Warrior Queen, Amina Mohamud of Zazzau was born to the 22nd ruler of Zazzau, King Nikatau and Queen Bakwa Turunku in the middle of the 16th century and had a younger sister Zaria by name.
At young, Queen Amina moved to stay with her grandfather and helped him in running errands, attending some meetings and settling some disputes, in which he in turn, instructs and teach her both political and military affairs.
She was age sixteen, when she was named Magajiya which means Heir apparent and had about forty female slaves.
She stared getting suitors at young age. She reportedly had offer of ten slaves daily, from Makama plus fifty male slaves, fifty female slaves and fifty bags of white and blue clothes from the then Emir of Kano.
After the death of her parents in or around 1566, Amina’s younger brother, Karama, became king of Zazzau while Amina was busy building and gaining military skills with the Zazzau military till she became the leader of the Zazzau calvary.
Before her brother’s death upon his 10 years reign as the King of Zazzau, Queen Amina had become famous and had acquired notoriety, wealth and accolades as the leader of the Zazzau military.
Amina officially became the Queen after her brother’s death in 1576.
She waged her first war against the neighboring land to expand the territory of Zazzau with well trained troops which she conquered far lands like both Kwararafa and Nupe.
Under her leadership, Zazzau had more territories under them than any leader had.
She surrounded her cities by earthen wall to avoid invaders which was conquered on the arrival of the British in 1904.
After 34 years of her reign, Queen Amina died in Atagara, close to Bida during one of her military conquest. Although the tale of her death remains unclear.
Till date, Queen Amina is being celebrated today as “Amina daughter of Nikatau, a woman as capable as a man.”
Paying tribute to Queen Amina’s legacy, Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Bello once said;
Strange things have happened in the history of the seven Hausa States, and among is the extent of the possessions which Allah gave to Aminatu, daughter of the Nikatau of Zazzau. She waged war in the Hausa lands and took them all so that the men of Katsina and Kano brought her tributes. She made war in Bauchi and against the other towns of the south and of the west, so that her possession stretched down to the shores of the sea.