Things Fall Apart Background Notes

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