History
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The emirate was founded about 1750 by Dan Juma and his followers from the Mangawa tribe. Shortly after he died in 1754, it became a tributary state of the Bornu kingdom. The emirate survived the Fulani attacks of Usman dan Fodio's jihad in the early 19th century and never became part of the Fulani empire of Sokoto. The present-day location of Gumel is the result of an 1845 move from the city of Tumbi, located in what is now Niger. The emirate has frequently been at war with the nearby cities of Hadejia, Danzomo, Kano, and Zinder since 1828. The war with Hadejia continued until Gumel's emir, Abdullahi, died in 1872. Before Emir Ahmadu accepted British rule in 1903, frequent slave raids from the town of Zinder were common. In 1976 Gumel became part of Kano State, and since 1991 it has been part of Jigawa State near Danzomo, Gagarawa, Sule Tankarkar, and Maigatari.
The current emir of Gumel, HRH Alh. Ahmed Mohammed Sani II (CON) is the 16th emir of Gumel. The emir is a graduate, of political science, of Ohio State University in the United States. The emir has been in office since 1981. The emir's palace is accessible only to those invited there by the emir, to members of the royal family, and to officials of the royal court (the emirate council, also called the Majlis).
List of Gumel Emirs[edit]
1749–1754: Dan Juma I dan Musa
1754–1760: Adamu Karro dan Digadiga Karro (d. 1760)
1760–1777: Dan Juma II dan Digadiga Karro
1777–1804: Maikota dan Adam Karro (d. 1804)
1804–1811: Kalgo dan Maikota (d. 1811)
1811–1828: Dan Auwa dan Maikota (d. 1828)
1828–1851: Muhamman Dan Tanoma dan Maikota (d. 1851)
1851–1853: Ceri dan Muhamman Dan Tanoma (1st time)
1853–1855: Muhamman Atu dan Dan Auwa
1855–1861: Ceri dan Muhamman Dan Tanoma (2nd time)
1861–1872: `Abd Allahi dan Muhamman Dan Tanoma (d. 1872)
1872–1896: Abu Bakar dan Muhamman Dan Tanoma (d. 1896)
1896–1915: Ahmadu dan Abi Bakar
1915–1944: Muhamman na Kota dan Ahmadu (d. 1944)
1944–1981: Maina Muhammad Sani II dan Muhamman na Kota (b. 1912)
1981–  : Ahmad Muhammad Sani II dan Maina Muhammad Sani II