The Impact of Sokoto Caliphate and Oyo empire on Nigeria politics in the 21st Century
The 18th Century witnessed lots of revolutions and spiritual learning curves for the people of South of Sahara in West Africa but the two most important historical events for consideration with hangover effects will be defunct Oyo Empire and the Sokoto Caliphate both are dead, but
they however, still manage to impact the future of the areas they covered in the past as territories in North and South West of Niger River in the present day Nigeria in relationship to politics and religions.
In one of my widely circulated articles in 2004, which was first published by Vanguard News of Nigeria in May 2004 titled "Benin and Yoruba kingdoms: The missing gap of history" the article solved the imbroglio of the source of Yoruba and Edo people and how these two cousins
could be linked with Oduduwa. I argued with conviction, if the ancient city of Ife remains where the approval of any new king for Benin was given, and the city also where all heads of any late king of Benin was buried then, Ile Ife must indeed remain without any doubt the spiritual source of both people of Edo and Yoruba and the same town when compared from archeological view point, the City of Ife could still pass the test for the source of both tribes, but that has not been scientifically proved beyond reasonable doubt, as the City of Benin
was destroyed by Captain Philip of the British Army when Overameh was Oba of Benin because he Overameh opposed slavery, this undiscovered part of history will be a project for DNA to be used to solve in future.
Oyo Empire which emerged from the linage of Oduduwa through his belligerent son Oranmiyan who had the authority of the great Oduduwa to collect ten percent of any products and service as compensation for the loss of inheritance from Oduduwa that was done in his
absence to Benin Kingdom on behalf of the father created the foundation for Yoruba politics that graduated into survival in present day Nigeria.
Oranmiyan the last son of Oduduwa created administrative control in which all his representatives through future Alaafin of Oyo were posted to all the Yoruba cities to monitor and collect royalties on behalf of the Alaafin (Iku Baba yeye) or Kabiyesi which in some situations subjected most of the Kings in most of the Yoruba Cities to ridicules, as some
were made to prostrate to the representatives of Alaafin in front of their people before and after the collection of the royalties, these ugly behaviors of the Alaafin representatives, triggered the revolution that eventually led to the fall of the Oyo Empire, as Lisabi who was never a King in Abeokuta emerged to liberate the Egbas, Ogedengbe Agbogungboro, of Ilesha, Lagelu of Ibadan, Shou of Ogbomosho, and Afonja of Ilorin whose link with the Alimi of the Sokoto Caliphate finally nailed the coffin of the Oyo Empire that had suffered from
over expansionism in the south of Niger as noted by Late Professor Adu Boahen, a Ghanaian and a world class authority on History in his book on West Africa History and Professor Ade Ajayi also in his book on West African tribes.
Above, the River Niger simultaneously, was the Sokoto Caliphate led by Othman Dan Fodio growing and expanding to spread Islamto all the cities and tribes in the North of Niger but was prevented by River Niger to make a strategic impact in the South of Niger river for logistical
reasons, for example, there was no ferry in those days to move the horses the strength of the Caliphate to capture the cities in the South of Niger in the present West of Nigeria which must be one of the reasons, it limited the growth of the Islamic Empire of the Caliphate, strictly, to the North of Niger river,spanning across West Africa Sub region, also, Oyo Empire which had a history of ruthlessness and voodoo which the Caliphate was not sure off until the weakness
of the Oyo Empire was exposed to the Caliphate by Afonja of Ilorin a deserter of the Oyo Empire in collaboration with Alimi a Fulani, which became the major and unfortunate reason Ilorin a Yoruba town fell to the Caliphate in religion and political control till today, Afonja's action by extension remained one of the most unfortunate history of Yoruba nation till today, instead of the Yoruba City of Ilorin to have an Oba (King) like other Yoruba Cities, the city is
under the control of Emir a representative of the Caliphate and some still wondered if this issue would be addressed in future for political correctness, time will tell.
