Compiled By Freeman Eseigbe Okosun

1. Oba Ewuare introduce identification by tribal marks

2. Esan people then started to have tribal marks 1462

3. The first set of Enijiewere made 1463

4. RvydeSequera was the First Portuguese to visit Benin 1472

5. Oba Ewuare died 1473

6. Oba ozolua was killed in Esan Land 1473

7. The Idah War was fought 1516

8. The Akure War was fought 1818

9. The Kukuruku War was fought 1850

10. Undo-Ewatto war was fought 1870

11. The National African Company Limited was granted a Royal Charter
as THE ROYAL NIGER COMPANY with Authority to administer the territories 1885

12. Ujagbe left Ewu for Agbede 1895

13. Benin Expedition took place 1897

14. Islam was introduction to Irrua town 1898

15. Revocation of the charter of the Royal Niger Company 1899

16. Arrival of the British to Uromi town 1900

17. Ogbidi the Onojie of Uromi was crowned 1901

18. Idumebo Usugbenu was establish in Uromi 1902

19. The first Native Court was established in Uromi 1903

20. The first Government School was opened at Irrua 1905

21. Ubiaja administrative Station was opened. It served as
Headquarter 1906

22. Mr. Crewe Reade moved from Agbede to Ubiaja 1906

23. He died as result of riot in Owa, Agbor 1906

24. Government School Uromi was opened to pupils 1906

25. The Onojie of Ugboha, Okojie was installed 1906

26. Osmond Welde - a young brave hunter was killed by
irate buffalo near Illushi 1907

27. Government School Ewu was opened 1908

28. Revd Father Clement Barnwatt arrived Ubiaja 1908


29. Mr. Todd organized the first Empire Day celebration for school
children 1908

30. Agbor Esan Road was opened 1908

31. Mr. Profit took over as Administrator 1909

32. Mr. Henry Dene visited 1909

33. Revd Father Corbeau arrived in Ukomi,Uromi 1910

34. Mr. F.N Ashley-Francis was transfer to Calaber1910

35. Government School Ekpomawas opened to pupils 1910

36. Mr. Henry Dene made second tour of Esan 1911

37. Mr. M. S. Cosking became political officer. He quelled Agwa rising.
1912

38. Women in Enijies haven were freed 1912

39. Introduction of British made coins 1912

40. A. Norton Harper 1913

41. Mr. F.N was in Esan 1912

42. Mr. A.N. harper sent Ojeifo the Martyr of Ewu to jail for
crimes committed under the indirect slave trade 1912

43. Mr. A ,N harper finally put an end to slave trade in Esan 1913

44. Mr. R. J Sasse arrived as administrator 1913

45. Mr. A.E. Hanson became senior district offier in Esan, he was
torpedoed as a result of area 1914

46. The first World War was fought 1914

47. The North and South Nigeria was merged and name Nigeria 1914

48. Mr. H. G Aveling also served as administrator 1914

49. Mr. E.E Porter served as administrator 1914

50. Lieutenant Edward Falk was in Esan as administrator
1915

51. Mr. E. A. Hanson after touring Esan died in the sea 1916

52. Mr. W.B. Ruman, a stauch Roman Catholic Compile Esan
Civil Code 1917

53. Mr. H.G Aveling came to Esan 1918

54. Ewohimi Native Court was inaugurated 1918

55. Mr. W.B. Ruman introduced tax of 2 shillings 1918

56. Ogbidi of Uromi was deported to Ibadan 1918

57. Mr. W, B. as the District Officer relieved the people of Uromi from
the hard rule of Ogbidi 1918

58. The Influenza (Ehoho) 1919 – 1920

59. Esan Enijie Council with executive and Judicial powers was
inaugurated 1920 (25th April)

60. Ubiaja native Court was set up 1920

61. Onojie of Okhuesan was appointed member of Ubiaja native Court
1920

62. Esan Council was created 1920

63. Mr. E. C palmer amended taxation in Esan, exempting women and
increasing that of men 1920

64. Mr. R. J Hook arrived in Esan 1922

65. Mr. J. C Hamilton arrived in Esan 1922

66. Mr. E. C Palmer arrived in Esan 1922

67. Mr. Wann arrived in Esan. He was believed that he had
Government’s authority to kill by shooting. He was handicap as a
result of his loss of one leg 1922

