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Hausa literature is any work written in theHausa language. It includes poetry, prose, songwriting, music, and drama. Hausa literature includesfolk literature, much of which has been transcribed, and provides a means of recording, preserving, and transmitting knowledge, especially in regard to social, psychological, spiritual, or political roles.
Hausa works are classified based on whether they are poetry, prose or drama. Such works are then categorized according to historical periods; otherwise, they may be classified based on their adherence to certain aesthetic features or genres.
Works of Hausa literature have reportedly existed since the 14th century, when the Hausa people began to write their scriptures.[1] Originally, the Hausa language was written in anArabic script calledAjami. At the time, the Hausa had no means of archiving their works for the future.[2]
Early poets included Ibn Al-Sabbagah and Muhammad Al-Barnawi. Other early Hausa writers using the Arabic script were Abdullahi Sikka and Sheikh Jibril Ibn Umar.[3][4]
Works[which?] of the early Hausa literature were re-discovered by a jihad[how?] issued byShehu Usman dan Fodio in the late 19th century. Elites of that period (royalists andEmires) became enamored with Hausa literature.[citation needed] During this period, the Hausa closely studiedIslamic andArabic literature.[citation needed] Royalists such asUsman dan Fodio,Muhammed Bello, andNana Asmaʼu possessed many Islamic writings and works, all written in the Ajami or theArabic script.[citation needed] During this revival, Islamic books were often written in Ajami, but by then scholars had a means of archiving their works for future generations[clarification needed].[5][better source needed]
From about 1800 to 1930, all Hausa literature was written in Ajami script as a result of deeply rooted Islamic influences.[citation needed] Following the arrival ofBritish colonials in 1904, when the Hausa people were forced[clarification needed] into Western-style education systems by their colonial masters, most Hausa became accustomed to reading and writing in theLatin script. Many religious writings byUsman dan Fodio and his younger brotherAbdullahi dan Fodio remain from the nineteenth century.Nana Asma'u, daughter of Abdullahi Fodio, is considered one of the greatest women writers in northern Nigerian history.[by whom?]
Hausa novels were first introduced during thecolonial period, when the Northern and Southern Nigerian Protectorates were combined. The EnglishmanRupert East established a Hausa competition in late 1933; this led to the first ever novels written in Hausa. Under the auspices of the Translation Bureau of Northern Nigeria, many educators, writers, and academics engaged in a Hausa competition.Abubakar Imam won the competition with hisdebut novel,Ruwan Bagaja (meaning "The Curing Water"). Later that same year, the bureau published another book, this one byMuhammadu Bello Kagara, titledGanɗoki, which helped encourage future writers and readers of Hausa.[3][better source needed][6] Years later, the bureau published another Hausa book,Magana Jari Ce ("Speaking is Profitable") by Abubakar Imam.
The drama form of Hausa literature is intended to show a performance of an actor during a gathering.[clarification needed] The drama involves a combination of music and dance that takes place in a Dandali (opera house). Unlike English and Greekopera houses, the Dandali is an open place without assigned seating. Theplay is performed verbally by aplaywright, and mainly comprises adialogue between characters and the playwright.
The modern-day style of Hausa literature was established in 1999 byHausa-language cinema. From that time, the cultural drama was abandoned by most Hausa natives in villages and towns due to the advancement of communication technology.
Modern Hausa women publish a genre of Hausa literature known as 'love books' (littattafan soyayya), which they often narrate over the radio.[7]
Islamic writers are categorised according to time period in which they lived.[by whom?]
Muslim Hausa scholars were discovered in the 19th century when their literary style once again became famous among Hausa Muslims.[8]
