Battle of Kano

In 1899, Lord Lugard had proclaimed a British protectorate over much of the Sokoto Caliphate. with the failure of numerous diplomatic overtures to the Caliph, in 1900 a military campaign was launched to subdue the caliphate. The British pacification campaign termed the Kano-Sokoto Expedition set off from Zaria at the end of January 1903 under the command of Colonel Thomas Morland, heading up a force of British officers and N.C.O.s and 800 African rank and file. Apart from a company of mounted infantry and a few gunners, the whole force consisted of infantry. They were supported, however, by four 75-mm. mountain guns, which could if necessary be dismantled and transported by porters, and by six machine guns. ==Battle==

After sporadic fighting outside the walls of the fort, the British managed to penetrate the defensive parameters of the capital. Kano was mostly left defenseless at the time. The emir, Aliyu Babba, was away with its large contingent of cavalry for the autumn campaign at Sokoto. Madakin Kano, a local noble, rallied whatever troops there were still in the city to defend it. Despite his efforts, the British successfully took over the city after heavy fight wherein the defenders sustained 70 casualties. == Aftermath ==

News of the British capture of Kano in February 1903 sent the Emir's cavalry in a long march to retake the city in the decisive Battle of Kwatarkwashi. == Gallery ==

Images of the battlefield. Kano Conquest.jpg|British Army during Kano Conquest Kano Conquest 04.jpg|British Army during Kano Conquest Kano Conquest 03.jpg|British Army during Kano Conquest Conquest of Kano 2.jpg|Kano army Conquest of Kano.jpg|Kano army ==See also==