The culture of history speaks volume of and about the precedents of people all around the

world. The Old Oyo Empire was the single most largest political entity to comprise all of the
Yoruba entities, not that only but also, including Darhomy, current republic of Benin, part of
Ashante, the Baribas, the Popo people as well as Nupe and many others in their rank.
At its golden age, the empire ruled through the Central, North-eastern and South-western regions
of the country comprising of more than 1, 000 vassals and lords who bore their reign to the
pleasure of the Alaafin, the sole ruler of the empire. The new Oyo currently seats south to where
its predecessor ruled from.
Oduduwa, the father of all Yorubas was said to be the father of Akanbi, the same who bore the
seven ruling sons: the Olowu of Owu, Orangun of Ila, Onisabe of Sabe, the Alaketu of Ketu, the
Onipopo of Popo, the Ooni of Ife, and the Alaafin of Oyo. Oranmiyan, the first Alaafin of Oyo,
one of Oduduwa's grandson is renowned for founding the Oyo Empire. Oranmiyan had first
ruled as the Oba of Benin but left as a result of the chief's insurrection for which he named the
place, the land of vexation, ‘Ile-Ibinu'’which later was changed by the Europeans to be
pronounced as ‘Benin’. Oranmiyan later married a Nupe (Tapa) woman who bore him two sons:
Ajaka, and Arabambi.
The empire which began in the 13 th century only rose to prominence later at the beginning
of the 17th century. Prior to this time, not much of Oyo was known compared to its later
greatness. However, an important factor to the rise of the empire was the strength of its standing
army and its calvary. This calvary style was identified with the Nupes and the Baribas who at
different times waged war against the empire. Oyo fought many wars riding upon the wings of
its calvary. But a more contributing factor to its expansion and stability was also the personality
of the Alaafin. Worthy of note was Arabanbi, also known as Sango who extended the frontiers of
the empire. Sango ascended the throne as a result of his older brother’s weakness to command
the empire his father left in his hands, as a result, he was rejected by the chiefs, and Sango a
more fearsome leader assumed leadership. Sango was renowned for his iron hands both against
his enemies on the battlefield and at home with his people. He was known for his ability to
command fire and thunder. Historians nonetheless traced this to his mother’s, a Nupe woman.
The ability to control and make fire was an art mostly associated with the Nupe people, from
whom Sango may have learnt and mastered this art.
Between the years of 1500 and early 1600, there was a lull in expansion as a result of
leadership challenges and constant invasions by the neighbouring states, particularly the Nupes
and the Baribas. However, by the beginning of the 17th century, new ray of light had began to
dawn upon the empire, strong Alaafins had began to emerge. By 1608, the areas around the
capital was consolidated, potential threats from Benin had been subjugated. There was also the
conquest to the East: including Igbomina, Ijesha and Ekiti. To the south, by passing Ile-ife, the
Egbado, where the empire had its greatest influence. By the end of the 17th century, Egbado,
Ketu, Sabe to the southwest had been surmounted. In 1682, however, new wave of campaign
began. By 1726, the invasion of Dahormey started till it surrendered in 1748, by 1764, Ashante
and its neighbors were already under the Suzerainty of the Alaafin.
All these lords and kingdoms as a sign of respect payed homage to the Alaafin, every year, any
lesser king who defied this was counted rebellious and punished at the pleasure of the Alaafin.
At the peak of the empire's might, it controlled all the major trade routes within and around it
which also served the Trans-Saharan trade to North Africa. Commodities such as black gold
(pepper), Kolanut, palm oil, palm kennel, leather were all traded within and outside the empire,
serving the treasury of the Alaafin. There were also, poultry works, and different kinds of guild
systems prospering within the empire. However, when the trans-Atlantic trade came, the empire
began to focus more on the capture and sales of slaves. Revenues from this became the major
source of state revenue and for maintaining the army. By the virtue of the Alaafin's authority and
power wielded in Oyo-Ile (the capital), the political headquarters of the Yoruba people was
therefore transferred from Ile-Ife to the throne of the Alaafin, leaving the Ooni seat as the
spiritual throne for all Yoruba peoples.
