THE PORT OF FATI: THE HISTORY OF PATIGI The name Nupe is a modern variant of the age-old Ifa. In other words the Nupe people were known in ancient times as the Ifa people. In those days when the Nupe people were known as the Ifa KinNupe was known as Fati. In Old Nupe the word Eti refers to the ground, land or the earth so that Ifa-Eti or, simply, Fa-ti or Fati refers to ‘Ifaland’, that is, our modern Nupeland. This Fati, for Nupeland or KinNupe, was also denominated as ‘Fatigi’ or, as a dialectal variant, as ‘Patigi’ since ‘f’ and ‘p’ are synonymous phonemes in phonology. That is the etymology of our modern name, Patigi. There were several places with the name Fati, Fatigi or Patigi in the past. The whole of KinNupe and any Nupe settlement outside KinNupe was known as Fati, Fatigi or Patigi in the past. Our present town of Patigi was one of these ancient Patigi settlements. Today’s town of Patigi was said to have been a very ancient Patigi settlement dating back to very ancient times. Its location on the very banks of the River Niger has ensured its survival right from prehistoric through historic to modern times. Patigi has always been a River Niger port city along a long and timeworn caravan route that traversed the length of the Central Sudan from its northernmost boundary on the reaches of the Sahara cutting across the River Niger right unto the very beaches of the Atlantic on its southernmost boundaries. So, Patigi has always been a very important settlement for the very integrity of the Central Sudan since very ancient times. Nobody knows for sure when Patigi was founded as a settlement on the banks of the River Niger. And as far as the history of KinNupe is concerned Patigi has always been there since time immemorial. There are Nupe traditions to the effect that one of the former Etsu Nupes shifted the capital of the Nupe nation to Patigi in the sixteenth century. Some said it was Etsu Shaba II but there are indications that the particular Etsu who established Patigi as the capital of Nupe might have also been Etsu Zaula who reigned before Etsu Shaba II or Etsu Zaula II who reigned after Etsu Shaba II. Whoever might have been the Etsu Nupe that built Patigi into the capital of Nupe in the latter half of the sixteenth century the fact still remains that the Nupe Nation was a vigorously expansionist superpower in those days. It was not just Patigi that the Etsu Nupes established in Southern Nigeria in those days. It was also in those days, at the end of the sixteenth century, that the Etsu Nupes built and established the Benin Kingdom into a regional capital of the Nupe people in southern Nigeria. In those days, and right unto the second half of the nineteenth century as recorded by Captain Hugh Clapperton, the Benin Kingdom remained a Nupe kingdom through and through. The Etsu Nupes were also involved with the relocation of the Songhai and Borgu people – both the aristocracy and commoners – who fled the sack of the Songhai Empire by the Moroccan army. The Songhai refugees were resettled by the Etsu Nupes just across the northern banks of the River Niger not far away from the location of Patigi, a capital city of Nupe in those days, on the southern banks. And so was it, according to these lores, that Patigi was a capital of the Nupe Nation for a while at the end of the sixteenth century until the Etsu Nupes were said to have shifted the capital once again from Patigi to another city. For now we don’t know why the Etsu Nupes suddenly abandoned Patigi as a regional capital city of Nupe. But the traditions are quite clear that Patigi immediately became desolated and sank back into being a small town after the departure of the Etsu Nupes. But then the location of Patigi as an important port-town on the banks of the River Niger eventually re-attracted the forces of Nupe history back to it again. This time it was in the middle of the nineteenth century, that is, some two and a half centuries after the Etsu Nupes shifted the capital away from Patigi at the end of the sixteenth century. It was Etsu Masaba, that ever recurrent character in Nupe history, who, in 1845, built Lade into the new capital city of the Nupe Nation. Etsu Masaba had three years earlier, in 1841 and together with Etsu Tsado, laid Raba to waste and reduced it to ashes when they besieged Emir Usman Zaki in the disastrous Battle of Raba. After the defeat and exile of Emir Usman Zaki the victorious Masaba declared himself the new Emir of Nupe. But Masaba could not stay at Raba which he himself and Etsu Tsado have completely reduced to ashes and rubbles. So, Masaba crossed the Niger and established Lade into his