BRIEF HISTORY AND CULTURE OF MARGHI PEOPLE (3):The Marghi Zhiringu And Respect For Traditional Heritage.
BRIEF HISTORY AND CULTURE OF MARGHI PEOPLE: The Marghi Zhiringu And Respect For Traditional Heritage.
| Margi | |
Native to
|
|
Region
|
Borno
State, Adamawa
State
|
Native speakers
|
160,000
(2006)[1]
|
|
Bura–Higi
Bura
(A.2)
Margi
|
|
Introduction
The
marghi tribe or dialect is traceable in both Borno and Adamawa states
of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The contemporary Marghi family
setting constitute a unit of the community, where certain traditions,
norms and cultures are not taken for granted. As people who believe
in hard work, the Marghi clans though scattered within the areas of
the above mentioned states still cherish their tradition most
admirable. There is better understanding between the different clans
even when they inter-marry, especially when the family ties become
stronger. The marriage ceremony in Marghi land is not significantly
different as regards the various clans.
The
Marghi Zhiringu And Respect For Traditional Heritage.
The
first record in literature which places the Marghi ethnic group
around the lake chad was that of Fra-maura, recorded on his mid-15th
century map, on which he placed the Marghi southeast of lake chad
(falcheta, 2006; Decorse, 2001: 142,2006) there are two accounts of
when Fra maura drafted the map. On the web page of the mandara
publishing company, which is based in the United Kingdom, it is
indicated that Fra maura drafted the map in 1459 but Falcheta book
stated that Fra maura world’s map indicates that the map was
sketched around 1450. In any way the point here is Fra maura placed
the marghi ethnic group around the Lake Chad prior to the year 1564,
when the leader of the Saifawa Dynasty of the Kanuri, Idriss Alauma,
started his campaign against the Marghi and the Tourag ethnic groups.
Fra maura’s map of 1459 is important because it placed the Marhgi
together as a group in one location prior to the diaspora under
family patriarchs- primarily to the mountainous enclaves and to the
plains due to Idriss Alauma’s expedition. Consequently, the present
Marghi towns and villages were established as a result. The map of
1459 by Fra maura showing the Marghi at the south east corner, Fra
Maura spelled margi as Mergi at that time.
According
to history, the Marghi Udzurngu, Margi babal and Margi tittim
(dzakwa) all call their chiefs with “Ptil” and their council of
elders with “shilir pathla” while Margi putai call their
chiefs “mai”.
Almost
all Margi people address their council of elders with this name, they
call or address the chief’s first son (prince) with “yerima or
maina” while the chief’s daughter (princess) with “Ngwatam”,
chief priest is addressed with “thluffu”, the chiefs assistant is
called “Wakil” and the chief’s messenger is called “Achama”
while the traditional police to the council is called “Dogar”.
Typical
marghi market day in the 1960s
The
Margi of Borno have retained their independence under “MAI” Madu
Kogo, native of western Margi land during the reign of Mai Idriss
Aloma (1571-1603) the mai of Borno empire, there were three
independent non-Kanuri sultans viz the sultan of Mulgwi, Sultan of
Yamta and the Sultan of Mandara.
In
other hand after the invasion of Borno by Rabeh (1893-1900), Rabeh
extended his attack on Margi mulgwi with modern hardware and war
techniques but surprisingly Margi proved more superior in bravery and
prowess than Rabeh’s army, Margi then killed 84 of his soldiers and
seized almost 80 guns from them. (Gazetteers of nothern provinces,
eastern kingdoms, vol.11 of Borno province page.110) according to
oral tradition Rabeh’s son Fadl Allah attacked Izge but almost most
of his soldiers were also put to death as Margi pople earlier killed
his father’s soldiers, the remaining soldiers shamelessly took to
their heels. In the same vein to prove the independence of these
tribes, Margi and Kilba had closed the route between Borno and
Adamawa. Mr Barday the resident intervened by stationing soldiers in
Margi lands to restore orders and normalcy.
Furthermore
it was close to an area inhabited by the independent tribes such as
the Margi people and Babur who needed closer British supervision.
(Akinjide Osuntokum-power broker a biography of sir kashim ibrahim-
1987 spectrum No.2 of 3-5) stated that because of the Margi people’s
militancy the British administration merged Margi division with shehu
of Borno emirate ‘that is why we have never fully get controlled of
Borno as whole’ in fact the British administration was hash and
unkind to the Margi people of Borno state.
The
Pagan districts of Margi in southern Borno and Adamawa such as
Mulgwi, Madubu, Izge Damboa and Izge Gwoza, Uba Borno and Adamawa,
Bazza, Uba mayo bani, Madagali, Kopa and Moda in Adamawa and Borno
states, were not subdued (Bala usman and Nur Alkali, Edited 1983)
studies in the history of pre-colonial Borno, page-224 Nothern
Nigerian Publishing Company. According to JG Davies in his book title
“Biu book”, page.280 in 1956 before the kanuri people came to
Borno area at about 1200-1400, the area was populaled by tribes now
represented by the Margi, Bura, Karekare, Ngamo, Ngizzim, Nguyi,
Bade, Bolewa, Kerawa etc. The boundary between Adamawa and Borno
emirates were undefined throughout the 19th Century, the absences of
well define geographical features and homogeneity of the population
between the two polities made the fixing of definite frontiers very
difficult. This is because neither emirate of Adamawa or Borno has
establish a firm control over the Margi inhabitants of the peripheral
zone.
