Ancient & Pre-Colonial Nigeria
Histories of Nigerian kingdoms, empires, trade routes, and cultures before colonial rule, including Nok, Benin, Oyo, Sokoto, and Kanem-Bornu.
Fall of Oyo-Ile: How the Alaafin’s Crown Survived as Military Power Moved South
The Fall of Oyo-Ile was one of the decisive turning points in Yoruba history. When the ancient imperial capital was abandoned during the final...
Ibadan Empire in Ijesa and Ekiti: The 38-Year Rise That Ended in Revolt
The Ibadan Empire in Ijesa and Ekiti did not emerge from a single conquest or a carefully designed imperial plan. Its foundations developed gradually...
Battle of Osogbo: How the Powerful 1840 Victory Reshaped Ibadan–Ilorin Rivalry
The Battle of Osogbo, generally dated to about 1840, stands among the most consequential military encounters of nineteenth-century Yorubaland. An Ilorin army commanded by...
Owu War and the Rise of Ibadan: How a Powerful Crisis Remade Yorubaland
The Owu War and the Rise of Ibadan belong to one of the most consequential periods in Yoruba history. Before Ibadan became the military...
Ibadan Rise to Power: The Remarkable War Camp That Helped Defeat Ilorin at Osogbo
The Ibadan rise to power was one of the most consequential political transformations in nineteenth-century Yorubaland. Ibadan did not begin its ascent as an...
Battle of Osogbo aftermath: The decisive rout that strengthened Ibadan’s rise
The Battle of Osogbo aftermath reveals more than the end of a siege. It illuminates a decisive stage in the political upheaval that followed...
Ogele, Mugbamugba and Kanla: 3 Crucial Defeats That Shaped the Road to Osogbo
Ogele, Mugbamugba and Kanla were three major attempts identified by Samuel Johnson to reverse the loss of Ilorin during the violent political upheavals that...
Ibadan Military System: The Powerful War Order Behind the 1840 Osogbo Victory
The Ibadan military system that emerged during the upheavals of nineteenth-century Yorubaland was one of the most distinctive political arrangements of its time. Ibadan...
Battle of Osogbo: The Decisive 1840 Victory That Checked Ilorin and Raised Ibadan
The Battle of Osogbo in 1840 came at a critical moment in Yoruba history. The old Oyo political order had collapsed, Ilorin had emerged...
Ilorin and the Fall of Old Oyo: The Powerful Road to Osogbo, c. 1796 to 1840
Ilorin and the Fall of Old Oyo cannot be understood as a simple story of betrayal, foreign invasion or sudden conquest. The transformation unfolded...