More stories on: The Progenies of Oduduwa: Yoruba Yoruba People in Ọsun State. One of the six provinces that constituted the defunct Western Region was Ọsun province- which had Ijesa, Ifẹ, and Oshogbo districts, which has become one of the southwestern states. Prominent Yoruba towns in Ọsun are: Ile-Ifẹ, Ilesa, Ijẹbu-Egbooro (formerly known as Ijẹbu-Ijesa), Osogbo, Ẹdẹ, Ila-Ọrangun, Oke-Ila-Ọrangun, Iwo, Ejigbo, Ikire, Ikirun, Okuku, Ilobu, Inisa, Ẹsa-Oke, Ẹsa-Odo, Ipetumodu, Ipetu-Ijesa, Gbongan and many more. Figure : The People and the land in Osun State Figure : Local Government Areas in Osun State. Ijesa Land Ijesa land (Ilesa, the paramount town): Ijesa people are found in the eastern side of Ọsun State, its land covers the thick rain forest belt, which is about 2,500 feet above the sea level; this geographical feature which is common in Ondo and Ekiti States is traditionally rich in both perennial and cash crops that has made the Ijesa a leading Cocoa, kola nut producers in Yoruba land and Nigeria. Ijesa eulogy supports this geographical feature: Ijesa O’ se’re Onilẹ Obi, Ọmọ Ẹlẹni A’tẹ’ka, Ọmọ Ẹlẹni Ẹwẹlẹ, Ọmọ Ọla’see wọ Ọmọ Agbodo po’ro n’ mo ye Diẹ-diẹ lo’bi ba wọn rọ lokiti ẹfọn Okeke lo’ de asọ Igbajọ Ẹlọ’ gẹ dẹ t’ ẹmi la sọ Ode Ijesa Oki ti pẹ ni wọn ki iran Ijesa Oki ti Ẹfọn ni baba Abẹni t’ wa gbẹ jẹ Oogun Ẹjẹ Oogun ti ẹ wa gba, ni ẹ o sẹ ri lọ le mọ Ọmọ Ọla mọ, ni iyẹru ‘le Ọmọ Õsùn, ki o rú bẹ ri ri Ọtẹ lo sọ ìbí nù, Ogun lo sọ ìbí nù Ọmọ, Ogun lo ba ile Alara jẹ, To ‘gun O ba ba ile Alara jẹ, E ‘mi ni baba yin wa lọ si ile Bẹẹrẹ, Ẹ ri n kan…. Source: Ijesa land Eulogy by Tunde Balogun; Transcribed by this Author. History says, Ijesa Kingdom was established by the last son of Oduduwa “Ọwa” Obokun Ajibogun; Owa and his older brother, Agigiri Ẹgboroganlada, records say were raised by their grandmother, Ijasin. These two sons were sent by Oduduwa, to go and get sea water to cure him (Oduduwa) who had eye ailment. The brothers were assisted by Ọbanta-the Awujalẹ of Ijẹbu land; they brought the water home on time, which helped their father regained his sight. However, before the two brothers would return from this journey all the remaining Oduduwa children had left home with different inheritance to establish their kingdoms; legends say Oduduwa gave Ọwa a sword (Oni-Ida-Arara) and then beaded crowns to him and his older brother, blessed them before they began their adventure north/east ward of Ile-Ifẹ. Agigiri moved farther down north to establish a settlement- the modern day (Ijẹbu-Ijesa), while Ajibokun stayed east- the present site of Ilesa Township. Ijesa land has a long history of existence; notwithstanding, Ijesa people had under gone several political, cultural and social transformations over the centuries which no doubt, had affected its history. At different times, Ijesa was under the suzerainty of Ọyọ and Bini; at a time, it was an independent nation. However, the most significant era in Ijesa history was the 19th century-when several contending powers came onto the political scene in Yoruba land. Ibadan, Ijaye (now defunct), Ẹgba, Ijẹbu and Ijesa/Ekiti-Parapọ became the principal actors; and their dramas or spectacles, which became eye-catching public display-(opprobrium) from 1815-1885 (a period of 70 years) were mostly tragic. Ibadan had replaced Ọyọ as a dominant power; Ibadan’s loose political system which anchored primarily on war commanders sustained virtually by wars and booties created an oppressive political system hated by the new Yoruba. Ibadan’s occupation of Ijesa and Ekiti through their despotic viceroys (Ajẹlẹ) created a deep-seated animosity, which would only be settled at war. In 1877, Ogedengbe Agbogbungboro, the Seriki (war commander) of Ijesa land went to war against Ibadan, in alliance with the Ekiti people under their sectional commanders Fabunmi of Oke-Imẹsi, and Aduloju of Ado-Ekiti. According to history, Ibadan/Ijesa-Ekiti Parapọ was the worst war in Yoruba land during 19th century. For over eight years (1877-1885), the warring groups were at arms, and the war got to the peak at Kiriji near Ikirun. By 1885, the Church Missionary Society (CMS), and Lagos colonial government took steps to end the war with the 1886 armistice, records show that the war ended in 1893. The same year, Governor Carter visited Ibadan/Ijesa &Ekiti-Parapọ at Igbajọ and Imẹsi-Ile to prohibit slavery and to release all war captives; more so, to formerly declare the end of the war. With this development, peace, which had eluded Yoruba since 1815, when Alaafin Aolẹ died gradually returned at a great cost; however, Yoruba never remained the same again. The scars the 19th century wars left remain lastingly indelible as Yoruba live with the moral, emotional, and physical damage till today. No doubt, Ijesa contributed significantly to the creation of a new Yoruba; more important, it became part of Yoruba within the Southern Protectorate that formed Nigeria in 1914. Apart from Ilesa, the principal town of the (Ijesa-Yoruba); other towns in Ijesa land are: Ijẹbu-Ijesa, Ibokun, Ipetu-Ijesa, Ẹsa-Oke, Ẹsa-Odo, Ẹrin-Ijesa, Ifẹwara, Ipole, Osu, Iloko, Iwara, Ẹrinmọ, Idominasi, Ilerin, Ilasẹ, Igangan, Imọ, Iperindo, and several hundreds of communities and settlements in all the seven Ijesa local government areas.
Posted on: Wed, 18 Sep 2013 10:48:40 +0000
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