₦airaland Forum

RedboneSmith:
I guess the first thing I should say here is to respond to the question: why didn't Ewuare seek refuge in Agbor?

As a matter of fact, according to Agbor oral traditions, Ewuare actually did seek refuge at Agbor and not at Issele-Uku. I don't know how Aisen came to the conclusion that Ewuare fled to Issele-Uku; I'll very much like to read his book and his sources. Issele-Uku doesn't have traditions of Ewuare coming to their town, but Agbor does. Read the history of Agbor compiled by Iduuwe. Agbor tradition goes as far as to say that Ewuare's mother came from Agbor and that Ewuare merely took refuge at his mother's village.

Issele-Uku's dynastic connection with Benin came in the 18th century, during the time of Akenzua. Nowadays, Issele-Uku tries to pretend their Benin connection is much older by claiming it goes as far back as Oba Ewedo. If you look at a list of Issele-Uku kings, there was no Benin name until the 8th king called Odia. This indicates the point at which the kingdom began to forge/cement dynastic links with Benin, probably under Akenzua.

AreaFada2:
Samuk, the way history has been rewritten by those tribes that the British favoured after 1897 and benefitted initially from 1914 amalgamation and post-independence, is beginning to miseducate some Edo people. Say around 1986, if I greeted elderly people "Lamogun or La'Umogun", they will recite the "oriki", uwaenmwen or praise of Umogun descendants. I would have to politely wait for them to finish before proceeding on my merry way. My experience as a young chap. Edohen, Ero, Elawure, Ezomo and other descendants also have their oriki. A chap who greets Lamogun today might even get a reply in Pidgin English from the elder.

Kids today may not even know that there is something like oriki.
Edo people brought up in Lagos are helping to spread the myth that Edo people come from Yoruba. That is how their "accommodating" hosts educated them.

For anyone to use languages or dialects spoken today in various districts of former Benin Empire to decide or conjure up what the origins or demographics of those areas were around 1440-1473 when Oba Ewuare I reigned, is an abysmal disservice to scholarship and common sense.

But at least the guy has enough fantasy and attempted to think, albeit being misguided.

odigbosky:
He said every Iyase of Benin once installed greets Lavbieze...He said the Eze is in relation to Eze Chima. He said Chima was once an Iyasere and he was not from Benin but present day Delta state...

RedboneSmith:
The Iyase in question, who is remembered as Eze n'obodo iken (which means "the Eze who hails from a powerful state" could not have been Eze Chima, but he came from an Eze Chima-affiliated community.

Eze Chima lived in the time of Esigie (remembered in Anioma as Asije) with whom he was locked in butter conflict. The Iyase in question was appointed in the time of Orhogbua. His identity is not clearly known: there are traditions that he came from Onicha-Olona, but he could have come from Issele-Uku.

samuk:
Bishop Crowder on the Niger mission, 1875, page 538.

odigbosky:
You're one of the few Edo figures I respect here on Nairaland. Been on this platform for over 10 years. I made a post only to share my thoughts. My field in life is in the sciences.

I always believe that no one side has the complete history of the other side. I don't believe the Benins know everything even about people in Etsako land.

Just recently I watched a video on ITV's page on YouTube when the Esogban of Benin was talking about salutations in Benin for different families.

He said his family greets La'uhe in relation to them coming from Uhe.

He said every Iyase of Benin once installed greets Lavbieze...He said the Eze is in relation to Eze Chima. He said Chima was once an Iyasere and he was not from Benin but present day Delta state...

He also said the Ezomo greets Lagiesan because of ties to Esan land.

So I will love you to talk about the greetings of the Iyasere and also the Oriki attached to it.


As for Samuk who questions my Edo blood.
I am Edo, proud one for that matter.

Nobody here knows everything or every historical piece. We are all learning. What I shared here was my own thoughts. Nothing else.

samuk:
It's almost impossible for you to use your present day observations to explain events of 300 years ago let alone 500 years ago. The world was a complete different place then. Your writeup is ridden with you think, you think....you will probably also think that the present king of England is of English ancestry because he speaks English and he is the king of England. The world doesn't or didn't work like that.

You need to read more and do more research if you really want to learn instead of formulating your own theories using limited knowledge from your today's observations.

In 1875 for example, Samuel Ajayi Crowder visited Asaba and documented that there were large Igbo migrating to Asaba and the indigene were fast loosing their Edo language, although few Edo words were still being used. This is 1875 and you are trying to think and formulate theories about what happened during the reign of Oba Ewuare more than 500 years ago. During the reign of Oba Ewuare, that entire area and beyond were mostly populated by Edo people before they were overwhelmed by other migrants.

The above reference is a eye witness historical account of someone that was on ground in Asaba in 1875 and wrote what he saw, not what he thought. Although you will read Igbo writers that wrote in the 1900s claiming Asaba as original Igbo town.

