List of rulers of Kano

This is a list of rulers of Kano since the establishment of the Bagauda Dynasty in 999. The early rulers are known almost exclusively from a single source, the Kano Chronicle, which was composed in the late 19th century.

Bagauda dynasty (998–1809)

Names and dates taken from John Stewart's African States and Rulers (2006):

Kings (998 – 1349)

#	Name	Reign Start	Reign End
1	Bagauda (or Yakano)	December 998	January 1063
2	Warisis (or Warisi)	January 1063	January 1095
3	Gajemasu (or Gijimasu)	January 1095	November 1133
4	Nawata (joint ruler with twin brother Gawata)	November 1133	October 1135
5	Gawata (joint ruler with twin brother Nawata)
6	Yusa (or Tsaraki)	October 1135	December 1193
7	Naguji	December 1193	May 1247
8	Gujjua (or Gugua)	May 1247	January 1290
9	Shekarau I (or Shekkarau I)	January 1290	July 1306
10	Tsamiya (or Tsamia; also Barandamasu)	July 1306	June 1342
11	Usmanu Zamnagawa	June 1342	March 1349

Sultans (1349 – 1807)

#	Name	Reign Start	Reign End
12	Yaji I	March 1349	February 1385
13	Bugaya	February 1385	December 1389
14	Kanejeji (or Kanajeji)	December 1389	May 1409
15	Umaru	May 1409	January 1421
16	Dauda	January 1421	January 1437
17	Abdullahi Burja	January 1437	January 1452
18	Dakauta	January 1452 (One night)
19	Atuma	January 1452	February 1452
20	Yakubu	February 1452	September 1462
21	Muhammad Rumfa	September 1462	August 1498
22	Abdullahi	August 1498	May 1508
23	Muhammad Kisoki	May 1508	August 1564
24	Yakufu	August 1564	January 1565
25	Dauda Abasama I	January 1565	March 1565
26	Abu Bakr Kado	March 1565	May 1572
27	Muhammad Shashere	May 1572	January 1582
28	Muhammad Zaki	January 1582	December 1617
29	Muhammad Nazaki	December 1617	November 1622
30	Kutumbi	November 1622	January 1648
31	al-Hajj	January 1648	January 1649
32	Shekkarau II	January 1649	December 1650
33	Muhammad Kukuna	December 1650	December 1651
34	Soyaki	December 1651
–	Muhammad Kukuna (Restored)	December 1651	September 1659
35	Bawa	September 1659	1670
36	Dadi	1670	May 1702
37	Muhammad Sharefa	May 1702	July 1730
38	Kumbari	July 1730	February 1743
39	al-Hajji Kabe	February 1743	May 1752
40	Yaji II	May 1752	May 1768
41	Babba Zaki	May 1768	February 1776
42	Dauda Abasama II	February 1776	December 1780
43	Muhammad Alwali II	December 1780	March 1807

Suleiman's reign (1807–1819)

#	Name	Reign Start	Reign End	Notes
1	Suleimanu dan Aba Hama	1807	1819	Shehu Suleiman dan Aba Hama from the Fulani Mundubawa clan led the Jihad of Usman dan Fodio in Kano, and overthrew the almost eight-centuries-old Bagauda dynasty. He pledged allegiance to the Sokoto Caliphate and became the first emir of the Kano Emirate. He was a wise and just king.

Dabo dynasty (1819–present)

