Is farming in old towns ok?

Doesn’t the nation stand to lose if an ancient settlement is turned into a vast farmland which may yield food for the body, but no historical detail for the spirit and mind? Should a man enter a historical site and just begin to  dig great heaps for the yam   crop, which will vanish as soon […]

Doesn’t the nation stand to lose if an ancient settlement is turned into a vast farmland which may yield food for the body, but no historical detail for the spirit and mind? Should a man enter a historical site and just begin to  dig great heaps for the yam   crop, which will vanish as soon as it has been  eaten. It is important to raise this question because in many parts of Nigeria one often comes across an ancient settlement which has been converted into a farmland, with the farmer and his family joyfully digging away at history, with drumming and a lively crowd present in many cases. The farming of history appears to be a national exercise in Nigeria with fresh converts every day. This is because the evidence is so widespread and so thorough. This may also be linked to the search for food by a mass of the citizenry, as well as a number of cultural practices in many localities. So many forces are present here. About  60% of Nigerians are said to live on less than a dollar a day. One University lecturer   said recently in response to the matter, that farming activity at such spots, is pure retributive justice for the King’s who certainly exploited their people in the ancient days. Now, in the inevitable  turn of the wheel of fate, their own palaces and communities would then be turned into farms. At the heart of the matter is the fact that the palaces within which they reigned as Monarchs, will be used by others to make profit.
While  in Rano  in Kano state some time ago ,this reporter was surprised to find that the  old  community of Rano, also  called Tsohon  Gari, which is said  to have the palace or cave of Zauna  Kogo, one of the early Kings of Rano, had substantial parts of it that had been converted to farmland. Towering close to the site are the twin rock masses named Mairama and Kurgum after two legendary figures in the community. Farming activity at the site was quite extensive and had been going on for many years. At a later visit to Kibiya, another community within Rano Local government, one was glad to see that an old    palace there had been converted to a primary school, rather than becoming a field for the cultivation of crops.

On a recent  trip to Birnin Kudu in Jigawa state, the story remains the same. A visit was made to Tsohon Gari,the  ancient settlement which was vacated by the people in the 50s.Vast parts of it have now become a farm, and this includes the old palace, the prison, the city gates, numerous households. Everything seems to have gone.  
History has  been made to surrender to the hoe. As you approach Tsohon Gari, there is evidence of an ancient city wall which has suffered the effects of weathering to an extent. Looking  at it you have an impression of Birnin Kudu as it was in the ancient days, whose founding  by Alkurya Munguri said to be from Ethiopia,  has been dated at 949 AD, so says  Waziri Adamu  Birnin Kudu, who alongside a team has been writing a book on the history of Birnin Kudu. In its time it must have been an impressive city, surrounded by walls, and covering a vast distance in those days. Today, numerous Baobab trees dot the site which supported human habitation for many centuries. While walking through Tsohon Garin Birnin Kudu, we came across a spot where it was said at least seven graves of former Kings lie can be found. But there are certainly more than 7 kings who ruled in  Birnin Kudu in the past, and Waziri Birnin Kudu confirmed this point. He points to a long list of 63 kings, made up of 48 Hausa Kings, and 15 Fulani Kings who ruled .So where are the graves of all these  63 Kings of Birnin Kudu, and where too, are the graves of the ordinary folk who made up a substantial part of the population? Waziri Birnin Kudu, commenting on the matter of the absent graves, says “The issue is that the graves seen at Tsohon Gari were those of the Muslim kings. Those who died before the period of the Muslim kings were, of course, not Muslims and burial styles may differ, but still people don’t know where they are buried.”
He  adds that there are   places in the old town where it is said that some of the former kings lie buried. “But these are not easy to find,” he adds. “Sometimes, you will see a big field, and people will say that a king lies buried somewhere in the vast space.” In the light of the above the book on the history of Birnin Kudu being authored by Waziri Birnin Kudu and  his team, therefore becomes very significant. The author now describes   the  various parts of old  Birnin Kudu town. His words “It was made up of several quarters, and had several markets, which were both small and large. There were also farmlands as well as community centres. Also there were different gates. These include Madachi, Kofar Bai, Kofar Furya, Gwamgwamawa, Ungwar Mallam and Kumma.”

Idris Jimada lectures at the Department of History, Ahmadu  Bello University,Zaria.On  the neglect of historical towns and other related sites,he  says ‘This kind of attitude degrades our culture and traditions.UNESCO  normally highlights a country’s sites and monuments,which  is part of the culture of showcasing a country’s rich heritage. But if we don’t value our rich heritage, who will do it for us? These traditions show the unique aspect of our civilization. On the way forward,he adds ‘State governments have a lot to do in this regard. They should enlighten the people that wherever such sites are found,they should be regarded as state property. Such areas should be enclosed within a fence to preserve them. Also an enlightenment campaign should be carried out among the citizenry.  An individual or a group should be employed to look after the site as well.” Dikko Idris, Curator of the National Museum, Birnin Kudu, speaking on the same  topic, says “if such old settlements are preserved, then tourists can visit ,and people can tell stories of the great history of the area. As  things stand now, if  people continue  farming at the spot then we  are losing the historical value of the place. People are now used to farming in such places. They are digging away at their history in order to grow crops, it is now a way of life.”
Professor Yusuf Adamu of the Bayero University Kano also sheds light on the level of farming and encroachment going on at historical sites. According to him “It is a very annoying,and very frustrating matter. Nobody seems to care a bit today about history, especially in our primary schools. We don’t know who we are, and we have not been taught our history, or aspects of our environment. Generally, people don’t value anything historical, because they don’t know what it is.”

Researchers at the National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM) who declined being named, comment on the matter. They opine  “in Islamic law, even  burial grounds of past generations can be converted to other uses.” This partly explains the situation at the old settlement at Birnin Kudu where the site is being  extensively farmed. Drawing attention to the fact that farming on historical sites is an age old problem, they aver ‘When  farmlands became exhausted pre colonial settlements used to move  whole hamlets to the exhausted farms and turn the hamlets to new farms, with the inescapable destruction of historical relics of the abandoned village.’ The researchers also shed light on difficulties involved in documenting the number of such sites that have been lost or encroached upon within the country.
Their words “Documenting the loss is totally impossible for obvious reasons. Nigeria is too vast for the few heritage and culture related researchers to be able to document the loss adequately. However, where feasible intervention efforts are made ,especially for the more significant historical relics.” On the way forward they advocated a number of sensitization programmes. Their words ‘Sensitization programmes are very necessary for people to appreciate these relics as cultural resources that must be preserved for the future. They however have to be taught how to prioritise,as not all relics are of equal importance.”
They end  on a  significant note “people tend to demean what was important to their ancestors, especially when a change of faith has occurred.”