AN APPRAISAL OF THE BAYAJIDDA LEGEND IN THE HISTORICAL TRADITION OF DAURA TO 1750
Abstract
The paper focuses on the Legend of Bayajidda, a foreign hero from the Middle East, as the acclaimed founder of the Daura Kingdom. The paper adopted a corroborative method of historical research, such as primary and secondary sources. The paper discusses the origins of the kingdom of Daura, drawing on various versions of its history and the nature of the government or political system it developed after its establishment. Using archaeological and oral evidence to assess the validity of the Bayajidda legend, the paper argues that, in the Daura Kingdom, a state-like system had developed long before Bayajidda’s arrival. The paper concludes that the legend of Bayajidda, despite its limitations, is significant for tracing the history of the kingdom of Daura.