Rano

Rano was one of the Hausa Bakwai, the seven legitimate Hausa states, and tradition names its founder as Zamna Kogi, a descendant of the legendary Bayajidda. Hausa tradition gave each state a role: Kano and Rano were the centres of cloth-making, called the "kings of indigo", while Katsina and Daura were the market towns and Zazzau supplied slave labour to the others. During the reign of Yaji I of Kano (1349–1385), Kano conquered Rano and held it for two years. The town survived, but it never regained its sovereignty and from then on lived in the shadow of its larger neighbour to the north.