Kankiya na da dangantaka na musamman da masarautar katsina, a wajen kafa garin kankiya, tarihi ya nuna akwai wurare biyu, watau sabon garin kankiya da tsoho, a tsohon garin kankiya, akwai rijiyoyi guda takwas kuma akwai ramukan ɗiban farar ƙasa. A sabon birnin kankiya kuwa babu. An gina ganuwar kankiya a shekaru ɗari uku (300) da suka shuɗe. Hausawa suka fara zama a garin daga nan wasu fulani suka zauna akudancin garin. Kanliya itace hedikwatar ƙaramar Hukumar ta, bayan zuwan turawa, sannan tana bisa hanya Katsina zuwa Kano, Nisan kimanin kilomita hamsin da shida (56) daga gari katsina zuwa kankiya. Tarihi ya nuna cewa mutanen da suka fara kafa garin Kankiya mafarauta ne, kuma fatake ne a ƙarni na sha bakwai (17th century) sannan sun fito ne daga Arewa, yau mutanen dake zaune a garin sun kai dubu ishirin da shida (26,000). Gidajen sarautar kankiya sun haɗa da gidan Gunduma da gidan Haɓe (1861) gidan fulani da suka karɓa mulki wurin hausawa (1816). An gina asibiti a garin a 1930, makarantan elementary a 1926, masallacin turawa a 1922, ɗakin shawara 1945, kurkuku 1956.