A Yoruba Chronology, with Confidence Levels
A dated timeline of Yoruba history in which every entry is marked for how well the date is actually established, since much early dating is contested.
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A dated timeline of Yoruba history in which every entry is marked for how well the date is actually established, since much early dating is contested.
The Yorùbá wey dem quote, the proverbs, oríkì, ẹsẹ Ifá, word list headwords, Odù names and citations dey exactly as the corpus record dem, for every language.
Dis na timeline wit dates where every entry get confidence marker, bikos Yoruba dates dey fall into four very different categories and if person put all of dem inside one straight list without difference, e go misrepresent all of dem. Radiocarbon range from excavation and reign date wey dem reconstruct backward from king list no be di same kind of fact, and reader suppose see which one be which.
How to read di confidence markers.
[High] mean say di date dey fixed by document wey dem write dat time, or by modern record. Colonial correspondence, signing of treaty, published books, photographs wey get date. Di uncertainty na at most few days.
[Archaeological] mean say di date come from radiocarbon or thermoluminescence dating of material wey dem dig out. Dis ones na ranges, no be exact points, and di range wey dem give na di range. Dem dey date di material wey dem sample, no be di event wey tradition attach to dat material.
[Reconstructed] mean say historians derive di date through argument from combination of sources: king lists wit estimated length of reign, cross-references to external events wey get date, and internal consistency. Margins normally dey reach decade or more and e dey often wide pass dat as you dey go back further. Different scholars dey give different figures.
[Traditional] mean say di date come from oral tradition and e no get independent verification. Dem record dem bikos tradition put di event for dat period, no be bikos di event get date. Person no suppose quote dem as historical dates without dis qualifier.
[Contested] mean say competent scholars dey actively disagree, and di disagreement dey substantive.
General warning about di deep past: any Yoruba date before roughly 1500 CE wey dem give as specific year instead of range almost certainly na reconstruction wey dem dress up like fact. Take precision as warning sign.
c. 2500 BCE to c. 300 BCE, Proto-Yoruboid. Di reconstructed common ancestor of Yoruba, Ìgálà and Itsẹkiri, wey historical linguistics locate near di Niger-Benue confluence. [Reconstructed, low confidence on the dates specifically] Di relationship between di languages dey secure; di absolute dating rest on glottochronological assumptions wey historical linguists demsef consider say e no reliable for absolute chronology .
Mid first millennium BCE onward, ironworking in the region. Iron smelting and forging for West Africa, wit Nok evidence from as early as di sixth century BCE. Yoruboid speakers develop ironworking before di wide use of copper alloys. [Archaeological]
c. 300 BCE to c. 800 CE, settlement of the forest and forest margin. Ogundiran reconstruction of di long southwestward movement and settlement of Yoruboid speakers, wit Yoruba society wey form through dis process instead of to arrive already formed. [Reconstructed]
c. 800 to 1000 CE, construction of Sungbo's Eredo begins. Di Ijẹ̀bú earthwork system, wey dem estimate say na 3.5 million cubic metres of moved earth, southwest of Ijẹ̀bú-Òde. [Archaeological] Note say dis one happen several centuries before di Ijẹ̀bú dynastic tradition, wey be important fact on its own.
8th to 12th century CE, Òrun Ọba Adó, Ilé-Ifẹ̀. Radiocarbon dates from Willett excavation. [Archaeological]
Later first millennium CE, emergence of divine kingship and Yoruba urbanism. How Ogundiran place di key institutional innovations. [Reconstructed]
11th to 13th century CE, Ita Yemòó, Ilé-Ifẹ̀. Radiocarbon dates for di occupation. [Archaeological]
12th to 15th century CE, the potsherd pavement period. Di majority of radiocarbon dates for potsherd pavements across pass thirty Yorubaland sites, wey coincide wit sociopolitical centralisation and urbanisation. [Archaeological]
Early second millennium CE, primary glass production at Igbo Olókun, Ilé-Ifẹ̀. Over 12,000 glass beads and hundreds of crucible fragments; di high-lime, high-alumina composition show say na local manufacture from raw materials. [Archaeological] Dis one dey among di most secure findings inside di entire Yoruba record.