Somehow, the Sokoto Caliphate was also limited in conviction to overrun Bornu Empire led by the Sheu which had already accepted Islam before Othman Dan Fodio and his creation of Sokoto Caliphate, yet the rivalry and hidden jealousy could not be openly displayed but it was there, both were handicapped by Islam to attack each other, however, both treated each
other with contempt, which was the reason behind late General Sanni Abacha a Kanuri man from Old Bornu Empire, as Head of State of Nigeria between 1993 to 1998 was able to depose and banned into exile the Sultan of Sokoto Alhaji Dansuki without any sentiment or respect for the history of the Caliphate and divided the North into three regions of North West, North Central and North East to finally weaken the Caliphate without any nostalgic memory of the strength of the Caliphate in the 18-19th Centuries. The control of the whole Northern
Region by the Caliphate has now been limited to North West alone but the institutions of Emirs created by Othman Dan Fodio still remain the remote hands of the Caliphate which has not been challenged or questioned but it will in
future.
Unlike the Oyo Empire, which lost the controlling role of its representatives in most the Yoruba Cities after the revolution and unfinished Yoruba wars before the British colonized Nigeria, the Caliphate kept it hold on the Cities of the North, as the representatives became the Emirs of
most the cities and held their allegiance only to Islam and Sokoto Caliphate and the Sultan of Sokoto was regarded as the Spiritual Islamic leader and by extension, the political power of the North. The Caliphate adopted the policy of assimilation in the North as the captured tribes were forced to learn Hausa/Fulani language in addition, to Islam, as the only religion thereby
destroying the African religion or culture of the people for the new found faith.
The middle belt of Nigeria, however, continue to be belligerent to the control of the North by the leftover of the Caliphate that has now been eroded with western civilization which was analyzed by this writer in a published article " "The Clash of Civilizations Vs West Africa
values" early last year. The clash in religion and values could be traced to the rediscovery of nationality by the people of middle belt and preferences for another religion other than Islam which was imposed on them by the Caliphate which was assumed settled by the Caliphate and Islam but it was not, the middle belt states continue to think and act like the Southerners to the dismay and chagrins of the core North. This has made the core North not to accept middle belt as true Northerners, but unbelievers and traitors to goals and interest of North, and probably one of the reasons for religious crises in Jos
The glaring nationalistic tendencies, of the suppressed tribes of the North by the Caliphate will be the challenges of the 21st Century as these tribes continue to finds solace in Christianity, even, if it is to challenge the authorities that made them to lose their dignity since the time of Dan Fodio, hence, the Junkuns, the Tivs, the Egbira, and Nupes will as events will unfold itself, as Nigeria matches towards being their own man or continue to ally with the South of Nigeria which has adopted the western civilization as the yardstick to measure development as against the core north that still invest in alimonjiri education with disdain for an education that can compete with the South of Nigeria, the cooperation of middle belt and the south
was displayed in the last election, a silent war to finish off the Caliphate and its legacy.
However, 21st Century will witness lots of changes in power control in the North of Nigeria, and recent attack of the Emirs in the North after the last presidential elections which General Buhari a favorite of the core North lost, was an eye opener like the powers of the representatives of the Oyo empires were destroyed so will the control of the Emirs over the territories controlled by the Caliphate will be weakened to provide a leverage for the oppressed tribes of the North to catch up with their southern counterparts for them to see democracy as a game of Numbers and a win in one's village does not necessarily translated to national victory for any individuals.
Finally, the sad part of this liberation is that it has taken the North a long time to understand the Sokoto Caliphate had more interest than religion in mind when capturing the cities of the North and destroying the spiritual and political heritage of these unsuspecting tribes to keep millions of people in bondage and almost 200 years to catch up with the south to free themselves from oppressors and feudal control but it is indeed a welcome development for the future of Democracy in Africa largest concentration of black people and it will not be long before the issue of religion and its benefits between Islam, Christianity and Africa religions will be placed on the table for discussion, and when the issue is place on the table all the dirty linings of the religions will be exposed and no one will be fooled again because the alimonjiri will abandon the traditional Islamic education for western education to be fully integrated into Nigeria mainstream. It will be the dreams of everyone to see this great country takes its place among developed nations, and when that finally situation happens it will be difficult to stop the train again with religion, ethnic or tribal politics.
they however, still manage to impact the future of the areas they covered in the past as territories in North and South West of Niger River in the present day Nigeria in relationship to politics and religions.
