₦airaland Forum

Amujale:
Are you pretending to be silly or are you a disgrace to all the human senses?

Yoruba are West Africans since anyone can remember.

Lagos is and will continuosly be Yorubaland.

Get these truth into your thick skull.

Its a known fact that Lagos used to be a colony of the great Benin Empire.

Due to their European connections (especially Portugal), they was the dominant military power at the time.

The Benin Empire invaded Lagos by brute force.

Go and study your history correctly.

Stop biting the hands that feed you.

Youruba influence on the great Benin Empire is undeniable.

Throughout West African history, Youruba are known to have experienced multiple Empires and Kingdoms.

The great Benin Empire came into fruition round about the Age of gunpowder, and they exploited these capabilities to the fullest.

Yet, everyone knows their place in history apart from some ingrates that claim to be from Benin.

Most Benin people are proud of their Yoruba herritage, i just wonder what your excuse is, probably ignorance.

Never ever in your broken-biscuit mindset, utter those derogatory words about Yoruba coming from Brazil, it makes you sound stupid and unintelligent.

The Atlantic slave trade is not a play-play, is recorded as one of the worst attrocities in all of human history and yet you think it funny to use these type of analogies for some weird joke. You joker.

You ought to apologise to yourself for being a complete and utter nuisance to history and all that it stands for.

Again, the Benin Empire came out of Benin Kingdom and that was before they began their military campaign to invade the then Lagos.

When the Arabs invaded the Northern regions with their holywars, is it permissable to then claim that Arabs own the Northern regions?

When everyone knows that the Northerners have been existing their before the existence of Asia as is now known.

Similarly, these places is Yoruba pre-Benin invasion, and remains thaytuu post Benin colonisation.

Instead of studying history for all that its worth, you instead bury your intelligence oversome type of gobbledygook.

Benin did not even conquer or colonize Lagos.

A closer look at the historical sources and the evidence has shown that it's all a spin, a re-reading, and a reshuffling of the actual historical reality.

It's a relatively modern political propaganda.

We all (including the sincere Binis) need to put a stop to this widespread distortion of what actually transpired.

Please refer to my foregoing comment.

Cheers!

Mkokelvin:
True talk.

So you are just a troll clickbating people to fight each other ?

Some don't mind the truth, while others like you are obviously allergic to truth.

We're gradually separating the boys from the men.

Join the truth squad now before you'd be alone.

prolog3111:
So you are just a troll clickbating people to fight each other ?

Not at all. Just that the mindset of Nigerians is distorting.

TAO11:
Benin did not even conquer or colonize Lagos.

A closer look at the historical sources and the evidence has shown that it's all a spin, a re-reading, and a reshuffling of the actual historical reality.

It's a relatively modern political propaganda.

We all (including the sincere Binis) need to put a stop to this widespread distortion of what actually transpired.

Please refer to my foregoing comment.

Cheers!

Point taken, thanks for the correction

Mkokelvin:
You can't say Benin are yorubas, but you can say some yorubas have Benin descendants. Some people in yoruba land and bini because it was Benin that loves to Eko not yorubas that moved to bini. So that's the way it is.

they swim to lagos

BUTTERMILKSUGAR:
History belongs to no one. History is just a story...
Once you die that's it. you mean the Oba of Benin failed in his duty to protect a protectorate that pledged allegiance to it. What was he looking at when Lagos was being bombarded by the "white enemy"? When the Oba of Lagos stopped remitting tributes why didn't the Oba of Benin send his entourage to go and fight him and depose him from the throne?

Throughout history empires rise and fall, Benin is no exception, Most of Europe including England and beyond once paid tributes to Rome, then Rome fell and a quarter of the world including America and Nigeria became British colonies and paid tributes to Britain, how many countries pay tributes to Britain today and how many are protected by Britain?

TAO11:
There are two variant historical accounts of the relationship between Oko¹ (or Èkó) and Benin kingdom. These two accounts are different and distinct in some very important respects.

¹ "Oko" is the earlier Yoruba name of the Lagos region which later came to be phono-semantically-matched into the Bini word "Èkó".

Refer to the entry "Lagos" in "Encyclopaedia Britannica" for this specific information (i.e. "Oko")
https://www.britannica.com/place/Lagos-Nigeria


The two available accounts are the Àwórì account of the autochthonous people (a.k.a. the Lagos account), and the Bini account.

