Old Oyo , also known as Oyo-Ile , Katunga , Oyo-Oro , and Eyo is the site of a ruined medieval city that was once the capital of the Oyo Empire in what is now modern-day Nigeria . It has been abandoned since 1835.
132-561: It was a major cultural and political center of West Africa during the empire's height. Established by Yoruba groups migrating from the city of Ile-Ife, the city was the seat of authority for the Alaafin , or custodian/keeper of the palace which was called the Aafin. As the capital of a major state during the 17th and 18th centuries, the city is also the site of large markets such as the Akesan market, which
264-547: A West African ethnic group who mainly inhabit parts of Nigeria , Benin , and Togo . The areas of these countries primarily inhabited by the Yoruba are often collectively referred to as Yorubaland . The Yoruba constitute more than 50 million people in Africa, are over a million outside the continent, and bear further representation among members of the African diaspora . The vast majority of
396-459: A central tube (staminal tube) made up of fused stalks of stamens (filaments), with unfused filaments above. A densely hairy ovary is enclosed in the staminal tube, and a long style tipped with a stigma emerges from the filaments. Petals are set near the base of the staminal tube and are variable in shape and colour. The flowers, when fresh, may be white, cream, bright yellow or dark red, but fade quickly, often turning reddish when dried. The fruit of
528-500: A common form of government in Yorubaland, but they were not the only approach to government and social organization. The numerous Ijebu kingdom city-states to the west of Oyo and the Egba people communities, found in the forests below Ọyọ's savanna region, were notable exceptions. These independent polities often elected a king though real political, legislative, and judicial powers resided with
660-469: A common identity under the influence of Oyo, a regional empire that developed in the northwestern savanna section of yorubaland as a result of a kingdom founding migration from Ife. As opposed to Oyo which was a highly militaristic grassland polity, the Ife Empire was forest based and spread its influence rather through religion, politics, philosophical Ideology and commerce between 1200 and the mid-1400s. With
792-658: A farmers' union, was converted to a network of secret militias throughout the Ẹgba forests, and each lodge plotted and successfully managed to overthrow Ọyọ's Ajeles (appointed administrators) in the late 18th century. Similarly, covert military resistance leagues like the Ekiti Parapọ and the Ogidi alliance were organized during the 19th century wars by often-decentralized communities of the Ekiti, Ijẹsa, Ìgbómìnà and Okun Yoruba to resist various imperial expansionist plans of Ibadan, Nupe, and
924-683: A federal civilian and military council that represented the city as a whole. Commander Frederick Forbes , a representative of the British Crown writing an account of his visit to the city in the Church Military Intelligencer (1853), described Abẹokuta as having "four presidents", and the system of government as having "840 principal rulers or 'House of Lords,' 2800 secondary chiefs or 'House of Commons,' 140 principal military ones and 280 secondary ones." He described Abẹokuta and its system of government as "the most extraordinary republic in
1056-572: A few individuals of A. digitata . The Panke baobab in Zimbabwe was some 2,450 years old when it died in 2011, making it the oldest angiosperm ever documented, and two other trees— Dorslandboom in Namibia and Glencoe in South Africa—were estimated to be approximately 2,000 years old. Another specimen known as Grootboom was dated and found to be at least 1,275 years old. The Glencoe Baobab ,
1188-431: A few people of Hombori " This early 1600's reference implies that the name Yoruba was already in popular demotic use as far back as at least the 1500s. Regarding the source and derivation of this name, guesses were posited by various foreign sociologists of external sources. These include; Ya'rub (son of Canaanite, Joktan ) by Caliph Muhammed Bello of Sokoto , Goru Ba by T.J Bowen , or Yolla Ba ( Mande word for
1320-694: A lesser extent, Broadleaf Forests have been the dominant biome in the last 520 ka. The seasons of Nigeria alternate between rainy and dry, though, different from the North, the South has a longer rain, followed by a shorter dry period, then followed by a short wet and long dry season. The land in Oyo state changes the further North one travels, transitioning from lowland into rocky terrain. The entire area has north–south flowing rivers and their tributaries. A study on groundwater potential in this region shows that within this state, there
1452-582: A means to celebrate their people's history, and boost tourism in their local economies. The Yorubas were one of the first groups in West Africa to be introduced to Christianity on a very large scale. Christianity (along with western civilization) came into Yorubaland in the mid-19th century through the Europeans , whose original mission was commerce. The first European visitors were the Portuguese, they visited
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#17328509732341584-475: A member of one of the royal families from any given realm, and the selection is then confirmed by an Ifá oracular request. The Ọbas live in palaces that are usually in the center of the town. Opposite the king's palace is the Ọja Ọba , or the king's market. These markets form an inherent part of Yoruba life. Traditionally their traders are well organized, have various guilds, officers, and an elected speaker. They also often have at least one Iyaloja , or Lady of
1716-457: A sense of group identity around a number of cultural concepts, beliefs and practices recognizable by all members of the ethnic group. Prominent among these, is the tracing of the entire Yoruba body through dynastic migrations to roots formed in Ile-Ife, an ancient city in the forested heart of central Yorubaland and its acceptance as the spiritual nucleus of Yoruba existence. Following this linkage to
1848-589: A specimen of A. digitata in Limpopo Province , South Africa, was considered to be the largest living individual, with a maximum circumference of 47 m (154 ft) and a diameter of about 15.9 m (52 ft). The tree has since split into two parts, so the widest individual trunk may now be that of the Sunland Baobab , or Platland tree, also in South Africa. The diameter of this tree at ground level
1980-550: A swollen base. Mature trees have massive trunks that are bottle-shaped or cylindrical and tapered from bottom to top. The trunk is made of fibrous wood arranged in concentric rings, although rings are not always formed annually and so cannot be used to determine the age of individual trees. Tree diameter fluctuates with rainfall so it is thought that water may be stored in the trunk. Baobab trees have two types of shoots—long, green vegetative ones, and stout, woody reproductive ones. Branches can be massive and spread out horizontally from
2112-473: Is 9.3 m (31 ft) and its circumference at breast height is 34 m (112 ft). Two large baobabs growing in Tsimanampetsotse National Park were also studied using radiocarbon dating. One called Grandmother is made up of three fused trunks of different ages, with the oldest part of the tree an estimated 1,600 years old. The second, "polygamous baobab", has six fused stems, and
