CARGILL'S MISTAKES": A STUDY OF BRITISH COLONIAL POLICIES IN THE MADAKI DISTRICT, KANO EMIRATE, NORTHERN NIGERIA, C. 1903-1919 IBRAHIM HAMZA A Dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Graduate Programme in History- York University Toronto, Ontario Canada November 2 009 Library and Archives Bibliothgque et 1*1 Canada Archives Canada Published Heritage Direction du Branch Patrimoine de l'6dition 395 Wellington Street 395, rue Wellington Ottawa ON K1A0N4 Ottawa ON K1A 0N4 Canada Canada Your file Votre r6f6mnce ISBN: 978-0-494-64907-7 Our file Notre reference ISBN: 978-0-494-64907-7 NOTICE: AVIS: The author has granted a non- L'auteur a accorde une licence non exclusive exclusive license allowing Library and permettant a la BibliothSque et Archives Archives Canada to reproduce, Canada de reproduce, publier, archiver, publish, archive, preserve, conserve, sauvegarder, conserver, transmettre au public communicate to the public by par telecommunication ou par Nnternet, preter, telecommunication or on the Internet, distribuer et vendre des theses partout dans le loan, distribute and sell theses monde, a des fins commerciales ou autres, sur worldwide, for commercial or non- support microforme, papier, electronique et/ou commercial purposes, in microform, autres formats. paper, electronic and/or any other formats. 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M Canada Abstract This dissertation studies the influence of early- British colonial policies in Kano Emirate, Northern Nigeria, between 1903 and 1919, as represented in Dr. Featherstone Cargill's "reforms". The dissertation argues that British colonial rule in Northern Nigeria was not based on a systematised set of instructions, as it has sometimes been argued. In reality British resident officers had considerable leverage in dealing with the local aristocracy . in their efforts to implement imperial "reforms" within their respective administrative provinces. This dissertation provides a contextual study of the career of one British official and examines his commitment to executing colonial policies. There were two groups of officers in the colonial hierarchy of Northern Nigeria who contributed to the implementation of the various colonial policies during the first decade of British rule. The first set of officers included those incorporated from the defunct Royal Niger Company, whose knowledge about the Islamic states of Northern Nigeria was extensive but who individually often had difficulty in dealing with the British Cabinet and the Colonial Office. Cargill was one of these. The second set iv included those who were recruited during or immediately- after the period of military occupation of the Northern Nigerian emirates. This set of officers tended to respect the official colonial system that was put in place but were slow in responding to the practical problems arising from the adoption of British policies in their respective provinces. Cargill had difficulties with these officers. Cargill's career in the Nigerian colonial service, although brief, reveals the contradictions in colonial rule that emerged in the first years of British occupation of the Sokoto Caliphate. v Dedication This work is dedicated to the memory of my late father Alhaji Hamza Liman, mother Hadiza, and grandmother Hajiya Hajara. May Allah grant them eternal rest and peace. Amen. vi Acknowledgements All thanks and praises are due to Allah the Lord of the Worlds who taught man the use of the pen and taught him that which he knew not. Allah has decreed that to every possessor of knowledge there is one more person learnt. I would like to thank my supervisor Professor Paul E. Lovejoy (Zaki) for his assistance, guidance and patience throughout my graduate years. Lovejoy also made available to me his tremendously rich library and archival collections, a gesture that assists me in writing this dissertation. My supervisory committee members especially Professor A.S. Kanya-Forstner and Professor David Trotman not only offered me useful suggestions on this dissertation also taught me critical skills in the study of European expansion in Africa and the Post Emancipation Caribbean Societies. I would like to thank the members of my dissertation defence committee, Professor Stephen Brooke, Professor J.C. Curto and Professor Amin Alhassan. I would like to specifically thank my external examiner Professor Toyin Falola for his scholarly advice and suggestions during my dissertation defence. I wish to acknowledge the assistance of