68. Captain G.A Williams arrived Esan 1923

69. Mr. H. G Aveling returned to Esan for third time in December 1923

70. Mr. H. G. Aveling left Esan 1924

71. Mr. J. C. F. Pender arrived in Esan 1924

72. Mr. R.L. Archer arrived in Esan 1925

73. Idubor'sOsenuwegbe Movement at Ogba,Benin 1925

74. Arrival of Idubor at EgoroIshan 1926

75. Mr. R. J. hook arrived at Esan 1926

76. Captain G. A Williams arrived Esan 1926

77. Mr. E. Condra Palmer arrived in Esan 1926

78. Mr. E .B Waton arrived in Esan 1926

79. Mr. V. C. M. Kelsywas the Distrct Officer in Esan 1927

80. Mr. H. Maddocks tenure in Esan was tough for the Enijie
1927

81. Umane - Owegbe, Osenuwegbe at AgwaIrrua 1928

82. Mr. G. A. Williams Arrived in Esan 1928

83. Mr. J. G. Pykennott arrived in Esan 1929

84. Captain G.A Williams arrived 1930

85. Mr. V. C. M. Kelsy 1931

86. Mr. H. L. M Butherwas intelligence officer 1932

87. Mr. Pykenneott arrived in Esan 1932

88. Mr. R. J. D Fremlin tried to unravel the murder of
Okoduwa of Idumuebo 1934

89. Mr. H. F. Marshall became Resident in Benin Province 1935

90. Mr. H.F. relieved Mr. Hoskins – Abrahall as Lt.
Governor of Western Region 1935

91. Mr. H.F became the Chief Secretary to the Federal Government of
Nigeria 1935

92. Isesele Ojeifo became the Onojie of Ewu 1935

93. Captain J. N. Hill arrived in Esan 1938

94. Captain A. P. Pullen devised the Pullen Markets the
Pullen Markets of Lagos during the World War 1939

95. Mr. H.L McMullah was conscripted in to the Army during the World
War 1939

96. Mr. H. Spottingswoode became District Officers 2 1939

97. Mr. R. L. V. Wilkes arrived in Esan 1940

98. He was popularly known as OiboEnedion 1940

99. R.L. V Wilkes tried to abolish forceful marriage of children 1941

100. Shortage of salt in the World generally 1945

101. Ora was finally excised from Esan 1945

102. The end of second World War 1945

103. Mr. T. F. Barker arrived in Esan 1945

104. The Mr. F. D. Mcgrath arrived in Esan, later became Clerk
to the Western House of Assembly 1946

105. Isidahomen II of Irrua was shown of his judicial power for a year
1946

106. Major W. S. Smith was posted to Esan 1946

107. Mr. W.K.D Mckae was posted to Esan 1947

108. There was total eclipse of the sun 1947

109. Mr. W.K.D. McRae was back at Esan 1948

110. St Carnillus Hospital Uromi was established 1948

111. Mr. J.A. Bey arrived in Esan 1949

112. Zuma memorial Hospital Irrua was founded 1950

113. Mr. J.A.G McCall was in Esan 1950

114. Mr. J.A.G. McCall was in Esan 1951

115. Mr. F. Preston –Potts acted as District Officer 1951

116. Mr.W.W. Woodall became Acting District
office 1951

117. Mr. W.R. Hatch arrived in Esan Senior District
officer 1952

118. Mr. M. M. R. Haig was in Esan. He introduced fair
hearing. He believed no one should be judge until he
or she is heard 1952