2244-489: Is a genus made up of eight species of medium-to-large deciduous trees known as baobabs ( / ˈ b aʊ b æ b / or / ˈ b eɪ oʊ b æ b / ) or adansonias . They are placed in the Malvaceae family, subfamily Bombacoideae . They are native to Madagascar , mainland Africa, and Australia. The trees have also been introduced to other regions such as Asia. A genomic and ecological analysis has suggested that
2376-401: Is a distribution of aquifers, though little groundwater potential. In the site of Old Oyo, there was a water reservoir located near the palace, created as a water catchment area from rainfall and wells, as the ground is rocky and difficult to dig. According to Johnson, the city of Oyo-Ile was separated into 11 sections, and, mirrored in the city of New Oyo, a minor district on the outskirts of
2508-705: Is an estimated 1,000 years old. The tree's leaves may be eaten as a leaf vegetable . The white pith in the fruit of the Australian baobab ( A. gregorii ) tastes like sherbet . It has an acidic, tart, citrus flavor. It is a good source of vitamin C , potassium, carbohydrates, and phosphorus. The dried fruit powder of A. digitata , baobab powder, contains about 11% water, 80% carbohydrates (50% fiber), and modest levels of various nutrients, including riboflavin , calcium , magnesium , potassium , iron, and phytosterols , with low levels of protein and fats. Vitamin C content, described as variable in different samples,
2640-427: Is as follows, "A belt of thick wood runs round the walls, which are built of clay, and about twenty feet high, and surrounded by a dry ditch. There are ten gates in the walls, which are about fifteen miles in circumference, of an oval shape, about four miles in diameter one way, and six miles the other, the south end leaning against the rocky hills, and forming an inaccessible barrier in that quarter." Small fragments of
2772-510: Is commonly described as a "golden age" of Ife. The oba or ruler of Ile-Ife is referred to as the Ooni of Ife. Ife continues to be seen as the " spiritual homeland " of the Yoruba. The city was surpassed by the Oyo Empire as the dominant Yoruba military and political power in the 11th century. The Oyo Empire under its Oba, known as the Alaafin of Oyo , was active in the African slave trade during
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#17328509732342904-484: Is formed of diverse traditions and has no single founder. Yoruba religious beliefs are part of itan , the total complex of songs, histories, stories, mythologies, and other cultural concepts that make up the Yoruba society. Next to the Veneration of ancestors , one of the most common Yoruba traditional religious concepts has been the concept of Orisa . Orisa (also spelled Orisha) are various gods and spirits, which serve
3036-463: Is found in abundance at this site. Old Oyo pottery, as described by Dr. Ogiogwa, can include "characteristic burnishing, basting, brush marking, shell-edge, scallop impressions, dot punctuate, and incised geometric symbols consisting of cross, triangular, square, and perpendicular motifs.", the Oyo ceramic complex. Restated in other papers, burnished-basted surfaces are signatures of Old Oyo ceramics. These productions have been found in various sites within
3168-639: Is needed to determine if recognition of them as a separate species is warranted. The genus Adansonia is further divided into three sections. Section Adansonia includes only A. digitata . This species has hanging flowers and fruit, set on long flowering stalks. This is the type species for the genus Adansonia . All species of Adansonia except A. digitata are diploid ; A. digitata is tetraploid . Section Brevitubae includes A. grandidieri and A. suarexensis . These are species with flower buds that set on short pedicles and that are approximately twice as long as wide. The other species are all classified within
3300-584: Is not a native of that island. Baobabs were introduced in ancient times to south Asia and during the colonial era to the Caribbean. They are also present in the island nation of Cape Verde . A ninth species was described in 2012 ( Adansonia kilima Pettigrew, et al. ) but is no longer recognized as a distinct species. The African and Australian baobabs are similar in appearance, and the oldest splits within Adansonia are likely no older than 15 million years; thus,
3432-494: Is now the Oyo state of Nigeria, the national park that preserves this area also extends into the Kwara state. In the broader landscape of empires in this area, Oyo Empire at its height in 1780 was a larger than the surrounding coastal empires, and city of Old Oyo received tribute in the form of slaves, soldiers, taxes, etc. During this time, Agbaje-Williams estimates the population to be 60,000 to 140,000 people. Phosphate surveys across
3564-475: Is often first in Yoruba culture, nonetheless, it is the philosophy – the thought of man – that actually leads spiritual consciousness (ori) to the creation and the practice of religion. Thus, it is believed that thought (philosophy) is an antecedent to religion. Values such as respect, peaceful co-existence, loyalty and freedom of speech are both upheld and highly valued in Yoruba culture. Societies that are considered secret societies often strictly guard and encourage
3696-791: Is the conduit between Òrunn (Heaven) and Ayé (Earth). Oshumare is a god that manifests in the form of a rainbow, also known as Òsùmàrè in Yoruba, while Obatala is the god of clarity and creativity.These gods feature in the Yoruba religion, as well as in some aspects of Umbanda , Winti , Obeah , Vodun and a host of others. These varieties, or spiritual lineages as they are called, are practiced throughout areas of Nigeria, among others. As interest in African indigenous religions grows, Orisa communities and lineages can be found in parts of Europe and Asia as well. While estimates may vary, some scholars believe that there could be more than 100 million adherents of this spiritual tradition worldwide. Oral history of
3828-469: The Ijẹsa and other groups, which saw a corresponding rise in the social influence of military adventurers and successful entrepreneurs. The Ìgbómìnà were renowned for their agricultural and hunting prowess, as well as their woodcarving, leather art, and the famous Elewe masquerade. Occupational guilds, social clubs, secret or initiatory societies, and religious units, commonly known as Ẹgbẹ in Yoruba, included
3960-745: The Ogboni , a council of notable elders. The notion of the divine king was so important to the Yoruba, however, that it has been part of their organization in its various forms from their antiquity to the contemporary era. During the internecine wars of the 19th century, the Ijebu forced citizens of more than 150 Ẹgba and Owu communities to migrate to the fortified city of Abeokuta . Each quarter retained its own Ogboni council of civilian leaders, along with an Olorogun , or council of military leaders, and in some cases, its own elected Obas or Baales . These independent councils elected their most capable members to join
4092-636: The 1960s till date. The oldest known textual reference to the name Yoruba is found in an essay (titled – Mi'rāj al-Ṣu'ūd ) from a manuscript written by the Berber jurist Ahmed Baba in the year 1614. The original manuscript is preserved in the Ahmed Baba Institute of the Mamma Haidara Library , while a digital copy is at the World Digital Library . Mi'rāj al-Ṣu'ūd provides one of
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4224-457: The Alaafin consulted on all political decisions with the prime minister and principal kingmaker (the Basọrun ) and the rest of the council of leading nobles known as the Ọyọ Mesi . Traditionally kingship and chieftainship were not determined by simple primogeniture , as in most monarchic systems of government. An electoral college of lineage heads was and still is usually charged with selecting
