This was unarguably the greatest kingdom established by the yoruba. The following is the chronicles of the kings of the oyo empire from the earliest times to the present day. It began in the 0s in the west african savannah north of the tropical forests where other yoruba peoples lived. Ife, however, remained and continues to be viewed as the spiritual homeland of the yoruba. The oyo empire by prof george ayittey a new nigeria. He spends some time on the oyo dahomey conflict, examining the tactics of each side, as well as its implications for the atlantic slave trade. Ever before the commencement of colonialism, the people of what later became known as nigeria were living under different administration or political arrangements. Precolonial west africa was home to a number of great empires.
It expanded from the 16th to the 18th century to become the oyo empire, reaching its peak around 47570km2 in the middle of the 18th century. At the height of its existence, the old oyo empire dominated all yoruba kingdoms namely ife, ijesha, egba, ijebu, sabe and owu. This paper is not concerned with the establishment of the empire, its growth, dwindling, and reconstruction. It is he who did the original research on the oyo s and from whom everyone copies. The empire was well organized and was influential and powerful.
It lies on the plateau of yoruba land elevation 1,200 feet 366m in an area of savanna and farmland at the intersection of roads from oyo, ilorin, osogbo and ikoyi founded in the mid 17th century. The empire we are faced with wields enormous powers of oppression and destruction, but that fact should not make us nostalgic in any way for the old forms of domination. Oyo empire was established by yoruba people in the 15th century and was one of the largest empire in west african state. Kunle ogunmola from oyo empire, an icon of goodness,who has been for long time a helper to the numerous fellow human beings, as well as a glorious and trustworthy ambassador who has just been appointed by the councilofstate as independent national electoral commissioner inec. It at a time controlled the politics and commerce of the area known today as a. At present very little is known about the early history of the state. Mesi over the policy thrust of a peaceful diplomacy against military adventurism of. The oyo empire was a powerful yoruba state in the modern country of nigeria. Suffice to state that oyo empire was founded by oranmiyan, the direct. Oyo might take a strategic position in the transsaharan trade to their detriment okpoko, 1998. Oyo empire was established by yoruba people in the 15 th century and was one of the largest empire in west african state. Oyo empire later suffered from over expansion and some local hero started to emerge to challenge the authority of the oyo kingdom or that of the alafin of oyo. Oyo empire, yoruba state north of lagos, in presentday southwestern nigeria, that dominated, during its apogee 16501750, most of the states between the. In kurunmi, the tradition of the oyo empire, as unprecedentedly plunged into the vortex of a strong wave practiced from time immemorial, is unprecedentedly of disintegration both by internal and external influences, ploughed into chaos by the ensued controversy over.
Between 1100 ce and 1700 ce, the yoruba kingdom of ife experienced a golden age. The oyo empire was a yoruba empire of what is today benin and western nigeria including southwest zone and the western half of northcentral zone. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Since the 1900 political absorption into southern nigeria of the kingdom that it once served as a metropolitan center, the traditional monarchy has been either a tool of british indirect rule or a legally recognised traditional polity within the republic of. These user guides are clearlybuilt to give stepbystep information about how you ought to go ahead in operating certain equipments. Empire oyo empire reached its climax in 18th century, unfortunately, it began declining towards the end of the century. Toward the end of the 18th century, the empire acted as a gobetween for both the transsaharan and transatlantic slave trade.
Among them was the lisabi agboagbo akala who liberated the egbas from oyo empire to create a fearless egba kingdom. These historians handed down history through generations via their family lineage until the collapse of the oyo empire. See reading the reports for information on how to read this report. Akinjogbin the stereotyped opinion on the political development of the yoruba kingdoms is that chaos and decline had set in by 1700. Archived pdf from the original on 20 february 2007. We can combine the kriging conflict estimator with the mdp to.
Many products that you buy can be obtained using instruction manuals. It was then surpassed by the oyo empire as the dominant yoruba military and political power between 1600 ce and 1800 ce. Precolonial political administration in yoruba land. Ogbomoso is the second largest city in oyo state after ibadan. It means traditional systems preceded the era of colonialism. It remained a minor outpost of the yoruba oyo empire until the beginning of the muslim.
