Battle of Kano
| Battle of Kano | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Pacification of Northern Nigeria | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
 Madakin Kano | Thomas Morland | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 300 cavalry.[1] |
100 cavalry, 800 Infantry (rank and file). | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| Unknown | 70 dead and wounded | ||||||
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The Battle of Kano was an important battle in 1903 between the British Empire and the Sokoto Caliphate's Kano Emirate in what is now Northern Nigeria.
Background
In 1899, Lord Lugard had proclaimed a British protectorate over much of the Sokoto Caliphate. with the failure of numerous diplomatic overtures to the Caliph, in 1900 a military campaign was launched to subdue the caliphate. The British pacification campaign termed Kano-Sokoto Expedition set off from Zaria at the end of January 1903 under the command of Colonel Morland. British officers and N.C.O.s and 800 African rank and file. Apart from a company of mounted infantry and a few gunners, the whole force consisted of infantry. They were supported, however, by four 75-mm. mountain guns, which could if necessary be dismantled and transported by porters, and by six machine guns.[2]
Battle
After sporadic fighting outside the walls of the fort, the British managed to penetrate the defensive parameters of the capital. Kano was mostly left defenseless at the time, the Emir was away with its large contingent Cavalry for the Autumn Campaign at Sokoto. Madakin Kano, a local noble rallied whatever troops there were still in the city to defend it. Despite his efforts, the British successfully took over the city after heavy fight wherein the latter sustained 70 casualties. News of the British capture of Kano in February 1903 sent the Emir's Cavalry in a long march to retake the city.
At Kano, Muhammad Abbas was proclaimed Emir of Kano and after the Battle of Kwatarkwashi, the last of the Kano cavalry were integrated into the Caliphal force of Sokoto.
See also
References
- ^ Ikime, Obaro (1977). Fall of Nigeria. Heinemann. ISBN 0435941402.
- ^ "Capture of Kano". West Gippsland Gazette (Morning ed.). Warragul, Victoria: National Library of Australia. 19 May 1903. p. 6. Retrieved 27 August 2015.