Kingdom of Biram

Origins

Biram, centred on Garun Gabas, appears in the Bayajidda legend: the hero is said to have had a son named Biram by a Bornu princess before reaching Daura, so the kingdom was counted first among the Hausa Bakwai. Its origins probably lie in the 11th century, on the borderland between the Hausa plains and the Kanem-Bornu Empire.

Rule and society

Tradition gives Biram the role of seat of government among the Hausa states, but in practice it was small and strongly influenced by Bornu, to which it paid tribute for long periods. Its records are sparse, and its rulers are known only from late lists.

Decline and legacy

Fulani forces of the jihad overran Biram in the first decade of the 19th century, and its lands were incorporated into the Hadejia Emirate. Garun Gabas survives as a town in Jigawa State.

Few sources survive for this state; details are uncertain.