Political Organization in 14th Century Yoruba land (pt.2)

[Olùkọ́ Ọbádélé]

[Note: please refer to the note at top of post in pt1 of this series]

Idibo

Abawole lati Ita/ Entrance of a "Traditional" Palace

Bi Alaafin kan ba waja (Iku Oba) ni iba mu pelu asa, won ko gbodo tufo re titi di igba ti won yio fi yan Alaafin miran. Oro ti won ma 'nlo ni pe Alaafin ti re “Iwale Asa”. Won yio yan Alaafin miran.

Awon agba okunrin ni yio fa omo meta wonyi, One-Isokun, Ona-Aka ati Omo-Ola, awon egbon ati omo egbon oba sugbon lopo igba ti won ma npe ni “Baba Oba”. Awon wonyi ni yio daba tabi daruko fun Oyomesi, otonkulu, fun idibo sugbon ohun tabi ero okan Basorun se pataki ninu gba ta bi da enika pada.

Ajodun alarinrin ati nla lo man waye ki won to gun ori alefayi.Ni eyin igba ti gbogbo eto ba ti to, Ajodun bere pelu irubo ti o man wa la ti ile Ona-Isokun, ti awon Omo-Ninari si ma n'gbe ohun irubo won yii. Awon Omo-Ninari ni awon omo okunrin ti o wa lati idile pataki ti won ma n'gbe ohun irubo lo fun oba ati awon alawo.

Ti won ba ti wo inu ile ti eni ti won yan wa, won o pe jade, sugbon ogbodo dide pelu enika ni egeb re. Won o fi igba irubo kan ni igba aya ati ejika re mejeji (Otun ati Osi), ti eni ti o wa ni egbe re yio si ma pa ofo. Eyi lo tunmosi wipe won ti pe si ori alefa yii.

Ni ile One-Isokun, awon Omo-ni-Nari ni kan ni won yio wo ile, ti won yio si gba ni imoran bi yio sesi ijoba re lai ni wala, awon ni won duro gege bi baba re. Ni eyin eyi ni won yio se awon etuto lati fo mon, ni eyi ti awon Omo-ni-Nari yio gbe kakiri origun ilu.

Yio lo ale keji ni ile Otun-Iwefa (Oloye ti o tele ti tele) Oloye yi gege bi Abore Sango, yio se awon etuto ti o tunmo si wipe Oba Lola ti di abore fun awon ara ilu Oyo




Gbogbo eto ilu wa ni akoso Basorun ni asiko yi

TRANSLATION
Upon the demise of one Alafin, tradition demands that the death is not

disclosed until a new one is elected. The term used here is that Alafin has entered a Vault in the air. A new Alafin is elected;the nomination is first made by his uncles.

The nominators are three titled members of the royal family, viz., the ONE- ISOKUN, the ONA- AKA and the OMO-OLA,Uncles or Cousins of the King, but generally entitled the “Kings Fathers.”

These have to submit or suggest the names to the Oyo Mesi, the noblemen, for election , but the Bashorun's voice is paramount to accept or to reject.

Curious and elaborate ceremonies precede the actual accession to the throne. After all arrangements have been made, the ceremonies begin by a sacrifice brought from the house of the ONA-ISOKUN by a body of men called OMO-NINARI; these belong to a family specially concerned with carrying out all menia duties connected with the offering of sacrifices and in waiting upon the King and the priests.


Traditional Entrance to the Outer

Palace

As soon as they enter the house where the King -elect is, he is called out, and he has to stand up with an attendant by his side. He is touched on the chest and on the right and left shoulders with the bowl of sacrifce, the attendant in the mean time uttering some form of words(incantations).

This is the signal that he has been called to the throne. On the evening of the same day, he is conducted quietly in to the house of the ONA-ISOKUN where he spends the first night. In order to avoid the crowd, the attention of the populace is usually diverted by a procession of the Kings' slaves and others with much noise and ado, as if escorting him,whilst the king -elect accompanied by the Aregbedi, a titled eunuch, and a few of the Omo-ni-Nari come up quietly a long way behind.