119. The provincial Farm at Ogba was transferred to Irrua 1953

120. Mr. M.M.R Haig and Mr. percy Dyson 1953

121. Telecommunication extending from Ubiaja, Irrua, Ekpoma to Auchi
was started 1953

122. Mr. G.F harris arrived in Esan 1954

123. Chief Obafemi Awolowo introduced Free Primary Education 1955

124. Mr. M. M. R Haig back to Esan 1955

125. Mr.Isles took over from M. M. R. Haig 1955

126. Mr. Don Litch who hates Esan politics arrived 1956

127. Chief Anthony was the first Nigeria to demand for independence
from Britain 1956

128. Mr. C.J.M. Ross arrived in Esan 1957

129. Mid-West was independent 1957

130. Nigeria became independent 1960

131. Mid-West was created 1963

132. Chief Jeriton Mariete became Governor of Mid Western
Region 1963

133. Dr Christopher Okojie became the Minister for works and transport
in the Mid West 1964

134. First Military coup ‘De’tat in Nigeria 1966

135. Second Military coup ’De’tat in Nigeria 1967

136. Mid-Western was invaded by Biafra 1967

137. Nigeria civil war started 1967

138. Nigeria civil war ended 1970

139. Muritala Mohammed was killed 1976

140. Obasanjo took over the government of Nigeria 1976

141. Second Republic was born and President Sheshu Shagari became the
first Executive President 1979

142. Ambrose Folorunso Alli became the Governor of Bendel
State 1979

143. ShehuShagari government was toppled by Buhari/Idiagbon 1983

144. Esan Progressive Union (EPU) was formed in Ibadan 1984

145. Buhari/Idiagbon government was also toppled by Babangida 1985

146. Bendel Flour and Feed Mills was established at Ewu 1986

147. Esan was split into four Local Governments 1991

148. Esan West, Ekpoma as headquarter

149. Esan Central, Irrua as headquarter

150. Esan North East, Uromi as headquater

151. Esan south East, Ubiaja as headquater

152. Interim Government was installed and headed by Earnest
Shonekan 1993

153. Chief Anthony Anenin was elected as the Chairman of the Social
Democratic Party of Nigeria (SDP)

154. Onojie of Ewu, IseseleOjeifo II died 1997

155. Court declare JafaruOjeifo as Onojie

156. Jafaru Isesele I of Ewu in a nineteen month legal tussle
1999

[b]ARCHAEOLOGY AND ESAN ORIGIN

By A. I. Okoduwa

Of the cultural history of Esan the origin seem to be the least studied and the most misconstrued. Where it was studied, interest was mainly directed at documenting the oral accounts of the Esan people. These works including the various intelligence Reports written by colonial officials who were in the area maintained that the people of Esan had their ancestors in Benin. This view was increasingly held and popularised by generations of Esan students, scholars and traditionalist. By it, Esan origin dates back to just about 500 years ago when emigrants fled Benin for the jungle to avoid the harsh rule of Oba Ewuare in Benin.


It did not really matter whether people had lived or were living in the area or whether emigrations from Benin was part of a grand imperial design to form annexures to an expanding Benin. Thus Esan origins was not seriously analysed for general acceptance. Instead, the traditionals simply enabled the individual to locate himself within his family lineage and the larger community. Origin is more than this. The aim of this chapter therefore is to examine Esan origin in the light of archaeological evidence from the area. It is hoped that at the end a more expanded out look of Esan origin will emerge.

The origin of Esan has been the subject of great controversy since the major tool for reconstruction of the early Esan history has been oral traditions in which various communities lay claim to one migration or the other. On a large scale, these numerous versions have been unanimously in the contention that the people came directly or indirectly from Benin. Sometimes the claim has been mainly on some observable similarities in language and customs of the Esan and Bini people.

Esan as a word has had other variants, for example, Isa, Esa and Ishan. The early European travellers, writers and administrators used these word interchangeably. It is evident in the pre-colonial history of Esan that Esan as a name, referring to a settled people had long existed before the 15th century. In other words, there are cultural evidence in Esan oral traditions which are indicative of the fact that before the 15th century, Esan consciousness was in existence. J Egharevba, the Bini historian writes:

“The early people of Esan or Ishan were Bini emigrants from the first and second periods of the Bini Empire. Esan is the name of the first man who migrated became the founder and progenitor of Esan.”

Two issues are raised by Egharevba, the issue of origin and that of the derivation of name “Esan” Egharevba had no conclusive evidence on either the origin of the Esan people or their name. Rather, what would appear plausible in the assertion is that “Esan progenitors” may have had a common migrating stock with early Bini settlers. Bini traditional or palace historians who are essentially imperial in their outlook see the origin of Esan as beginning from the reign of Oba Ewuare in about 1440 A.D. and the name Esan being derived from the description of the manner in which the Esan people fled –‘Esanfua’ – during Ewuare’s reign. Dr Christopher Okojie contradict this when he says:

“It would at first appear that Ishan (Esan) did not originate until after 1440, when Oba Ewuare imposed his selfishness and wickedness on the great Benin stool. No, before this time there were inhabitants scattered in the jungles now comprising Ishan as evidence by our own Ishan (Esan) folks lores featured Ogiso – the common name for Bini rulers before the advent of the great Oranmiyan.”

