Hi Jim,
It certainly is a puzzle why Briggs chose to the attribution he did for kaskara. The type really is not used among the Hausa at all, as evidenced by period photos, current parades and other traditional events as well as other written sources such as Bivar.
On the Fulani/Hausa subject - my understanding is that the integration occurred largely after the early 19th century Jihads and the foundation of the Sokoto caliphate. The Hausa were and are some of the most widely traveled and skilled merchants of the Sahel. Before the Fulani Jihad the Fulani tended to be pastoral while the Hausa controlled the major cities and formed the ruling and merchant classes.
Even in Bornu the takouba was in use as we can see from period photos of the Dikwa emirate. I have always been intrigued exactly where the overlap between the takouba and kaskara occurred and what resulted in those areas.
On the thuluth - Bivar, having examined the state sword at Daura seemed pretty certain this style was related to Mamluk script and the production of these items was centered in Nilotic Sudan.
I agree completely about the guard and its inscriptions on the kaskara that is the subject of this thread. The content of the inscriptions doesn't make much sense to me from a local perspective and I would guess it was added later.
On another note... The pommel of this kaskara seems a bit larger than most - would it be possible to see a better photo of it?
All the best,
Iain
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