4356-507: The British colonial administration most Yoruba already lived in well-structured urban centers organized around powerful city-states ( Ìlú ) centered around the residence of the Oba (king) . In ancient times, most of these cities were fortresses, with high walls and gates. Yoruba cities have always been among the most populous in Africa. Archaeological findings indicate that Òyó-Ilé or Katunga, capital of
4488-752: The Gbe -speaking Mahi , Gun , Fon , and Ewe who border Yoruba communities in Benin and Togo, to the west they are bordered by the Kwa -speaking Akebu , Kposo of Togo, and to the northwest, by the Kwa-speaking Anii , and the Gur speaking Kabiye , Yom-Lokpa and Tem people of Togo. Significantly Yoruba populations in other West African countries can also be found in Ghana , Benin , Ivory Coast , and Sierra Leone . Outside Africa,
4620-521: The Kubitzki system 2003. There are eight accepted species of Adansonia . A new species ( Adansonia kilima Pettigrew, et al.), was described in 2012, found in high-elevation sites in eastern and southern Africa. This, however, is no longer recognized as a distinct species but considered a synonym of A. digitata . Some high-elevation trees in Tanzania show different genetics and morphology, but further study
4752-694: The New World as divinities brought across the Atlantic by people of Yoruba descent. There in their new ex-situ environment, they serve as a mechanism of maintaining group identity, as well as a powerful connection to the Yoruba homeland among people of Yoruba descent and others. Examples of such new world practices are: Santeria , Candomble , Umbanda , Kélé and Trinidad Orisha , which are not only religious societies, but also actual ethnic societies for those who sought to maintain their unique heritages over time, although anyone could join as long as they became immersed in
4884-638: The Niger river ) etc. These guesses suffer a lack of support by many locals for being alien to (and unfounded in) the traditions of the Yorubas themselves. In his work, Abeokuta and the Camaroons Mountains c.1863, the English ethnologist Richard F. Burton reports of a Yoruba account in 1861, noting that the name "Yoruba" derives from Ori Obba , i.e. -The Head King . It was applied ex-situ originally in reference to
5016-511: The Oyo Empire derives the Yoruba as an ethnic group from the population of the City State of Ile-Ife. Ile-Ife, as the capital of the former empire, held a prominent position in Yoruba history. The Yoruba were the dominant cultural force in southern and northwestern Nigeria as far back as the 11th century. The Yoruba are among the most urbanized people in Africa. For centuries before the arrival of
5148-506: The Parakoyi (or league of traders) and Ẹgbẹ Ọdẹ (hunter's guild), and maintained an important role in commerce, social control, and vocational education in Yoruba polities. There are also examples of other peer organizations in the region. When the Ẹgba resisted the imperial domination of the Ọyọ Empire, a figure named Lisabi is credited with either creating or reviving a covert traditional organization named Ẹgbẹ Aro . This group, originally
5280-541: The Sokoto Caliphate . Cities indigenous to the Yoruba people include but are not limited to Ibadan, Lagos, Abeokuta, Ilorin, Ogbomoso, Oyo, Osogbo, Ile Ife, Okitipupa, Ijebu Ode, Akure, Offa, among others. In the city-states and many of their neighbours, a reserved way of life remains, with the school of thought of their people serving as a major influence in West Africa and elsewhere. Today, most contemporary Yoruba are Muslims or Christians. Be that as it may, many of
5412-697: The Sungbo's Eredo , was the second largest wall edifice in Africa. The structure was built in the 9th, 10th and 11th centuries in honour of a traditional aristocrat, the Oloye Bilikisu Sungbo. It was made up of sprawling mud walls and the valleys that surrounded the town of Ijebu-Ode in Ogun State . Sungbo's Eredo is the largest pre-colonial monument in Africa, larger than the Great Pyramid or Great Zimbabwe. Adansonia See species section Adansonia
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5544-663: The Yoruba diaspora consists of two main groupings; the first being that of the Yorubas taken as slaves to the New World between the 16th to 19th centuries , notably to the Caribbean (especially in Cuba) and Brazil, and the second consisting of a wave of relatively recent migrants, the majority of whom began to migrate to the United Kingdom and the United States following some of the major economic and political changes encountered in Africa in
5676-606: The 14th century, as a result of trade with Wangara (also Wankore) merchants, a mobile caste of the Soninkes from the then Mali Empire who entered Yorubaland (Oyo) from the northwestern flank through the Bariba or Borgu corridor, during the reign of Mansa Kankan Musa . Due to this, Islam is traditionally known to the Yoruba as Esin Male or simply Imale i.e. religion of the Malians. The adherents of
5808-433: The 1800s by a polyglot group of refugees, soldiers, and itinerant traders after the fall of Ọyọ, largely dispensed with the concept of monarchism, preferring to elect both military and civil councils from a pool of eminent citizens. The city became a military republic, with distinguished soldiers wielding political power through their election by popular acclaim and the respect of their peers. Similar practices were adopted by
5940-484: The 18th century, in the days of Ajagbo , an Oba of Oyo, the rulers of the Yoruba-speaking kingdoms of Oyo, Egba , Ketu , and Jebu styled each other "brothers" while recognizing the leadership role Oyo plays among them. At the beginning of the 19th century, the Yoruba community was made up of the following principal units; The British colony of Lagos, traditionally called Eko; Ketu, a western Yoruba state bordering
6072-544: The 18th century. The Yoruba often demanded slaves as a form of tribute of subject populations, who in turn sometimes made war on other peoples to capture the required slaves. Part of the slaves sold by the Oyo Empire entered the Atlantic slave trade . Most of the city states were controlled by Obas (or royal sovereigns with various individual titles) and councils made up of Oloye , recognized leaders of royal, noble and, often, even common descent, who joined them in ruling over
6204-460: The Americas were already Muslim. The mosque served the spiritual needs of Muslims living in Ọyọ. Progressively, Islam started to gain a foothold in Yorubaland, and Muslims started building mosques. Iwo led, its first mosque built in 1655, followed by Iseyin in 1760, Eko/Lagos in 1774, Shaki in 1790, and Osogbo in 1889. In time, Islam spread to other towns like Oyo (the first Oyo convert
6336-507: The Arabic أَبُو حِبَاب abū ḥibāb meaning "many-seeded fruit". The French explorer and botanist Michel Adanson (1727–1806) observed a baobab tree in 1749 on the island of Sor in Senegal, and wrote the first detailed botanical description of the full tree, accompanied with illustrations. Recognizing the connection to the fruit described by Alpini he called the genus Baobab. Linnaeus later renamed
6468-503: The Australian species represents a long-distance trans- oceanic dispersal event from Africa. The lineage leading to Adansonia was found to have diverged from its closest relatives in Bombacoideae like Ceiba / Chorisia at the end of the Eocene, during a time of abrupt global climate cooling and drying, while a divergence of this Adansonia + Ceiba / Chorisia clade from Pachira