#	Name	Reign Start	Reign End	Notes
2	Ibrahim Dabo dan Mahmudu	1819	1846	Shehu Ibrahim Dabo from the Fulani Sullubawa clan was a mystic and scholar. He is the eponymous founder of the Dabo dynasty as the khalifa of Emir Suleiman which has ruled Kano for over two hundred years.
3	Usman I Maje Ringim dan Dabo	1846	1855	Son of Dabo
4	Abdullahi Maje Karofi dan Dabo	1855	1883	Son of Dabo
5	Muhammadu Bello dan Dabo	1883	1893	Son of Dabo
6	Muhammadu Tukur dan Bello	1893	1894
7	Aliyu Babba dan Maje Karofi	1894	1903	Aliyu was on a visit to Sokoto in 1903 when Kano fell to the British during the Battle of Kano. Aliyu gathered his forces on a long march to retake the city but his cavalry was annihilated by the Lord Lugard at the sanguinary Battle of Kwatarkwashi. His brother Wambai Abbas was proclaimed Emir by the British and Aliyu subsequently went on a Mahdist Hijra north into the Sahara but was captured by the French and handed over to the British who exiled him to Yola and then Lokoja
8	Muhammad Abbass dan Maje Karofi	1903	1919	First Emir to reign under the Kano Emirate Council.
9	Usman II dan Maje Karofi	1919	1926
10	Abdullahi Bayero dan Abbas	1926	1953	Bayero was a scholarly-king who promoted traditional Islamic education and encouraged trade in the city-state
11	Muhammadu Sanusi I dan Bayero	1953	1963	Sanusi I was the first Emir to be dethroned by the government
12	Muhammad Inuwa dan Abbas	April 1963	October 1963	Second shortest reign after Sultan Dakauta (who reigned for one night in January 1452)
13	Ado Bayero (San Kano) dan Abdu Bayero	1963	2014	Ado Bayero had the longest reign in the royal history of the city-state spanning over five decades. His reign started three years before the fall of the first republic and saw 14 heads of state and 17 state governors. His funeral was the largest gathering in the modern history of northern Nigeria.
14	Muhammadu Sanusi II dan ciroma Aminu Sanusi Bayero dan Muhammadu Sanusi I	2014	2020	Sanusi II was the first Sullubawa prince since the 19th century founding of the Dabo dynasty to become emir not through royal primogenitureship. His six-year reign marks also the first to usher in a dynastic generational-shift away from the old regime of 1903; he is the second emir to be dethroned after his grandfather Sir Sanusi I
15	Aminu dan Ado Bayero	2020	2024
16	Muhammadu Sanusi II dan Nadawaki Aminu dan Muhammadu Sanusi I	2024	present

Lineages

Hausa rulers

Lineage of the Bagauda dynasty
Kings of Kano (Sarkin Kano) BauwoKaunasu 1 Daud Bagoda 999–1063Saju 2 Warisi 1063–1095Yānas Munsada3 Gijimasu 1095–1134Yankuma or Yankuna 4 Nawata 1134–1136 (co-ruler 1134)4 Gawata co-ruler 11345 Yusa Tsaraki 1136–1194Muntáras or Yankuma GijimasuMunsada6 Naguji 1194–1247 7 Gugua 1247–1290TsarakiAuta Salmata8 Shekkarau I 1290–1307Kumyerku Maganarku9 Tsamia Barandamasu 1307–134310 Osumanu Zamnagawa 1343–1349 Sultans of Kano 11 Yaji Ali 1349–1385Aunaka12 Bugaya Mohammad 1349–1385 Yatara13 Kanajeji 1347–1390Tekidda Auta 14 Umaru 1410–142115 Dauda 1421–143816 Abdulahi Burja 1438–1452Tasafi 17 Dakauta 1452 (1 day) (deposed)19 Yakubu 1452–1463Fasima Berana 18 Atuma 1452 (deposed)20 Mohamma Rimfa 1463–1499Auwa 21 Abdulahi 1499–1509Lamis25 Abubakr Kado 1565–1573 (deposed) Tunus22 Mohamma Kisoki 1509–1565Hausatu Zuhara23 Yakufu 1565Fasuma27 Mohamma Zaki 1582–1618Kursu 24 Dauda Abasama I 1565 (exiled)26 Mohamma Shashere 1573–1582 (deposed)Dada28 Mohamma Nazaki 1618–1623 Fudima29 Kutumbi 1623–1648 Fari30 Al Haji 1648–1649 (deposed)Goro 31 Shekkarau II 1649–1651Fasuma32,34 Mohamma Kukuna 1651–1652 1652–1660 (deposed twice)Lamis 33 Soyaki 1652 (deposed)Ka Iya Gari35 Bawa 1660–1670 Mariamma36 Dadi 1670–1703 37 Mohamma Sharefa 1703–1731DukiYerduna40 Mohamma Yaji 1753–1768Baiwa Zama Zenabu38 Mohamma Kumbari 1731–174341 Babba Zaki 1768–177642 Dauda Abasama II 1776–178143 Mohamma Alwali 1781–1807 39 Alhaji Kabe 1743–1753
Kings of Kano (Sarkin Kano)
						Bauwo		Kaunasu


