Difference between revisions of "Oyo Empire" - New World Encyclopedia
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===Forming the Oyo Empire=== | ===Forming the Oyo Empire=== | ||
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| + | Oyo, a small state in the early 16th centry, was led by Oranmiyan, the founder-king or first Alaafin of Oyo. Oranmiyan was also a military leader who waged an excursion heading towards North-east. He was stopped by the empires of Borgu and Nupe before settling at a site known as Ajaka.<ref name ="Goddard" /> Oyo's earlier attempts at expansion were met with resistance , culminating in its being conquered by neighboring [[Nupe]] around 1550. When conquered by Nupe the king (alafin) of Oyo and his senior chiefs sought refuge in [[Borgu]], but soon returned . In order to prevent such future military defeats, the alafin Oranmiyan began a program of militaristic expansion and dramatically enlarged Oyo's military forces, especially calvary, to solidify Oyo's position on the political scene. | ||
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| + | In addition to militaristic expansion, the Oyo empire grew on its convenient trade location and ability to manipulate the markets. Located just south of the Middle [[Niger]] the Oyo empire was is a prime position to control the prominent West African trade routes to [[Hausaland]], [[Gao]], [[Timbuktu]], and [[Jenne]], and flood the trade routes with signifcant amounts of Oyo textiles and iron goods. | ||
===Limits on the power of the Alaafin=== | ===Limits on the power of the Alaafin=== | ||
Revision as of 21:13, 17 June 2007
The Oyo Empire, founded approximately around 1300 C.E., was the largest West African empire in present day Yorubaland (which includes parts of modern day Nigeria) . The Oyo empire grew to power from its humble origins in the state of Oyo, which had its capital at Oyo-Ile, (also known as Katunga or Old Oyo or Oyo-oro).[1] Rising to preeminence through wealth gained from trade and through the possession of a powerful cavalry, the Oyo Empire was the most politically important Yoruba state from the mid-17th to the late 18th century, holding sway not only over other Yoruba states, but also exercising political control over the Fon kingdom of Dahomey (located in the state now known as the Republic of Benin).
Mythical origin
Discovering the exact dates for the creation of old Oyo has proven troublesome for historians, as the prevelance of oral history in the area has clouded historical fact with the gloss of creativity. In particular oral history shrouds the creation of Oyo more than other contemporary West African empires, as Yoruba cosmology places great importance on an earlier kingdom Ife that provided the foundation for the Oyo empire. According to accounts by some Oyo kings and the respected historian Samuel Johnson, Ife existed as the spiritual center of the Yarubas or Yorubas.
Rise of the Oyo Empire
Forming the Oyo Empire
Oyo, a small state in the early 16th centry, was led by Oranmiyan, the founder-king or first Alaafin of Oyo. Oranmiyan was also a military leader who waged an excursion heading towards North-east. He was stopped by the empires of Borgu and Nupe before settling at a site known as Ajaka.[1] Oyo's earlier attempts at expansion were met with resistance , culminating in its being conquered by neighboring Nupe around 1550. When conquered by Nupe the king (alafin) of Oyo and his senior chiefs sought refuge in Borgu, but soon returned . In order to prevent such future military defeats, the alafin Oranmiyan began a program of militaristic expansion and dramatically enlarged Oyo's military forces, especially calvary, to solidify Oyo's position on the political scene.
In addition to militaristic expansion, the Oyo empire grew on its convenient trade location and ability to manipulate the markets. Located just south of the Middle Niger the Oyo empire was is a prime position to control the prominent West African trade routes to Hausaland, Gao, Timbuktu, and Jenne, and flood the trade routes with signifcant amounts of Oyo textiles and iron goods.
Limits on the power of the Alaafin
The Alaafin was in theory the absolute king of Oyo Ile, but in practice his powers were constrained. Firstly, he had to consult with the Oyomesi, which was composed of the heads of the 7 non-royal wards of the city. They advised the king on all important matters and controlled the military as well as some religious festivals. Especially the leader of the Oyomesi, the Bashorun, was a powerful figure. He was the commander in chief of the army and lead a few religious festivals, among which the all-important festival of Orun. Halfway the eighteenth century the Oyomesi also acquired the power to depose the Alaafin by forcing him to commit suicide during the festival of Orun. Secondly, the Alaafin had ritual constraints imposed upon him. For instance, he could not leave the palace, except during the important festivals, which curtailed his power in practice. By contrast, the crown prince, the Aremo, was allowed to leave the palace. This led Johnson to observe: 'the father is the king of the palace, and the son the King for the general public'.[2] Lastly, even among the royal wards, the Alaafin was sometimes undermined. For instance, on some occasions, the Aremo, hastened his accession to power by killing the Alaafin. In addition, of the three royal wards, the king was always chosen from one of them, the Ona Isokun, leaving the other two royal wards sometimes with little incentive to help the king.
