TOBACCO MERCHANTS IN NORTHERN KATSINA EMIRATE IN THE 19TH AND 20TH CENTURIES
Abstract
Studies have been conducted on the various aspects of the history of Katsina Emirate. The place of Katsina in the intellectual and economic landscapes of Hausaland and West Africa has been examined. However, tobacco's role in the Katsina emirate economy has received little attention from the writers of the economic history of Katsina. Moreover, writers and readers tend to pay attention to European-imported tobacco in a few discussions on tobacco marketing. This paper has examined the rise of local tobacco merchants in Katsina emirate in the 19th and 20th centuries. The paper has shown that, in the Katsina Emirate, there were centres for producing local chewed tobacco known as Taba Gari. Apart from production, some individuals engaged in tobacco marketing inside and outside Katsina Emirate and obtained considerable wealth. The paper also demonstrated that importing tobacco from overseas during colonial domination affected local tobacco production and marketing. Written and oral sources were used in the course of data collection.
