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When did the country of Nigeria (as we know it today) become a country?
1914
In pre-colonial regions, hundreds of groups existed that spoke how many languages?
over 248
How did some regions practice centralized political systems?
via ethnic and language groupings
Where did historians believe one of the first complex societies rose in Western Africa?
what is now southern Nigeria
What was the site of the first complex societies in Western Africa called?
Igbo-Ukwu
Since when was Igbo-Ukwu around and was it well developed?
its been around since 900 CE but it wasn’t as developed
When was Igbo-Ukwu well developed and what did it do then?
in the 12th century where the area had developed well-organized trade networks with other African “states”
What was the main “Nigerian” empire called?
Yoruba Empire
What were the 3 states the Yoruba Empire was divided into?
State of Ife, Kingdom of Benin, Kingdom of Oyo
What are some facts about the State of Ife?
it was established roughly around 1100CE in the southern area of Nigeria. Due to its location, it was a center of trade including ivory, gold, pepper, kola, and slaves
When did the Kingdom of Benin rise to power?
1500 CE
How did the Kingdom of Oyo start out?
it started as a prominent city located in the southwestern part before developing into a vast empire
What happened to the Kingdom of Oyo and the State of Ife in the 15th century?
the Kingdom of Oyo surpassed the State of Ife in terms of power, but Ife remained a prosperous center for religion
Why did Islam become firmly established in northern Nigeria by the 15th century?
because of trans-Saharan trade routes
Why is the number of people who identified themselves as “Igbo” widely debated?
before the foundations of Christianity by missionaries were laid (1850 and onward), grouping terms were used more by outsiders and had little meaning to people within the region. There was a shared Igbo language but the language itself didn’t equal group identity. It was associated with small, kingship-based units
What is the history of Nigeria tied up with?
the Trans-Atlantic slave trade
Why was the Trans-Atlantic slave trade so prevalent in Nigeria’s history?
ports for slave trading existed in high numbers along the modern-day Nigerian coast, especially after 1750 with the introduction of British and Dutch slave traders
What were the first exports and exchanged materials to European traders?
pepper, ivory, cloth, and slaves exchanged for mostly gold from Portuguese traders beginning in 1480
When did the export economy begin to be dominated by “human cargo” (slaves)?
when the Dutch began to dominate trading relationships in the 17th century and the British in the 18th century
Did slave sales decrease or increase after the abolishment in 1833?
they increased until 1840
What was Nigeria known as until the middle of the 19th century?
the “slave coast”
When did Nigeria become a British protectorate?
1901
When did Nigeria gain independence from Britain?
1960
What form of government did Nigeria become in 1963?
it became a republic
How long was Nigeria a republic and what happened as a result?
it succumbed to military rule 3 years later after a bloody coup d’état. A separatist movement later formed the Republic of Biafra in 1967, leading to the 3 year Nigerian Civil War
Who was the Biafran War between?
the government of Nigeria and the secessionist state of Biafra, which represented the nationalist goals of the Igbo people
What caused the Biafran War?
resulted from political, economic, ethnic, cultural, and religious tensions which preceded Britain’s formal decolonization of Nigeria from 1960 to 1963
What happened in Nigeria in 1979?
it became a republic again after a new constitution was written
What happened after 1979 in Nigeria?
the military seized power again and ruled for 10 years.
When was a new republic planned to be established in Nigeria?
1993
Who aborted the plan to create a new republic?
General Sani Abacha
When was a 4th republic finally established?
after General Sani Abacha died in 1998, the 4th republic was established the following year, ending 3 decades of intermittent military rule
What is the Igbo group?
its not sure how the group came to be but they are one of the largest ethnic groups in Africa; before colonization they were a fragmented group
Do the Igbo people all have the same dialect?
no, there are many regional dialects
What are the most common jobs and traditional crops grown?
they work as craftsmen, farmers, and traders. crops include yams, cassava, and taro
What religion are most Igbo people?
they were unaffected by the Fulani War and the resulting spread of Islam, but became overwhelmingly Christian under colonization
What did Achebe declare in 2000?
Igbo identity should be placed between tribe and nation
How did Igbo government work?
communities and area governments were overwhelmingly ruled solely by a republican consultative assembly of the common people
Where is mathematics evident?
in their calendar, banking system, and strategic betting game called Okwe
How does the Igbo calendar work?
a week had 4 days, 1 month was 7 weeks, 1 year is 13 months. In the last month, an extra day was added. It is still used in Igbo villages today and towns to determine market days
What are 3 percussion instruments they incorporate into their musical style?
Udu (a clay jug), and ekwe (a hollowed log), and the ogene (a hand bell designed form forged iron)
What are drums used for?
a communication method
What is masking and its use?
masking is one of the most common art styles in Igboland and is linked to traditional music. it can be made of wood, fabric, iron, and vegetation. They have a variety of uses: mainly in social satires, religious rituals, secret society initiations, public festivals (including Christmas)
When was Christianity introduced?
through European colonization in 1857
Why did the Igbo hesitate to convert to Christianity?
they believed the gods of their native religion would bring disaster to them
How did Christianity gain converts?
gradually, mainly through the work of church agents. They built schools and focused on persuading the youth to adopt Christian values
What is the traditional religion called?
Odinani
What is the supreme god in Odinani and what did he create?
Chukwu (“great spirit”) created the world and everything in it and is associated with all things on Earth
What is another belief of the Igbo people religion wise?
the Cosmos is divided into 4 complex parts: creation (Okike), supernatural forces or dieties (Alusi), Mmuo (spirits), Uwa (the world)
What was the process of marriage?
asking the young woman’s consent, introducing the woman to the man’s family (and vice versa), testing the bride’s character, checking the woman’s family background, paying the bride’s wealth
What is significant about bride wealth?
its more symbolic. Kola nuts, wine, goats, chickens, among other things are listed in the proposal and negotiating the bride wealth can also take more than one day, giving both parties time for a ceremonial feast
What were Igbo marriages like?
they were polyamorous, men had more than one wife and those wives and children all lived in a “compound” with their husband/father
What is chi?
one’s personal god/spirit. Some believe it can control the destiny of the person
What is social structure and hierarchy in Igbo culture?
it includes titled and untitled citizens. Titles are earned and grant a measure of respect
What are egwugwu?
masquerades, men and titled men; masks are primary visual art of Igbo
What are Osu?
outcasts who are not allowed to cut their hair, not a part of society
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