Zaria (redirected from Zaria, Nigeria)

Zaria (zä`rēə), city (1991 est. pop. 335,000), N Nigeria. It is the ginning center for Nigeria's main cotton-growing region. Cottonseed, peanuts, and shea-nut oil are produced. The city is on a major north-south railroad and highway and has an airport. First known as Zazzau, it was founded about A.D. 1000 and was one of the seven Hausa city-states. The city was captured by the Fulani in 1805 and included in the Sokoto caliphate. In 1901 British forces led by Frederick Lugard took the city. Zaria is the seat of Ahmadu Bello Univ. (1962) and an agricultural school. The old part of the city is surrounded by walls.

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Zaria

 formerly Zazzau

Historic kingdom and traditional emirate, northern Nigeria. It was founded in the 11th century and was the southernmost of the original seven Hausa Bakwai states. Islam was introduced c. 1456, and there were Muslim Hausa rulers in the early 16th century. A Songhai warrior conquered Zazzau c. 1512. By the end of the century it was renamed Zaria and was in decline. It became a tributary state (c. 1734–1804) of the Bornu kingdom. In 1804 it came under the Fulani Muslims. The Zaria emirate was created in 1835. It remains one of Nigeria's largest traditional emirates, and it is one of the nation's leading producers of cotton for export.

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Zaria

a city in N central Nigeria: former capital of a Hausa state; agricultural trading centre; university (1962). Pop.: 822 000 (2005 est.)