Internecine Wars
The interior continued to be disturbed by intertribal wars until about 1870, when affairs calmed down, but in 1877 the Egbas plundered some Ibadan traders, and the Ibadans sent an army to avenge the outrage.
#Yoruba
The interior continued to be disturbed by intertribal wars until about 1870, when affairs calmed down, but in 1877 the Egbas plundered some Ibadan traders, and the Ibadans sent an army to avenge the outrage.
#Yoruba
Upon this the Jebus renewed their former alliance with the Egbas, and Ijesa and the Ekiti tribes, which had now been under the rule of Ibadan since 1858, seized the opportunity for rebellion, a step which was soon followed by a declaration of war against Ibadan by Illorin.
The Mohammedans of Ilorin rapidly invaded the country and laid siege to Ofa, a town situated some twenty miles to the north-east of the city of Ibadan, ...
... and the Ibadans were obliged to withdraw their army of invasion from Egba in order to defend their own territory, which was now threatened from three sides.
The Egbas, however, did not follow up the retreating force, and, indeed, took no further part in the war, they being held in check by the fear of leaving Abeokuta unprotected against Dahomi, ...
... which power had been in the habit of making annual demonstrations in its vicinity for some years past; and the struggle was continued between Ibadan, on the one side, and Ilorin, Ijesa, the Ekiti tribes, and Jebu, on the other.
Ibadan secured the support of Modakeke and Ife, two populous towns situated on hills on the opposite sides of a small stream, to the south-west of Ijesa, and the war continued for some years without any great advantage being gained by either side.
The Modakekes were staunch allies of the Ibadans, but the sympathies of the Ifes were rather with the Ijesa and the Ekiti tribes, with whom they had been in alliance during the war which terminated in 1858.
Their situation, however, made them afraid of coming to an open rupture with Ibadan, so, in response to the demand of the Ibadans, they sent a contingent to the Ibadan camp, but at the same time also secretly sent an equal force to the camp of the Ijesas and Ekitis.
This double game could not long escape detection, and in 1882 the Modakekes, assisted by a force of Ibadans, attacked Ife, and the town, which was regarded as holy, and the cradle of the Yoruba race, was destroyed.
Source: The Yoruba-speaking peoples of the Slave Coast of West Africa : their religion, manners, customs, laws, language, etc : with an appendix containing a comparison of the Tshi, Gã, Ęwe, and Yoruba languages by Ellis, A. B. (1894)
The Ekitis & Ijeshas formed an alliance called the Èkìtì Parapò̩. Ibadan’s take over & mismanagement of the Oyo Empire’s former colonies led to the war.
#Commentary:
The Ekitis & Ijeshas formed an alliance called the Èkìtì Parapò̩. Ibadan’s take over & mismanagement of the Oyo Empire’s former colonies led to the war.
The Ekitis & Ijeshas formed an alliance called the Èkìtì Parapò̩. Ibadan’s take over & mismanagement of the Oyo Empire’s former colonies led to the war.