6600-755: The Egbado, Akoko groups, Yagba, Awori as well as independent townships, consisting of a town and its outlying dependent villages such as Oke odan, Ado, Igbessa. Various other cultural factors which bind the Yoruba people include historic dynastic migrations of royals and the micro migrations of people within the Yoruba cultural space which has led to the mixing of people evidenced by the duplication and multiplication of place names and royal titles across Yoruba country. Today, places with names containing; Owu, Ifon, Ife, Ado, etc., can be found scattered across Yorubaland regardless of subgroup. The same can be observed of certain localized royal titles, e.g. Ajalorun, Owa, and Olu. Olofin,
6732-454: The Islamic faith are called Musulumi in Yoruba to correspond to Muslim, the Arabic word for an adherent of Islam having as the active participle of the same verb form, and means "submitter (to Allah)" or a nominal and active participle of Islam derivative of "Salaam" i.e. (Religion of) Peace. Islam was practiced in Yorubaland so early on in history, that a sizable proportion of Yoruba slaves taken to
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#17328509732346864-513: The Main Outer wall, mud walls (collapsed and seen as mounds) are again visible, with more intense occupation mounds. From this excavation, a ceramic plate was found that originates from a nearby material source. Eastern areas of these series of excavations show two occupation levels, whereas the test pit in the Western part in 2006 had one occupation. Pottery can be visible partway buried in this area. In
6996-514: The Maliki school of law. In addition to Christianity and Islam, a large number of Yoruba people continue to practice their traditional religion. Yoruba religious practices such as the Eyo and Osun-Osogbo festivals are witnessing a resurgence in popularity in contemporary Yorubaland. They are largely seen by the adherents of the modern faiths as cultural, rather than religious, events. They participate in them as
7128-460: The Market, who is expected to represent their interests in the aristocratic council of oloyes at the palace. The monarchy of any city-state was usually limited to a number of royal lineages. A family could be excluded from kingship and chieftaincy if any family member, servant, or slave belonging to the family committed a crime, such as theft, fraud, murder or rape. In other city-states, the monarchy
7260-563: The Outer, the Main Outer, and the Inner wall (Aafin). 7.5 km encircling the Aafin, 18 km of the Main Outer, and 28 km of the Outer. The walls of Oyo-Ile have been mapped several times. In most areas, they have collapsed or split, with the most enduring being those of the Inner circle, three inner and one outer of the walls surviving today . An account of the wall from when they were still standing in 1829 by Scottish explorer Hugh Clapperton
7392-499: The Oyo empire. These are signatures of Yoruba cities, and the layout and features of Old Oyo were copied to New Oyo after the old city's abandonment. According to the National Commission for Museums and Monuments, Old Oyo historical site is located at the coordinates 8°56'-9° 03' North 4°20'- 4°26'East. The site is situated South of River Niger, in a Woodland savanna area. In the region of West Africa, Grassland Savanna and to
7524-534: The Oyo-Yoruba recounts Odùduwà to be the progenitor of the Yoruba and the reigning ancestor of their crowned kings. He came from the east, understood in Ife traditions to be the settlement of Oke Ora , a hilltop community situated to the east of Ife. After the death of Oduduwa, there was a dispersal of his children in a series of kingdom founding migrations from Ife to found other kingdoms. Each child made his or her mark in
7656-632: The Yoruba are known by across West Africa include; Alata in southern Ghana, Eyagi in Nupe which produced descendant terms such as; Ayagi (the pre-modern Hausa word for the Yoruba people) and Iyaji in Igala. The Yoruba people also refer to themselves by the epithet "Ọmọ Káàárọ̀-oòjíire", literally meaning, "The People who ask 'Good morning, did you wake up well?". This is in reference to the mode of greeting associated with Yoruba culture . Through parts of coastal West Africa where Yorubas can be found, they have carried
7788-430: The Yoruba empire of Oyo (fl. between the 16th and 19th centuries CE), had a population of over 100,000 people. For a long time also, Ibadan , one of the major Yoruba cities founded in the 1800s, was the largest city in the whole of Sub Saharan Africa . Today, Lagos ( Yoruba : Èkó ), another major Yoruba city, with a population of over twenty million, remains the largest on the African continent. Archaeologically ,
7920-522: The Yoruba grammar compiled in the 1850s by Bishop Crowther , who himself was a Sierra Leonean Recaptive of Oyo origin. This was exemplified by the following remark by Adetugbọ (1967), as cited in Fagborun (1994): "While the orthography agreed upon by the missionaries represented to a very large degree the phonemes of the Abẹokuta dialect, the morpho-syntax reflected the Ọyọ-Ibadan dialects" Yoruba people have
8052-532: The Yoruba people as members of the same ethnicity include the universal recognition of a number of spiritual concepts and chief divinities ( Orisha ), who have achieved pan-Yoruba statuses. These divinities are venerated as embodiments of natural forces and divine power. They are also the mediators between the common people and Olodumare , God. They include some now well-known divinities as; Obatala, Ogun , Orunmila , Osun , Eshu , Olokun , Yemoja , Osanyin , and Shango , Among others . These are now recognizable in
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#17328509732348184-423: The Yoruba population is today within the country of Nigeria, where they make up 20.7% of the country's population according to Ethnologue estimations, making them one of the largest ethnic groups in Africa . Most Yoruba people speak the Yoruba language , which is the Niger-Congo language with the largest number of native or L1 speakers. In Africa, the Yoruba are contiguous with the Yoruboid Itsekiri to
8316-540: The Yoruba sociolinguistic group as a whole. Centuries later however, it evolved to be applied exclusively to the Ọ̀yọ́ subgroup when this subgroup rose to attain imperial status, particularly at its apogee (c.1650 – c.1750) until in the mid-1800s when this trend was reversed back to the original context. The name Yoruba is the most well known ethnonym for the group of people that trace a common origin to Ife , but synonymous terms have been recorded in history such as; Nago/Anago , Lucumi/Olukumi and Aku/Oku . Some Exonyms
8448-443: The Yoruba word for "method or process") started missions in Agbadarigi / Gbegle by Thomas Birch Freeman in 1842. Agbadarigi was further served by E. C. Van Cooten , E. G. Irving, and A. A. Harrison. Henry Townsend , C. C. Gollmer, and Ajayi Crowther of the CMS worked in Abeokuta , then under the Egba division of Southern Nigeria in 1846. Hinderer and Mann of CMS started missions in Ibadan / Ibarapa and Ijaye divisions of
8580-410: The Yoruba worldview. Linguistically, the Yoruboid languages, and in particular the Edekiri subgroup, form a closed group of mutually intelligible dialects which strongly bound the people who speak them together as members of the same linguistic community. This dialectal area spans from the lands of the Ana-Ife people in central Togo and eastern Ghana eastwards to the lands of the Itsekiri people in
