Surrounded by city walls thirteen miles (twenty-one kilometers) in length, Katsina is believed to have been founded circa 1100.

In pre-Islamic times Katsina's semi-divine ruler is known as the Sarki, who faces a summary death-sentence if found to be ruling incompetently.

From the 17th to the 18th century, Katsina is the commercial heart of Hausaland and becomes the largest of the seven Hausa city-states.

Katsina is conquered by the Fulani during the Fulani War in 1807, becoming subsidiary to nearby Kano.

In 1903, the Emir (Abubakar dan Ibrahim) accepts British rule, which lasts until Nigerian independence from Britain in 1960.