Yoruba pre colonial administration in nigeria pdf

In conclusion, the pre colonial political system in igboland can be said to be similar to the modern republican system of government in which the people are governed by their consent. Emir is the head of an emirate, vested wuth legislative, executive and judicial power. Most yoruba people speak the yoruba language, which is the nigercongo language with the largest number of native speakers. However, thepre colonial nigeria symbolises the methods or ways by which nigerians govern themselves before the advent of colonialism. The igbo, yoruba oyo kingdom, and hausafulani established very distinctly, functioning governments that were peculiar to their environment.

Before the advent of the british in yoruba land, yoruba kingdoms maintained an orderly and unified political system which is. The precolonial development of yoruba towns springerlink. Igbo traditional political system hausafulani pre colonial system of administration it was based on emirate system. The use of indirect rule was a means of diffusing the expected stiff resistance from the africans. Structure of the yoruba precolonial political administration. Approaching the study of yoruba diaspora in northern. They have developed a variety of different artistic forms including pottery, weaving, beadwork, metalwork, and mask making. The system was based on checks and balances in which the various organs of government checked the activities of one another to avoid dictatorship. He runs the empire with the help of the council of 7 chiefs called the oyomesi headed by the bashorun. Learn about the yoruba precolonial administration and the hausa precolonial political system. Some of them later moved to oyo, which became the political headquarters.

O historical consciousness among traditional african. The history of nigeria can be traced to prehistoric settlers nigerians living in the area as early as 1100 bc. Usman dan fodio led the fulani jihad and took over the political leadership of. The yoruba people live in southwest nigeria and benin. To this definition other writers have added such criteria as specialisation of economic. Numerous ancient african civilizations settled in the region that is today nigeria, such as the kingdom of nri, the benin empire, and the oyo empire. This paper as a point of departure attempts to explore the precolonial political administration in one of the so. Nigeria journalism and the future of democracy in nigeria sahara.

In spite of their size, many yoruba settlements fail to meet the criteria of urban status as defined in the more developed countries of the world. They first settled at ileife that is still believed to be the spiritual headquarters of the yorubas. Britain annexed lagos in 1861 and established the oil river protectorate in 1884. This paper as a point of departure attempts to explore the pre colonial political administration in one of the so. Historical background oduduwa according to legend is the founding father of the yoruba race. Oduduwa had seven sons who later founded the first seven kingdoms of the yoruba land and these kingdoms were united under a central leader known as the alafin of oyo misunderstanding, jealousy and hatred made the first seven kingdoms of yoruba to split into fourteen new kingdoms and the central leadership to change. Apr 28, 2018 nigeria by a slogan wazobia, the wa in it means come in both yoruba and igala yet. History of nigeria, the nigerian database of history and. It means traditional systems preceded the era of colonialism. Hausafulani precolonial political system in nigeria. Ever before the commencement of colonialism, the people of what later became known as nigeria were living under different administration or political arrangements. By procreation and extension, the number of kingdoms increased, each ruled by an oba and.

Archeological escavations were carried out, and the earliest known fossil found in west africa was discovered at iwoeleri which is situated in the western region of nigeria. The colonial and precolonial eras in nigeria this project is based on the goal of explaining an event in the relatively recent past by working progressively further into the past to uncover more and more information that seems to bear on the issues. Precolonial ethnic institutions and contemporary african. The precolonial political administration in yoruba land is one of the most popular among the pre colonial systems administrations in nigeria. The village administration was made up of kindreds who had patrilineal relationship called umunna. The export economy in precolonial nigeria began to be dominated by human cargo, or enslaved people, when the dutch began to dominant trading relationships in the 17 th century and the british in the 18 th century bashir salau, 2005, 445446 and korieh and nwokeji, 2005, 76. The system of government adopted is monarchical in nature popularly regarded as a highly centralized method of administration. The yoruba people ii page yoruba the yoruba people live in southwest nigeria and benin. Precolonial political systems in nigeria hausafulani political system the fulani took over the political leadership of the habe hausa states in the early 19th century. Dickinson defines a town in western europe and north america as a compact settlement engaged primarily in nonagricultural occupations 1. Kilimanjaro publishing house, london, 1990 chris w.

Hausafulani pre colonial system of administration 2. Islam reached nigeria through the borno empire between 1068 ad and hausa states around 85 ad during the 11th century. The vast majority of this population is from nigeria, where the yoruba make up 16% of the countrys population, making them one of the largest ethnic groups in africa. Yoruba traditional adjudicatory systems researchgate. One cannot fully understand justice administration in yorubaland without first understanding the elements of democracy that are featured in precolonial and traditional yoruba social and. It further examined the concept, nature and the historical perspectives of justice and its administration.