The account put forward by the OP is the Bini account, and it essentially says that Lagos Island was colonized by Benin kingdom; and that Aṣipa (the first ruler of the present dynasty) was a grandson (or son) of the then king of Benin, viz. Oba Orhogbua.

The OP has presented this Bini account on the implicit assumption that this account is the only available account, and that it is exactly identical to the account held by the autochthonous people of Lagos, viz. the Àwórì.

This implicit assumption is terribly mistaken and actually false because the Lagos account is not only different, but actually different in important respects.


While the Bini account lays claim to an outright conquest of Lagos Island by the Benin kingdom; the Awori account (a.k.a. the Lagos account) describes many indecisive conflicts and skirmishes between the indigenous Awori population on one hand, and the alien non-Awori resident population on the other hand.

The non-Awori resident population comprises largely of Bini resident traders, but also includes other resident traders such as: the Ijebu, the Ilaje, the Ikale, the Owo, the Egba, the Egbado, the Aja, and the Ijaw traders.

This Awori account notes that the conflicts and skirmishes between these two groups endured and escalated so badly as to almost completely cripple trading activities, and as a result, the Benin resident population thus became so affected that it could not make its usual due remittances back home to the then Oba of Benin.


This shortage of remittances from its Benin subjects residing in faraway Lagos Island attracted the attention of the government of Benin kingdom. The intervention thus necessitated the need to find a lasting solution to the incessant conflicts between the indigenous population and the non-Awori resident population.


It was, however, eventually resolved that an ultimate settlement would involve permitting the non-Awori resident population to have some representation and hence participation in the government of the Island which had been administered theretofore solely by the Olofin and his enclave of Awori chiefs.


This arrangement, therefore, gave a platform to Asheru --- a Benin chief who had been the leader and voice for the non-Awori resident population --- to participate in the governance of the island alongside the indigenous Awori people.


But unfortunately, the new arrangement proved to be ineffective in putting a final stop to the conflicts, and Asheru was soon afterwards killed in one of the clashes that ensued in the course of time.


A certain Awori prince by the name Aṣipa who is described in same Awori account as an Isheri chief of Ife royal descent (and who shared in some of the sentiments of the resident alien population) graciously led the party that conveyed Asheru's body to Benin kingdom.


Aṣipa --- with the support of his loyalists who consist of his Awori loyalists, the Bini resident population, and most (if not all) of the other resident population --- eventually became the king of a new dynasty of kings on the Island to whom the line of Lagos Island kings till date is traced as their progenitor.


In other words, Aṣipa (a son of the soil) found favour with the alien resident population because of his gracious feats, and he therefore became the choice candidate, among the competing Awori princes, largely due to the support of his Awori loyalists, as well as the support, popularity, and influence of the Oba of Benin and the popular Bini resident population.


Aṣipa therefore, according to the Lagos account, was a Yoruba prince (rather than a Bini) to whom the line of the present Lagos Island royal dynasty is traced.

And the Bini connection, according to the Lagos account, was (rather than a Bini conquest) simply that the influential Benin government endorsed and backed Aṣipa (instead of another Awori candidate) in his quest to become the progenitor of a new dynasty of kings on the Island.


Refer to: S. Adebanji Akintoye, A History of the Yoruba People, Amalion Publishing, 2010, pp. 221-222.

See also: Robert S. Smith, Kingdoms of the Yoruba, First University of Wisconsin Press, 1988, pp. 73-74.

[This second reference contains an interspersed description of both the Lagos account and the Bini account.]



Conclusion:

The foregoing submission demonstrates with evidence that there is not just one account of the relationship between Lagos Island and Benin kingdom, contrary to what many think.


If I am, however, faced with the option of adopting the logical and consistent of the two accounts (as I am now faced with), then I am inclined to upholding the Awori account, not merely for being a Yoruba myself, but for the fact that only the Awori account explains the conspicuous historical absence of the use of Edo language (alongside Yoruba language) as an official (or unofficial) court language on the Island (or in any part of Lagos for that matter) --- a phenomenon which would have been present had Benin kingdom truly "colonized" Lagos Island, and was Aṣipa truly a son (or grandson) of an Oba of Benin.


Cheers!

