Kanta Kotal

Muhammadu Kanta (died 1561), also known as Kanta Kotal, was a Hausa warrior-king and founder of the Kebbi Empire, the last of the Hausa states to emerge. Kanta rose from humble beginnings to establish a small but formidable empire that resisted both the powerful Songhai and Kanem-Bornu empires.

Kanta rose to prominence as a military commander in the service of the Songhai Empire, joining Askia the Great's campaign to conquer Hausaland in 1513. However, in 1516, he rebelled against Songhai rule after a dispute over war spoils, successfully defeating the forces sent to suppress him. Declaring independence, he established the Kebbi Kingdom and launched expansionist campaigns, conquering vast territories stretching from the Niger River to the Sahara Desert. To the north, he conquered Asben and Aïr; to the south, Nupe and Borgu; to the east, Zamfara and Zazzau; and to the west, Arewa and Zaberma. He seized control of Gobir, Katsina, Kano, Yauri, Zazzau, and other nearby states. His military acumen enabled him to repel both Songhai and Kanem-Bornu forces, solidifying Kebbi's dominance in the region. His reign saw the development of fortified cities such as Surame, whose defensive walls still stand to this day.

Throughout his rule, Kanta was constantlay waging war against his neighbours, particularly against the powerful Kanem-Bornu Empire, which sought to curb Kebbi's influence. Despite multiple large-scale battles, including one in which Bornu fielded 100,000 men, Kanta maintained his independence. In his later years, he led a retaliatory campaign against Bornu but was wounded in a skirmish near Katsina, ultimately succumbing to his injuries. To protect the secrecy of his burial site, his followers constructed multiple tombs along his journey back to Kebbi.

Kanta's reign marked the peak of Kebbi's power, but after his death, the kingdom ceased to be a great power, as his successors were unable to maintain its influence in the region. By the end of the 16th-century, Hausaland had stopped sending tribute to Kebbi, effectively becoming independent. Kebbi had shrunk from an 'empire' to a local kingdom, and its dominance over Hausaland had come to a complete end.