There are people that still claim Benin ancestry all over the South South to the middle belt, in comparison, Delta North was just another Benin empire towns and villages. The king we now know as Obi of Obolukwu was known in Benin as Ogie Oboro, if the title Obi existed then, Benin would have known and call him Obi Oboro. Perhaps you should ask yourself why the current king of Agbor changed his title from Obi of Agbor to Dein of Agbor and what was the title during Oba Ewuare, 500 years ago.

samuk:
It's almost impossible for you to use your present day observations to explain events of 300 years ago let alone 500 years ago. The world was a complete different place then. Your writeup is ridden with you think, you think....you will probably also think that the present king of England is of English ancestry because he speaks English and he is the king of England. The world doesn't or didn't work like that.

You need to read more and do more research if you really want to learn instead of formulating your own theories using limited knowledge from your today's observations.

In 1875 for example, Samuel Ajayi Crowder visited Asaba and documented that there were large Igbo migrating to Asaba and the indigene were fast loosing their Edo language, although few Edo words were still being used. This is 1875 and you are trying to think and formulate theories about what happened during the reign of Oba Ewuare more than 500 years ago. During the reign of Oba Ewuare, that entire area and beyond were mostly populated by Edo people before they were overwhelmed by other migrants.

The above reference is a eye witness historical account of someone that was on ground in Asaba in 1875 and wrote what he saw, not what he thought. Although you will read Igbo writers that wrote in the 1900s claiming Asaba as original Igbo town.

There are people that still claim Benin ancestry all over the South South to the middle belt, in comparison, Delta North was just another Benin empire towns and villages. The king we now know as Obi of Obolukwu was known in Benin as Ogie Oboro, if the title Obi existed then, Benin would have known and call him Obi Oboro. Perhaps you should ask yourself why the current king of Agbor changed his title from Obi of Agbor to Dein of Agbor and what was the title during Oba Ewuare, 500 years ago.

samuk:
I can assure you that you cannot find any book written before 1875 to support what you believe, besides it's not about what you believe, but what can be proven, we all are at liberty to believe whatever we choose to believe, the problem is the ability to support our believes with prove.

The point is, there may be books written after 1875 by Igbo that claim Asaba as Igboid but this was not the case during Oba Ewuare. The Asabans claimed in 1875 that they migrated from Benin.

samuk:
Bishop Crowder on the Niger mission, 1875, page 538.

samuk:
Who are we that you are referring to, Biafra? Since when did losers of war become magnanimous? The dream of Biafra was on a life support when you lost the civil war and was finally killed when the south South was created.

I understand your quest for land because just Edo and Delta (two state out of six south south states) are bigger in landmass than the entire five Eastern states. I repeat Edo and Delta are bigger than the entire south east in landmass.

Win or lose Obi can't resurrect Biafra, the northern political and military structure of over 50 years can't be dismantled in 4 years of Obi even if he wins and it's a big if even though I agree that he will probably win more votes in Benin city than his Anambra due to the ditribalised nature of Benin.

Biafra cannot be achieved by military means either, that was tried before and failed spectacularly and that was without south south as an entity/region. South East of 1967 that fought the civil war was far bigger than the south east of today. A good proportion of the Nigeria army of 1967 were pro Biafrans, it is not the same today. You can only romance the idea of Biafra in your head, that dream is long gone, dead and buried.

Forget the no victor no vanquish statement by general Gowon, there was a Victor and a vanquish, Biafra lost far more people, territories and mineral resources that never be regained. Your military and political structure pre civil war was also lost.

Guy/s wake up and smell the coffee, Biafra is long gone. Even if Nigeria decides to restructure, no south south state will agree to be part of south east. I don't see people like wike, okowa, etc surrendering their sovereignty to south east. Wike already see most south east governors as his boys and they follow him around like their master.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3ANmx2mhOU

odigbosky:
Well like I said, I got that information from Dr Ekhaguosa Aisien in his book titled Oba Ewuare

odigbosky:
You're one of the few Edo figures I respect here on Nairaland. Been on this platform for over 10 years. I made a post only to share my thoughts. My field in life is in the sciences.

I always believe that no one side has the complete history of the other side. I don't believe the Benins know everything even about people in Etsako land.

Just recently I watched a video on ITV's page on YouTube when the Esogban of Benin was talking about salutations in Benin for different families.

He said his family greets La'uhe in relation to them coming from Uhe (Ile Ife).

He said every Iyase of Benin once installed greets Lavbieze...He said the Eze is in relation to Eze Chima. He said Chima was once an Iyasere and he was not from Benin but present day Delta state...

He also said the Ezomo greets Lagiesan because of ties to Esan land.

So I will love you to talk about the greetings of the Iyasere and also the Oriki attached to it.


