Oyo Empire
The Kingdom of Oyo was a pre-colonial, West African State of the Yoruba, the center of which lay in the territory of present-day Nigeria. Ibid, there are still a Nigerian state of the same name that is in the tradition of the historic Oyo.
- 2.1 Significance of the slave trade
- 2.2 Largest display of power
- 2.3 power decay
Early History
Creation of the world
After a local variant of the Yoruba cosmogony Oyo was Oranyan, the youngest son of the high god Olodumare, created on the primeval ocean. His father had given him a sack of earth, whose contents he threw carelessly on the water. A rooster came up and handed out the earth above the water. So Oranyan became the master of the world and his six older brothers were his subjects.
Migration narratives
One legendary Oduduwa according to tradition, was the progenitor of all the kingdoms of the Yoruba and the neighboring peoples. Under the pressure of Abrahamic monotheism he fled from Mecca and was ultimately passes via Bornu and Gobir to Ile - Ife. His son Oranyan wanted to avenge him, and had set out with an army towards Mecca. His plan was thwarted by the resistance of the Nupe. In his repentance he was passed through a queue for later settlement site of the city of Oyo where he built the new city. His first successor was Ajaka. This was deposed by Shango and came after his death returned to power.
Emigration from the decay of the Assyrian Empire
A comparative study between the palace and the ancient Near Eastern tradition of Oyo chronicles and king lists have revealed that Ajaka as corresponding to the Israelite Isaac and Shango as replica of the Assyrian king Shalmaneser III. are to be considered. Other characters in the Palas tradition are to be identified with Joram, Jehu, as well as Assyrian and Babylonian kings. Obviously, these reminiscences of ancient Near Eastern history were refugees after the fall of the Assyrian Empire 612-605 BC transferred into subsaharanische West Africa.
Local history
Importance of the slave trade
The location Oyos the very north of Yorubaland and the early presence of Muslims is due to the connection of the empire to the trans- Saharan slave trade. With the growth of the Atlantic slave trade was carried out from 1600, a realignment of the empire to the south. During the 17th century, Oyo became the dominant Yoruba state with numerous dependent Tributärstaaten. The strength of the developing empire lay next to its favorable location for trade in the use of its military power, which was based on his highly organized officer corps and its extensive cavalry.
Largest display of power
The highlight of Oyos power was 1730-1748, when the Oyo powerful neighboring state Dahomey militarily defeated and made to Tributärstaat. It is believed that the Oyo Empire Dahomey attacked, simply because this prohibited the slave trade within its borders and this Oyo and the British a " thorn in the flesh " was. The Empire supported Oyo then with weapons to attack Dahomey and legalize the slave trade again. During this time, Oyo extended at the height of Badagry and Porto Novo almost to the Atlantic Ocean. It is estimated that the Empire 1680-1730 sold each year up to 20,000 people as slaves.
Power decay
The decline of the Oyo Empire was initiated by the expansion of the Sokoto Jihad south. Ilorin thereby became an important base for the attacks by the Fulani. Internal disintegration and a failed counterattack against Ilorin accelerated the collapse of the empire. The decline of the Atlantic slave trade led to economic losses. The 1836 capture of the capital by the Fulani forced the king and his court to retreat to the south. Pole of further resistance against the Fulani was the 150 km further south New Oyo. Here is a successor state of the old Oyo Empire has survived to this day.