At the ONE-ISOKUN's house, he is attended solely by the Omo-ni-Nari. He is admonished and advised by those who stand to him in place of a father. Some ceremonies of purification are carried out ,propitiatory sacrifices are again offered which are carried to various quaters of the city by Omo-ni-Nari.

He spends the next night at the house of the Otun-Iwefa (the next in rank to the chief of the eunuchs). This official being a priest of Sango, it is propable that the King-elect spends the night with him in order to be initiated into the Sacerdotal part of his office, the ALAFIN having as much spiritual as well as secular work to perform,being at once King and priest to his people and he probably learns there the usages and doings of the huge population in the inner precinct of the palace with which the eunuchs are quite conversant. After this, he is conducted into one of the chambers in the outer Court of the Palace (Omo ile) where he resides for three months, the periods of mourning, until his coronation.

The main gateway to the palace being closed at the demise of the king, a private opening is made for him in the outer wall through which he goes in and out of his temporay residence. During this time,he remains strictly in private,learning and practising the style and deportment of a king, and the details of the important duties and functions of his office. During this period he is dressed in black and is entitiled to use “a cap of state” called “Ori-ko-gbe-ofo.”

(The head may not remain uncovered.)

The affairs of state are at this time conducted by the Basorun.

Ijoba Kereje ati Akole/ Provincial government and title


Agbo-ile Alafin ti Oyo/Compound of the Alafin

Ijoba Oyomesi je igbekale ti o tobi, ti o si je aarin gbugbun awon abenugan oloye ati abuke. Awon Eso (Alaabo) je “ododo” ologun ninu aarin ilu, awon Oyomesi (Oloye Pataki) pin agbara na pelu Alaafin ninu ilu ti won pin si abule kereje fun ilana eto ilu to yaran ti. Awon Olominira Oba nse Olori awon ilu kokan labee aabo Alaafin. Awon Ilari ni waon maa'n ran lo si awon abule kereje ti o wa labe Alaafin lati samoju to eto isakoso baale ati lati gba isakole fun Alaafin.

Gbogbo Ilu, Abule, tabi ilu kereje yio wa labe Olori kan ti o pataki, O lee je Oba, tabi baale. Iyi ti o wu ko je, Oye idile ni o maa nje (Ayafi Ibadan) gege bee awon olorin to maa nje awon ti o koko dalute tabi de ibi ti won ngbe lati ibe ni won ti ngba oruko oye won, fun apere;-

Onikoyi ni oluwa ikoyi,Aseyin ni oluwa Iseyin, Alake ni oluwa Ake, Olowu ni oluwa Owu, Oluiwo ni oluwa Iwo, Alakija ni oluwa Ikija ati be be lo. Die lo yato si iru awon wonyi. Nibi ti awon ti o koko je oba yato si rouko oye tabi ilu tabi abule won, fun apere;-

Timi ti ilu Ede, Atawoja ti ilu Osogbo, Awujale ti ilu Ijebu, Okere ti Saki, Onibode ti Igboho ati be be lo. Ni eyi ti o je pe oruko pataki di oruko oye.

Lati igba ti awon Fulani ti fogun ko awom meteta akoko lo, awon Akole oye wonyi kan wa loruko lasan ni. Onikoye ni agbo-ile ni Ibadan, Opo ninu awon Onikoyi wa ni Ogbomosho, awon idile naa si wa, ti oye idile won naa si wa.



Bakan naa ni fun Aresa ati Ilorin sugbon nibi kibi ti asoju olori ebi ba wa, o gbodo re ara re sile fun olori ilu. Kii ba se Baale tabi Oba. Be ni Olugbon Ogbomosho je ara ilu si Baale Ogbomoso, Area si Oba tabi emir ti Ilorin, ati pe bakanna Olowu ti Abeokuta je ara ilu lasan si Alake, ti oje Olori awon Oloye Egba.

