These facts should be understood before we start discussing Ilorin’s history. Southwest Nigeria’s Kwara State is home to the city, traditional emirate, and capital of Ilorin. On the Awun River, a small tributary of the Niger, it is situated. Ilorin, which was the seventh-largest city in Nigeria by population as of the 2006 census, had 777,667 residents.
Ilorin’s history.
In the 17th century, Alaafin Ojigi’s desire to protect the Igbomina Yoruba region, which the Nupes had turned into a slave reservoir, had a direct impact on the suzerainty of the old Oyo Empire over Ilorin. He put in place the first administrative systems to organize the dispersed towns that would later become Ilorin. Laderin was the Oyo Ajele (Resident) who was appointed first. Laderin was succeeded by his son Pasin, who was in turn succeeded by his own son Alugbin, the father of Aare Afonja.
Alaafin Aole was summarily dismissed and Ilorin declared its independence as a result of the personal hostility between Aare Afonja and Alaafin Aole, which escalated into a show of strength between the two influential figures in the Oyo Empire’s administration. Two significant actions that eventually played crucial roles in the historical changes seen in Ilorin were dictated by Aare Afonja’s efforts to solidify his authority and position as the top decision-maker in the city.
The Aare’s interaction with Shehu Alimi via his friend Sholagberu was one of these actions. The second was the Aare’s choice to hire slaves who fled from their masters in Oyo town to Ilorin after Ilorin was granted independence from Oyo. The Aare’s first action was to look for spiritual encouragement for his new position and status.
As a result, after leading an Islamic evangelistic mission to Yoruba areas like Oshogbo and even Oyo Ile, he persuaded Shehu Alimi to move from Kuwo, an Ilorin suburb, where he had previously settled, into Ilorin town. Shehu Alimi eventually moved to Ilorin town thanks to Aare’s persuasive arguments. The Aare saw their presence in Ilorin as a benefit to have soldiers who have no connections to the local environment when they recruited the slaves who fled to Ilorin as a haven.
By doing so, the issue of betrayal would be resolved. Given the circumstances surrounding his proclamation of llorin’s independence from Oyo. The slave soldiers are soon mistreated as a result of Aare’s confidence in and regard for them. The slave soldiers believed that they played a critical role in ensuring that Llorin would continue to exist as a separate entity. Hii’boun, the left-wing commander of Aare’s army, was forced to alert Aare to the consequences of the excesses of the slave soldiers, also known as Aare’s servant, after they resorted to committing atrocities and rapacity. Aare Afonja’s attempts to reorganize the army with the goal of halting further harm caused by the slave soldiers’ rapacity inspired the slave soldiers to organize a mutiny, which ultimately led to Aare Afonja’s death.
According to Ilorin’s history, a void in the city’s political leadership arose after Aare Afonja died in or around 1813. Due to the fact that his slave-recruited soldiers killed him, burned his body in public, and there was no ready counterforce to develop a new political leader. It took some time for Ilorin to transition from one state to another. Because he was currently very ill, the Baba Isale, Agboin, was unable to organize a counterforce to quell the chaotic situation.
Shehu Alimi led a group of Muslims in daily prayers while focusing on his role as a cleric. The passing of Shehu Alimi in or around 1817. A major turning point in the history of Llorin occurred four years after Aare Afonja’s passing. It began a new course of events, which culminated in the emergence of a new political structure in the emirate.
Shehu Alimi had no other responsibilities that could have been passed down to his offspring because he was a devout Muslim cleric whose primary responsibility was to lead the congregation in prayer as the Imam. A religious position known as an Imam was not always to be passed down through the family of the most recent Imam.
Actually, any Muslim could run for the position. This circumstance explains why AbdulSalami, Shehu Alimi’s first son, and Bako from Serikin Gambari’s family ran for the Imam position held by Shehu Alimi in Ilorin. AbdulSalami defeated Bako thanks to the assistance of figures like Sholagberu and other well-known Yoruba group leaders close to Shehu Alimi.
As the Imam of the mosque where the slave soldiers frequently assemble to offer their daily prayers, AbdulSalam and Shitta. His younger brother was quick to forge strong bonds with them. Due to these connections, slave soldiers were used to attack people who were allegedly hostile to AbdulSalami’s leadership in the mosque.
