IPC HISTORY

THE OLD OYO EMPIRE

Topic: The Decline (Fall) of Old Oyo

Objectives: To be able to discuss the factors that led

to the fall of the Old Oyo empire and Afonja’s
defection.
H.O.M: Finding humour
The Fall: The Decline and Eventual Razing of Old Oyo Empire.
As with all nations, too much wealth often leads to strife, jealousy, and conflict amongst it's rulers. Oyo was no
exception. The increase in the empire's wealth brought about this conflict. Some of the rulers aimed to use the
wealth to further strengthen their military force; but the other half wanted to gain more wealth, and amass a
fortune.
A bitter and bloody civil war broke out during the reign of Alaafin Abiodun, and this caused a weakness in the
central government of the empire.
The events that led to the secession and eventual fall of Oyo began towards the end of the 18th Century, (1793
to be precise). The events that led to the secession of Ilorin began in 1793. Ilorin was a war camp headed by the
Are-Ona Kakanfo Afonja. Afonja took cause with Awole when the latter had commanded him to attack Alaafin
Abiodun's maternal home, Iwere-ile. Afonja being bound by an oath and also desirous not to fall under a curse
from a previous Alaafin made to the effect that any Aare Ona Kakanfo who attacked Iwere-Ile (his paternal
home) was to die miserably; this order Afonja ignored. Further cause was also given in 1795 when Awole again
asked Afonja to attack the market town of Apomu which was a part of Ile-Ife.
The Fall: The Decline and Eventual Razing of Old Oyo Empire.

All Alaafins, due to the Yoruba belief that Ife was the spiritual home of the Yorubas, were made to swear an oath
never to attack Ife. Afonja carried out Awole's order and sacked Apomu but on the return of the army from
Apomu Afonja marched on the capital Oyo-Ile (which was a taboo), and demanded that Awole resign. Awole
eventually committed ritual suicide. After the death of Awole there was a scramble for the throne by numerous
contenders; some were reported to have spent less than six months on the throne; there was also a period of
interregnum of almost twenty years where the various factions could not agree on a candidate for the
throne. This period of vacuum led to the rise of powerful military and regional commanders like Adegun, the
Onikoyi and others like the Otun to the Are-Ona Kakanfo, called Solagberu, and also Shehu Alimi, who was the
leader of a growing Muslim population in Oyo. These new powers had lost regard for the office of the Alaafin due
to the various political wranglings and the lack of a central authority at the time; this situation eventually led up
to Afonja seceding Ilorin from Oyo in 1817 with the help of Oyo Muslims
In 1823, after Afonja had been killed by his allies, Shehu Alimi and Solagberu (Solagberu was also
later killed by Alimi's son), Ilorin became part of the Sokoto Caliphate. By the time Captain Hugh
Clapperton visited Oyo-Ile in 1825 during the reign of Alaafin Majotu, the empire was already in
a state of decline. Clapperton's party recorded passing numerous Oyo villages burned by the
Fulani (Ilorin) while Majotu had also sought the help of the English king and the Oba of Benin in
putting down the Ilorin rebellion. Clapperton also noticed a shortage of horses, even though the
Oyo were renowned as a great cavalry force; this might have something to do with the fact that
most of the empire's soldiers and hence cavalry were stationed at Ilorin under the command of
Afonja and later on Alimi's successors. Ilorin then besieged Offa and started raiding, burning
and pillaging villages in Oyo, eventually destroying the capital Oyo-Ile in 1835.
 Power Tussle Loss of Ilorin
Ago d’ Oyo
(Oyo war camp)

Factors that led

Large size of
to the fall of Oyo Loss of
the Empire
Empire Egbado
corridor

Afonja’s The Dahomey

Defection Fulani
Jihad revolt
 Constant change of Alaafin Abiodun’s failed wars against Borgu and
The decline of Alaafin by Bashorun Nupe, making them lose generals
Oyo Empire

Loss of Ilorin (Oyo war

Afonja’s defection and coup with camp) as a result of Afonja’s
Awole plan with Shehu Alimi and
Solagberu

Loss of Egbado corridor leading to Dahomey’s Revolt against Alaafin’s Movement of Oyo capital
death of Ilaris order to Ago d’ Oyo
Loss of the Egbado Corridor
As Oyo tore itself apart via political intrigue, its vassals began taking advantage of the situation to press
for independence. The Egba, under the leadership of Lishabi, massacred the Ilari stationed in their area
and drove off an Oyo punitive force.
The Dahomey Revolt
In 1823 Dahomey was reported to have raided villages that were under the protection of Oyo for slaves
due to the high demand for them. Oyo immediately demanded a huge tribute from King Gezo for the
unauthorized invasion, to which Gezo sent his Brazilian agent, Francisco Félix de Sousa, to the Alaafin at
Oyo to make peace. The peace talks eventually broke down and Oyo attacked Dahomey. The Oyo army
was finally defeated, ending Oyo's control over Dahomey. After gaining its independence, Dahomey
began raiding the corridor.
The Fulani Jihad
After Awole's rejection, Afonja, now master of Illorin, invited a wandering Fulani scholar of Islam called Alim al-Salih
 into his ranks. By doing this, he hoped to secure the support of Yoruba Muslims and volunteers from the Hausa-
Fulani north in keeping Ilorin independent. Torn by internal struggle, Oyo could not defend itself against the
Fulani. Oyo-Ile was razed by the Fulani Empire in 1835 and the Oyo Empire collapsed in 1836. To this day, the Illorin
traditional ruler is an emir, whereas in the rest of Yoruba towns the rulers are called oba or baale (Baale or Baba
Onile meaning "father of the land" or "lord of the land").

Ago d'Oyo
After the destruction of Oyo-Ile, the capital was moved further south, to Ago d'Oyo. Oba Atiba sought to preserve
what remained of Oyo by placing on Ibadan the duty of protecting the capital from the Ilorin in the north and
northeast. He also attempted to get the Ijaye to protect Oyo from the west against the Dahomeans.The center of
Yoruba power moved further south to Ibadan, a Yoruba war camp settled by Oyo commanders in 1830.
 Afonja’s Afonja was the Aare Ona He helped Awole to
Defection Kankanfo of Oyo, based in Ilorin destroy Apomu market
(Oyo war camp) in Ife

After that, he forced He then planned with Shehu Alimi Shehu Alimi betrayed
Awole to commit suicide and Solagberu to take over Ilorin Afonja by killing him and
from Oyo taking over Ilorin instead

Shehu Alimi’s son took over after Ilorin has been ruled by Fulanis since
successfully killing his father and then and this made Ilorin part of the
Solagberu Sokoto Caliphate

Since then, the king of Ilorin is

referred to as Emir.