1221 to 1369 CE, the Wunmonije copper-alloy heads. Thermoluminescence dates from clay cores inside two of di heads wey dem see by accident for 1938 behind di Ọ̀ọ̀ni's palace. [Archaeological]
c. 1250 to 1350 CE, Blier "high florescence" of Ifẹ̀ art. Derived from thermoluminescence results combined wit di estimated reign era of Obalúfọ̀n II for Ifẹ̀ king lists. [Contested] Di thermoluminescence component na archaeological; di tightening of di range through reference to king list na argument, and to attribute specific works to specific rulers na art-historical inference instead of finding.
1295 to 1435 CE, Ita Yemòó castings and terracottas. [Archaeological]
13th or 14th century, Odùduwà at Ilé-Ifẹ̀; the dispersal of the crowned rulers. [Traditional] Independent dating no dey for Odùduwà. Di versions of di tradition dey conflict, and Robin Law argue say di Odùduwà charter itself spread over time as political device. [Contested]
13th century, Igueghae carries brass casting from Ifẹ̀ to Benin. [Traditional] Both Ifẹ̀ and Benin traditions hold dis, and some Benin scholars dey dispute am.
Late 14th century onward, drought, famine, smallpox and out-migration from Ilé-Ifẹ̀. Ogundiran "Atrophy and Regeneration," c. 1400 to 1650, wit dynastic collapse and alteration for di fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. [Reconstructed]
c. 16th century, end of the potsherd pavement tradition. [Archaeological]
1505, wetin Portuguese pipo write about Geebuu. One Portuguese source describe one very big city wey big moat round am, wey one leader wey dem call Agusale dey rule, wey clear say na Ijẹ̀bú-Òde and di Awùjalẹ̀. [High] Na dis be di earliest sure document date for any Yoruba polity wey get name.
16th century, Benin expand enter Lagos area; dem appoint Àṣípa as di first Ọba of Lagos. [Traditional/Reconstructed]
c. 1535, Nupe army under Tsoede destroy Ọ̀yọ́-Ile; roughly 80 years of dynastic exile follow am. [Reconstructed]
1550s, Portuguese rekɔd dem write wetin Benin palace tok about Ogané. One supreme authority wey dey far inside land wey dey give authority to every new Benin ruler, wey pipo generally believe say na di Ọ̀ọ̀ni of Ifẹ̀. [High for di document; di identification with di Ọ̀ọ̀ni na Reconstructed]
c. 1608 go forward, Aláàfin Ọ̀finràn recover territory and Aláàfin Abípa bring pipo back enter Ọ̀yọ́-Ile. [Reconstructed]
17th century, European traders rekɔd say cowrie shell na di standard money for Yoruba and Benin regions. [High]
1728, di first big Ọ̀yọ́ invasion of Dahomey. Ọ̀yọ́ cavalry prove decisive against Dahomean firearms and fortifications. [Reconstructed, well supported]
1730, Dahomey agree to dey pay yearly tribute give Ọ̀yọ́. Forty men and women, guns, and four hundred loads of cowries and coral, afta military campaigns by Aláàfin Òjìgí. [Reconstructed, well supported]
1748, Dahomey dey totally under control afta repeated campaigns. [Reconstructed]
June to October 1754, Bàṣọ̀run Gaha force four Aláàfin make dem kill demselves. [Reconstructed]
1774, Aláàfin Abíọ́dún make dem execute Gaha. [Reconstructed]
1807 and 1808, Britain and United States ban dia slave trade. [High]
c. 1807, dem born Samuel Àjàyí Crowther for Ọ̀ṣogun. [Reconstructed]
1817, Àfọ̀njá's rebellion for Ilọrin. Di Aàrẹ Ọ̀nà Kakanfò break comot from di Aláàfin, come join hand with Muslim fighters under Shehu Àlímì. [Reconstructed, well supported]
1817 to 1822, di Ọ̀wu war. Five-year siege wey end with di destruction of Ọ̀wu; na di first big Yoruba war wey European firearms decide. [Reconstructed]
1817 to 1836, dem estimate say 121,000 pipo comot as slaves from di Yoruba-speaking region. Roughly 42 percent go Brazil, roughly 40 percent go Cuba; 75,700 dey documented inside 243 ships; over 47,000 Lucumí arrivals for Cuba. [Reconstructed, statistical] Na model-based estimate from di Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade Database be dis, no be exact count.
