all of what is the modern Dosso Department, and with his help, the French put down revolts led by a charismatic Marabout in the Dosso region in 1906. The Zarmakoy of Dosso was integrated into the French Colonial system through a type of Indirect Rule rare in its scale and continuity in French West Africa. In most places the French established rulers at village level (the Chef du Canton) who were promoted by the French over traditional rulers, and thus were entirely dependent upon the French. At Dosso, the French allowed the Zarmakoy to not only retain but expand his territory and to choose his own successors, keeping continuity with the pre-colonial state, and standing above his own Chefs du Canton at the local level. The French so depended upon the Zarmakoy of Dosso, that in 1923 they moved the capital of the then Military Territory of Niger from Zinder, the home of the powerful pre-colonial Sultanate of Damagaram to a village in Dosso territory which was to become Niamey. Independence As independence approached in the 1950s, Niger was one of the few areas of French West Africa without a growing political class. The Zarmakoy of Dosso, as patron of the Djerma region, became a powerful political king maker for the coming order. Political parties vied for the support of the Zarmakoy and the powerful Hausa leaders in the east and the then Zarmakoy, Issoufou Seydou, played a leading role in Nigerien politics at the time of independence. Zarmakoy Seydou was a founder of the PPN, and later the UNIS parties, and was Vice-President and Minister of Justice from December 1958-October 1959. Today the Dosso aristocracy continue to hold influential positions throughout Nigerien government, with a majority of post independence leaders having been drawn from the Djerma. The city of Dosso also retains an important place, with a large population of aristocratic class Djerma who rely on the patronage of the Zarmakoy, as the more traditional ruling class reject modern careers. Rulers chronology c.1750– ?; Zarmakoy Aboubacar ?–?; Zarmakoy Laouzo ?–?; Zarmakoy Gounabi ?–?; Zarmakoy Amirou 1856–1865; Zarmakoy Kassam/Kossom Baboukabiya 1865–1890; Zarmakoy Abdou Kyantou Baba 1890–1897; Zarmakoy Alfa Atta 1897–1902; Zarmakoy Attikou 1902–1913; Zarmakoy Aoûta/Awta 1913–1924; Zarmakoy Moussa 1924–1938; Zarmakoy Saidou 1938–1953; Zarmakoy Moumouni 1953–1962; Zarmakoy Hamani 1962–1998; Zarmakoy Abdou 1998–2000; Zarmakoy Issoufou 2000–current; Zarmakoy Maïdanda Saidou References James Decalo. Historical Dictionary of Niger. Scarecrow Press/ Metuchen. NJ - London