It would appear pertinent to emphasize the point that Esan people did not suddenly into existence during the reign of Oba Ewuare. People has existed in the Esan geographical area and these people had a knowledge of themselves according to Esan extant traditions. When the exodus occurred, Bini immigrants fled or moved to various places in what Edo land and therefore the eventual settlement of these Bini immigrants was not peculiar to Esan. It is argued, that naturally people hardly migrate to places unknown, the Bini immigrants went to settle where they had previous contacts with. Furthermore, migrants would move to places where they hoped to have security and accommodation. In other words, there were contacts and intersections between Bini and Esan before the exodus of the 15th century. ‘Esan-fua’ does not explain the origin of Esan. It’s doubtless therefore, that Esan-fua as a term was a concocted expression often told as jokes against neighbours. Alagoa describe such a tradition as a “stereotype of abuse.”

Although the Ewuare version of Esan origin may mean the origin of organized political institutions in the area and the phase of radical societal restruc-turing due largely to increased migrants from Benin into the area it would not be appropriate to see it in terms of the origin per se of all that is the Esan entity. This view is more pronounced since some communities owe their origin to areas other than Benin. One of such communities is Irrua which according to tradition was the earliest kingdom founder in Esan by a warriors from Ifeku, an island near Idah. Butcher in the same vein claims of Irrua origin that some sections of the community migrated from places like Uke near Benin and Abgede in Etsako while Otouruwa inhabitants are said to have migrated from Uhe near Ife at about the same time that Bini people migrated from the region. Like Bradbury in his Bini Studies. Butcher contents that Esan is of heterogenous origin. Although this view complements the migration theory, an archaeological dimension to these contentions make them more plausible than the oral traditions of the Irrua.

Recently, archaeological evidence from the Ekpoma part of Esan have revealed that people lived in organized politics in the area from about half a millennium years ago. According to Peter Darling, these people who were engage in the taste of massive earth constructions known as the Iyala were the inhabitants of a mini – kingdom at the time.

In his words “The men once engaged in this gargantuan task were most probably, the ancestors of the present day Bini and Esan (Ishan) speakers still living in the area.”

Apart from this evidence from Darling, Emessiri and Webster have shown that despite the similarities in Bini and Esan languages, their common words and intonation were derived from a common Kwa stock. Ordinarily, there exist over forty percent differences in both languages especially in technical terms. These technical terms include words of invisible objects which learners of a new language can hardly use. They include the word bone which is Ugboloko in Bini while in Esan it is known as Ugue. Also blood in Bini is esagien while in Esan it is called arhanlen. On the other hand words for common visible objects are identical. Again, a third category of words derived from the period of European contact to the present day reveal identical names.

These include fruit names like pine-apple, pawpaw, banana, plantain etc. the use lexical changes from Esan to Bini has been put at about forty per cent, phonological changes also forty per cent while the percentage of Bini derived words has been suggested to be about eighty percent consequently, out of the a total of sixty words percentages of similarities and differences of Esan from Bin language been pure as below:

Differences 19 = 32%
Similarities 20 = 33%
Phonological Changes 21 = 35%
Loan words from Bini 41 = 8=68%

The language of Esan is the only linguistic pattern employed by the people as a group. It serves as a generic name for the distinct varieties spoken in the numerous chiefdoms spreading over the present Agbazilo, (now Esan North East and Esan South). Okpegbho, (Now Esan Central, and Esan West), Etsako, and Akoko –Edo Areas. Esan manifest the closet linguistic similarity to the Bini language in terms of the lexical terms used but the intonation in Esan and the over forty percent differences in technical items demonstrates the survival of the aboriginal Esan linguistic pattern.

Also deserving attention in the quest for the study of Esan origin is the aspect of totems. A lot of differences exist between Benin and Esan totemic practices. Fundamental variations in totemic practices indicate some form of differences in the cultural develop – ment of the Esan and Bini people. Among the major totem. This is particularly interesting because the alligator is not a common animal in Esan as the land does not possess any particular large of water. Perhaps even more significant is the fact that among the Bini people, the alligator is not a totem. The contention therefore is that the alligator totem probably reflects the pre-15th century origin of that part of Esan when cross migration from as far as the swamps forest of the Niger Delta must have occurred. This suggestions accentuated by the fact that among the Orogun people of the Niger Delta, the alligator is the major totem. Also, the long tailed bird (Ogbemensukpe) meaning “whoever kills me would not last for a year” us a major totem peculiar only to the Esan people among the diverse Edo speaking group of people.

