Igbo societies, like other societies in Africa, underwent far-reaching transforrmations under the impact of colonial rule. The very fact of colonial conquest shook the foundations of traditional society. The full impact of this on the Igbo can be appreciated only when it is remembered that for the various autonomous communities in this area which prided themselves in their independence and had often boasted of their military invisibility, there was no case of alien conquest and rule previous to British occupation. Until the moment of British defeat, each village was sure it was equal to the British threat. The Aro for instance, before 1901, boasted to all and sundry that they would push the British back into the sea and, because this was generally believed, they found it easy to instigate resistance to the British advance in many Igbo villages. When subsequently they were beaten, it caused consternation and dismay throughout the Eastern provinces and people started asking how IBINUKPABI, the famed Aro oracle, could not protect its own shrines, and how the widely feared Abam, Ohafia and Edda warriors could not ward off the British attack. Still, few villages were overawed which explains why the British had to continue campaigning in the Eastern Provinces until the end of the First World War.

Let us discuss the coming of the whitemen and the influence on Igbo societies. Your kind opinions please.

Three years after the defeat of the Aro for instance, the Ezza of Abakiliki told the British in their area, that they have heard how the Aro were beaten, but then that they the Ezza were stronger than the Aro. The Ezza had never been conquered by anyone, they boasted. In the whole wild world, the Ezza recognised only the heavens above and the earth beneath. Again in few days campaign, the Ezza were beaten.

If not for white men, Ibo people will still be living in the bush (no offence)

I'm sure not every group offered resistance. . . Also, what do you mean by the "emergence of new societies"?

One Cork:

If not for white men, Ibo people will still be living in the bush (no offence)

The above is an ignorant post. Ethiopians, Chinese, Japanese are not living inthe bushes.

ChinenyeN:

I'm sure not every group offered resistance. . . Also, what do you mean by the "emergence of new societies"?

Aba, Port Harcourt, Enugu and etc emerged as a result of the new order.

It was not only the traditional military machinery that failed, but also the time-honoured gods and medicine men. These too had been evoked to fight against the British but to no avail. Thus the very fact of conquest shook the peoples' belief in the superiority of their culture, and in its adequacy for all occasions. Consequently on the morrow of conquest many people found themselves disposed to acquire the secret of the whiteman's power. This quest, reinforcing a traditional tendency to imbibe new ways as long as they worked, led to a widespread drive among the Igbo and their neighbours for the transformation of their society.

Apart from disappointment with the traditional culture and institutions, there were other factors making for change and unrest. As I earlier discussed, military conquest was quickly followed by the supression of the old political order by a new one in which many people who were neither titled elders nor lineage heads, and many who were upright nor even freeborn made good. The British not only turned the old political order upside down, they also changed the economic pattern of society. They fought against the slave trade and slave dealers, causing many ancient families to lose their sources of cheap labour.

They (British) introduced new currencies in place of the old ones, as a result of which most of the latter in time became scrap metal to be broken up and used as projectiles in dane guns.

As part of new economic measures, the government built motor roads linking all the administrative centres. To this end itissued the Roads and Rivers proclamation in 1903 enabling chiefs to recruit labour for this purpose as when requested by authorities. These roads quickly became the arteries of commerce and new ideas. The people who were recruited to work on them returned to their villages with strange ideas in their heads and also with resentment in their hearts against the local chiefs who had recruited them.

The coming of the whitemen had its own negative effects in Igboland as well. For example, the Igbo mode of dressing was almost lost. British ways of dressing became the norm.
Ibo traditional names gave way for British names as well.

abadaba:

The coming of the whitemen had its own negative effects in Igboland as well. For example, the Ibo mode of dressing was almost lost. British ways of dressing became the norm.
Ibo traditional names gave way for British names as well.

not sure what is negative about the present igbo mode of dressing.before the coming of the white man our type of dressing was loin cloth over the waste and bare chest.i wonder if anyone would want to were that now.

the 'isiagu' cloth and the caps(red,white etc) are improvement or modernisation of the igbo attire.

asha 80:

not sure what is negative about the present igbo mode of dressing.before the coming of the white man our type of dressing was loin cloth over the waste and bare chest.i wonder if anyone would want to were that now.

the 'isiagu' cloth and the caps(red,white etc) are improvement or modernisation of the igbo attire.

Amongst the three dominant ethnic groups in Nigeria, Ndigbo accepted the British mode of dressing the most. Though there is Igbo consciousness in terms of dressing now, yet no where near that of the other equally large groups.

abadaba:

Amongst the three dominant ethnic groups in Nigeria, Ndigbo accepted the British mode of dressing the most. Though there is Igbo consciousness in terms of dressing now, yet no where near that of the other equally large groups.

that is maybe what you should have said instead of saying it affected our olden days way of dressing because quiet frankly there was nothing fantastic about our former way of dressing.

asha 80:

that is maybe what you should have said instead of saying it affected our olden days way of dressing because quiet frankly there was nothing fantastic about our former way of dressing.