The oyo empire was a yoruba empire of what is today benin and western nigeria the oyo. It was during the seventeenth century that the oyo empire began to develop on a large scale, and under the warlike alafin, ajagbo, reached out toward the coast. Oyo empire began in the late 14th c or early 15th c likely 88 1431. Here is the precolonial political administration of the oyo empire. With conquest and expansion of the oyo empire between the 15th and early 19th centuries, the oyo became one of the largest polities in africa, covering most of the region encompassed by yorubaland, the benin republic, and togo oguntomisin, 2002. Nigeria before colonialism precolonial administration in. The oyo gained a considerable income from the sale of northern war captives and other unfortunates, who were purchased from the traders for whom oyo was an important stop on their southward. Pdf the kingdom of dahomey rose to power on the slave coast of west africa during the tumultuous atlantic era 16th19th centuries ce. Oyo, oyo state, is the seat of the line of the rulers of oyo. Based to a large extent on the dynastic tradition of the formerly dominant oyo clan, it is presently in the process of reevaluation. Feb 19, 2012 the oyo empire by prof george ayittey february 19, 2012 posted by seunfakze in education. Ibadan by then was part of the old oyo empire and lagelwas said to be u one of the prominent soldiers of alaafin at a time when there was no aareonakakanfo. Their territory, a constituent rump state, is located in contemporary nigeria. Ife was known as the base and foundation for the yoruba civilization, but soon, the oyo empire gained influence and surpassed the ileife base to become the new seat of yorubaland, up until the late 18th century.
Akin alawode who hailed from akoda compound in oyo east local government of oyo launched a book first in the history of oyo kingdom the oranyan festival. The city engaged extensively in trade and became wealthy. There are three earlier capitals near the niger river. The old oyo empire was one of the earliest and probably, the greatest independent race in west africa, south of the equator. Two books have served to undeceive the english reader, the monumental work of finlay, published in 1856, and. One west african slavetrading state was the oyo empire, which peaked in. Empire was dismissed by modern historians as depressing and monotonous. The alaafin was seen as the political head of the empire. A new beginning started just about a few day more than a couple of weeks a go where a true and lover of oyo empire son mr. This kingdom was founded by the deities oduduwa and obatala, who are believed to have created the world. Columbus sailed to the west and explored the caribbean. Chapter 3 ilorin as a slaving and slavetrading emirate. The oyo empire, from the seventeenth century through its col lapse in the first quarter of the nineteenth century, fits the definition of an imperial state in the sense that it expanded beyond its core area in northwest yorubaland, controlled regions and peoples far beyond its heartland, took over other polities. Situated in an ideal geographic location between the volta and niger river, the oyo empire became an important trade center.
The strategic location of the oyo along the transsaharan trade routes that traversed the continent contributed to the development of the empire as well. How sango festival is celebrated in oyo town, oyo state. Edeile, old oyo empire, and yorubaland the bight of benin and its hinterlandsdemographically dominated by the edo, yoruba, and aja cultural groupscame into the orbit of the atlantic. Oyo became the southern emporium of the transsaharan trade.
Sep 07, 2012 shortly after oyo empire expanded her influence westwards, capturing port novo and making dahomey presentday benin republic a vassal state pay tributes of 40 guns and 400 loads of cowries and corals regularly to oyo, of course after phases of wars that made oyo army a dread to the dahomeyans, alafin emperor labisi appointed a new basorun. The vast oyo empire was known to be the largest and the most powerful of all yoruba empires. At the height of oyo s power in the 17th and 18th centuries, dahomey paid annual tribute to it, and yoruba influence probably extended as far as the ga of the gold coast now ghana as well. However, it is clear to me that all they did was copy from books of robin law.