What a poor effort at revisionist history, you are basically telling us that Oba of Benin that said he appointed a Benin man/son to be Oba of Lagos doesn't know his history and Oba of Lagos that says he is the son of Oba of Benin also doesn't know his history. Keep fabricating history, you probably don't even know the history of where you come from and want to tell us you know Lagos history better than Oba of Lagos and Oba of Benin combined.

samuk:
What a poor effort at revisionist history, you are basically telling us that Oba of Benin that said he appointed a Benin man/son to be Oba of Lagos doesn't know his history and Oba of Lagos that says he is the son of Oba of Benin also doesn't know his history. Keep fabricating history, you probably don't even know the history of where you come from and want to tell us you know Lagos history better than Oba of Lagos and Oba of Benin combined.

Revisionist? Seriously?

Substantiate your rants, man

I have cited redoubtable authorities to substantiate my submission. Why are you afraid to do something similar?

You and your Oba of Benin actually wish. But wishes aren't horses unfortunately.

Tao11,

You know they are going to open a similar topic tomorrow trying to wear out Awori owners of the land. The hope is that repeated lies told multiple times would stick in some people's mind.

But blame their Yoruba Oba whose father conquered their land. Edo children insist they are renting it out during every coronation of their conquerer, the Oba from Ife.

The book written only in 2003 by this Yoruba Oba after he felt disrespected by his brothers in Ife, with the hope that he would be accepted by the Edo his father conquered has not changed the minds of Edo.

Ogiamen and Ogiso children still want their Independence from IFE and they won Court case to keep their Oba in check.

So these children would do anything to either usurp Oba from Ife ruling their land or Oba of Lagos. All to no avail, poor things.

googi:
Tao11,

You know they are going to open a similar topic tomorrow trying to wear out Awori owners of the land. The hope is that repeated lies told multiple times would stick in some people's mind.

But blame their Yoruba Oba whose father conquered their land. Edo children insist they are renting it out during every coronation of their conquerer, the Oba from Ife.

The book written only in 2003 by this Yoruba Oba after he felt disrespected by his brothers in Ife, with the hope that he would be accepted by the Edo his father conquered has not changed the minds of Edo.

Ogiamen and Ogiso children still want their Independence from IFE and they won Court case to keep their Oba in check.

So these children would do anything to either usurp Oba from Ife ruling their land or Oba of Lagos. All to no avail, poor things.

You summed the issues up beautifully.

Bi Iro Ba Lo Fun-Ogun Odun nko? ...

TAO11:
There are two variant historical accounts of the relationship between Oko¹ (or Èkó) and Benin kingdom. These two accounts are different and distinct in some very important respects.

¹ "Oko" is the earlier Yoruba name of the Lagos region which later came to be phono-semantically-matched into the Bini word "Èkó".

Refer to the entry "Lagos" in "Encyclopaedia Britannica" for this specific information (i.e. "Oko")
https://www.britannica.com/place/Lagos-Nigeria


The two available accounts are the Àwórì account of the autochthonous people (a.k.a. the Lagos account), and the Bini account.

The account put forward by the OP is the Bini account, and it essentially says that Lagos Island was colonized by Benin kingdom; and that Aṣipa (the first ruler of the present dynasty) was a grandson (or son) of the then king of Benin, viz. Oba Orhogbua.

The OP has presented this Bini account on the implicit assumption that this account is the only available account, and that it is exactly identical to the account held by the autochthonous people of Lagos, viz. the Àwórì.

This implicit assumption is terribly mistaken and actually false because the Lagos account is not only different, but actually different in important respects.


While the Bini account lays claim to an outright conquest of Lagos Island by the Benin kingdom; the Awori account (a.k.a. the Lagos account) describes many indecisive conflicts and skirmishes between the indigenous Awori population on one hand, and the alien non-Awori resident population on the other hand.

The non-Awori resident population comprises largely of Bini resident traders, but also includes other resident traders such as: the Ijebu, the Ilaje, the Ikale, the Owo, the Egba, the Egbado, the Aja, and the Ijaw traders.

This Awori account notes that the conflicts and skirmishes between these two groups endured and escalated so badly as to almost completely cripple trading activities, and as a result, the Benin resident population thus became so affected that it could not make its usual due remittances back home to the then Oba of Benin.


This shortage of remittances from its Benin subjects residing in faraway Lagos Island attracted the attention of the government of Benin kingdom. The intervention thus necessitated the need to find a lasting solution to the incessant conflicts between the indigenous population and the non-Awori resident population.


It was, however, eventually resolved that an ultimate settlement would involve permitting the non-Awori resident population to have some representation and hence participation in the government of the Island which had been administered theretofore solely by the Olofin and his enclave of Awori chiefs.


