Strength Of Oyo Mesi And Fall Of Old Oyo Empire
The Oyo empire was a large West African empire founded in approximately the 1300CE. Oyo Alaafin descended from the historical figure, Oduduwa or Olofin. Thus, an integral portion of the Yoruba nation. The ‘Yoruba’ were said to have migrated from Ile-Ife as their principal centre of civilisation with Oranyan, the grandson of Oduduwa as the first Alaafin of Oyo. It should be noted that the descendants of Oduduwa instituted various kingdoms, Oyo, Ijesha, Ijebu, Ondo, Owo, Osun, Ketu, Ekiti etc. Also, oral history has a particular strong effect on Oyo history much more than other contemporary West African empires as Yoruba cosmology focuses on an earlier kingdom , Ife, which provide the foundation for the Oyo Empires. Early in the 16th century, Oyo was a minor state which was led by the founder, king-Alaafin of Oyo Oranmiyan whose position on earth was comparable to that of the supreme Being in heaven probably because of his strong reputation as a military leader. The Alaafin ruled w...