Bashorun Gaa’s Wicked Reign in the Old Oyo Empire
When Alaafin Labisi succeeded the previous (late) Alaafin Onisile in 1750, he appointed Gaa as his Bashorun, the chief of the Oyomesi (7 hereditary kings). During the reign of Alaafin Labisi, the ancient Oyo Empire, also known as Oyo-Ile, became so powerful that it gained the respect of the other kingdoms of Yorubaland. History records that Alaafin Labisi collected tribute from the distant kingdoms of Dahomey, Popo and Ashanti, although his reign was very short and more than half of Yorubaland’s kingdoms and villages (over 6,000) fell under the political patronage of Oyo-Ile. The ancient Oyo Empire thus became a…
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