Material life and domestic economy in a frontier of the oyo empire during the midatlantic age9 byakinwumi ogundiran introduction the mid atlantic age1 was a period of an integrated commercial system in the atlantic basin that linked most parts of western europe, the americas, the indian ocean littorals, and much of west and central africa. By 1680, the oyo empire spanned over 150,000 square kilometers. No longer reserved for accounts of technological advances such as the. Unlike other yoruba states, which were located in the forest area, oyo was situated in woodland savannah. Precolonial political administration in yoruba land oldnaija. They were also most politically important state in the region from the mid 17th to late 18th century, holding sway not only over most of the other kingdoms in yoruba land but also in. Egypt was both a living museum, suitable for cultural selfimprovement, and a sophisticated community of the cosmopolitan european middle class, with whom communication was easily possible by means of the. The ancient oyo empire, established by the yoruba people, controlled a wide area between the volta and niger and rivers by the mid seventeen century. It was then surpassed by the yoruba oyo empire as the dominant yoruba military and political power between 1700 ad and 1900 ad,11 the oba or ruler of oyo is referred to as the alaafin of oyo. At the height of oyos power in the 17th and 18th centuries, dahomey paid annual tribute to it, and yoruba influence probably extended as far as the ga of the gold coast now ghana as well. One of the most prominent of these was the ancient oyo empire. The oyo empire was established by the yoruba people in the 15th century and was one of the largest west african states.
Oranmiyan oranmiyan was the first king and the founder of the oyo empire. Material life and domestic economy in a frontier of oyo empire. Enclosures of the old oyo empire, nigeria springerlink. Josh groban reads audens after reading a childs guide to modern physics and tells the inspiring story of his rebel astronomer greatgreatgreatgreatgreatgreatgreatgreatgrandfather marriage is rarely bliss but, surely it would be worse as particles to pelt at thousands of miles per sec about a universe wherein a lovers kis. This was unarguably the greatest kingdom established by the yoruba people of southwestern nigeria. Following realms will participate and then be merged to a new. The yoruba of metropolitan oyo were also highly skilled in craft making and iron work.
In subsequent sections, i will combine the uniformity of the ceramics across. Whether or not military dictatorship existed in the empire, rule of law was absent. The oyo state of the yorubas was the earliest and the largest of the four great kingdoms of west africa. The passage to empire and its processes of globalization offer new possibilities to the forces of liberation. In the 16th18th centuries, the alaafin of oyo was the most powerful king out of the list because he the ruled the strongest, most expansive empire in all of yorubaland what is presently southwest nigeria the oyo empire. In the second half of the 18th century, dynastic intrigues, palace coups, and failed military campaigns began to weaken the oyo empire. According to the oral tradition of oyo people, koso was a former capital city of the oyo empire. With the eighteenth century came the conquest of the kingdom of dahomey when dahomey attempted to dispute oyo s coastal outlets. History of the yoruba people the history of the yorubas is not yet well established.
The oyo empire, from the seventeenth century through its col lapse in the first. Aside from taxes on trade products coming in and out of the empire. The oyo empire is one of the great ancient empirein nigera, which its origin could be trace to oduduwain ileife, craddle of the yorubas who occupled thewestern region of nigeria. The ruler of the empire, was the alafin owner of the palace, and he established at old oyo, the capital, a truly elaborate court. Mapping the uncertainty of 19th century west african slave origins.
Request pdf oyo yoruba empire precolonial west africa was home to a number of great empires. Oyo empire 16001836 was a yoruba empire, located in present day nigeria and benin. The historiography of yoruba myth and ritual history in africa. Material life and domestic economy in a frontier of the oyo. Art and sacrality merged in iron objects among the fon, yorubans, and edo who. The bashorun head of the council agbaakin, samu, alapini, laguna, akiniku, ashipa. The nearby benin kingdom was also an important kingdom. The oyo empire of the yoruba historywiz africa civilization. Last layer added to the empire allowed autonomy with tax oyo demanded access to local market and slaves they were seven principal councilors of the empire. Development of social and political systems faragha nasson. Unlike other yoruba states, which were located in the forest area, oyo was situated in woodland sav. He had privileges no other citizen or official enjoyed.
The oyo empire 14001830s was a powerful yoruba polity in what is today southwestern nigeria. The oyo empire grew to become the largest yoruba state. Old oyo influences on the transformation of lucumi identity. Oduduwa was the first divine king of the yoruba people, and obatala fashioned the first human beings out of clay. It succeeded ile ife as the dominant kingdom in the area after 1700. Kunle ogunmola as the new inec national electoral commissioner south west nigeria. Saki, which was in the western province, had its monarchy modeled after what obtains in oyo kingdom with the royal office essentially hereditary in the same family and not necessarily from father to son. Oyo was reduced in size when osun state was created out of its eastern portion in 1991.