the Graduate Programme of the Department of vii History by providing me research and teaching assistantship positions during my stay as a graduate student. Many thanks also to the current Chair Graduate History Program Professor Carolyn Podruchny, the past Chair Professor Marcel Martel as well as the Program Assistant Lisa Hoffman. I benefited from the generous bursaries and scholarships of the Graduate History Program and the Faculty of Graduate Studies without which this dissertation could not be written. I thank the members of staff of the Resource Sharing Department of Scott Library at York University for the support in locating and borrowing various books and articles in Canada and abroad. My colleagues at York University Dr. Ismail Musah Montana, and Yacine Daddi Addoun have offered assistance since my arrival. I wish to thank Professor Femi Kolapo and Kwabena Akurang-Pai;ry for useful suggestions and advancement of ideas on African history. I appreciate the presence of the following colleagues during my dissertation defence, Yacine, Feisal Farah, Abdul Rasheed Katsina, Nadine Hunt, Alia Paroo and Abubakar Fofana. A special thank to Neil Marshall for assisting me do some corrections. I thank Professor Douglas Anthony for support and advice on my career na gode Malam Dauda, Mary Wren Bivins viii na gode sosai, for reading the draft of this dissertation and the useful suggestions. I sadly learned that Mary has died of cancer on August 5th 2009. Professor Murray Last has been helpful and was keen in answering many of my tambayoyi (questions) on various aspects of Northern Nigerian history. My fieldwork in the United Kingdom was made possible following A.H.M. Kirk-Greene's invitation to the University of Oxford in the summer of 2001. Kirk-Greene introduced me to the Nigerian Collections at Rhodes House, the Bodleian Library archival collections and the PRO files (Now National Archives, UK) . Through Kirk-Greene I communicated with (now the late) L.C. Giles who offered me personal insight and opinion on various aspects of British colonial policies in Northern Nigeria. Kirk-Greene is indeed a mutumin kirki. I wish to acknowledge the usefulness of Professor C.N. Ubah's thesis in my research.. I am unable to find Ubah's mail address or e-mail to ask for assistance in using Malam Datti Galadanci's important story on the reign of Emir Abbas of Kano Which I included in the appendix section of this dissertation. I also wish to thank Professor Allan Christelow regarding the Emir Abbas' court records. Many ix thanks to Professor Martin Klein for the scholarly advice on many African history topics. I would also like to thank Brother Sulaiman Yakubu for being a true friend. I would also like to thank Dr. Amina and Isa Odidi for assisting my family recreate a home away from home in Toronto. Thank you Malam Bulus (Paul Delaney) of Tiny Beaches, Ontario for showing us Canada, and making us learn to appreciate The True North. I am grateful to the Governing Council of Usmanu Dan Fodiyo University, Sokoto Nigeria for allowing come to Canada to study. I am thankful in particular to my teacher since my undergraduate years in Sokoto, Professor Ibrahim M. Jumare, for encouraging me to come to York University for my Ph.D. Also in Sokoto I cannot thank enough Professor Ahmed Bako, Professor Aminu I. Daneji and Professor Tijjani M. Bande. I wish to acknowledge the assistance of Professor M.S. Abdulkadir, Professor Tijjani M. Naniya of Bayero University Kano and Dr. Mustapha Gwadabe of Ahmadu Bello University Zaria. This dissertation could have been much appreciated by the late professors who helped me undertake the study of history as a profession they are A.R. Augi, S.U. Lawal, A.M. Kani, B. Swai, P.J. Shea and Isa Abba Alkali. x I received continued moral and emotional support from immediate family members in Nigeria especially my brothers Ali Hamza, Umar Hamza, Kamilu Hamza, Saminu Sabi'u,Hamisu Imam, Lawan Wada and Umar Aminu. My uncle, Imam Sabi'u Imam assists with spiritual advice and stands with me in all my endeavours. The death of my sister Mama Abu in March 2007 deprived me of a close confidante. May her soul rest in peace. No one suffered in the course of my studies more than my wife Saude who agreed to join me in Canada despite the uncertainties of living as a foreign student. We learnt the value of togetherness both as a couple and as young parents bringing up three children Khadija, Zainab, and Hamza. Very many thanks, Saude for the unending support and understanding.