It’s from this point that any meaningful quest for Esan origin must begin from the aboriginal settlers of the region. This is possible through archaeological surveys in the area. Although systematic archaeological surveys for Stone Age habitations are yet to be carried out in Esan like the one done R.C. Soper in Northern Nigeria, there is the strong evidence that Hoeing up the earth for seasonal planting of crops sometimes revealed polished stone tools knowns as Udo-avan. Because of their antiquity, traditions and stories hold that they fell from the sky during thunder storms since logically no rocks exist in such areas. Rather, Stone Age men and users had been known to carry their stone tools to areas of need and consequently caused a dispersal of such stones tools. But oral tradition would not remember this. There is therefore the growing belief that the Bini had crossed the Esan geographical area during migration from the Savannah down south into the forest region. This view is further enhanced by the fact the founder and first Onojie of Udo, an ancient Benin town was said even in Udo traditions to have been Esan migrant.

Udo was an earlier Kingdom to Benin. Furthermore the analysis made on the cultures of the Guinea Coast area and the Congo Basin by famous ethnographers like Herskovits, Ankermann and Trobenus is of vital importance. Their submission on the direction of culture dissemination not only tallied with Professor Greenberg’s study of Bantu migrations, but also indicates the possibilities of an ancient Benin empire springing out of Esan region. Large migrations I n the opposite direction (from Benin to Esanland) only occurred in the 15th century when as result of the prevailing conditions at the time in Benin, certain groups of people had cause to retrace their foot- steps back in the direction from where their ancestors and forbears came. To this extent, the aboriginal Esan never referred to themselves as the Esan people. It was not until 1463 when under Oba Ewuare that the word (Esan) came to be increasingly applied to the Kingdoms and their people North East of Benin City.

The Edo language group to which the Esan and Bini languages belong like their Igbo and Yoruba languages also belong to the Kwa language family which in turn was a part of the larger Niger – Congo stock. The Nigeria Congo group of languages according to language experts commenced its process of separation about 4,500 years ago, the same time Esan Origin in the second or third centuries B.C. P.J. Darling archaeological work in Esan lends credence to this view. It tallies with the dispersal and separation of the Nigeria – Congo language belt form north to south from the central Nigeria language and moved straight on South-wards and Eastward into the Congo basin, and from there fanned out. Thus it was not a migration from the South to the North or North –East as implied in the existing tradit-ions on Esan origin.

Of necessity, a prelude towards a plausible study of Esan origin must embrace both the various migration theories and the aboriginal factor. Each available evidence and document must be meticulously weighed on its merit. Popular traditions which propound the Ewuare version, rather than being considered in isolation but also by totemic practices and general cultural peculiarities of the Esan people. Above all, archaeology must be an asset. To rigidly peg the origin of Esanland on the 15th century mass migration from Benin would be too simplistic. The 15th century migrations and the conference of appeasement between Oba Ewuare and the various Esan representatives which followed can best be put I n its proper perspective if seen as a turning point in the evolution of the Esan polity when chiefdoms built around Enigie as they now exist began to emerge. This marked the beginning of the prevent socio-political system in Esan, father than it’s entire origin.


Source:
Department of History. Edo State University Ekpoma, Nigeria.

@WPP Jr
Editor/Publisher
www.ewohimi.com
[/b]

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who are esans in fact divided you fall united u stand all we know is Edo ppl what is this one saying go and unit with Edo ppl

mr1759:
who are esans in fact divided you fall united u stand all we know is Edo ppl
what is this one saying go and unit with Edo ppl

I never said Esan was not an Edo,We are somebody and great in our own way...thanks..

Stereotype or not great people. This is the real minority that have achieved not that one trying to get us to notice them.

Hi are you male or female

mr1759:
who are esans in fact divided you fall united u stand all we know is Edo ppl
what is this one saying go and unit with Edo ppl

Your poor grammar makes me puke.