BRIEF HISTORY OF QUEEN AMINA OF ZARIA NIGERIA,1530-1633.

                          According to Nigerian and foreign historians,Queen Amina Sukhera was born in 1530 and her reign can be traced back to 1588 and 1589.She was the heir apparent after the death of her mother Queen Bakura Turunku because she was the eldest daughter though she was so young,so her brother Karama took over and ruled for 10 years.After his death Amina had matured into a fierce warrior and had earned the respect of the Zazzau military and she assumed the reign of the kingdom.Amina led her first military charge a few months after assuming power.Her people were talented in mental workers so Amina introduced metal armor,including iron helmets and chain mail to her army.Queen Amina is also known as Aminatu and her mother was the founder of the Zazzau Kingdom in 1536.This kingdom is now known as present day Kaduna state in the north central region of Nigeria,capital city of Zaria.Birnin Zaria,now known as Zaria was named after Queen Amina's younger sister Zariya,and it is where the Royal palace of Zaria reside.Queen Amina is a legend among the Hausa people for her military expliots.She controlled the trade routes in the region,erecting a network of commerce within the great eastern walls that surrounded Hausa cities within her dominion.She conquered as far as Nupe and Kwarafa,ruling for 34 years.By 1805,the region was captured by fellow Fulani during the Fulani jihad.By 190,Lord Frederick Lugard   led British forces and captured Zaria as a protectorate state.This is the same year that it is reported that Zaria sought British protection against slave raids from the Kontagora region.After a Zaria magaji representative,murdered the British Captain Moloney in 1902 at Keffi,and the British stripped the emirate of most of it's vassal states.Since Nigeria's independence from the British in 1960,Zaria is one of it's largest traditional emirates.Queen Amina died during a military campaign at Atagara near Bida in Nigeria.More photos below.