8712-459: The Yorubas as Ijo Aguda, so named after returning former Yoruba slaves from Latin America, who were mostly Catholic, and were also known as the Agudas or Amaros ) started the race, followed by Protestants, whose prominent member – Church Mission Society (CMS) based in England made the most significant in-roads into the hinterland regions for evangelism and became the largest of the Christian missions. Methodists (known as Ijo-Eleto, so named after
8844-399: The Yorubas, the Oyo-Ile kingdom's founder was Oranmiyan . Reasons for Yoruba migration from cities such as Ile-Ife have been attributed to long droughts or the unselected in a leadership dispute leaving with his adherents. The Afin, the large palace complex, is a Yoruba tradition, while the sprawling market area signifies the role that mercantilism played in the maintenance and central focus of
8976-409: The ancient city of Ife is the acknowledgement of an historic crowned king, Oduduwa, a personage nominally considered the 'father' of the Yoruba people. According to Ife's own account, Oduduwa 'descended' into the originally thirteen semi-autonomous proto-Ife communities which existed in a state of confederacy based around a swampy depression surrounded by seven hills that would later on become Ife from
9108-473: The area between the Outer wall and the Main Outer wall, material was not seen, but excavations revealed pottery fragments. Segi, dichroic beads, are found at Old Oyo similar to other sites in Yorubaland. The walls of the city had a wide circumference, with ditches accompanying the walls. Some of the ground was dug, and a second earthwork was built on the other side of the ditch. There are three divisions of wall that researchers have established in Old Oyo: those of
9240-454: The axils of the leaves near the tips of reproductive shoots. Only A. digitata has flowers and fruits set on long, hanging stalks. There is usually only a single flower in an axil, but sometimes flowers occur in pairs. They are large, showy and strongly scented. They only open near dusk. Opening is rapid and movement of the flower parts is fast enough to be visible. Most Adansonia species are pollinated by bats. Flowers may remain attached to
9372-446: The baobabs is one of their distinguishing features. It is large, oval-to-round, and berry-like in most species (usually less than 10 centimetres (3.9 in) long in A. madagascariensis . ). It has a dry, hard outer shell of variable thickness. In most species, the shell is indehiscent (does not break open easily). A. gibbosa is the only species with fruits that crack while still on the tree, which then tend to break open upon landing on
9504-539: The base for a type of ice cream known as gelado de múcua . In Zimbabwe , the fruit of A. digitata is eaten fresh or the crushed crumbly pulp is stirred into porridge and drinks. In Tanzania , the dry pulp of A. digitata is added to sugarcane to aid fermentation in brewing (beermaking). The seeds of some species are a source of vegetable oil . The fruit pulp and seeds of A. grandidieri and A. za are eaten fresh. Some baobab species are sources of fiber , dye , and fuel . Indigenous Australians used
9636-408: The base of the flower. The inner surface of the lobes are silky-hairy and cream, pink, or red. Sometimes the lobes do not separate cleanly, distorting the shape of the flower as they bend back. The calyx lobes remain fused at the base, leaving a feature (calyx tube) that has nectar-producing tissue and that is cup-shaped, flat or tubular; the form of the calyx tube varies with species. The flowers have
9768-479: The city was dedicated to Shango . This site has been lengthy occupied, and the effects of inhabitancy can be seen as changes to the environment, horticulture, and visible human artifacts still present on the landscape. Of the archaeology, there are features; the remains of walls and According to Frank Willett, the first Ife antiquity to be obtained by a European was sold at the Queen's market of Old Oyo. Located in what
9900-461: The community of Oke Ora , an elevated abode located at the summit of a hill to Ife's East. The intervention of Oduduwa, a native of Oke Ora and considered an outsider in the politics of the Ife valley, is widely acknowledged in Ife to be the turning point that revolutionized the politics of the confederacy which was at the time, led by Obatala Beyond the historical accounts surrounding Ife and its ancient rulership, more cultural markers which unite
10032-477: The culture of lauding one another with greetings applicable in different situations along with them. Another epithet used is, "Ọmọ Oòduà", meaning "The Children of Oduduwa ", referencing the semi-legendary Yoruba king. The historical Yoruba developed in situ, out of earlier Mesolithic Volta-Niger populations, by the 1st millennium BCE . By the 8th century, a powerful city-state already existed in Ile-Ife , one of
10164-568: The decline of Ife, Oyo expanded as the new Yoruba power and established its own influences over Kingdoms stretching from central Togo in the west to central Yorubaland in the east, and from the Niger river in the north to the Atlantic coast in the south, taking in the whole of Dahomey , southern Borgu , the Mahi states , southern Nupe and the Aja people . Between the 16th and 19th centuries, Oyo had numerous campaigns in
10296-464: The earliest in Africa. This City, whose oral traditions link to figures like Oduduwa and Obatala, would later become the heart of the Ife Empire , the first empire in Yoruba History. The Ife Empire, flourishing between roughly 1200 and 1420 CE, extended its influence across a significant portion of what is now southwestern Nigeria and eastern Benin and to modern-day Togo. Oral history recorded under
10428-709: The earliest known ideas about the ethnic composition of the West African interior. The relevant section of the essay which lists the Yoruba group alongside nine others in the region as translated by John Hunwick and Fatima Harrak for the Institute of African Studies Rabat, reads: "We will add another rule for you, that is that whoever now comes to you from among the group called Mossi , or Gurma , or Bussa , or Borgu , or Dagomba , or Kotokoli , or Yoruba, or Tombo , or Bobo , or K.rmu – all of these are unbelievers remaining in their unbelief until now. Similarly Kumbe except for
10560-538: The empire as well as being found in Ijebu , potential putting Ijebu of a status with Ilesa in relation to the Oyo Empire, or simply having contact through trade, as both groups took advantage of their positions between sea and land. The two styles that archeologists have isolated at Old Oyo include Diogun and Mejiro. Typically, the pottery found in excavations within this site have local origins. Large pots had storage purposes, with those of medium sizes being used for cooking, and
10692-423: The empire to expand further. There are grinding hollows and grindstones found at this site. Grinding hollows can be used for a variety of purposes, including food, pigment, ceramic, and metal production. This city was abandoned in 1835 after its destruction by Fulani attacks. This is what caused the shifting of the seat of power to New Oyo . The destruction of the city comes after a decline in trade and influence,
10824-454: The fact that Southeast and Central Yoruba areas generally have older settlements, suggests a later date of immigration into Northwestern Yoruba territory. The area where North-West Yoruba (NWY) is spoken corresponds to the historical Oyo Empire. South-East Yoruba (SEY) was closely associated with the expansion of the Benin Empire after c. 1450. Central Yoruba forms a transitional area in that