The yoruba kingdom developed an efficient governmental system which existed for centuries before the coming of the europeans into nigeria. Despite the fact that a tremendous achievement was recorded in this enterprise, an enormous lacuna exists in the study of yoruba diaspora in. The authors suggest that while the expansion of islamic government created great instability in the south, it also led to a precolonial consolidation of much of nigerias present territory. Oduduwa had seven sons who later founded the first seven kingdoms of the yoruba land and these kingdoms were united under a central leader known as the alafin of oyo misunderstanding, jealousy and hatred made the first seven kingdoms of yoruba to split into fourteen new kingdoms and the.

Jan 02, 2018 indirect rule was common in british colonies and it was introduced by an eminent colonial governor by the name of lord lugard, who implemented when he was the governor of northern nigeria from 19001906 and the whole nigeria from 19121920, the approach was involving the identifying the local power structure kings, chiefs or headmen. While i was reading, i really wanted to know more about the differences in culture between the three main ethnicities of nigeria. One of the major political institutions that controlled the affairs of villages was the council of elders which comprised heads of families that held staff of authority called ofo title holders these elders headed their respective extended families and the most senior member of the council of. The pre colonial political administration in yoruba land is one of the most popular among the pre colonial systems administrations in nigeria. In 1956, the defunct western region government launched the yoruba historical research scheme. In the nigerian area there are a few specific groups, which include the songhay empire, the yoruba empire and the kaneemborno with a small portion of the mali empire mixed in as well. Feb 20, 2018 the early birds aka our ancestors of the pre colonial era, were known to have settled in territories in what is today called nigeria about,000 years ago. Precolonial history of nigeria between the 11th century and european colonial conquest in the late 19th century, the area in and around nigeria was home to a number of sophisticated and influential societies. As one of the major ethnic groups in nigeria, the yoruba have played prominent roles in the politics of the country since the colonial period. Among the most important were the northeastern kingdom of borno, the hausa citystatekingdoms of katsina, kano, zaria, and gobir in northerncentral nigeria, the yoruba citystateskingdoms of ife, oyo, and ijebu in southwestern nigeria, the southern kingdom of benin, and the igbo communities of eastern nigeria. Traditional tulers of nigeria and their titles updated. The indigenous african criminal justice system for the. For instance, while some political systems are centralized or chiefly society e. They can be found in the northern part of nigeria covering areas like kaduna, sokoto, kano, zaria, etc.

Mar 09, 20 the export economy in precolonial nigeria began to be dominated by human cargo, or enslaved people, when the dutch began to dominant trading relationships in the 17 th century and the british in the 18 th century bashir salau, 2005, 445446 and korieh and nwokeji, 2005, 76. However, the main political institutions in precolonial hausafulani include the paramount ruler emir, emirs ministers, district head hakimi, the village heads and the alkali court. Most artwork is made to honor the gods and ancestors and since there are more then 401 known gods to the yoruba there is. A history of anticolonial resistance in eastern nigeria edited by toyin falola and adam paddock the yoruba frontier aribidesi usman women, gender, and sexualities in africa edited by toyin falola and nana akua amponsah 00 5516 9. The precolonial political administration in yoruba land is one of the most popular among the precolonial systems administrations in nigeria. Oduduwa gave birth to 7 sons, who became obas in the 7. Introduction oro is an important cult among the yoruba natives of the western part of nigeria. Igbo precolonial political system or administration. In the pre colonial era, the oro cult members controlled the administration of the land daramola and jeje, 1975. Precolonial relations among the yorubas in nigeria the yoruba stretch on the west from around the area of badagry to warri and inland until they almost reach the niger around latitude 9on. The main nigerian empire was the yoruba empire, which is located in modern day nigeria and is. The alaafin is the administrative and political head of the empire. The origin of modern prison in nigeria dates back to 1861 when lagos was made the. In conclusion, the precolonial political system in igboland can be said to be similar to the modern republican system of government in which the people are governed by their consent.

At the centre of such elaborate sociopolitical structure in precolonial yorubaland was a strong economic base. Oro cult, festival, religious cleansing, political administration, judiciary system, yoruba natives. The differences between hausafulani, yoruba and igbo. In nigeria for instance, there were traditional institutions that served as prisons before british rule, like the ewedo of edo group and ogboni of yoruba, and many others in the pre colonial nigeria aboki, 2007. Mar 16, 2014 from the same position, the pre colonial nigeria varies from one region the the other because the ethnic and ethnolinguistic differences. Nigeria before colonialism precolonial administration in. If you have questions or contributions, kindly use the comment box. This tribe was always fond of decentralized political life. Indeed, certain parts of the niger formed the boundary between it and nupe. In the precolonial administration of nigeria, various ethnic groups developed traditional governmental systems that reflected their culture, beliefs, and traditions of different areas. Yoruba people are a large ethnolinguistic group or ethnic nation in africa, and the majority of them speak the yoruba language.