The Alaafin and the divine
The king is regarded as representative of spirits (Orisa) and he must devote himself to worship of Orisa. Sign of successful reign is celebration of various Orisa festivals.
The chief priest, sometime referred to as Babalawo (baba lawo, baba which means father and Awo is oracle which can see vision for the individual or the nation. In this regard, 'baba' actually means 'grand' and not 'father'). The chief priest is not required to be at the king's council but can be summoned to appear before the king in order to give guidance or advice. He communicates with the spirit (Orisa) and his advice is thus deemed valuable.
The functions of government
The legislative function could be considered to be in the hands of the king together with the Oyomesi. The word of the king was law, but he had to take account of the Oyomesi.
Regarding the judicial function, the Alaafin acted as the supreme judge. Disputes were however first ruled on by lesser kings or local chiefs.
The executive function was in the hands of the king (but again he had to take account of the Oyomesi), but he was assisted in this by palace officials, many of which were slaves, which could number up to a few thousand.
The height of the Oyo Empire
Layout of Oyo Ile
The two most important structures in the capital city of Oyo Ile were the Alaafin's palace and his market. The palace was at the center of the city close to the king's market called Oja-oba. Around the capital was a tall earthen wall for defense with 17 gates. The importance of the two large structures (the palace and the Oja Oba) signified the importance of the king in Oyo.
Military Dominance
Oyo was particularly known for its use of cavalry. The origin of the cavalry is disputed; however, the Nupe, Borgu and Hausa in neighboring territories also used cavalry and may have had the same historical source.[3] The army was commanded by the Oyomesi, with the Bashorun as the commander-in-chief. Some authors even assert that during wartime, the position of the Bashorun was higher than that of the Alaafin as he then sat on a higher stool and was allowed to smoke in the direction of the Alaafin (normally srictly forbidden).
Expansion
The fall of Oyo Ile
Revolts in the Oyo Empire
In 1796, an Ilorin-centred revolt against Awole, the then-reigning Alaafin, or chief-ruler of Oyo, was initiated by Afonja, the Aare Ona Kakanfo, or chief military commander of the provincial army. The internal power had been weakened since the beginning of the 18th century by a struggle for power between the Alaafin and the Oyo Mesi, a council of the seven principal non-royal chiefs. The revolt, which led to the secession of Ilorin, marked the beginning of the disintegration of the Oyo empire, as other vassal states soon began to follow Ilorin's example. In the hope of securing the support of Yoruba Muslims (mainly slaves taking care of the Empire's horses, the main military strength of Oyo) and volunteers from the Hausa-Fulani north, Afonja had enlisted an itinerant Fulani scholar of Islam called Alim al-Salih to his cause, but this eventually led to the razing of Oyo-Ile by the Islamic Fulani Empire in 1835, once Afonja had himself been killed by Fulani.Up to this day, the Illorin traditional ruler is an emir, whereas in the rest of Yoruba towns the kings are called 'oba' or 'baale'.
After the destruction of Oyo-Ile, the capital was moved further south, to Ago d'Oyo, and the center of Yoruba power moved further south to Ibadan, a war-camp settlement of war commanders. Oyo never regained its prominence in the region. It became a protectorate of Great Britain in 1888.
Aftermath
After fleeing the Fulani jihad, many concentrated around hills for military purposes. During the colonial period, the Yorubas were one of the most urbanized group in Africa. Defining being Urban as living in city like areas. About 22% of the population lived in large areas with population exceeding 100,000 and over 50% lived in cities of made up of 25,000 or more people. The index of urbanization in 1950 was close to that of the United State excluding Ilorin. Old Oyo linked cities such as Ibadan, Osogbo, Ogbomoso, were some of the major cities that flourished after the collapse.[4]
ReferencesISBN links support NWE through referral fees
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Stephen Goddard, Ago That became Oyo: An Essay in Yoruba Historical Geography, The Geographical Journal > Vol. 137, No. 2 (Jun., 1971), pp. 207-211.
- ↑ Church Missionary Society, G.31 A.2/1888-9, S. Johnson to the Revd. J.B. Wood, 8 Nov 1887, as cited by Law R., "The Oyo Empire c.1600-c.1836" 71 (1977)
- ↑ Robin Law, A West African Cavalry State: The Kingdom of Oyo, The Journal of African History > Vol. 16, No. 1 (1975), pp. 1-15.
- ↑ William Bascom, Some Aspects of Yoruba Urbanism, American Anthropologist > New Series, Vol. 64, No. 4 (Aug., 1962), pp. 699-709.
- Davidson. Basil. West Africa Before the Colonial Era: A History to 1850. Pearson Education Limited. Essex, England. 1998. ISBN 058231853X
- Brooks, George E. Eurafricans in Western Africa. Ohio University Press. Ohio, United States. 2003. ISBN 0821414860
- Falola Toyin and G.O. Oguntomisin. Yoruba Warlords of the 19th Century. Africa World Press, Inc. New Jersey, United States. 2001. ISBN 0865437831
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