new capital. Incidentally Lade is just too close to Patigi – just nine miles away from Patigi. The emergence of Lade as the new capital of KinNupe in 1845 led to the immediate rise and revival of Patigi into a major and significant city in KinNupe again. But just two years later into his reign as the Emir of Nupe, that is in 1847, Masaba was ousted from power and chased away from Lade by his own war general called General Umaru Bahaushe. The sack of Lade by General Umaru Bahaushe led to the desolation of both Lade and Patigi back into insignificant Nupe settlements again. And so did Patigi sank back into the quiet little port-town that it used to be for centuries on end. That is until the forces of Nupe history revisited Patigi again, this time around, in 1898. In 1898 the British Colonial authorities deliberately re- established the ancient Tsoede dynasty by officially recognising Etsu Idirisu Gana as the 23rd Etsu Nupe of the Tsoede dynasty. The White men colonialists also chose Patigi, across the River Niger from Bida, as the new capital city of the Tsoede dynasts. This story of the restoration of the Tsoede dynasty at Patigi in 1898 started a very long time before then. We will have to go back to the very end of the eighteenth century. In 1795, and upon the death of the erstwhile Etsu Mu’azu, the Nupe Nation got divided into two; an Eastern half ruled by Etsu Jimada and a Western half ruled by Etsu Majiya. Etsu Mu’azu had nominated his own son as his Shaba or heir apparent before his death. But this was contrary to the ancient Nupe matriarchal practise of appointing the son of a sister, that is a nephew, as the Shaba or heir apparent. So, Majiya, the nephew to Etsu Mu’azu, rebelled against his uncle. And that was how the ancient Tsoede dynasty became divided between the Mu’azu and Majiya branches of the dynasty. Majiya eventually marshalled a huge army and ousted his uncle from power. Etsu Mu’azu fled into exile. With Etsu Mu’azu out of the way, Majiya became the unchallenged and undisputed Etsu Nupe. Etsu Majiya was a popular Etsu well loved by all and sundry. He reigned for ten good years that were rather prosperous for the Nupe Nation. Etsu Majiya however appointed his own son, Iliyasu, as the heir- apparent. But Etsu Iliyasu was a weakling. Immediately upon the death of Etsu Majiya Etsu Mu’azu came back from exile and overthrew Etsu Iliyasu from power. In the end Etsu Mu’azu was succeeded by Etsu Jimada. But Etsu Jimada also appointed his own son as his Shaba or heir apparent. This made Zubairu, who is the son of the sister to Etsu Jimada, to rebel against Etsu Jimada. Zubairu was, incidentally, from the rival family of Majiya and that is why he is known to history today as Etsu Zubairu Majiya II. Etsu Zubairu and Etsu Jimada clashed at the fateful Battle of Ragada where Etsu Jimada was killed. Etsu Zubairu Majiya then became the paramount ruler of the Nupe Nation. But it was at that apocalyptic juncture in Nupe history that the Fulani Mallams arrived KinNupe. Mallam Dendo and all the other Mallams were initially with Etsu Zubairu Majiya II as their patron at Raba. Mallam Dendo even married Etsu Zubairu Majiya’s daughter Fatimatu. But the Fulani Mallams eventually fall out with Etsu Zubairu Majiya II who chased them across the Niger unto the enclave of Mallam Alimi at Ilorin. At Ilorin the Mallams rallied under the leadership of Etsu Idirisu, also known as Etsu Isa, who was the son of Etsu Jimada who was killed by Etsu Zubairu Majiya II. Etsu Zubairu Majiya II eventually attacked the Mallams under Etsu Idirisu at Ilorin. Etsu Zubairu Majiya II was, however, defeated at the Battle of Ilorin. In fact the Mallams chased Etsu Zubairu Majiya II back across the Niger through Raba and thence unto Zugurma. Etsu Idirisu then settled at Edun as the paramount Etsu Nupe of the whole of KinNupe. But later on Etsu Idirisu and the Mallams had a serious quarrel and Etsu Isa besieged the Mallams at Raba. The Mallams, headed by Mallam Dendo, dexterously recalled Etsu Zubairu Majiya II from exile. Etsu Zubairu Majiya II then chased Etsu Idirisu from the walls of Raba through Esa to Katcha. But Etsu Zubairu Majiya II was disappointed when he went back to meet the Dendo dynasts at Raba. After marrying his daughters to the children of Mallam Dendo, and upon the death of Mallam Dendo, Etsu Zubairu Majiya was subjected to a palace coup when the Dendo dynasts convened a Nupe national convention, with Emir Halilu of Gwandu chairing, at Raba. At that Raba Convention, attended by almost all the major stakeholders of the Nupe Nation, the Fulanis told Etsu Zubairu Majiya II that they recognised only