In one of my widely circulated articles in 2004, which was first published by Vanguard News of Nigeria in May 2004 titled "Benin and Yoruba kingdoms: The missing gap of history" the article solved the imbroglio of the source of Yoruba and Edo people and how these two cousins
could be linked with Oduduwa. I argued with conviction, if the ancient city of Ife remains where the approval of any new king for Benin was given, and the city also where all heads of any late king of Benin was buried then, Ile Ife must indeed remain without any doubt the spiritual source of both people of Edo and Yoruba and the same town when compared from archeological view point, the City of Ife could still pass the test for the source of both tribes, but that has not been scientifically proved beyond reasonable doubt, as the City of Benin
was destroyed by Captain Philip of the British Army when Overameh was Oba of Benin because he Overameh opposed slavery, this undiscovered part of history will be a project for DNA to be used to solve in future.
Oyo Empire which emerged from the linage of Oduduwa through his belligerent son Oranmiyan who had the authority of the great Oduduwa to collect ten percent of any products and service as compensation for the loss of inheritance from Oduduwa that was done in his
absence to Benin Kingdom on behalf of the father created the foundation for Yoruba politics that graduated into survival in present day Nigeria.
Oranmiyan the last son of Oduduwa created administrative control in which all his representatives through future Alaafin of Oyo were posted to all the Yoruba cities to monitor and collect royalties on behalf of the Alaafin (Iku Baba yeye) or Kabiyesi which in some situations subjected most of the Kings in most of the Yoruba Cities to ridicules, as some
were made to prostrate to the representatives of Alaafin in front of their people before and after the collection of the royalties, these ugly behaviors of the Alaafin representatives, triggered the revolution that eventually led to the fall of the Oyo Empire, as Lisabi who was never a King in Abeokuta emerged to liberate the Egbas, Ogedengbe Agbogungboro, of Ilesha, Lagelu of Ibadan, Shou of Ogbomosho, and Afonja of Ilorin whose link with the Alimi of the Sokoto Caliphate finally nailed the coffin of the Oyo Empire that had suffered from
over expansionism in the south of Niger as noted by Late Professor Adu Boahen, a Ghanaian and a world class authority on History in his book on West Africa History and Professor Ade Ajayi also in his book on West African tribes.
Above, the River Niger simultaneously, was the Sokoto Caliphate led by Othman Dan Fodio growing and expanding to spread Islamto all the cities and tribes in the North of Niger but was prevented by River Niger to make a strategic impact in the South of Niger river for logistical
reasons, for example, there was no ferry in those days to move the horses the strength of the Caliphate to capture the cities in the South of Niger in the present West of Nigeria which must be one of the reasons, it limited the growth of the Islamic Empire of the Caliphate, strictly, to the North of Niger river,spanning across West Africa Sub region, also, Oyo Empire which had a history of ruthlessness and voodoo which the Caliphate was not sure off until the weakness
of the Oyo Empire was exposed to the Caliphate by Afonja of Ilorin a deserter of the Oyo Empire in collaboration with Alimi a Fulani, which became the major and unfortunate reason Ilorin a Yoruba town fell to the Caliphate in religion and political control till today, Afonja's action by extension remained one of the most unfortunate history of Yoruba nation till today, instead of the Yoruba City of Ilorin to have an Oba (King) like other Yoruba Cities, the city is
under the control of Emir a representative of the Caliphate and some still wondered if this issue would be addressed in future for political correctness, time will tell.