They intimidate people who are regarded as powerful in the Ilorin community and have the power to stifle their political ambitions by attacking towns like Okesuna, which existed as a separate entity. Ilorin’s emirate status was established in about 1823 thanks to AbdulSalami and Shitta’s successful use of slave soldiers to put an end to any opposition to the realization of their political ambition in Ilorin.
Toyeje, the Bale of Ogbomoso, who succeeded Aare Afonja as Kakanfo, raised an army. The army set up camp at Ogele with the expectation that it would easily defeat the Fulani government in Ilorin; however, the Fulani had anticipated and prepared for the attack. They commanded that in order to support the Jammah, each Ihdogun must raise an army within their respective linguistic community.
The Ilorin army focused on the use of cavalry after carefully analyzing the organizational weakness of the Yoruba army on the battlefield. The Yoruba army suffered severe human casualties as a result. Many Yoruba towns in the Ibolo areas were destroyed, while others were completely overrun.
The defeat of the Yoruba alliance’s allied forces, according to Ilorin’s history, gave the city’s burgeoning forces more confidence. The betrayal that was noticed among the Yoruba allied forces, on the other hand, caused the morale of those forces to decline. The Yoruba allied forces made the tactical mistake of focusing primarily on the military structure. They were not diplomatic enough. Had they reached out to the Yoruba people who were being wronged by the Fulani, who had established themselves as the ruling class in Ilorin, their predicament might not have been as dire.
The Mugbamugba Conflict.
After a brief respite, the Yoruba got organized again and decided to drive the Fulanis out of Ilorin. The King of Kabbah, Monjia, was their new alliance partner this time. The encounter occurred between March and April when the locust fruits were ready for harvest. The effects of the previous war were still felt, as there were still many areas that were deserted and insufficient farmland to support the army’s extended camping. Within a short period of time, both the besiegers and the besieged turned to eating locust fruit (Igba). As a result, the conflict was called Mugba Mugba.
The Yoruba alliance’s allies suffered another defeat. Their understanding of how to deal with Ilorin’s power was still lacking. The Yoruba allied forces lost the courage to launch a subsequent attack as a result of their repeated defeats. The emirate army, however, developed into one that was more assertive and confident. The ravaging army of Ilorin as a result destroyed many more Yoruba towns and villages and pillaged the people’s possessions.
The effective use of diplomacy and superior calvary management contributed significantly to the success of the Llorin army. They infiltrated the Yoruba leaders’ ranks in order to sow discontent and personality conflicts among them. For example, Toyese, the Kakanfo of Oyo at Ogbomoso, and Adegun, the Onikoyi, had a fierce rivalry. A war between the two parties resulted from the alliance between the Llorin and the Onikoyi.
The Ilorin army’s triumphant conquest of the majority of Yoruba towns and villages. Turned many Yoruba residents into refugees. They were dispersed throughout Yorubaland, which continued to worry the cities that had been affected by the war. This explains why the Yoruba leaders were unable to accept the truth of the victories of the Ilorin emirate army. So they were able to regroup and launch another assault.
The power and influence of the Alaafin of Oyo continued to decline until they were confined to the capital as a result of repeated Ilorin victories over the Oyo forces. The provinces of the former Oyo empire increasingly proclaimed their independence from Oyo’s rule, and tribute payments to the Alaafin ceased.
Alaafin Amodo, one of Alaafin Abiodun’s twin brother’s grandchildren, ascended to the throne during this time of chaos and confusion. Given the circumstances, the Alaafin started his rule by attempting to unite the remaining adherents of his institution and by reaching out in friendship to important chiefs in the Oyo region.
Wolves of the Fulani.
Lanloke was identified by the Alaafin. One of these well-known and strong chiefs is the Chief of Ogodo. The town of Ogodo was once a Nupe settlement, according to its historical origins: However, Yoruba immigrants from Oyo took control of the town for commercial purposes by the end of the 18th century. The Yoruba and Nupe traders’ exchange hub, Ogodo developed into a sizable commercial city. They exchanged a variety of goods, and as a result, the ruler’s authority and clout increased.
The Yoruba community in Ogodo was of interest to Alaafin Amodo because he wanted to reestablish blood ties with them and use their connections and influence to bolster his institution’s authority. He extended his.