Etsu Idirisu as the rightful Etsu Nupe because according to Islamic law of succession, Etsu Idirisu is the biological son, unlike Etsu Zubairu Majiya who is the nephew, to the late Etsu Jimada. At that Raba Convention Etsu Idirisu was officially recognised as the Etsu Nupe of the entire Nupe Nation. He afterwards went and established Gbara as the capital city of the Nupe Nation. His aim was to spend the rest of his life quietly building Gbara into a befitting capital city. It was around that time that Masaba rebelled against his elder brother Emir Usman Zaki. Masaba was able to mischievously incite both Etsu Idirisu and Etsu Tsado, the son of the late Etsu Zubairu Majiya II, against Usman Zaki. But in the ensuing battles the sons of both Etsu Idirisu and Etsu Tsado were caught and held captive by Etsu Usman Zaki at Raba. Mu’azu Isa, the son to Etsu Idirisu was held captive at Raba by Etsu Usman Zaki. After the death of Etsu Idirisu the Dendo dynasts rightfully recognised their captive Mu’azu Isa as the new Etsu Nupe of the entire Nupe Nation. That was in 1840. But even though the new Etsu Mu’azu Isa requested to be allowed to go back to Gbara, his capital city, the Dendo dynasts didn’t grant his request. Both Usman Zaki and Masaba, who succeeded Usman Zaki as the Emir of Nupe, held Etsu Mu’azu Isa a captive and didn’t allow him to go back to Gbara. And so was it that even though Etsu Mu’azu Isa was bearing the title of the Etsu Nupe he was still subjected to the Emirs of Nupe, or the Fulani rulers, who by then have become the de facto rulers of the Nupe Nation. Etsu Mu’azu Isa died a captive at Bida in the hands of the Dendo dynasts in 1872. His son, Idirisu Gana, immediately succeeded him as the next Etsu Nupe. Incidentally the following year, 1873, Etsu Masaba died and Umaru Majigi became the new Emir of Nupe. Under the reign of Umaru Majigi, Etsu Idirisu Gana tendered his requested, as did his late father Etsu Mu’azu Isa, to be allowed to go back to Gbara. This time around Umaru Majigi allowed him to go back to Gbara. Etsu Idirisu Gana then went and settled down as the Etsu Nupe at Gbara as his capital city. Etsu Idirisu Gana was still alive, though very old, when the White men begun to establish their Colonial Government during the reigns of Etsu Maliki and Etsu Bubakar. In fact when the two Battles of Bida took place in 1897, Etsu Idirisu Gana, with his base at Gbara, actively sided with the White men against the Dendo dynasts at Bida. Etsu Idirisu Gana was the one who ordered the Kyadya canoemen not to transport the bulk of the Bida army across the River Niger to go and engage the British army that was bombarding the walls of Bida with a virtually unarmed Etsu Bubakar under siege. Etsu Idirisu Gana actually played a decisive role in the fall of Bida during the Second Battle of Bida. It was in recognition of his decisive assistance to their defeat of Bida that the British Colonialists decided to fully restore the ancient Tsoede dynasty by officially recognising and installing Etsu Idirisu Gana as the twenty-third Etsu Nupe of the Tsoede dynasty at Patigi. The aim of Frederick Lugard and Taubman Goldie was to balkanise the Nupe Nation and to set the Nupe people against one another. And their creation of Patigi Emirate for the ancient Tsoede dynasts was just one, among many other, such divide and rule stratagems of the White colonialists. With the creation of the Patigi Emirate for the Tsoede dynasts the White men have effectively established a second, and very legitimate Nupe dynasty because it directly traces back to Tsoede the Founder of Nupe himself, line of rulership in KinNupe that they planned will rival, and then weaken, the Fulani or Dendo dynasts at Bida. In any case the very old Etsu Idirisu Gana died at Patigi in 1900. Etsu Idirisu Gana was succeeded by his son Etsu Mu’azu Isa. Etsu Mu’azu Isa died in 1923 and was succeeded to the throne by Etsu Usman Tsado. Etsu Usman Tsado was actually a brother to Etsu Idirisu Gana, the father to the Etsu Mu’azu Isa. Etsu Usman Tsado abdicated in 1931 after allegations of misrule were levelled against him by the Colonial Government. Etsu Umaru Gana, the son of Etsu Mu’azu Isa, then succeeded Etsu Usman Tsado. Etsu Umaru Gana ruled from that 1931 to 1966, that is for some 35 solid years. Etsu Umaru Gana died in 1966 and was succeeded by Etsu Idirisu Gana who ruled from 1966 to 1996. Etsu Idirisu Gana died in 1996 and was succeeded by Etsu Ibrahim Chatta who rules to date. Picture: Canoe-racing competition at the Paitigi Regatta.
Posted on: Sun, 23 Jun 2013 19:26:22 +0000
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