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Nairaland Forum / Nairaland / General / Culture / Igala COLONISATION Of Northern Igboland. (954 Views)
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Igala COLONISATION Of Northern Igboland. by Nobody: 3:49am On Dec 01, 2019 |
The reason why some Igalas claim some parts of Nsukka, Enugu Ezike etc as their own is because those mentioned towns have a bit of their culture linked to the Igalas and not the Language nor History. Igala colonisation of northern Ibo states (1450 – 18th century) The Igala mega state attained the height of its fame during the mid-17th century. The rise of the Igala mega state disrupted and contributed to the shift of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade from the Bight of Benin the decline of the Benin Empire between the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. The Idah-Benin war (1515–1516) was a war of mutual independence. The Igala state reached its political and commercial supremacy afterwards, when it became a leading exporter of choral beads, horses, medicine, skills and of course, slaves to the coastal region. Its growing power, nevertheless, changed the dynamics of the earlier complex relationships with several northern Ibo communities. Joseph Hawkins in 1797 already captured the relentless raiding of the extreme northern Iboland by the Igalas. In his A History of a Voyage to the Coast of Africa he noted the growing conflicts between the "Ebo Country" and "Galla". By the late 17th century, the Igalas conquered and held socio-economic, political and religious control of the northern Ibo mini-states. From Opi (archaeological site), Nsukka, Nsugbe, several Ibo communities on the Anambra River, the lower Niger, through Okpanam to Asaba the Igala held sway. Trading out post with Onitsha and the Ijo middlemen were fully established. The mythical Omeppa, Inenyi Ogugu set up garrison at Opi (archaeological site) and several Igala warlords played their part in the buildup of the Igala colonial take over of these northern Ibo states. But no other individual played a greater role in shaping Igala-Ibo colonisation during the 18th century than Onoja Oboni, the legendary Igala warrior and slave trader. Onoja Oboni’s personality and heritage has been shrouded in mythical imagery over time. Ranging from being the Son of Eri, the grandson of Aganapoje to being a descendant of one of the Idah royal families; the priestly sub-clan of Obajeadaka in Okete-ochai-attah. The key areas of consensus are; he was a master strategist, slave raider and trader, conqueror, coloniser and imperialist. Added to these were his diplomacy, expansionist traits and the acculturation of conquered territories. He built himself a walled city in Ogurugu and recent archaeological findings of the remnant of the ruins of his fort on the grounds of the University of Nigeria Nsukka confirm this. The Igala soldiers built forts and fortifications that stretched from Ete down to Opi (archaeological site) and then to Anambra. Oboni's rise to power affected the history of the North-western Nsukka and the Ibo communities on the Anambra River and the Lower Niger during the Igala commercial and socio-cultural ascendancy and domination. This was the reinforcing of the golden age of Igala imperial expansion. In this way, Igala mega state took control and allegiance were paid. Until the decline of Igala power, the Ezes of Enugu-Ezike, Akpugo, Nkpologu, Ibagwa Ani and Opi continued to receive their titles from Idah; investiture, installation and confirmation of their office was only by the royal blessing of Attah Igala in Idah. The Eze were only validated when they returned home with Igala choral beads aka, staff of office believed to be imbued with protective charms to ensure longevity and security of the Eze as well as prestige animal (horse) to bolster up their ego. There were also periodic royal visits to the Attah Igala to pay tributes and as well intended to strengthen diplomatic ties and inter-group relations, renew allegiance, and assured insurance from slave raids. In terms of indigenous technologies, the Igala soldiers built factories (forges) for manufacturing Dane-guns, ironworks, carving, introduced arrowheads with tip-poison from sting ray; cloth knitting, terracing of Nsukka hillsides and brought in a well developed political and social hierarchies. At this time Igala empire had become a cultural exchange hub for other emerging states; the influence was felt as far north as the Nok civilisation and down east to Ibo-Ukwu civilisation. Till date many of the Igala-Nsukka borderland remain bilingual. On the religious level, the Igala installed their own priests- the Attama- as the custodian of the dangerous Alusi, shrine, took control as mediators between the spirit and the Ibo communities, presided over divinations and fashioned Ikenga, Okwute (ritual staffs) that combined both Igala and Ibo religious elements. The Attama thus became the major agents of Igala socio-cultural control. Several efforts to keep the Attama lineage Igala failed, eventually the priestly office has been ibonized, even though the nominal Igala identification is still predominant. Many of the northern Ibo state settlements have lineages with Igala names, cultural practices with marked Igala modification and adaptations. The use of Igala circular basket in contrast to the Ibo rectangular types persists till this day. By the turn of the 19th century, the Igala empire was too large for any reliable and robust central control. Internal decay and implosion set in. The Fulani Crusaders started contracting the Igala imperial power, conquered territories in the north switched tributes, forced or/and seceded from the Igala empire. The Bassa war added more pressure to the war-weary empire. The abolition of slave trade brought in untold economic recession. In 1914 the British burnt down Ibagwa and Obukpa as a punitive measure. By the 1920s, Igala empire was a spent force and a limping shadow, the British easily took over control of both Nsukka and the Igala territories. The kingdom of Igala survived well into the 19th century, becoming a British protectorate in 1901. |
Re: Igala COLONISATION Of Northern Igboland. by mrchineke: 4:02am On Dec 01, 2019 |
Igala owns Enugu, end of story!!!! Tiny igboland is getting smaller ![]() Lzaa immhotep 3 Likes |
Re: Igala COLONISATION Of Northern Igboland. by stonemasonn: 4:23am On Dec 01, 2019 |
Hmnn history. Learning new stuffs everyday. |
Re: Igala COLONISATION Of Northern Igboland. by Bighead9: 5:29am On Dec 01, 2019 |
The real owners of Enugu are the Igalas. The Igbo's are just migrant, soon the Igalas will reclaim their land. ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Re: Igala COLONISATION Of Northern Igboland. by LZAA: 7:11am On Dec 01, 2019 |
mrchineke: 2 Likes
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Re: Igala COLONISATION Of Northern Igboland. by Nobody: 7:50am On Dec 01, 2019 |
mrchineke:Reject Igbo-phobia, it is bad for your blood pressure. Igbo amaka. 3 Likes 2 Shares |
Re: Igala COLONISATION Of Northern Igboland. by Mrchido: 2:04pm On Dec 01, 2019 |
mrchineke:Yoruba man, you should be more worried about your land,i am very sure you know by now that Yoruba Muslim are demanding sharia law very soon I pray it is implemented,you will not have hands to type nonsense anymore,I urge on the ijaws to take back their undo state and benin to do the same for Lagos State before Yoruba Muslims implement sharia. |
Re: Igala COLONISATION Of Northern Igboland. by Nobody: 2:23pm On Dec 01, 2019 |
Mrchido:Mrchineke will avoid these issues ![]() Cc lzaa gmbuharii 3 Likes 2 Shares |
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