Somehow, the Sokoto Caliphate was also limited in conviction to overrun Bornu Empire led by the Sheu which had already accepted Islam before Othman Dan Fodio and his creation of Sokoto Caliphate, yet the rivalry and hidden jealousy could not be openly displayed but it was there, both were handicapped by Islam to attack each other, however, both treated each
other with contempt, which was the reason behind late General Sanni Abacha a Kanuri man from Old Bornu Empire, as Head of State of Nigeria between 1993 to 1998 was able to depose and banned into exile the Sultan of Sokoto Alhaji Dansuki without any sentiment or respect for the history of the Caliphate and divided the North into three regions of North West, North Central and North East to finally weaken the Caliphate without any nostalgic memory of the strength of the Caliphate in the 18-19th Centuries. The control of the whole Northern
Region by the Caliphate has now been limited to North West alone but the institutions of Emirs created by Othman Dan Fodio still remain the remote hands of the Caliphate which has not been challenged or questioned but it will in
future.
Unlike the Oyo Empire, which lost the controlling role of its representatives in most the Yoruba Cities after the revolution and unfinished Yoruba wars before the British colonized Nigeria, the Caliphate kept it hold on the Cities of the North, as the representatives became the Emirs of
most the cities and held their allegiance only to Islam and Sokoto Caliphate and the Sultan of Sokoto was regarded as the Spiritual Islamic leader and by extension, the political power of the North. The Caliphate adopted the policy of assimilation in the North as the captured tribes were forced to learn Hausa/Fulani language in addition, to Islam, as the only religion thereby
destroying the African religion or culture of the people for the new found faith.
The middle belt of Nigeria, however, continue to be belligerent to the control of the North by the leftover of the Caliphate that has now been eroded with western civilization which was analyzed by this writer in a published article " "The Clash of Civilizations Vs West Africa
values" early last year. The clash in religion and values could be traced to the rediscovery of nationality by the people of middle belt and preferences for another religion other than Islam which was imposed on them by the Caliphate which was assumed settled by the Caliphate and Islam but it was not, the middle belt states continue to think and act like the Southerners to the dismay and chagrins of the core North. This has made the core North not to accept middle belt as true Northerners, but unbelievers and traitors to goals and interest of North, and probably one of the reasons for religious crises in Jos
The glaring nationalistic tendencies, of the suppressed tribes of the North by the Caliphate will be the challenges of the 21st Century as these tribes continue to finds solace in Christianity, even, if it is to challenge the authorities that made them to lose their dignity since the time of Dan Fodio, hence, the Junkuns, the Tivs, the Egbira, and Nupes will as events will unfold itself, as Nigeria matches towards being their own man or continue to ally with the South of Nigeria which has adopted the western civilization as the yardstick to measure development as against the core north that still invest in alimonjiri education with disdain for an education that can compete with the South of Nigeria, the cooperation of middle belt and the south
was displayed in the last election, a silent war to finish off the Caliphate and its legacy.
However, 21st Century will witness lots of changes in power control in the North of Nigeria, and recent attack of the Emirs in the North after the last presidential elections which General Buhari a favorite of the core North lost, was an eye opener like the powers of the representatives of the Oyo empires were destroyed so will the control of the Emirs over the territories controlled by the Caliphate will be weakened to provide a leverage for the oppressed tribes of the North to catch up with their southern counterparts for them to see democracy as a game of Numbers and a win in one's village does not necessarily translated to national victory for any individuals.
Finally, the sad part of this liberation is that it has taken the North a long time to understand the Sokoto Caliphate had more interest than religion in mind when capturing the cities of the North and destroying the spiritual and political heritage of these unsuspecting tribes to keep millions of people in bondage and almost 200 years to catch up with the south to free themselves from oppressors and feudal control but it is indeed a welcome development for the future of Democracy in Africa largest concentration of black people and it will not be long before the issue of religion and its benefits between Islam, Christianity and Africa religions will be placed on the table for discussion, and when the issue is place on the table all the dirty linings of the religions will be exposed and no one will be fooled again because the alimonjiri will abandon the traditional Islamic education for western education to be fully integrated into Nigeria mainstream. It will be the dreams of everyone to see this great country takes its place among developed nations, and when that finally situation happens it will be difficult to stop the train again with religion, ethnic or tribal politics.
Source...