10956-526: The genus Adansonia , to honour Adanson, but use of baobab as one of the common names has persisted. The genus Adansonia is in the subfamily Bombacoideae , within the family Malvaceae in the order Malvales . The subfamily Bombacoideae was previously treated as the Bombacaceae family but it is no longer recognized at the rank of family by the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group I 1998, II 2003 or
11088-513: The genus is Madagascan in origin. The generic name honours Michel Adanson , the French naturalist and explorer who described Adansonia digitata . The baobab is also known as the "upside down tree", a name that originates from several myths. They are among the most long-lived of vascular plants and have large flowers that are reproductive for a maximum of 15 hours. The flowers open around dusk, opening so quickly that movement can be detected by
11220-558: The ground. Inside the outer shell, kidney-shaped seeds 10–15(−20) mm long are set in a dry pulp. The earliest written reports of baobab are from a 14th-century travelogue by the Arab traveler Ibn Battuta . The first botanical description was in the De medicina Aegyptiorum by Prospero Alpini (1592), looking at fruits that he observed in Egypt from an unknown source. They were called Bahobab , possibly from
11352-463: The kingdom of Dahomey; Egba, with its capital at Abeokuta; Jebu, a southern Yoruba kingdom in the immediate vicinity of an inland lagoon; A confederation of Ekiti sub-tribes in the hilly country to the northeast; Ibadan, a successor republican state to Oyo; Ijesha; The historic kingdom of Ife which continued to maintain its sacred primacy; Ondo, on the east; The littoral Mahin/Ilaje on the southeastern maritime coast, and several other smaller states such as
11484-450: The kingdoms through a series of guilds and cults. Different states saw differing ratios of power between the kingships and the chiefs' councils. Some, such as Oyo, had powerful, autocratic monarchs with almost total control, while in others such as the Ijebu city-states, the senatorial councils held more influence and the power of the ruler or Ọba , referred to as the Awujale of Ijebuland ,
11616-426: The largest ones in the middle and may be stalkless or with short petioles . Leaflets may have toothed or smooth edges, and may be hairless or have simple-to-clumped hairs. Baobabs have stipules at the base of the leaves, but the stipules are soon shed in most species. Baobabs are deciduous, shedding leaves during the dry season. In most Adansonia species, the flowers are borne on short erect or spreading stalks in
11748-562: The lexicon has much in common with NWY, whereas it shares many ethnographical features with SEY. Literary Yoruba is the standard variety taught in schools and spoken by newsreaders on the radio. It is mostly entirely based on northwestern Yoruba dialects of the Oyos and the Egbas , and has its origins in two sources; The work of Yoruba Christian missionaries based mostly in the Egba hinterland at Abeokuta , and
11880-600: The markets. Then came Moremi Ajasoro into the scene; she was said to have played a significant role in the quelling of the marauder advancements. But this was at a great price; having to give up her only son Oluorogbo. The reward for her patriotism and selflessness was not to be reaped in one lifetime as she later passed on and was thereafter deified . The Edi festival celebrates this feat among her Yoruba descendants. Yoruba culture consists of cultural philosophy, religion and folktales. They are embodied in Ifa divination, and are known as
12012-446: The mythological creatures in the visible and invisible worlds. His time favored the artist-philosophers who produced magnificent naturalistic artworks of civilization during the pre-dynastic period in Yorubaland. The second epoch is the epoch of metaphysical discourse, and the birth of modern artist-philosophy. This commenced in the 19th century in terms of the academic prowess of Bishop Samuel Ajayi Crowther (1807–1891). Although religion
12144-629: The naked eye, and are faded by the next morning. The fruits are large, oval to round and berry-like and hold kidney-shaped seeds in a dry, pulpy matrix. In the early 21st century, baobabs in southern Africa began to die off rapidly from a cause yet to be determined. It is unlikely that disease or pests would be able to kill many trees so rapidly, and some have speculated that the die-off is a result of dehydration . Baobabs are long-lived deciduous, small to large trees from 5 to 30 m (20 to 100 ft) tall with broad trunks and compact crowns. Young trees usually have slender, tapering trunks, often with
12276-431: The native species A. gregorii for several products, making string from the root fibers and decorative crafts from the fruits. Baobab oil from the seed is also used in cosmetics, particularly in moisturizers . Baobab trees hold cultural and spiritual significance in many African societies. They are often the sites of communal gatherings, storytelling, and rituals. An unusual baobab was the namesake of Kukawa , formerly
12408-765: The neighboring Bini kingdom in the late 16th century. As time progressed, other Europeans – such as the French, the British, the Dutch, and the Germans, followed suit. The British and the French were the most successful in their quest for colonies (these Europeans actually split Yorubaland, with the larger part being in British Nigeria, and the minor parts in French Dahomey, now Benin, and German Togoland ). Home governments encouraged religious organizations to come. Roman Catholics (known to
12540-569: The observance of moral values. Today, the academic and nonacademic communities are becoming more interested in Yoruba culture. More research is being carried out on Yoruba cultural thought as more books are being written on the subject. The Yoruba are traditionally very religious people, and are today pluralistic in their religious convictions. The Yoruba are one of the more religiously diverse ethnic groups in Africa. Many Yoruba people practice Christianity in denominations such as Anglicanism while others are Muslims practicing mostly under Sunni Islam of
12672-404: The oldest and largest baobabs began to die in the early 21st century, likely from a combination of drought and rising temperatures. The trees appear to become parched , then become dehydrated and unable to support their massive trunks. Baobabs are important as nest sites for birds, in particular the mottled spinetail and four species of weaver . Radiocarbon dating has provided data on
12804-492: The original expansion of Yoruba peoples. Ile-Ife was a settlement of the Yoruba travelers, absorbing those who were living in the area, and a place that became the Holy City of legend, the place of legendary creation, and a center for their culture as they spread from this city to the surrounding lands. In the cities that these Yoruba descendants established, the idea of a center such as Ile-Ife has been repeated. In this way, Old Oyo
12936-440: The original title of Oduduwa in Ife, is remembered in the lore of most places in Yorubaland. Occupational engagements like farming, hunting, crafting, blacksmithing, trading, as well as fishing for the coastal or riparian groups are commonplace. Joint customs in greeting, birth, marriage and death, a strong sense of community, urbanism, festivities and a respect for the elderly are also all universal Yoruba concepts. Monarchies were
13068-610: The past, gives solutions to problems in the present, and influences the future through the Ifa divination system , which is practised by oracle priests called Babalawos . Olorun is one of the principal manifestations of the Supreme God of the Yoruba pantheon, the owner of the heavens, and is associated with the Sun known as Oòrùn in the Yoruba language. The two other principal forms of the supreme God are Olodumare —the supreme creator—and Olofin , who