As for S.a.m.u.k who questions my Edo blood.
I am Edo, proud one for that matter.

Nobody here knows everything or every historical piece. We are all learning. What I shared here was my own thoughts. Nothing else.

odigbosky:
Now in most document, this is the Oba associated with Eze Chima. According to most sources of eastern narratives, they say Eze Chima had a quarrel with the mother of the Oba and that led to his exodus from Benin. Now I believe Chima might have been very influential in the Benin court and close to the Oba Esigie. He might be as Joseph was to Pharaoh in Egypt. But from Benin’s history, Queed Idia who was Esigie’s mother is the most powerful Iyoba to have existed. So I believe she was the one who must have made her son send away the very few aristocratic igbo element in Benin then. I would also like to mention that it might be the ealier generation of Igbos who had come to be with Oba Ewuare that the Benins adopted the four market day system which is very predominant in the east.
So I believe when Chima left Benin with his few aristocratic fellows who might be young as himself also, they wanted to go in the direction from where their fathers came. Agbor was the closest settlement then in that direction from Benin. I saw a historical piece written by an Agbor person who said Eze Chima was driven out of Agbor because he contested for the Kingship in Agbor and he lost.
I am of the opinion that, it might not be the case but something close to it. I believe when Chima and his group got to Agbor, they might have been welcomed by the King in Agbor. It’s just like Russia granting citizenship now to Edward Snowden. Agbor would later come to play this role in receiving many Benin fugitive warlords who were running from Benin. Back to the Chima, I believe he might have settled amongst the quarters where his kin might be in the Agbor area or he might be with the King in Agbor because he saw himself as some sort of royalty. I believe the igbo stocks in the Agbor area must have heard of one of their kins who recently came from Benin and must have been amazed at how he carried himself. Chima might have been very flamboyant and charismatic at the same time. I believe at this point that the igbos there might liken Chima to a King and attached the title Eze to his name. I searched for the title of the King of Nri and found out that his title was Eze Nri. Eze being the word carrying the attributes of a King in the lexicon of these Igbo migrants into the west of the Niger and they might also have looked on Chima as the nearest thing to the Eze Nri which most of the present generation of igbos in the Agbor region might not have really known except the stories they were told by their fathers. I assume that the time span from Oba Ewuare in which the first wave might have settled in Agbor to the time Chima left Benin should be 70-100 years.
Back to Chima in Agbor, I believe him being called Eze by his igbo kins in Agbor must have irked the Original Edo inhabitants or the King of Agbor who would then see a threat of Chima’s presence in his settlement. Chima might in his own right angered his host by maybe settling disputes among his people in Agbor or playing the role of Moses to the Isrealites. This would have made the King of Agbor to tell him to leave. Chima being young and charismatic would have thought to himself that he might never be welcomed in this land west of the Niger. This must have made him have the quest to return to his true place across the Niger according to his belief.
I am not sure Chima ever in his life time returned to the true settlement of his father or grandfather who had come from the east of the Niger. He might have learned about the particular place but not know it’s exact location.
So having being told to leave Agbor, he must have convinced some few followers of the Old igbo stock who were already thriving in peace in Agbor to follow him with the promise of leading them back to their original land. Some might have heeded to his call, others must have felt no need since they were already doing well here in their new home. I believe those that remained in the Agbor area can be said to be those who transformed into what we call the Ika stock of Igbo. I believe this stock continued to increase in size as more igbos crossed the Niger moving westward probably still wanting to get to Benin.
So Chima and his group went back to Isele Uku. Well this is because, this was probably the entrance of his ancestors into the Edo sphere of influence west of the Niger. I believe when he got to Isele UKu, he is treated warmly and received. He stays there for a long time and mixes with other igbo stock who have made that settlement their home already. But because he feels he might receive the same treatment he received in Agbor someday, he chooses to continue his sojourn eastward. I don’t know how many kids he had, but most accounts have it that he had kids and these kids founded many communities in the Aniocha zone. I believe it is for this reason that Isele Uku sees herself as the head of the Eze Chima clan.
Now Chima passes the Benin system of Monarchy and court practices which he had been exposed to his descendants and followers. So those who couldn’t continue with him to the other side of the Niger stayed back and formed different settlements which would later grow for form different communities and in future towns and villages and kingdoms.
It was this group of Chima descendants that is said to have established the kingship in Onitsha after crossing the Niger. Well by this time Eze Chima had died and I believe the new generation just felt well, since we are across the Niger already, let’s stay here. We really don’t know the road home, but our parents said we came from across the Niger. Since we are across the Niger already, we are home. That’s why Onitsha is the last Eze Chima settlement.
I still believe that even while the new Eze chima group was trying to settle in Onitsha, there were pocket of migration still from the east westward. So, when would have Benin conquest moved towards the axis of the Niger.