Africa info on the oyo empire military, archaeology. The political organisation of the oyo empire situated in the present day nigeria oyo empire was the most politically organized entity founded by the yoruba speaking people in the present day nigeria. List of rulers of the yoruba state of oyo wikipedia. The age of empire to be done in the ottoman empire and the middle east, and austria had long been central europes business window on the orient. The origins and brief history of the ewe people narrated by dr. Effect of housing condition and environmental sanitation. Brief history of yoruba people, culture, religion and. Kobla dotse published in 2011 xxxx publications disclaimer the material we present here is provided to you mainly for educational and information purposes only. Akinyele went further, it took about 100 years before 150 yoruba calendar years before the first ibadan was destroyed when the old oyo capitalhad returned to oyo ile. This study examines the correlation between the expansion and collapse of the oyo empire, the ethnolinguistic configuration of the migration from the bight of benin to cuba and transformations in the conceptual meaning of lucumi. Prepare for a realm merge for europe and asia servers.
Despite its age, the oyo empire continues to be a keystone book for the study of oyo history. The doctrine of separation of powers as practiced by the then oyo empire was premised on the yoruba adage which say that. Below is the political administrative structure of the oyo empire. It would have therefore been better to use directly laws work, especially the seminal the oyo empire c. The people of oyo were oranmiyan, their capital was oyo ile and the king of oyo was called alaafin. The empire had a strong army and for a long time was able to exert its dominance over several yoruba towns and such kingdoms as dahomey, nupe, borgu, and so on. Information and translations of oyo empire in the most comprehensive dictionary definitions resource on the web. As you read this keep these pertinent modern questions in mind. Its foundation myth draws upon yoruba religious beliefs and holds sacred the original settlement of ileife, which continues to be upheld as the creation site for the yoruba.
The oyo kingdom is located in the south of the actual territory of nigeria. Exchanges were made in salt, leather, horses, kola nuts, ivory, cloth, and slaves. Onigbogiconducted evacuation of oyoile probably around 16th century there were 36 other kings after onigbogi. Oyo rose to become the most important city state, surpassing ife during the 0s. Igbomina, ilorin emirate, fulani jihadist, oyo empire. Iwereile became the headquarters of iwajowa lg in december 1996 upon the creation of the creation of the new local. The empire succeeded llelfe as the dominant kingdom in the area after 1700. The geographical advantage and the protection ofthr trade route played significant roles in the riseof the kingdom.
A realm invasion will occur in 9 days, followed by the realm merge. However, theprecolonial nigeria symbolises the methods or ways by which nigerians govern themselves before the advent of colonialism. Being in the savannah proved beneficial, as oyo could use horses, which were unable to live farther south due to the tsetse fly. William allen, a narrative of the expedition sent by her majestys government to the river niger, in 1841 london, 1848, vol. Iwereile was a former powerful war town in the old oyo empire, dreadful for many oyo indigenes, as well as the alaafin to attack. The search for spices portuguese explorers sailed around africa seeking spices from the east indies. The great gibbon had branded the successors of justinian and heraclius as a series of vicious weaklings, and for several generations no one dared to contradict him. Studying history is important in understanding what brought us here. The oyo empire, from the seventeenth century through its col lapse in the first quarter of the nineteenth century, fits the definition of an imperial state in the sense that it expanded beyond. Oyo empire oluyole pdf oyo empire oluyole are a good way to achieve details about operating certainproducts. Oyo empire was properly organized as an absolute monarchy with the alaafin as the supreme head of all kings and princes of the empire.
One west african slavetrading state was the oyo empire, which peaked in the. It rose through the outstanding organizational and administrative skills of the yoruba people, wealth gained from trade and its powerful cavalry. It was the most important and authoritative of all the early yoruba principalities. As werner sollors has remarked, the word invention has become a rather popular category in intellectual discourse. Other works that might also be helpful are warfare in atlantic africa. Oyo empire, yoruba state north of lagos, in presentday southwestern nigeria, that dominated, during its apogee 16501750, most of the states between the volta river in the west and the niger river in the east. I collected an interesting variant of this tradition in akure, merging the ife and oyo versions.
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