13200-403: The patronage of King Obalufon II , the man who today is identified as the Yoruba patron deity of brass casting, weaving and regalia. The dynasty of kings at Ile-Ife, which is regarded by the Yoruba as the place of origin of human civilization, remains intact to this day. The urban phase of Ile-Ife before the rise of Oyo signifies, a significant peak of political centralization in the 14th century,
13332-480: The presence of walls. The dates for this occupation is (1100±110 AD), with further dating efforts adding dates as late as 765±90. "These wares are characterized by sandy paste, fawn/ grey-brown colour, and complex fluted rims." The later style of pottery, labeled by Soper, was present at the nearby Mejiro cave. Characterized as grey/black wares, the beginning date is 1300±80. In mid-later points of this stage, potters marks are distinguished which helps archeologists track
13464-667: The present Oyo state in 1853. Baptist missionaries – Bowen and Clarke – concentrated on the northern Yoruba axis – (Ogbomoso and environs). With their success, other religious groups – the Salvation Army and the Evangelists Commission of West Africa – became popular among the Igbomina , and other non-denominational Christian groups joined. The increased tempo of Christianity led to the appointment of Saros (returning slaves from Sierra Leone) and indigenes as missionaries. This move
13596-513: The principles of the traditional faith of their ancestors are either knowingly or unknowingly upheld by a significant proportion of the populations of Nigeria, Benin and Togo . The Yoruba religion comprises the traditional religious and spiritual concepts and practices of the Yoruba people. Its homeland is in Southwestern Nigeria and the adjoining parts of Benin and Togo, a region that has come to be known as Yorubaland. Yoruba religion
13728-448: The recent past. Regeneration of these areas with urban communities can strengthen cultural identity and can help local and national communities access the tourism industry. With studies on the proximal positions of Fez, Morocco and Kano, Old Oyo can feasibly be renewed. Yoruba people The Yoruba people ( / ˈ j ɒr ʊ b ə / YORR -uub-ə ; Yoruba : Ìran Yorùbá , Ọmọ Odùduwà , Ọmọ Káàárọ̀-oòjíire ) are
13860-521: The region and established a reputation among the neighbouring kingdoms of; Ashanti, Dahomey, Borgu, Nupe, Igala and Benin as well as further afield in the lands of the Songhai, Hausa Kingdoms and others, solidifying its place in the greater region as a powerhouse strategically placed between the forest and the Savanna and representative of a cultural unit it powerfully defended and stood in association with. During
13992-414: The regions of Darfur and the state of Kordofan . The locals call it "Gongolaze" and use its fruits as food and medicine and use the tree trunks as reservoirs to save water. Baobabs store water in the trunk (up to 120,000 litres or 32,000 US gallons) to endure harsh drought conditions. All occur in seasonally arid areas, and are deciduous , shedding their leaves during the dry season. Across Africa,
14124-479: The section Longitubae. They also have flowers/fruits set on short pedicels, but the flower buds are five or more times as long as wide. As of July 2020 , there are eight recognized species of Adansonia, with six endemic to Madagascar , one native to mainland Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, and one native to Australia. The mainland African species ( Adansonia digitata ) also occurs on Madagascar, but it
14256-593: The settlement of Ile-Ife showed features of urbanism in the 12th–14th-century era. This period coincided with the peak of the Ife Empire, during which Ile-Ife grew into one of West Africa's largest urban centers. In the period around 1300 CE when glass bead production reached an Industrial scale, floors were paved with potsherds and stones. The artists at Ile-Ife developed a refined and naturalistic sculptural tradition in terracotta, stone, and copper alloy – copper, brass, and bronze many of which appear to have been created under
14388-653: The site reveal a spike in measurement near the area where the Akesan marketplace once lay. Anthropogenic changes to the natural environment in this site have resulted in baobab trees , useful shrubs, and thickets being more prevalent in areas of greater human occupation. The Oyo-Ile Kingdom, during the crest of its power, sponsored new kingdoms located in the Oyo, Egbado, and Igbomina regions of Nigeria. Excavations were carried out in 1981, 2002, 2004, and 2006. The Aafin area has visible remnants of walls and pottery, and excavations yield charcoal and potsherds to varying depths. Inside
14520-538: The slave trade declined, the position that Oyo-Ile had in regards to this is what had enabled its prosperity while the surrounding kingdoms had less access, and the kingdoms surrounding Oyo-Ile had been gaining power. After its abandonment in the late 1830s, it never returned to city status. Over a century later, it was declared a game reserve and, later, a national park. Areas of cultural history and heritage in Nigeria have been experiencing gradual decay and/or replacement in
14652-457: The smallest used as jars (grey/brown), bowls (typically dark grey/black), lamps and plates. In spite of the major changes in size and cultural reach, the changes in pottery style throughout the city's occupation are not extensive. There is a lack of spores and pollen within the ceramics, which could be caused by a high firing temperature (more spores than pollen) or the origin of the clay had few plants. A style of pottery found in layers before than
14784-765: The south-east in the northwest Niger Delta , Bariba to the northwest in Benin and Nigeria, the Nupe to the north, and the Ebira to the northeast in Central Nigeria. To the east are the Edo , Ẹsan , and Afemai groups in Mid-Western Nigeria. To the northeast and adjacent to the Ebira and Northern Edo, groups are the related Igala people on the left bank of the Niger River . To the south are
14916-416: The spread of the artisans and their products across the wide trade routes and the travels of the people of Old Oyo, as well as their dispersal after the city's collapse. Large scale iron-working is known to be more prominent in the areas surrounding Old Oyo than in other regions of West Africa. This is caused by rich deposits in the area, and greater iron-working enabled the military to be better-equipped, and
15048-517: The subsequent urbanization and consolidation of the Yoruba confederacy of kingdoms, with each kingdom tracing its origin due to them to Ile-Ife. After the dispersal, the aborigines became difficult, and constituted a serious threat to the survival of Ife. Thought to be survivors of the old occupants of the land before the arrival of Oduduwa, these people now turned themselves into marauders. They would come to town in costumes made of raffia with terrible and fearsome appearances, and burn down houses and loot
15180-471: The trees for several days, but the reproductive phase is very short, with pollen shed during the first night and stigmas shriveled by the morning. The flower is made up of an outer 5-lobed calyx, and an inner ring of petals set around a fused tube of stamens. The outer lobes of the calyx are usually green (brown in A. grandidieri ) and in bud are joined almost to the tip. As the flower opens, the calyx lobes split apart and become coiled or bent back (reflexed) at