Margi
people before then live in round and rectangular mud buildings, these
are: thatch roofed and fence with corn stalks (kadaka), mud walls
stone piles (dziga) as in the case of Margi dzurngu some of them
fence their compounds with cacti or Widu more especially Margi dzakwa
or Margi south.
There
are about seventy clans in Margi kingdom, and their major occupation
is farming, hunting, Crafting and trading. Margi people consider
farming as the most valued, hence every one often strive to become a
great farmer. A man in Margi land in those days can marry many wives
for the purpose of working on the farm lands with their children. As
Margi people consider farming as their top priority among other
occupations, before the advent of modern farming techniques and
transportation system, Margi people used to carry out their Guinea
corn harvesting, threshing and storing 100% manually, the most
tedious work is transportation of the farm produce from the farm
lands which usually covers eight (8) to fifteen (15) kilometers
distance, all the family members used to carry guinea corn on their
heads with container call ghururu, trekking on foot to a temporary
storing cage near the house. This work usually takes one to two weeks
to complete, this process is called “Zabga” and the trekking were
usually accompanied with songs to encourage them cover the journeys.
The next stage of guinea corn work in Margi is very existing even in
this present days, everyone including children is eager to witness
the occasion, this is called “Dugu uhi” means guinea corn
threshing. This is usually a great occasion, since the farmer invites
people like: Son in-laws, friends, relatives and neighbors to
participate in the work. The man and his wives usually prepare local
drinks (umpadlu and cham cham) to entertain the people coming to do
the work, while the men will be threshing the guinea corn singing
with drum beating, the women are busy fetching water to brew the
local drink. A cow, sheep or goat is usually slaughtered for the
occasion if the man is rich, young men aged 15-35 who are usually
much engaged in this work often demonstrate their strengths and
techniques to attract young ladies who usually stand by the sides of
the threshing area cheering them. At the end, elderly women usually
spend one to three days winnowing “mpiu” and gathering the guinea
corn into the family granary “val tsam”.
Historians
indicate s that there are Margi people (mostly of mulgwe emirate)
residing in Gwange, Mafoni, Konduga and Kaga in Borno state. The
report further stated that Mafoni was founded by a Margi prince from
Izza when he obtained permission from El-kanemi to set up a camp on
his way to Dikwa. Infact history has it that about eight (8)
successive rulers of Mafoni had been Margi until when they were later
dethroned by El-kanemi dynasty. Today there is a large settlement
located in the north eastern part of Konduga called Margimari. This
settlement was invaded and Islamized by El-kanemi’s forces and left
some Islamic scholars behind to provide Islamic knowledge to the
inhabitants although the present inhabitants may not see and identify
themselves as Margi today, it may also interest the audience to know
that Kaga local gov.t is bordering Damboa local government, on this
border there is a principal settlement called shatimari (Satumari)
which is largely inhabited by Margi people. The orientation and
cultural identity of these people is very similar to those Margimari.
It also noticed that some Margi people settled in some parts of
Bauchi, Gombe and jigawa states, in addition margi Gudar came from
Cameroon, baghirmi or wadai both from Chad, it is also in record that
in katagum emirate of Bauchi state, three Margi migrants established
three small states=Shira, Teshena and Auyo in 900-1200 but some
people said it’s in 1200-1350. Shira shared borders with Birnin
kudu, Dutse and Gaya. kano chronicles mentioned that Abdullahi Burja
(sarkin kano), in 1438-1452 married a daughter of shira king, the
Margi immigrants of shira came from yemen while those of Teshena and
Auyo came from Baghirmi and wadai. Teshena counted seventy (70)
rulers up to the sokoto jihad, shira was independent of Borno, Kano
and kwararafa jikun powers. In misau emirate of Bauchi state, Margi
established Dukku (Dluku) and kwami local gov.t area of jigawa state,
they founded Auyo local gov.t in 900 centures. In camerron Margi have
two local government and in the town called Demsa pwa they have
rotational administration among Margi, Batta and fulani for over 300
years to date.
Caravan rest in Marghi forest, Nigeria. Created by Rouargue after Barth, published on Le Tour du Monde, Paris, 1860
According
to CL temple and Barth Margi people are generally dark, while some
are fair in complexion but good physique, intellect, brave and hard
working. A good number of Margi are great warriors. All male children
of the age of 10 years and above are taught how to use bows and
arrows, Margi warriors used poisoned arrows to shoot games and their
enemies, they always carry small knives on their arms and big knives
around their waist, short sword in their armpits, two spears bows and
quivers full of arrows. The Margi man can fight both on foot and on
horseback, also he can ambush and attack whether alone or in groups
when attacked, Margi believed in self-confidence, self-reliance,
self-sufficiency and being independent.
References
Le Tour du Monde, Paris, 1860
wikipedia
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