The Oyo Kingdom and the Oyo Empire

The Oyo Kingdom and the Oyo Empire Often these terms are used synonym, but there is a fine difference, because that Oyo Kingdom (Kingdom Oyo) stands for the beginnings and the early phase, while the Oyo Empire (Reich Oyo) the time of bloom and massive Expansion designated. Oyo Kingdom, this is about the emergence of the state. According to the hearing of Yoruba, Oranmiyan (also oranyan) - a prince from the Kingdom of Ile-IFE and son of Oduduwas (he is the legendary founder and first divine king (Ooni) by Ile-IFE and the father of the people of the Yoruba in today's southwest Nigeria and in parts of Benin. He is worshiped both as a historical ruler, which is the classic IFE period (about 800-1100 AD) Initiated, as well as oriṣa (deity), which is associated with the creation and the kingship in the religion of Yoruba) - as a founder. The legend after the brothers was in dispute during a campaign against northern neighbors in dispute, and Oranmiyan's army proved to be too weak for an attack. A local chief in Bussa gave him a snake with a magical amulet and pointed him to follow her until she stopped and blown in the ground - there he should start the city. The place got the name Ajaka. Oranmiyan made Oyo to his kingdom and became the first OBA (ruler of Yoruba) titled Alaafin ("owner of the palace"). According to Oduduwa, various rulers followed on the throne of Ile-IFE; The traditional royal lists count today 51 Ooni (kings) of IFE, starting with Oduduwa as the first Ooni. 1. Oduduwa (founder) 2. Osangangan Obamakin 3. Ogun 4. Obalufon Gbogbodirin 5. Obalufon Alayemore 6.; oranmiyan 7. Ayetise 8. Lajamisan ... and on to the present 51. Ooni. Some sources emphasize that Oranmiyan, a son Oduduwas, as a fourth or sixth Ooni (depending on the count), returned the dynastic line to Oduduwa's bloodline; About his son Lajamisan, the later rulers resulted from the successor to the successor. The official count leads from Oduduwa to today's monarch Ooni Adeyye Eneritan Ogunwusi (Ojaja II), which has been governed since December 2015 and as 51. Ooni as well as "Arole Oduduwa" (Erbe of Oduduwas spiritual throne). Succession is traditionally reflected between several rulers (eg Giesi, Osinkola, Lafogido, OGBoru, Lisabi). Ajaka was overthrown - twice, which makes him the only Alaafin (king) of Oyo, who ruled twice. The first deduction took place after the death of his father Oranmiyan (Oranyan), the first OBA of Oyo, followed by Ajaka as Alaafin. His brother Shango, who was later worshiped as God of Thunder and Lightning, followed him. Ajaka was considered to be mild, he made his subcoats too many freedom and neglected the empected military assertiveness for the empire. That's why he was discontinued and replaced by his warrior brother Shango (Sango). According to Shango's end - there are no credible documents here, so in some versions its end by suicide / departure, but in others told by banishment - Ajaka was recalled. In his second government period, he is described as much harder, authoritarian and "warful". Ajaka's destiny illustrates a central principle of the early Oyo Empire, because the Alaafin had to demonstrate military strength and control over the provincial protectors, otherwise he was considered too weak, Easkonnten otherwise the royal monasteries (Oyo Mesi) for resignation or - in later practice - forcing the ritual suicide. Ajaka remains particularly memory because after a deduction, he climbed the throne again. Nothing stays as it is. The collapse was more of a creeping process than a sudden blow - a mixture of internal political decomposition and external invasion, which hovered over about 80 years. Here are the most important events in chronological order. Palace poster and a disturbed succession (1754-1796) The decay used early. In 1754, Gaha began to intrigue the Prime Minister of Oyo, together with the Oyo Mesi (the Council of State) to force successive Alaafins to the ritual suicide - between June and October 1754 alone met this Two rulers in a row. Alaafin Awonbioju sat 130 days on the throne, Labisi Just 17. Gaha's machinations were stopped in 1774 when Alaafin Abiodun finally let him. Abiodun then worsened the situation in other ways: he focused on economic development and coastal trade with Europeans, but neglected the army - that instrument with which the central government kept the provinces under control. In addition, he led unsuccessful campaigns against Borgu (1783) and Nupe (1789), where he lost numerous generals and soldiers. Awole, Afonja and the cleavage of Ilorin (1793-1817) The decisive turning joined Alaafin Awole, who murdered his father Abiodun and clarified the throne. He ordered his supreme military commander to attack the Aare-Ona-Kakanfo Afonja of Ilorin, ICEE-ILE - a place that Afonja was never allowed to attack under Eid - and then the market town Apomu, which belonged to Ile-IFE; This was taboo too. Afonja refused the first command; After plundering ApoMu - the execution of the second command - he marched on the capital and demanded Awoles Abdaktion. Awole then committed ritual suicide. This was followed by the chaos, a struggle for the throne, rulers who only had a few months in power, and an unoccupied throne from about 1797 to 1802. This power vacuum made it possible to have regional commands - everyone ahead of Afonja - to act as independent powers. Afonja then closed an alliance with Shehu Alimi, a Muslim scholars of the Fulani, as well as with the growing Muslim community of the