April 1822, British patrol free Crowther from slave ship and land am for Sierra Leone. [High]
1823, Dahomey defeat Ọ̀yọ́ well-well, wey make di tribute relationship end. [Reconstructed]
1829, Abd al-Salam, pikin of Àlímì, become emir of Ilọrin; Ilọrin align with di Sokoto Caliphate. [Reconstructed]
c. 1830, Ṣódẹkẹ́ found Abẹ́òkúta with Ẹ̀gbá refugees. [Reconstructed]
1830s, founding of Ìbàdàn for one former Ẹ̀gbá site by mixed force of Ọ̀yọ́, Ifẹ̀, Ijẹ̀bú and Ẹ̀gbá warriors. [Reconstructed]
1830s go forward, Sàró pipo start to dey return back from Freetown. [Reconstructed]
c. 1833 to 1836, Ilọrin destroy Ọ̀yọ́-Ile; pipo wey survive come found Àgò d'Ọ̀yọ́. [Di exact year dey contested] Sources give different dates across dis range. [Reconstructed]
c. 1834, Ṣódẹkẹ́ settle di Ọ̀wu refugees for Abẹ́òkúta. [Reconstructed]
c. 1840, Ìbàdàn stop Ilọrin's advance wey dey go south for Ọ̀ṣogbo. [Reconstructed]
1842, CMS enter Yorubaland for Badagry with Henry Townsend and Thomas Birch Freeman. [High]
1843, dem ordain Crowther; e publish di first Yoruba grammar and vocabulary. [High]
December 1851, British pipo bomb Lagos; dem install Akitoye; tribute relationship with Benin come end. [High]
1851, Abẹ́òkúta repel Dahomey invasion with help from British pipo. [High]
1852, Crowther publish translation of four New Testament books. [High]
1859, Ìbàdàn destroy Ilé-Ifẹ̀. [Reconstructed]
6 August 1861, Lagos Treaty of Cession. Ọba Dòsùnmú sign afta eleven days wey e resist, under threat from HMS Prometheus wey Beddingfield command. [High]
1862, Ìbàdàn destroy Ìjàyè. [Reconstructed]
1864, dem consecrate Crowther as Bishop, di first African Anglican bishop. [High]
1865, dem establish Ẹ̀gbá United Board of Management for Abẹ́òkúta. [High]
1870, Ìbàdàn destroy Ilésà. [Reconstructed]
3 October 1871, dem install Látòsisà as Aàrẹ Ọ̀nà Kakanfò of Ìbàdàn. [High]
30 July 1877, Kiriji or Sixteen Years War start. Látòsisà attack di Ẹ̀gbá; di Èkìtìparapọ̀ form alliance with Ìjẹ̀ṣà. [High]
August 1878, Battle of Ìkìrun, di Jalumi war. [High]
7 April 1879, Balógun Ajayi Ogboriefon of Ìbàdàn die; Ògèdèngbé take confederate command for Ìmẹ̀sí-Ilé. [High]
1880s, di Lagos Èkìtìparapọ̀ Society send Snider, Martini-Henry and Winchester rifles go di eastern camp. [High]
1884, dem publish di complete Yoruba Bible. [High]
August 1885, Látòsisà die. [High]
23 September 1886, dem sign peace treaty for Ìmẹ̀sí-Ilé. [High]
1886, Dahomey destroy Kétu. [Reconstructed]
March 1888, dem found Native Baptist Church for Lagos, di first indigenous church for West Africa. [High]
1889, Anglo-French boundary divide western Yorubaland, put Kétu and Sábẹ̀ inside French territory. [High]
1891, Samuel Àjàyí Crowther die. [High]
1892, British invasion of Ijẹ̀bú; dem join am enter Southern Nigeria Protectorate. [High]
14 March 1893, Captain Bower scatter Kiriji camps completely; Governor Carter sign agreement with Ọ̀yọ́ and di Ẹ̀gbá. [High]
29 April 1901, Samuel Johnson die for Lagos. [High]
1914, dem join Northern and Southern Protectorates together; dem cancel Ẹ̀gbá United Government. [High]
1914, T. A. J. Ogunbiyi start Reformed Ogboni Fraternity. [High]
1921, dem publish Samuel Johnson book The History of the Yorubas, twenty years after e die, wey im brother Obadiah Johnson reconstruct and edit. [High]
1924, dem publish E. A. Ajisafe book The Laws and Customs of the Yoruba People. [High]
