Abstract
This study focuses on Sansan Hausa, considered the biggest market in "Western Niger" in the 19th century. Located on the left side of the River Niger, the main chanel of communication between western and central Sudan. It was the meeting point for agricultural, livestock products and attracting traders from distant countries who brought in various articles such as fabrics. Despite its importance in the socio-economic life of the populations of western Niger in the 19th century, it is somewhat forgotten in historical studies. The purpose of this study is to determine the factors for the market's prosperity, the importance of commercial transactions and the factors of its decline at the end of the 19th century. The study which draws its data from previous researches, archival sources and oral sources reveals that the Sansan Hausa market in the 19th century was not only a meeting point between sedentary and pastoralists from the region but also between traders from distant lands.
Keywords: Decline, Niger river, market, Western Niger, prosperity, Sansan Hausa
DOI: 10.36349/sokotojh.2021.v10i01.005