This arrangement, therefore, gave a platform to Asheru --- a Benin chief who had been the leader and voice for the non-Awori resident population --- to participate in the governance of the island alongside the indigenous Awori people.


But unfortunately, the new arrangement proved to be ineffective in putting a final stop to the conflicts, and Asheru was soon afterwards killed in one of the clashes that ensued in the course of time.


A certain Awori prince by the name Aṣipa who is described in same Awori account as an Isheri chief of Ife royal descent (and who shared in some of the sentiments of the resident alien population) graciously led the party that conveyed Asheru's body to Benin kingdom.


Aṣipa --- with the support of his loyalists who consist of his Awori loyalists, the Bini resident population, and most (if not all) of the other resident population --- eventually became the king of a new dynasty of kings on the Island to whom the line of Lagos Island kings till date is traced as their progenitor.


In other words, Aṣipa (a son of the soil) found favour with the alien resident population because of his gracious feats, and he therefore became the choice candidate, among the competing Awori princes, largely due to the support of his Awori loyalists, as well as the support, popularity, and influence of the Oba of Benin and the popular Bini resident population.


Aṣipa therefore, according to the Lagos account, was a Yoruba prince (rather than a Bini) to whom the line of the present Lagos Island royal dynasty is traced.

And the Bini connection, according to the Lagos account, was (rather than a Bini conquest) simply that the influential Benin government endorsed and backed Aṣipa (instead of another Awori candidate) in his quest to become the progenitor of a new dynasty of kings on the Island.


Refer to: S. Adebanji Akintoye, A History of the Yoruba People, Amalion Publishing, 2010, pp. 221-222.

See also: Robert S. Smith, Kingdoms of the Yoruba, First University of Wisconsin Press, 1988, pp. 73-74.

[This second reference contains an interspersed description of both the Lagos account and the Bini account.]



Conclusion:

The foregoing submission demonstrates with evidence that there is not just one account of the relationship between Lagos Island and Benin kingdom, contrary to what many think.


If I am, however, faced with the option of adopting the logical and consistent of the two accounts (as I am now faced with), then I am inclined to upholding the Awori account, not merely for being a Yoruba myself, but for the fact that only the Awori account explains the conspicuous historical absence of the use of Edo language (alongside Yoruba language) as an official (or unofficial) court language on the Island (or in any part of Lagos for that matter) --- a phenomenon which would have been present had Benin kingdom truly "colonized" Lagos Island, and was Aṣipa truly a son (or grandson) of an Oba of Benin.


Cheers!

You and lia Mohammed must be brothers you seize to amaze me....eh eh

Even history your fellow yorubas know asipa is fully blooded benin you still go ahead to distort it for your egoistic interest...

I blame the guy who created the thread for publicity gain ,no one has ever created a thread on other yorubalands bini colonised
Why always lagos

Mkokelvin:
History has been taken from us. There is problem.in the Land.

Africans Must Wake Up.

All Obas of Lagos trace their lineage to Ashipa,a war captain of the Oba of Benin. Ashipa was rewarded with title of Oloriogun (or War leader) and received the Oba of Benin's sanction to govern Lagos. Some Benin accounts of history have the Ashipa as son or grandson of the Oba of Benin. Other accounts note that Ashipa is a Yorubacorruption of the Benin name Aisika-hienbore(translated "we shall not desert this place".

Ashipa received a sword and royal drum as symbols of his authority from the Oba of Benin on his mission to Lagos. Additionally, the Oba of Benin deployed a group of Benin officers charged with preserving Benin's interests in Lagos. These officers, led by Eletu Odibo, were the initial members of the Akarigbere class of Lagos White Cap Chiefs.

Prior to the arrival of the British, the Oba of Benin had "the undisputed right to crown or confirm the individual whom the people of Lagos elect[ed] to be their King".

The defeat of Oba Kosoko by British forces on December 28, 1851, in what is now known as the Bombardment of Lagos or Reduction of Lagos, or locally as Ogun Ahoyaya or Ogun Agidingbi (after boiling cannons), put an end to Lagos' s former allegiance to the Oba of Benin.

Kosoko was therefore the last Oba of Lagos to remit annual tributes from the people of Lagos to the Oba of Benin. Oba Akitoye, who was re-installed to the throne by the British, "seized the opportunity of his restoration under British protection to repudiate his former allegiance" to Benin and rebuffed subsequent tribute requests from the Oba of Benin.

Previous rulers of Lagos have used the titles of Ologun (derived from Oloriogun), Eleko and, most recently, Oba of Lagos.