Ni agbegbe ekun osi ati ekun otun, ko si ilana pataki kakan ni tito awon Oloye ninu eto ijoba ilu. Ni opolopo ibi ni awon ti nlo atunse ilana oye Oyo. Akole oye Ibolo – laarin awon ibolo, awon idile Oba ni won npe ni Omolaisin. Oye ti o tele ti Oba ti o dabi Basorun ni Osa, eyi tio tun tele ni Aro, lehinna ni Odofin, ki o to wa kan Ejemu. Awon wonyi ni Alamojuto ninu Oloye pataki. Awon yoku ni Olori Ogun, Oloye Amugbalegbe bii, Jagun ati Igbakeji re, Olukotun ati Olukosi.

Bakanna ni Agba-Akin, Gbonka, Asipa, tii se Akole oruko Oloye Oyo ti di ayalo. Awon ti o tun kan ni saguma, Sakotun, Sakosi, Asape, Oladifi, Esinkin ati awon Arogunyo. Awon Oloye Alokoso ilu ma'nse idajo keekekee sugbon awon oro pataki ni won man ngbe lo siwaju Alaafin Oyo ti o ni agbara Isakoso ati idajo ti ko se yi pada bi ti awon ilu atijo Medes ati Persians.


TRANSLATION:

The Oyo Mesi government established an elaborate and semi oriental court of priests, officials and eunuchs. The Esho ( a Pretorian Guard ) constituted the "flower" of its armies in the metropolis , the Oyo Mesi (the Nobility ) shared supreme power with the Alafin in the provinces into which the towns which formed the core of the empire had been grouped for administrative purposes; dependent Kings ruled under the protection of the Alafin.Ilari or Intendents were sent to the remoter parts of the empire to supervise the local administration of the Baale or Headmen or lesser Kings and collect tribute for the Alafin.

Every town, village or hamlet is under a responsible Head, either a provincial “king” or a "Bale" (Mayor). In every case the title is hereditary (except in Ibadan) as such heads are invariably the founder or descendants of the founder of their town or district, and from it they take their title, e.g :-

The Onikoyi, lord of Ikoyi; Aseyin, lord of Iseyin; Alake, lord of Ake; Olowu, lord of Owu; Oluiwo, lord of Iwo; Alakija, lord of Ikija etc. There are a few exceptions to this rule, where the first ruler had a distinctive name or title before he became the head of the town or district, e.g:-

Timi of Ede, Atawoja of Osogbo, Awujale of Ijebu, Okere of Saki, Onibode of Igboho, etc., in which case the distinctive name becomes the hereditary title of the chief ruler.

Since the wave of Fulani invasion swept away the first three, those title exit only in name. The Onikoyi has a quarter at Ibadan, the bulk of the Ikoyi people being at Ogbomoso, the family is still in existence. And the title kept up.



The same may be said of Aresa at Ilorin. But wherever the representative head of the family may be, he is completely subject to the ruler of the town, be he a Bale or a King. Thus the Olugbon at Ogbomoso is subject to the Bale of Ogbomoso, the Aresa to the king or Emir of Ilorin, and similarly the Olowu at Abeokuta is norminally subject to the Alake, the Primus of the Egba chiefs.

In the Ekun Osi and Ekun Otun provinces, no special remarks are called for in the arrangement of the titles in the government; they are for the most part a modified form of the Oyo titles.

Ibolo titles:- Amongst the Ibolos the royal family is called Omolaisin. The title next to that of the king which answers to the Basorun is the Osa, next to the Osa comes the Aro, then the Odofin and then the Ejemu. These are the principal councillors.The other subordinate titles are chiefly military viz., the Jagun and his lieutenants, the Olukotun and Olukosi. Then the Agbakin, Gbonka, Asipa which are Oyo titles that have been borrowed, then the Saguna, Sakotun, Sakosi, Asape, Oladifi Esinkin and the Ar'ogunyo.



