnic group is frequently emulated or even replicated by other ethnic groups out of respect and adoration.[11]

Trade

Politically and numerically, the Fulani have dominated the region; this community includes livestock Fulani, semi-settled Fulani, and settled Fulani. During the 1930s, many semi-nomadic Fulani settled in southern Gombe and decided to stay because of the rich pasture and farm land, with some giving up their herds entirely to focus on cotton and corn farming. Settlers frequently travel long distances with their family, bringing seed and farming tools; money loans and small-scale food-for-work schemes are used to keep the settlers afloat until the first harvest.[12]

The general trend of development has been toward more market access, which has resulted in increasing agricultural productivity and income, as well as the stimulation of industrial expansion.[12] From open stalls, Gombe markets offers a large choice of intangible traditional/local products such as crafts, farming equipment, traditional fabrics, calabash, and decorative leatherwork, as well as a wide range of things that are uniquely distinctive to the market such as craft and antiques.[13]

Rulers

Rulers of Gombe Emirate:[14]

StartEndRuler
18041841Abubakar "Buba Yero" dan Usman Subande (b. c.1762 – d. 1841)
18411844Sulaymanu dan Abubakar (d. 1844)
18441882Muhammadu Kwairanga dan Abi Bakar (d. 1882)
18821888Abd al-Qadiri Zaylani dan Muhammadu (d. 1888)
18881895Hasan dan Muhammadu (d. 1895)
18951898Tukur dan Muhammadu (d. 1898)
18981898Jalo dan Muhammadu
18981922Umaru dan Muhammadu (d. 1922)
19221935Haruna dan Umaru (d. 1935)
January 1936January 1984Abu Bakar dan Umaru (b. 1902)
January 198427 May 2014Shehu Usman Abubakar
June 2014PresentAbubakar Shehu Abubakar III (b. 1977)

Festival

Durbar festival is celebrated in almost all 19 northern state including the Gombe emirate, it is celebrated to mark the end of "holy fasting" in the month of Ramadan known as Eid-El-fitr.[15]

There are three durbar with first commencing as soon as the Emir enter his palace courtyard after observing the Eid prayer, the 2nd durbar is horse riding from the palace to the Government and the last is when the Emir rides in beautiful horses and his entourages, warriors and acrobats sees his subjects on the road and this is known as Hawan Gida Gwamnati.[16][17]

Food

The emirate is Known for production of Groundnut (peanuts) and cotton.[18] The major cash crops include cereals e.g maize, Legumes e.g Soya bean, fruits e.g Oranges and Vegetables such as tomatoes.[19]

References

  1. ↑ Julius Toba (23 January 2009). "Pomp, as Gombe monarch marks anniversary". Nigerian Compass. Retrieved 21 September 2010.
  2. ↑ "Gombe". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 21 September 2010.
  3. 1 2 Jörg Adelberger (3 April 2009). "Maxims and Mountaineers – The colonial subjugation of the peoples of the Muri Mountains and the adjacent regions in Northern Nigeria [1]". Afrikanistik Online. 2009 (6). Retrieved 21 September 2010.
  4. 1 2 3 Roger Blench; Selbut Longtau; Umar Hassan; Martin Walsh (9 November 2006). "The Role of Traditional Rulers in Conflict Prevention and Mediation in Nigeria" (PDF). DFID, Nigeria. Retrieved 21 September 2010.
  5. ↑ "Gombe-Abba: Historic emirs' town ruined by the British". Daily Trust. 12 June 2021. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
  6. ↑ Gwani, Abdullahi Aliyu. "GWANI DISTRICT". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  7. ↑ Brown, G. T. (1 February 1980). "The Past, Present and Future of Powder Forging with Particular Reference to Ferrous Materials". SAE Technical Paper Series. Warrendale, PA: SAE International. 1. doi:10.4271/800304.
  8. ↑ C. A. Woodhouse (January 1924). "Some Account of the Inhabitants of the Waja District of Bauchi Province, Nigeria. Part I". Journal of the Royal African Society. Oxford University Press. 23 (90): 110–121. JSTOR 715387.
  9. ↑ "Gombe Emirate". frontend. Retrieved 7 April 2022. {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help)
  10. 1 2 "Emir of Gombe Palace, Gombe". Hotels.ng Places. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
  11. ↑ Leger, Rudolf. The concept of Pulaaku mirrored in fulfulde proverbs of the Gombe dialect. OCLC 954967972.
  12. 1 2 Tiffen, M. (1976). The Enterprising Peasant: Economic Development in Gombe Emirate, North Eastern State, Nigeria, 1900-1968. London, UK: HMSO. ISBN 978-0-11-880689-3.
  13. ↑ Maina, Joy Joshua (September 2013). "Uncomfortable prototypes: Rethinking socio-cultural factors for the design of public housing in Billiri, north east Nigeria". Frontiers of Architectural Research. 2 (3): 310–321. doi:10.1016/j.foar.2013.04.004. ISSN 2095-2635.
  14. ↑ "Traditional States of Nigeria". World Statesmen. Retrieved 15 September 2010.
  15. ↑ "DURBAR FESTIVAL: A GUIDE FOR GREAT EXPERIENCE". www.localguidesconnect.com. 23 January 2019. Retrieved 9 April 2022.
  16. ↑ "Sallah: How Gombe emir thrilled residents with durbar". Daily Trust. 23 July 2021. Retrieved 9 April 2022.
  17. ↑ "Day Gombe emir mustered 300 riders for durbar". Daily Trust. 1 July 2018. Retrieved 9 April 2022.
  18. ↑ "Gombe | Location, Facts, & Population | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 9 April 2022.
  19. ↑ "Gombe State". Commodity Nigeria. 25 April 2017. Retrieved 9 April 2022.
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