HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF DUTS1 LOCAL GOVERNMENT

The growth of settlements in Hausaland was a result of several factors. These ranged from availability of water, fertility of land, communications, security and able leadership. In the case of settlements in Dutsi area, all the above factors were in play. However, there are other major towns which contributed in the growth of the Dutsi area. The towns are Dan Aunai and Yamel. At this point we need however, to remind the reader that the mention of Dan Aunai and Yamel did not mean that these were the only dominant settlements which thrived in the area. There were many others in fact very important centres economically and socially, which also contributed to the growth and survival of the Dutsi area. Thus, Dan Aunai and Yamel are mentioned merely for their political role in the emergence of the Dutsi town.

Dutsi town did not feature prominently prior to the creation of the area as a district under the British Colonial rule by 1910 or so. Its place and functions were over shadowed by sister neighboring settlements especially Dan Aunal and Yamel-communities, which had been in existence long before the out break of the 1804 Jihad in Hausaland and or emergence of the district head system under the British colonialisms. Whenever the name of Dan Aunai is mentioned people will begin to bring to minds the old stories of persistent revolts against their rulers. The people of Dan Aunai had in several occasions forged common front to expel their rulers with back-up reasons. Some of those rulers expelled had reigned for shorter periods often before their ouster by the aggrieved masses. This state of affair persisted up to the coming of the British who used high handedness in dealing with the mutineers of Dan Aunal. Many were killed by the colonial force shot with machine guns at close range. That silenced the area for sometime. This episode we have mentioned took place during the reign of Altine in Dan Aunai, which coincided with the reign of Emir of Katsina Abubakar. It was with the knowledge of the Emir the British troops were sent to quell the Dan Aunai uprising. Altine was consequently deposed and replaced by Marusa Usman in 1910. Usman was the first Marusa to settle at Yamel before finally coming to reside in Dutsi. The growth of both Dan Aunal and Dutsi towns had taken common patterns. In Dan Aunai there were two waves of settlers. The first settler was a man called Aunal from whom the settlement derived its name. Aunai’s origin is not known, but from all indications he was a hunter who had come there late in the 1 8 century. Another group of settlers are said to have come all the way from Katsina. They were scholars, which signified that the town of Dan Aunai would have been famous at the time, at least in scholarship. A part from scholars the area also attracted other groups especially the Fulani who settled there because of the availability of water. We have earlier mentioned the town had so many rulers due to the nature of the people, who were prone to revolt whenever provoked. Thus, the rulers were too numerous to mention in this brief history of the area. It only suffices to say that the title had changed from Dan Aunai to Marusa by the first decade of the 19th century with the emergence of the district head system under the British.

PREFACE: ALH.. TAS l’U SULEIMAN YAMEL A SiLENT ACHIEVER
Honourable Tasi’u Yamel had achieved a great feat in the few years he spent as a Chairman in Dutsi Local Government Area. READ MORE>>