The King's civil officers judge all minor cases, but all important matters are transferred to the Alafin of Oyo whose decision and laws were as unalterable as those of the ancient Medes and Persians.
Eto Oro-Aje/ Economics

Ita Aafin Alaafin ti Oyo/ Outer Quadrangle of the Oyo Palace


Awon Yoruba je eya ti ma ngbe ilu kerejekereje. Agbe alafowo se, owo sise ati igba finfin ni ise ti won ma nse. Ni ilu Oyo atijo, ise agbe ni ise won, won ma ngbin Isu, Ege pelu Taba. Awon die ninu won amon hun aso ti awon yoku si maa n'fin igba fun oso ati fi mu emu.

Ijoba ilu Oyo gboro nipa ise owo sise ati iselu pelu ifowosowopo awon omo iya won lati oke oya, won si tun kopa ninu owo eru sise. Nitori bi oju ojo si ma n'ri ni ile Yoruba, o soro die lati sin Esin, a mon awon ara Oyo man ra Esin lati Oke oya fun lilo won. Ni ibeere awon Esin yii je asowo ra a mon won maa n'fi eru paro won ni igba to ya.

Ni senturi metadinlogun, owo eru sise dagba soke ni Isale Oya, awon ara Oyo beere si ma se owo eru pelu awon Allada ati Ouidah. Awon nkan ilu Oyinbo ti won ba ko wole je lilo fun iparo fun Esin lati Oke-Oya ati Iwo orun ni senturi mejidinlogun fun awon Bariba ati Nupe.

Parakoyi ni oruko awon Oloye ti o moju to owo Eru. Awon ni won nmoju to oro aje ilu Oyo gbogbo. Ise awon Parakoyi ni lati moju to iye owo ti won nta Eru ni oja ati iru Eru ti won ba ko wa si Oja fun tita, beni won tun ma pari ija ti o ba jeyo larin awon ara oja.

Olori Parakoyi ni oloye agba won. Awon ode ni won ma nso ita ni ale lati le awon ole ati ewu jinna si awon ara ilu. Olori won ni Olori Ode.

Alaafin Ajagbo gba owo sise laye larin awon eniyan re ati awon alamuleti won gbogbo. Won ma yo die ninu ere pama fun ati ma se ijoba ilu, awon Parakoyi ni won ma gba isakole yi ni owo awon onisowo. Isakole yii ni won maa n'ko fun Alaafin lati fi ko awon eniyan ni ogun giga ati lati fi nkan ogun.

Pelu eyi Oro aje ti Ilu Oyo gboro si ni igba ti e.



TRANSLATION:

Economics

The Yorubas are predominantly town dwellers who practice hoe agriculture and are well-known for their trading and craftsmanship. Old Oyo was primarily a farming town, producing tobacco, yams and cassava. Traditional artisans made textiles and leather goods and carved utensils from shells of the calabash gourd.

The Oyo kingdom expanded economically and maintained its power through involvement with its Northern neighbors and in the Atlantic slave trade.

But due to climatic conditions, horses could not be bred , Oyo had to import its horses from the North and from these it built its Calvary. Initially, the horses were probably paid for by the export of slaves to the North. In the 17th century, the demand for slaves grew along the coast and Oyo started to export slaves to the South through the kingdoms of Allada and Ouidah.

European goods were also imported and were used to pay for the horses in the North. The slaves came from Oyo's raids to the North and West and in the 18th century, from trade with the Bariba and Nupe.

There are trade chiefs called Parakoyi . They maintain the commercial interest of their various towns. Their duties include: price control of goods and services in the market,ensuring the standard of workmanship and settling disputes in the market. They are headed by Olori Parakoyi – Chief Head of Trade.

The Odes (Guards) keep vigil at nights and wards off attack from enemies and also wards off evil spirits. They are headed by Olori Ode.

Alafin Ajagbo ushered in a system wherein external trade was conducted between the empire and its neighbours. Traders were required to give a small portion of the goods that they traded to the state .The Parakoyis are the tax collectors. The revenues generated for the royal treasury through the taxation of trade greatly enhanced the power of the Kingdom through the training of solders and acquisition of war fares.

And with this , the empire progressed economically in its reign and beyond.