Our former way of dressing is not far from what was worn in the olden days. Just some modifications. I have seen photographs of Jaja and other Igbo people of old and what they wore is similar to what is worn now.

asha 80:

the 'isiagu' cloth and the caps(red,white etc) are improvement or modernisation of the igbo attire.

asha 80:

that is maybe what you should have said instead of saying it affected our olden days way of dressing because quiet frankly there was nothing fantastic about our former way of dressing.

Many people on these boards say things like this without even seeing the whole story of what they are criticising.

The Ozo fez (Okpu agwu) is not new, actually if you were to describe it with a word it would be 'ancient' because it has been worn for at least a 1000 years. The isiagu is a modernisation of something like this: link, or this: link which has been worn for over 1000 years, like the clothing found at the burial site of and unknown Nri nobleman: link.

Most people do not bother to wear these original attires now, which is why most people will talk as if their ancestors never knew cloth making or embroidery.

To be honest, the wears some people have on today can't match the quality of the examples shown above. The practicality of wearing a suit in a climate such as Nigeria's and wearing one of the attires above, or even the more revealing ones cannot be compared.

ezeagu:

Many people on these boards say things like this without even seeing the whole story of what they are criticising.

The Ozo fez (Okpu agwu) is not new, actually if you were to describe it with a word it would be 'ancient' because it has been worn for at least a 1000 years. The isiagu is a modernisation of something like this: link, or this: link which has been worn for over 1000 years, like the clothing found at the burial site of and unknown Nri nobleman: link.

Most people do not bother to wear these original attires now, which is why most people will talk as if their ancestors never knew cloth making or embroidery.

To be honest, the wears some people have on today can't match the quality of the examples shown above. The practicality of wearing a suit in a climate such as Nigeria's and wearing one of the attires above, or even the more revealing ones cannot be compared.

Bros i am not a fan of suit.i can even count the number of times i have won a suit in my life.

All those pics you posted are of royalties in igboland.What about what the average or ordinary folk wearing then?

None of these pictures were taken any time after 1913, and they may have been take as early as 1890, or even earlier.

@Ezeagu: Nice photographs from you. Though Ndigbo were the largest users of Western styled clothes, yet traces of Igbo old ways of dressing remains. It is an established fact that Igbo traditional dressings was not wiped away by the coming of the whitemen but slight alterations.
That nothwithstanding, the coming of the whitemen to Igboland with their government and the traders came the missions. The missionaries challenged indigenous society much more radically than either the government or the traders did. They not only shook the faith in the traditional Gods who had provided the ultimate saction for indigenous society and morality, they also insisted that the Igbo could not actually become good christians or attain salvationunless they modified their societies drastically along prescribed western lines. Ndigbo in quest of salvation were to embrace monogamy, WELCOME THE BIRTH OF TWINS WITH JOY, allow many indigenous practices and ceremonials to fall into desuetude and so on.

Had the churches offered only the alternative of the cross and salvation, they might not have been such a disruptive force. But they offered Western education in addition, a highly attractive bait which indigenous religion could not offer. Since Ndigbo were anxious to acquire the whiteman's irresistible magic and knew this could only be done through going to school, they in time sent flocks of their children to the schools. But the churches had planned so well that the church and school had become virtually synonymous. At times, the same building served two purposes. Our Igbo people started cautiously at first by sending their slaves and distrusted children to school and church, just as they had acted cautiously in the sphere of politics by sending similar people forward as their chiefs. But it did not take time before this caution was discovered to be foolishness as political, economic , religious and social life came to be dominated by these former undesirables who had acquired the whiteman's magic first.

Andre Uweh:

Ndigbo in quest of salvation were to embrace monogamy, WELCOME THE BIRTH OF TWINS WITH JOY, allow many indigenous practices and ceremonials to fall into desuetude and so on.

Such an understand can actually be justified through traditional ideology.

As for clothing, I know that in the past, Akwete was well known for its weaving and textile. They specialized in weaving cloth, what that translated to, in terms of indigenous, precolonial clothing, I'm not sure. Although, I do remember coming across a word that was used when referring to pants that adults wore (precolonially, I assume, because from what I was told, the word is considered ancient). I can't recall the word exactly, though. So, I guess I'll have to ask about that.

ChinenyeN:

Such an understand can actually be justified through traditional ideology.

As for clothing, I know that in the past, Akwete was well known for its weaving and textile. They specialized in weaving cloth, what that translated to, in terms of indigenous, precolonial clothing, I'm not sure. Although, I do remember coming across a word that was used when referring to pants that adults wore (precolonially, I assume, because from what I was told, the word is considered ancient). I can't recall the word exactly, though. So, I guess I'll have to ask about that.

