Muhammad Rumfa

Muhammad dan Yakubu, pronunciation^ⓘ known as Muhammad Rumfapronunciation^ⓘ was the sultan of Kano from 1463 until 1499. His reign was characterized by wealth and opulence and signaled the rise of the Kano's commercial dominance in the region.

According to the 19th century Kano Chronicle, a scholar Abdu Rahaman (in other versions, Abdul Karimi) Muhammad al-Maghili came to the city of Kano during the reign of Rumfa to spread Islam. He brought with him many books. He ordered Rumfa to build a mosque for Friday prayers and to cut down the sacred tree and build a minaret on the site. And when he had established the faith of Islam, and there was a rise in learned men in Kano, Abdul Karimi returned to Massar (Egypt), leaving Sidi Fari as his deputy to carry on his work.^[1] The Kano chronicles mention Rumfa's reforms as extending the city walls, building the Gidan Rumfa palace, promoting slaves to governmental positions^[2] and establishing the Kurmi Market. Rumfa's reforms propelled Kano to its political peak, resulting in the first Kanoan Empire under his grandson Muhammad Kisoki.^[3]

He was the first Sarki (Hausa title for chief) who used "Dawakin Zaggi" in the war with Katsina Emirate. He was also the first sarki who practised "Kame". He appointed Durman to go round the dwellings of the Indabawa and take every first-born virgin for him. He was the first sarki to have a thousand wives. His era of oligarchs came to be eponymously known as the "Rumfawa", and would last until their replacement by the "Kutumbawa" in 1623. Muhammad Rumfa is considered by historians to be Kano's greatest ruler in pre-jihad era due to the reforms executed during his reign.^[2]