Hausa Kingdoms
Modern day Kano State was the site of numerous kingdoms and empires, including the Kingdom of Kano, which was centered in Dalla Hill and existed from prior to 1000 AD to 1349. In 1349, the Sultanate of Kano would be established with Yaji I as its first Sultan. In the 15th century, Kurmi Market was opened, which helped Kano become a center of commercial activity in Hausaland; the market remains open in the 21st century and its historic importance is reflected in the state's nickname, the "Centre of Commerce". During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Sultanate of Kano would establish itself as the most powerful of the Hausa Kingdoms. In 1903, the British Empire would conquer the Kano Emirate, incorporating the region into the Northern Nigeria Protectorate. The major ethnic groups in pre-colonial Kano City were the Hausa, Fulani, Beriberi (Kanuri), Tuareg, Arab and Nupe, most people in Kano city have come to use the Hausa language as a first language and some have accepted Hausa as an ethnic identification.