The current Oba of Lagos, His Highness Oba Rilwan Akiolu, has served in the position since May 2003.

Am Benin ....

But i want to ask is it only lagos in yorubaland the Benin colonized how come Benin are alway masturbating on benin conquered lagos" abi na only lagos benin conquered

You all keeping telling the history everyday on nairaland is becoming boring

gregyboy:
You and lia Mohammed must be brothers you seize to amaze me....eh eh

Even history your fellow yorubas know asipa is fully blooded benin you still go ahead to distort it for your egoistic interest...

I blame the guy who created the thread for publicity gain ,no one has ever created a thread on other yorubalands bini colonised
Why always lagos

Hahaha! My boy.

Educating you in 1, 2, 3, ...

Name me one Yoruba historian who said Ashipa is a Benin. None!

The idea that Ashipa is a Benin man was first hypothesized by the renowned Bini historian, Chief Egharevba when he noted that the name Ashipa may have come from the Benin phrase Aisika --- that is, We won't leave.

The name Ashipa exists throughout Yorubaland, but is not found among the Binis. This fact alone weakens this hypothesis which you want to cling to.

That Ashipa was of Ife royal descent according to the Lagos/Awori account is consistent with the widespread presence of the name among the Yorubas.

Finally, name me an instance --- just one instance --- of the use of Edo/Benin language as a court language in the Lagos palace at any point throughout Lagos history, and cite your source fully.

The use of your Edo/Benin language should be noticeable in the Lagos palace (perhaps till date) if truly your Benin kingdom colonized Lagos Island at any point, or if truly Ashipa (the progenitor of the present dynasty) was a Benin conqueror of Lagos Island.

gregyboy:
Am Benin ....

But i want to ask is it only lagos in yorubaland the Benin colonized how come Benin are alway masturbating on benin conquered lagos" abi na only lagos benin conquered

You all keeping telling the history everyday on nairaland is becoming boring

If wishes were horses, Benin kingdom would have colonized or conquered any part of Yorubaland.

But sadly and unfortunately for you, wishes aren't horses.

It's silly to even entertain the thought that Benin conquered any part of Yorubaland.


On my part, I have cited Adebanji S. Akintoye's "A History of the Yoruba People" and Robert S. Smith's "Kingdoms of the Yoruba" to buttress the fact that there exists the account known as the Lagos (or Awori) account which differs significantly on important details from the Benin account.

And I have shown how the Benin account fails to gel with observational evidence throughout Lagos history till date.

What do you have to offer other than rants?

TAO11:
Hahaha! My boy.

Educating you in 1, 2, 3, ...

Name me one Yoruba historian who said Ashipa is a Benin. None!

The idea that Ashipa is a Benin man was first hypothesized by the renowned Bini historian, Chief Egharevba when he noted that the name Ashipa may have come from the Benin phrase Aisika --- that is, We won't leave.

The name Ashipa exists throughout Yorubaland, but is not found among the Binis. This fact alone weakens this hypothesis which you want to cling to.

That Ashipa was of Ife royal descent according to the Lagos/Awori account is consistent with the widespread presence of the name among the Yorubas.

Finally, name me an instance --- just one instance --- of the use of Edo/Benin language as a court language in the Lagos palace at any point throughout Lagos history, and cite your source fully.

The use of your Edo/Benin language should be noticeable in the Lagos palace (perhaps till date) if truly your Benin kingdom colonized Lagos Island at any point, or if truly Ashipa (the progenitor of the present dynasty) was a Benin conqueror of Lagos Island.

I used to take you serious not anymore

gregyboy:
I used to take you serious not anymore

Hahaha ... my boy.

I actually hate to screw you left, right, and center.

#GbasGbos

But you cause it. You won't stop. You lie!

TAO11:
Hahaha ... my boy.

I actually hate to screw you left, right, and center.

#GbasGbos

But you cause it. You won't stop. You lie!

Ur moniker says female but you and i know you are a guy...
We can start tracing ur lies from there...

How would u screw when ur moniker says female

gregyboy:
Ur moniker says female but you and i know you are a guy...
We can start tracing ur lies from there...

How would u screw when ur moniker says female

Oh 'theriously'!? I didn't know you and I know I'm a guy oo, until now.

Your reasoning here smells like:

How can a lady be screwing me up accurately and consistently like this? Abeg na man jor!

[Having addressed your poor attempt at distraction, can you now begin addressing the issue at hand?? ].