region. In 1817 he released Ilorin from Oyo. The Sokoto Jihad and the cleavage of ILORIN (1804-1823) Here was struck from the outside. In 1804, Uzman initiated the Fodio of Sokoto from the Jihad of the Fulani; The movement spread south into the areas of Nupe and Ilorin, where the fines of the Fulani were already resident. A Sokoto-Jihad Inspired Uprising of Muslim Slaves in Ilorin in 1817 triggered a constitutional crisis and weakened the control of Oyo's over the region. In 1823, Afonja was killed by his former allies, and Ilorin fell to the caliphate of Sokoto. The loss of Ilorin was devastating: It was the northern Garrison Oyos, the checkpoint on the trade routes to Niger and - which was crucial - the source of supply for the cavalry horses from Nupe and Bariba on which the Military supremacy Oyos was based. The final military collapse (1823-1836) Ilorin then developed a base for robberies south. This was followed by a series of wars - the Ogele War (1823-24), the Mugbamugga War (1824) and the Wars of Kanla and Eleduwe (1825-26) - where the cavalry of Ilorin the armed forces Oyos repeatedly hit the escape and utilizing the fragmented command structure of the empire. Alaafin Oluewu came to live with these campaigns, and tributary chiefs began to subjugate Ilorin instead. Meanwhile, Dahomey claimed his independence in the West, and Oyo lost control of his trade routes to the coast. Around 1836 Fulani troops destroyed the capital Oyo-Ile, whereupon this was abandoned - the last alaafin died in the fight against the Armed Forces of Sokoto. The consequences The downfall triggered a massive resettlement wave of the Yoruba. Refugees moved south and founded a new capital in Ago Oja - today's New Oyo - as well as centers such as Ibadan and Ijaye; The EGBA in turn were pushed further to the south and founded 1830 AbeaKuta. The power vacuum unleashed a series of Yoruba civil wars that lasted up to about 1886. It is noteworthy that the sources date these events different. The cleavage of ilorin (1817) whose integration into the Sokoto caliphate (1823) and the destruction of oyo-ile (optionally 1835 or 1836) are the usual corner points; Depending on the view, however, the collapse as a whole is classified in the period between 1817 and 1836. The Oyo Empire Thus, the epoch is called the small kingdom developed into a mighty state. The heyday fell into the 17th and 18th centuries (about 1650-1750). What benefited this growth? For the trade advantageous geographical location was responsible for this; As well as the development of the cavalry - straight powerful riding troops formed the military main power, which allowed it to subdue neighbors. Structure of a multi-stage administration system, the core area (the metropolis OYO), the immediate dependent cities, the Egbado corridor (for connection to the coast) and Ajaland. During the time of the empire, Oyo subdued numerous other Yoruba states and expanded his influence on neighboring areas. For example, Oyo subdued the Kingdom of Dahomey after a series of campaigns (1724-1730, 1738-1748). Later, Oyo gained direct access to the sea over the dependent coastal state of Ajase (today's Porto Novo). The trade played an important role. Oyo acted as a mediator: It transported goods (including slaves) from the African hinterland to the coast, where they were taken over by European dealers. Due to the extent of this trade, the region even received the term "slave coast". To the major rulers of the Reich season counted Abiodun (about 1770-1789). He emerged victorious from a civil war, in which he crashed the powerful minister Gaha, who had actually ruled the land. Abiodun focused on the development of the economy and coastal trade. His focus on the economy of the military ultimately weakened the military potential of the center. Decline Over time, the empire was hollowed out by internal problems: dynastic disputes, palace stripes and failed military campus. Individual provinces began to split off. The neighbors also expressed pressure on foreign policy: in particular the expanding Islamic states in the north (especially the caliphate of Sokoto). As a result, the northern areas (for example, Ilorin) were conquered by the fulbe. The last Alaafin fell in 1836 in the fight against the armed forces of Sokoto, whereupon the old capital was abandoned. Later, the kingdom was recognized in a highly reduced form, with a new capital: ọyọ-ütìbà (Neu-Oyo). CITATIONS: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/list_of_rulers_of_the_yoruba_state_of_oyo adeyemi. - New Dawn Nigeria https://www.newdawnngr.com/2022/04/23/alafin-oyo-from-oranmiyan-to-lamidi-adyemi/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/oyo_empire https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ajaka https://en-academic.com/dic.nsf/enwiki/832945 https://www.nelocnews.com.ng/2026/07/history-of-alafin-of-oyo-empire-1210.html https://theafricanhistory.com/1549 https://www.wikiawand.com/en/articles/oyo_empire https://thinkafrica.net/oyo-empire/ https://human.libretexts.org/bookshelves/history/world_history/early_world d_civilizations_ (lumen) /11:_african_civilizations/11.16:_the_yoruba_states https://www.scribd.com/document/815393454/book-of-sango https://www.scribd.com/document/789479461/oyo-empire-wikipedia-1 https://encyclopedia.litcaf.com/culture/social-tradition/ajaka/ https://johnsonokunade.com/2020/03/the-history-of-old-oyo-empire-oyo-ile-and-past-alafin.html https://lasujournalofafricanstudies.org.ng/storage/publications/kuponu-1679244714.pdf