15312-501: The tripartite Book of Enlightenment in Yorubaland and in its diaspora. Yoruba cultural thought is a witness of two epochs. The first epoch is a history of cosmogony and cosmology. This is also an epoch-making history in the oral culture during which time Oduduwa was the king, the Bringer of Light, pioneer of Yoruba folk philosophy, and a prominent diviner. He pondered the visible and invisible worlds, reminiscing about cosmogony, cosmology, and
15444-746: The trunk or are ascending. Adansonia gregorii is generally the smallest of the baobabs, rarely getting to over 10 m (33 ft) tall and often with multiple trunks. Both A. rubrostipa and A. madagascariensis are small to large trees, from 5 to 20 m (16 to 66 ft) tall. The other baobabs grow from 25 to 30 m (80 to 100 ft) tall, with 2 to 3 m (7 to 10 ft) diameter trunks. A. digitata , however, often has massive single or multiple trunks of up to 10 m (33 ft) diameter. Leaves are palmately compound in mature trees, but seedlings and regenerating shoots may have simple leaves. The transition to compound leaves comes with age and may be gradual. Leaves have 5–11 leaflets, with
15576-513: The two ethnic groups bear such a close resemblance that researchers such as Forde (1951) and Westermann and Bryan (1952) regarded Igala as a dialect of Yoruba. The Yoruboid languages are assumed to have developed out of an undifferentiated Volta-Niger group by the first millennium BCE. There are three major dialect areas: Northwest , Central , and Southeast . As the North-West Yoruba dialects show more linguistic innovation, combined with
15708-408: The ultimate creator force in the Yoruba religious system (Ase). Some widely known Orisa are Ogun , (a god of metal, war and victory), Shango or Jakuta (a god of thunder, lightning, fire and justice who manifests as a king and who always wields a double-edged axe that conveys his divine authority and power), Esu Elegbara (a trickster who serves as the sole messenger of the pantheon , and who conveys
15840-410: The wall revealed through archaeological work, revealed that the palace walls were completely smoothed and polished. Three successive levels of potsherd pavements, consisting of flatly laid ceramic tiles, have been uncovered at Old Oyo. Two radiocarbon dates of ca. 13th and 14th centuries are assigned to the pavements. The pavements are associated with the flooring of houses, temples, and roads. Pottery
15972-521: The western Niger Delta around the Formosa (Benin) and Escravos river estuaries. This span of land, inhabited by geographically contiguous and culturally related subgroups, were divided into separate national and subnational units under the control of different European powers as a result of the Berlin Conference in 19th century Europe and the resultant administration. The Yoruba also notably developed
16104-521: The wish of men to the gods. He understands every language spoken by humankind, and is also the guardian of the crossroads, Oríta méta in Yoruba) and Orunmila (a god of the Oracle). Eshu has two forms, which are manifestations of his dual nature – positive and negative energies; Eshu Laroye, a teacher instructor and leader, and Eshu Ebita, a jester, deceitful, suggestive and cunning. Orunmila, for his part, reveals
16236-415: The world." Gerontocratic leadership councils that guarded against the monopolization of power by a monarch were a trait of the Ẹgba, according to the eminent Ọyọ historian Reverend Samuel Johnson . Such councils were also well-developed among the northern Okun groups, the eastern Ekiti , and other groups falling under the Yoruba ethnic umbrella. In Ọyọ, the most centralized of the precolonial kingdoms,
16368-546: Was Solagberu), Ibadan, Abẹokuta , Ijebu Ode , Ikirun , and Ede . All of these cities already had sizable Muslim communities before the 19th century Sokoto jihad. Medieval Yoruba settlements were surrounded with massive mud walls. Yoruba buildings had similar plans to the Ashanti shrines, but with verandahs around the court. The wall materials comprised puddled mud and palm oil while roofing materials ranged from thatches to corrugated iron sheets. A famous Yoruba fortification,
16500-543: Was a center for Yoruba culture, the destination of tributes, and the seat of ritual and political rule. The empire at its height had political power over other Yoruba kingdoms and the broader region of West Africa and the Bight of Benin , with a strong cavalry, trade system, and political organization. The Alaafin who lived in the major palace complex within Old Oyo was both ruler and judge for their people. According to The History of
16632-589: Was found to be more ancient, dating to the middle Eocene. The Malagasy species are important components of the Madagascar dry deciduous forests . Within that biome , Adansonia madagascariensis and A. rubrostipa occur specifically in the Anjajavy Forest , sometimes growing out of the tsingy limestone itself. A. digitata has been called "a defining icon of African bushland". The tree also grows wild in Sudan in
16764-449: Was in a range of 74 to 163 milligrams (1.14 to 2.52 gr) per 100 grams (3.5 oz) of dried powder. In 2008, baobab dried fruit pulp was authorized in the EU as a safe food ingredient , and later in the year was granted GRAS ( generally recognized as safe ) status in the United States. In Angola , the dry fruit of A. digitata is usually boiled, and the broth is used for juices or as
16896-467: Was initiated by Venn, the CMS Secretary. Nevertheless, the impact of Christianity in Yorubaland was not felt until the fourth decade of the 19th century, when a Yoruba slave boy, Samuel Ajayi Crowther, became a Christian convert, linguist and minister whose knowledge in languages would become a major tool and instrument to propagate Christianity in Yorubaland and beyond. Islam came into Yorubaland around
17028-466: Was more limited. In more recent decades, Lagos has risen to be the most prominent city of the Yoruba people and Yoruba cultural and economic influence. Noteworthy among the developments of Lagos were uniquely styled architecture introduced by returning Yoruba communities from Brazil and Cuba known as Amaros/Agudas . Yoruba settlements are often described as primarily one or more of the main social groupings called "generations": The Yoruba culture
17160-413: Was open to the election of any free-born male citizen. In Ilesa , Ondo , Akure and other Yoruba communities, there were several, but comparatively rare, traditions of female Ọbas . The kings were traditionally almost always polygamous and often married royal family members from other domains, thereby creating useful alliances with other rulers. Ibadan, a city-state and proto-empire that was founded in
17292-546: Was originally an oral tradition , and the majority of Yoruba people are native speakers of the Yoruba language . The number of speakers was estimated to be about 30 million as of 2010. Yoruba is classified within the Edekiri languages , and together with the isolate Igala , form the Yoruboid group of languages within what we now have as West Africa. Igala and Yoruba have important historical and cultural relationships. The languages of
17424-490: Was recreated in the later city of New Oyo . Archaeology has been conducted at this site for over four decades. The area designated as Old Oyo is nearly 3,000 hectares. Sites related in cultural relation and importance to the Oyo Empire include Koso, Bara, and Ipapo Ile, both cities in Nigeria. The inspiration for the metropolitan, urban center that Old Oyo was comes from Yoruba history. The legend and history of Ile-Ife (Ile meaning home and Ife meaning expansion) originates in
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