Kano: History, Former Names & Timeline

Largest trading city of the Hausa states and a southern terminus of the trans-Saharan trade.

Map showing Kano in 1815 — Border map for 1815. See the world in 1815.

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Former names of Kano

From	Name	Note
AD 999	Kano

Timeline of Kano

Year	Event
1463	Muhammad Rumfa comes to power and promotes Islamic reform
1807	Kano joins the Sokoto Caliphate
1851	The German explorer Heinrich Barth visits Kano
1903	British forces occupy Kano

Who ruled Kano

Derived from the border maps; each row runs until the next recorded border change.

Period	State
500 BC–899	West African cereal farmers
900–999	Mandes
1000–1491	West African cereal farmers
1492–1814	Hausa States
1815–1879	Fulani Empire
1880–1913	Sokoto Caliphate
1914–today	Nigeria

Questions about Kano

Which states have ruled Kano?

On the historical border maps from 500 BC to today, Kano lies within 6 different states: West African cereal farmers, Mandes, Hausa States, Fulani Empire, Sokoto Caliphate, Nigeria.

What are the key dates in the history of Kano?

1463: Muhammad Rumfa comes to power and promotes Islamic reform. 1807: Kano joins the Sokoto Caliphate. 1851: The German explorer Heinrich Barth visits Kano. 1903: British forces occupy Kano.

Last updated 9 November 2026. Sources: border data from historical-basemaps, land and rivers from Natural Earth; texts written for Chronica Maps from standard reference works. How we make the maps.