								1 Daud Bagoda 999–1063		Saju


										2 Warisi 1063–1095		Yānas


								Munsada		3 Gijimasu 1095–1134		Yankuma or Yankuna



						4 Nawata 1134–1136 (co-ruler 1134)		4 Gawata co-ruler 1134		5 Yusa Tsaraki 1136–1194		Muntáras or Yankuma


		Gijimasu		Munsada								6 Naguji 1194–1247


				7 Gugua 1247–1290			Tsaraki		Auta


							Salmata		8 Shekkarau I 1290–1307		Kumyerku


					Maganarku		9 Tsamia Barandamasu 1307–1343		10 Osumanu Zamnagawa 1343–1349

Sultans of Kano

				11 Yaji Ali 1349–1385		Aunaka		12 Bugaya Mohammad 1349–1385


	Yatara			13 Kanajeji 1347–1390					Tekidda

											Auta

			14 Umaru 1410–1421		15 Dauda 1421–1438		16 Abdulahi Burja 1438–1452		Tasafi



					17 Dakauta 1452 (1 day) (deposed)						19 Yakubu 1452–1463		Fasima Berana


					18 Atuma 1452 (deposed)								20 Mohamma Rimfa 1463–1499	Auwa



									21 Abdulahi 1499–1509		Lamis		25 Abubakr Kado 1565–1573 (deposed)


							Tunus		22 Mohamma Kisoki 1509–1565		Hausatu



			Zuhara		23 Yakufu 1565		Fasuma		27 Mohamma Zaki 1582–1618		Kursu


					24 Dauda Abasama I 1565 (exiled)		26 Mohamma Shashere 1573–1582 (deposed)		Dada		28 Mohamma Nazaki 1618–1623


											Fudima		29 Kutumbi 1623–1648


									Fari		30 Al Haji 1648–1649 (deposed)		Goro



			31 Shekkarau II 1649–1651		Fasuma						32,34 Mohamma Kukuna 1651–1652 1652–1660 (deposed twice)		Lamis


					33 Soyaki 1652 (deposed)						Ka Iya Gari		35 Bawa 1660–1670


											Mariamma		36 Dadi 1670–1703



			37 Mohamma Sharefa 1703–1731		Duki		Yerduna		40 Mohamma Yaji 1753–1768		Baiwa



	Zama Zenabu		38 Mohamma Kumbari 1731–1743		41 Babba Zaki 1768–1776				42 Dauda Abasama II 1776–1781		43 Mohamma Alwali 1781–1807


			39 Alhaji Kabe 1743–1753

Fulani rulers

Tree of Emirs of Kano
Clan of MundubawaClan of Sullubawa Aba HamaMahmudu 1 Suleimanu 1805–18192 Ibrahim Dabo 1819–1846 3 Usman I Maje Ringim 1846–18554 Abdullahi Maje Karofi 1855–18835 Muhammadu Bello 1883–1893 7 Aliyu Babba 1894–19038 Muhammadu Abbass 1903–19199 Shehu Usman II 1919–19266 Muhammadu Tukur 1893–1894 10 Abdallahi Bayero 1926–195312 Muhammadu Inuwa 1963 11 Muhammadu Sanusi I 1954–196313 Ado Bayero 1963–2014 Aminu Sanusi15 Aminu Ado Bayero 2020–2024 14 Sanusi Muhammadu Sanusi II First time 2014–2020 Second time 2024-Date
Clan of Mundubawa			Clan of Sullubawa
Aba Hama			Mahmudu

1 Suleimanu 1805–1819			2 Ibrahim Dabo 1819–1846


		3 Usman I Maje Ringim 1846–1855	4 Abdullahi Maje Karofi 1855–1883	5 Muhammadu Bello 1883–1893


7 Aliyu Babba 1894–1903	8 Muhammadu Abbass 1903–1919	9 Shehu Usman II 1919–1926	6 Muhammadu Tukur 1893–1894


	10 Abdallahi Bayero 1926–1953	12 Muhammadu Inuwa 1963


11 Muhammadu Sanusi I 1954–1963	13 Ado Bayero 1963–2014

Aminu Sanusi	15 Aminu Ado Bayero 2020–2024

14 Sanusi Muhammadu Sanusi II First time 2014–2020 Second time 2024-Date