Colonial nigeria was the era in the history of nigeria when the region of west africa was ruled by great britain in from the midnineteenth century until 1960, when nigeria achieved independence. However, theprecolonial nigeria symbolises the methods or ways by which nigerians govern themselves before the advent of colonialism. In the precolonial era, the oro cult members controlled the administration of the land daramola and jeje, 1975. Colonialism and colonial administrative system in africa. While the hausafulani empire established a centralized system of government deeply rooted in the islamic religion, the yoruba kingdom had a government that provided for checks and balances on the organs of government. Hausafulani precolonial political system can be credited to the holy jihad fought by uthman danfodio in 1804. This paper as a point of departure attempts to explore the pre colonial political administration in one of the socalled.

This paper as a point of departure attempts to explore the precolonial political administration in one of the socalled. Historical background of the yorubas 15 chapter three pre colonial political relations among the yorubas 33 chapter four. The yoruba constitute approximately 35 percent of nigerias total population, and around 40 million individuals throughout the region of west africa. How to describe the pre colonial administration in yorubaland.

The yoruba constitute about 44 million people in total. The yoruba political administration had a decentralized structure i. The focus would be to debunk the claims that tyrants ruler ship or dictatorial systems were in operative among the people of nigeria before the coming of the europeans. The colonial and pre colonial eras in nigeria this project is based on the goal of explaining an event in the relatively recent past by working progressively further into the past to uncover more and more information that seems to bear on the issues. Precolonial political system in nigeria yoruba traditional. The jihad that followed this occupation was seen as a religious one as well as political. The yoruba people claim to have originated from ileife. One of the major political institutions that controlled the affairs of villages was the council of elders which comprised heads of families that held staff of authority called ofo title holders these elders headed their respective extended families and the most senior member.

In nigeria for instance, there were traditional institutions that served as prisons before british rule, like the ewedo of edo group and ogboni of yoruba, and many others in the precolonial nigeria aboki, 2007. Igbo traditional political system hausafulani precolonial system of administration it was based on emirate system. The study examined administration of justice and the development of african jurisprudence using yoruba and igbo societies as case studies. Precolonial political systems in nigeria hausafulani. The most interesting fact is that the accused were taken to court and colonial administration abides by court judgments which to some extent appear as a respect to the rule of law which did not affect jungle justice in forms of victimization to journalists who criticised government. Yoruba people were known for kingdoms with chiefs, decentralized administration, and subordinate unit structure. Nigeria by a slogan wazobia, the wa in it means come in both yoruba and igala yet. Precolonial traditional political system in nigeria. Indirect rule was common in british colonies and it was introduced by an eminent colonial governor by the name of lord lugard, who implemented when he was the governor of northern nigeria from 19001906 and the whole nigeria from 19121920, the approach was involving the identifying the local power structure kings, chiefs or headmen. Historical background of the yorubas 15 chapter three precolonial political relations among the yorubas 33 chapter.

Precolonial political administration in yoruba land oldnaija. Learn about the yoruba pre colonial administration and the hausa pre colonial political system. The reason being that the oba is not an absolute ruler and there is the principle of checks and balance. Yoruba precolonial political administration precolonial. The hausafulani, the igbo and yoruba established distinct and functioning governments which were peculiar to their environment. Hausafulani precolonial system of administration 2. Pre colonial political administration in yoruba land. It really focused on the colonial powers disregard to existing groups of people when they formed the colonies. Precolonial yoruba society government oyo empire and surrounding states. The main aim was to produce an authentic and coherent history of the yoruba, covering all aspects of the people from the earliest times. In precolonial nigeria, the yoruba, the hausa, the kanuri, the edo, the jukun and the peoples and societies influenced andor conquered by them had the centralised forms of state a distinguishing feature of this system is the existence of one ruler as the focus of power and source of authority. Table of contents certification ii dedication iii acknowledgement iv table of contents v chapter one introduction 1 chapter two.

Yoruba precolonial political system nigerian history. It is important to note that yoruba pre colonial administration was not highly centralized compared to hausafulani system. Precolonial political administration in yoruba land. Lack of adequate funds for colonial administration from the parent government made her use the existing traditional political system as a means of cutting down the administrative costs. Before the advent of the british in yoruba land, yoruba kingdoms maintained an orderly and unified political system which is still in effect till today.

They came into the frontline of nigerian politics with their previous experience of sophisticated centralized governments, their closeness to, and participation in, colonial administration, and their. Igbo precolonial political system or administration oldnaija. One cannot fully understand justice administration in yoruba land without first understanding the elements of democracy that are featured in pre colonial and traditional yoruba social and. Average median luminosity in the homelands of the five ethnic groups that were part of states in precolonial africa, namely the yoruba, the fon, the ife, the igala, and the edo is 1 0.

The legend further states that oduduwa, the father of the race, had seven sons who later became the first set of seven yoruba kings oba to rule the various yoruba kingdoms. Each of these states or kingdoms had centralized political and social organization with wide geographical limits. How did yoruba people live in pre colonial nigeria, before the british invasion in the 1920th centuries. Late 19th century and early 20th century lagos was also a. There existed within the yoruba country several states during the precolonial period. The transatlantic slave trade and precolonial economy. British influence in the region began with the prohibition of slave trade to british subjects in 1807.