₦airaland Forum

Afonja was a 19th Century Yoruba general whose rebellion finally dissolved the old Oyo Empire. He was born around 1782 to a military family; his great grandfather Laderin, founded the city of Ilorin then as an outpost for Oyo traders. Laderin was succeeded by Pasin, his son, a valiant chief who opposed the renowned Gaha when he was in the zenith of his glory. Fearing his rising power, Gaha drove him out of Ilorin and he escaped to Ola. He sent an army after him there which reduced the town and Pasin was taken and slain. Afonja was born in a long line of rebels not afraid to challenge the status quo for the good of the people. Ilorin is sometimes spoken of as Afonja's Ilorin. This is because he was the most renowned of her rulers, and not only so, but also because it was he who made it into the large city it now is.

Now, lets get one thing straight, Afonja was a slave owner as were many of the patriarchs of the time but being born of slave woman of the Oyo royal household and raised as a child of royalty, he understood the dynamics of a stratified feudal society. After inheriting the title of Baale of Ilorin from is father, he became confronted by the unjust system of taxation and tributary in the Oyo empire as well as the unchecked excesses of the princes and nobility of the empire. In turn, when time came for a new Aare Ona Kakanfo to be crowned, being the most accomplished officer of the Esho class, he demanded the title as his right based on merit and it was handed to him reluctantly by the rather arrogant and heartless newly crowned Alaafin Aole. This made him an enemy of the Princely caste.

By Afonja’s time, the Oyo army came to be dominated by largely incompetent officers who were handed their positions based on their pedigree not their achievements, this weakened the army greatly and with many provincial Baales having to outsource the security of the Kingdom to foreign mercenaries, namely the Fulanis, Nupes & Baribas. Afonja was not an exception, his tolerant nature attracted a great following from Yoruba Muslims who had been marginalized by the Oyo aristocracy for centuries. Slaves and indentured servants who had been unfairly treated by their masters flocked under his banner at Ilorin. With the reluctance of the Oyo monarchy to implement socio-economic reforms, the empire was further weakened as the lower classes turned on their overlords.

In the latter years of his revolt, he became victim of a palace coup executed by Muslim officers under his banner. His slave revolt was hijacked by Muslim fanatics who tried to convert the population into Islam (thank GOD it did not work). His example was followed when Ibadan tried to replace old Oyo, giving rise to the later formed Ekiti Parapo confederacy that fought Ibadan’s intention to replace the Oyo empire. Today, the name Afonja (thanks to certain ethnocentric and biased individuals) is synonymous with betrayal but the story of his life says otherwise, Afonja was a skillful warrior, a sharp shooter, an effective battle strategist and a wise man. He deserves much better, in short, his actions are responsible for the freedom we enjoy today.

Reference:
https://archive.org/details/historyofyorubas00john

Interesting.

really?

study the socio-cultural dynamics of the time and it makes sense.

kingxsamz:
really?

Technically, he was a traitor to the Alaafin, like many other chiefs in that time of decline of Oyo imperial power.

But he wasn't a traitor in the larger sense that he has been accused today. He was just a general who miscalculated his strength and ability to control the band of Northern elements he gathered around him.

You can't call a man who fought and died for the freedom and liberty of his people a traitor. Should one remain a slave in the name of tribal brotherhood ?

RedboneSmith:
Technically, he was a traitor to the Alaafin, like many other chiefs in that time of decline of Oyo imperial power.

But he wasn't a traitor in the larger sense that he has been accused today. He was just a general who miscalculated his strength and ability to control the band of Northern elements he gathered around him.

naijalander:
You can't call a man who fought and died for the freedom and liberty of his people a traitor. Should one remain a slave in the name of tribal brotherhood ?

Every traitor is also a freedom fighter from his people's point of view. Ojukwu was a freedom fighter from the Biafran point of view. George Washington was a traitor from the British point of view, and a liberator from the Colonists' point of view.

If you break faith with someone who you are supposed to owe allegiance to (your king, your emperor, your lord) for whatever reason, you are a traitor, from your liege lord's point of view. So, yes, from a Metropolitan Oyo point of view, Afonja was a traitor.

I am also kind of skeptical about any claims that Afonja broke from the Alaafin's authority because he was fighting for his people's freedom. Truth be told the man had his personal ambitions.


But he was not a sell-out to the Fulanis as he has been accused. Of that I am sure. He simply miscalculated Alimi and his unruly horde of Jamas, and it cost him.

True but we must correct the narrative that he was a traitor, he simply wasn't

RedboneSmith:
Every traitor is also a freedom fighter from his people's point of view. Ojukwu was a freedom fighter from the Biafran point of view. George Washington was a traitor from the British point of view, and a liberator from the Colonists' point of view.

If you break faith with someone who you are supposed to owe allegiance to (your king, your emperor, your lord) for whatever reason, you are a traitor, from your liege lord's point of view. So, yes, from a Metropolitan Oyo point of view, Afonja was a traitor.

I am also kind of skeptical about any claims that Afonja broke from the Alaafin's authority because he was fighting for his people's freedom. Truth be told the man had his personal ambitions.


But he was not a sell-out to the Fulanis as he has been accused. Of that I am sure. He simply miscalculated Alimi and his unruly horde of Jamas, and it cost him.