Who knows how many twins that would have been wasted before such an understanding could be justified through traditional ideology. Putting a stoppage to killing of twins is one of the finest things the Whiteman did in Igboland.

ezeagu:

None of these pictures were taken any time after 1913, and they may have been take as early as 1890, or even earlier.

Hmmm ok.That was what i wanted to see.

Andre Uweh:

Who knows how many twins that would have been wasted before such an understanding could be justified through traditional ideology. Putting a stoppage to killing of twins is one of the finest things the Whiteman did in Igboland.

Though i hate to say this i think the coming of the whiteman brought about the emergence of towns and cities in igboland.

asha 80:

Hmmm ok.That was what i wanted to see.

Though i hate to say this i think the coming of the whiteman brought about the emergence of towns and cities in igboland.

YOU ARE RIGHT.

After the educational revolutio in Igboland, the next in importance for Ndigbo was the urban revolution. Until the coming of British rule most of the peoples in Igboland lived in rural communities, unlike the Yoruba to the West and the Hausa to the North. But under the impact of British rule urban centres developed amongst the Igbo. Most of these centres started as administrative headquarters, that is they were first centres where the District Oficers and their staff of clerks, interpreters, policemen, messengers, prison warders and so on lived. Being nearly always all strangers, these men had to depend on the sorrounding rural population for their livelihood. They also made use of rural labour to build quarters and maintain their surroundings. Coming and going developed between the rural villages and the administrative centres as people came to sell to the strangers or to answer the calls of the political officer or to attend court. As time went on, a few of the local people came to settle close to the government stations to be better able to exploit the economic opportunities they offered.

Those centres which, apart from being government headquaters, were also important economically outstripped many of their counterparts. This was so in the case of Aba and Umuahia which also had the advantages of lying on the railway and of Onitsha which was strategically located on the Niger-an ancient commercial highway. But not all the urban centres in Igboland started as government stations. In fact the two most important-Port Harcourt and Enugu-were at first of no consequence from the administrative point of view.

asha 80:

Though i hate to say this i think the coming of the whiteman brought about the emergence of towns and cities in igboland.

I think it's all of them except Onicha, and possibly places like Nnewi town.

ezeagu:

I think it's all of them except Onicha, and possibly places like Nnewi town.

Agreed, but the coming of whitemen aided the rapid urbanisation of Onitsha (Onicha). As for Nnewi, it is not certain that Nnewi was an urban centre prior to the arrival of the British.

asha 80:

not sure what is negative about the present igbo mode of dressing.before the coming of the white man our type of dressing was loin cloth over the waste and bare chest.i wonder if anyone would want to were that now.

the 'isiagu' cloth and the caps(red,white etc) are improvement or modernisation of the igbo attire.

I hope you're not getting your info from Nollywood.

Andre Uweh:

Agreed, but the coming of whitemen aided the rapid urbanisation of Onitsha (Onicha). As for Nnewi, it is not certain that Nnewi was an urban centre prior to the arrival of the British.

I think I meant more of Awka than Nnewi, Awka seems to have been a busy place in the past, maybe it was more of villages that were very interconnected than actual town or city, the same can be said for a lot of communities of old and even now. As for Onicha I think the British industrialized it more than urbanised it, Onicha doesn't seem to be place that was created out of villages like many of the current Igbo cities are, rather it grew as a town, probably as an affiliate of Idu (Benin Empire).

Other cities like Aba and Owerre were actually large markets before the British took over and the markets were major points in the trading routes of the region. The only two cities created out of almost nothing through British administration is Enugu and Port Harcourt.

ezeagu:

I think I meant more of Awka than Nnewi, Awka seems to have been a busy place in the past, maybe it was more of villages that were very interconnected than actual town or city, the same can be said for a lot of communities of old and even now. As for Onicha I think the British industrialized it more than urbanised it, Onicha doesn't seem to be place that was created out of villages like many of the current Igbo cities are, rather it grew as a town, probably as an affiliate of Idu (Benin Empire).

Other cities like Aba and Owerre were actually large markets before the British took over and the markets were major points in the trading routes of the region. The only two cities created out of almost nothing through British administration is Enugu and Port Harcourt.

The urbanisation of Onicha can be attributed to its location on the Niger River. The expansion of Bini empire affected other Igbo communities such as Ogwashi Ukwu, Onicha Olona etc, yet they did not develop to great urban centres.
Also, there were so many market centres all over Igboland such as Nkwo Ntiha, Afor-Ogbe, Eke Elelenwa, Orie-agu, Ekeikpa, Eke Umulogho, Orie-Umuihi, Nkwo-Ihitte, Eke Umuawuchi etc. Yet they did not develop like Aba, Owerri, Umuahia etc.