1934, Yaba Higher College open. [High]
1938, dem see Wunmonije Compound copper-alloy heads for Ilé-Ifẹ̀ during construction work. [High]
1938, D. O. Fágúnwà publish Ògbójú Ọdẹ Nínú Igbó Irúnmalẹ̀, wey be di first full-length novel wey dem write for Yoruba language. [High]
1945, Ọbáfẹ́mi Awólọ́wọ̀ start Ẹgbẹ́ Ọmọ Odùduwà for London. [High]
1947, dem form Abẹ́òkúta Women's Union; November 1947, about 10,000 women march go palace of di Aláké. [High]
1948, University College Ibadan open. [High]
April 1948, dem stop direct tax on women for Abẹ́òkúta. [High]
3 January 1949, di Aláké Ademola II step down from throne. [High]
21 March 1951, dem start Action Group for Ìbàdàn. [High]
1952, Amos Tutuọla publish The Palm-Wine Drinkard. [High]
1955, dem start free and compulsory primary education for Western Region. Number of students wey register increase from 381,000 for 1952 go reach 811,432 for 1955. [High]
December 1957 to January 1958, Frank Willett do rescue excavation for Ita Yemòó. More work continue reach 1963. [High]
1959, first television service for Africa start for Western Region. [High]
1 October 1960, Nigeria get independence. [High]
1962, Action Group split and state of emergency happen for Western Region; dem judge Awólọ́wọ̀ for treasonable felony and put am for prison for 1963. [High]
1964, dem perform Duro Ladipo Ọba Kò So for di first time. [High]
1967, dem create twelve states, wey scatter Western Region as single unit. [High]
1968 to 1969, Agbẹkọ̀ya farmers revolt for the west. [High]
1977, military raid Kalakuta compound; dem throw Fúnmiláyọ̀ Ransome-Kuti comot from window, wey make am die from di injury for 1978. [High]
June 1993, dem cancel presidential election wey be like say na Moshood Abiola win; Abiola die for detention for 1998. [High]
2005, UNESCO put Ọ̀ṣun-Ọ̀ṣogbo Sacred Grove for list as World Heritage Site and di Ifá divination system as intangible cultural heritage. [High]
2006, Lankton, Ige and Rehren propose say dem make local primary glass for Ilé-Ifẹ̀ (dem publish am for 2006, from earlier work). [High]
2010 to 2012, Babalola excavation work for Igbo Olókun recover pass 12,000 glass beads and production debris. [High]
2015, dem publish Suzanne Blier book Art and Risk in Ancient Yoruba. [High]
2020, dem publish Akinwumi Ogundiran book The Yorùbá: A New History. [High]
The Odùduwà traditions and the versions that compete with them, the argument over migration versus indigenous development, and what excavation at Ilé-Ifẹ̀ has actually dated.
How Ọ̀yọ́ rose to dominate the western Yoruba region and beyond, the constitutional machinery that constrained its king, the cavalry that made it work, and why both eventually failed.
The fall of Ọ̀yọ́, the Ilọrin and Sokoto dimension, the Ọ̀wu war, the rise of Ìbàdàn, the Sixteen Years War at Kiriji, and the political map they left behind.
Cultural nationalism and the African church movement, the Abẹ́òkúta women's revolt, Awólọ́wọ̀ and the Western Region, the Yoruba in the Nigerian federation, and the present revival of interest in traditional knowledge.
The kinds of evidence historians use to reconstruct the Yoruba past, what each kind can and cannot prove, and how one 1921 book shaped everything written since.
Ilé-Ifẹ̀ between roughly the eleventh and fifteenth centuries, its sculpture in copper alloy and terracotta, the industries that paid for it, and its relationships with Benin, Ọ̀wọ̀ and the Niger.