The empire was organized in the form of city-states, with both the Alaafin and the Ooni
delegating power to lesser kingdom. Worthy of note was the kingdom of Ondo, Ekiti, Ogun,
Osun, Lagos, and present day Oyo which had strong occupation by the forces and authority of
the Alaafin.
It was not until the 18th century that the empire encountered the western religion, Christianity, C.
1842 and most precisely the Wesleyan Methodist Missionaries.
Animism was their religion, the practice of a supreme being appraised with names such as
Oludumare (the owner of the source of creation), Eleda (the creator), Olu-Orun (the owner of
heaven) etc. Olodumare was seen too remote to the human spirit so lesser gods like Ogun,
Obatala, Sango, and many others were deified and set up to serve as intermediaries between
mankind and him.
Politically, the government of Oyo was a centralized political and social organization with
the Alaafin at the top, followed by the Oyo Mesi: Osorun, Agba’kin, Samu, Alapini, Laguna,
Akiniku and Asipa (the seven chiefs from the non-royal lineages who had the power to confirm
or deny candidates for the throne). . Others included the Esos (the guards) with the Are-Ona-
Kakanfo at the top. There was also the Ogboni, these ones were charged with judicial powers and
were strongly involved in policymaking.
Ascension to the throne was not hereditary but rather elective, and the Oyo Mesi was charged
with the power to check the Alaafin’s excesses and vice versa. They were to advise the king on
all important matters of the state. The Basorun, head of the Oyo Mesi was next in power to the
king sitting as the prime minister and chancellor and was much more revered than all the Oyo
Mesi put together.
Anytime there was a show of abuse of power by the Alaafin, a vote of no confidence may be
passed on him by the Oyo Mesi court, the symbolic representation of which will be to present the
Alaafin with an empty calabash denoting his rejection by his people. He is therefore expected to
commit suicide thereafter then a new Alafin may be elected. On the other hand, even though the
line of succession for the Oyo Mesi was hereditary, the Alaafin may change it as he wishes if he
feels too much power was being concentrated in one household.
The Alaafin as the all-powerful only appeared in public three times a year. This gave birth to the
Increasing power of the Aremo (the crown prince) as ‘king of the people.’ while his father, ‘king
of the state’, couldn't attend most domestic and foreign functions, but as time went by, Aremos
began to abuse their power and there were instances of them killing the Alaafin to usurp power.
This was then curtailed with the law that the Aremo must die with the king since he reigned also
with him but this law was albeit repelled later by Alaafin Atiba in 1858.
The empire reigned supreme between the decades of 1600s till the beginning of the first
half of the 1800s but began to decline towards the latter half of the 19 th Century. The following
were few of the factors that led to the decline and eventual fall of Oyo: lack of strong military
and political figures such as Alaafin Abiodun ( 1774-1789); the constant contention between the
authority of the Alaafin and the Oyo Mesi; the rebellion in Dahormey, loss of control over trade
routes and disagreement on the position of slave trade within the empire which served as the
backbone of the economy; the invasions and rising power of the Fulani Caliphate headed by the
followers of Uthman Dan Fodio from the north; revolts and insurrections by the lesser
Kingdoms, their declaration of independence and autonomy; and a bigger catalist which hasten
the empire towards disintegration was the petty betrayal of the Ilorin general, Afonja.
By 1837, the empire had met a substantial collapse. With unsettled peace, inhabitants of
the capital began to migrate down south to avoid the Fulani raiders, the result of which instituted
several states such as the new Oyo, Ibadan and Abeokuta which became a settlement for the
refugees seeking asylum.
Even more, lesser states rose to the aid of the fallen glory of the Oyo Empire against the Fulani
invaders. As once a military outpost of the Oyo Empire, Ibadan was able to checkmate the Fulani
Jahadist as they came down south by the close of the 1830s.
The great Oyo empire may have fallen but its structures still exist till today across all Yoruba
states and in the mind of every Yoruba man and woman; everyone who reads the history of Old
Oyo pays mind homage to the manifest power it held. The power of the Alaafin in the new Oyo
still wields substantial authority as well as the renowned spiritual throne of Ile-Ife upon which
seats the Ooni of Ife—the two thrones holds tight to the heart, the Yoruba land.