Origin:

Oyo was the earliest and culturally advanced of the four forest states.  In fact, at the peak of its power in the 19th century, the empire of Oyo stretched as far as  River Niger in the north to the Gulf of Guinea if the south.

To the west it was bordered by modern Togo and it stretched to the east as far as Benin. Some historians content that Oyo started to emerge inn the 11th century while others believe that it started in the 14th and 15th  century.

According to local traditions, the empire was founded by Oranmiyan, a grandson of Oduduwa. Oduduwa was the chief ancestor of the Oyo people who settled at Ile -Ife among the Yoruba.

Okabi the father of Oranmiyan died at IIe-ife. A legend confirms that the Yoruba were descendants of Oranmiyan. 

Oranmiyan was the most warlike among the seven children of Okabi.  He immediately made a military expedition against the northern tribes of IIe-ife. This expedition proved disastrous. Therefore other than returning home in a distress, there fore he founded a city in Oyo-ajaka known as old Oyo. 

This city was located in a Savannah area which was suitable for the movement of his horsemen.  It was also located along the trade routes from the south to the North.  Old Oyo therefore was a centre of trade.

Oranmiyan was accepted as the legitimate king of Oyo because of his conquests and success.  In fact his descendants became the military rulers of the Yoruba.

The factors for the rise and expansion of Oyo.

It is not certain when Oyo begun to rise and expand but what is clear is that by the end of the 15th century, Oyo's influence was wide spread in most of Yoruba.  Vanece factors accounted for the rise and expansion.

Oyo's location:  It was located of a fertile savanna region.  This made if a rich agricultural state capable of producing enough food to feed a large population.  This ensured food security which helped her to rise and expand.

Commercial prosperity: Oyo was situated along the trade routes running from the north to the south. Therefore the people of Oyo were able to benefit from the trade since they were acting as middlemen.

Developed art and craft industry: Oyo was the centre for manufacturing high quality products. These included jugs, bells, bangles, mats, baskets, necklaces, weaving and dying of cotton and cloth products. This industry was another source of income.

Iron and Blacksmith workers: The Oyo people manufactured military weapons like spears and arrow heads and agricultural implements like hoes.  These generated big revenues for the state as well as helping in the defending of the empire.

Introduction of horses:  These came from North Africa.  They helped to build a strong army with a well equipped co horseman. Therefore the army was instrumental in the expansion and defence of the state.

The army was highly disciplined:  For instance if a general or commander lost the war, he would commit suicide instead of either returning home in disgrace or being taken captive by the enemy.  This generally strengthen Oyo's army.

Increase in the state bill: King's were encouraged to conquer new areas to increase the number of vassal states to pay tributes.  Thus this increased the state revenue or source of income at the same time expanding the empire.

An efficient system of government: This was headed by powerful kings such as Alafin, Abiodun and Oroptp.  Oyo also had a system of checks and balances between the Alafin and Oyo-mesi.  This was a council of seven.

Excellent communication:  Through R. Niger, exports and imports would be transported to and from the empire.  Therefore this easy transport helped to increase trade and state revenues, which led to the rise and expansion of the empire.

Trans-Atlantic slave trade: With the rise of this trade, Oyo empire played the leading role in the riding of slaves from the neighbouring states. In fact by the mid 18th century, slaves were the most important revenue for Oyo.

Political Organisation of the Empire

The empire had a centralized government headed by a king known as Alafin.  It was divided into two administrative areas, the metropolitan Oyo and the provincial Oyo.

Metropolitan Oyo was compared of areas of Oyo before its expansion that is original Oyo.  This was directly under the Alafin and his council of seven called the Oyo-mesi.  The members of the council were leaders of seven wards or divisions into which the capital was divided.

The Oyo-mesi elected a new Alafin from among the members of the royal family.  It also checked the powers of the Alafin.  In fact the king could not act without their consent in the matters of state policy.  Incase the king became tyrannical, the Oyo-mesi could force him to commit suicide.  The message was conveyed through presenting a carrabash or a parrot's egg.  This signified the fact that the people have rejected him or were dissatisfied.

The Bashurun (prime minister) was the leader of the Oyo-mesi.  He informed the Alafin of the people's decision threat he commits suicide.

Below the Oyo-mesi, there was a non-hereditary class of military officials whose leader was known as the Kankafo.  He was the commander-in chief of the army.

The activities of the Alafin and the Oyo-mesi were checked by the Ogboni cult under the leadership of the Oluwo.  This was a secret society of freemen remarkable for their age and experience and wisdom.  They were the social political and religious leaders of Oyo state.  They also mediated between the Alafin and the Oyo-mesi.

Provincial Oyo was divided into provinces of chiefdoms which had been conquered.  These were ruled by minor chiefs known as the Obas.  The Alafin ruled these state was indirectly through the Obas.  The Obas enjoyed a large degree of internal autonomy in their areas of administration.

The Alafin controlled the foreign affairs office, collection of revenue, he controlled the army and appeals to the Alafin's court were handled by him.

The king appointed a spy of official known as the Iraris to make sure that he is informed of the activities in each province.  They were not popular with the Obas.

Justice in the empire was administered through three types of courts.  First the Balre court dealt with disputes between members of the same compound, the Ward court tried cases between persons belonging to different compounds in the same wards or divisions.  The Alafin court was the highest court of appeal.  It tried all criminal cases and those between different wards or divisions.

On a  military side, Oyo had no standing army but every able known as Kankafo.  He would commit suicide of settle outside the bounders of Oyo if he lost the war.  The army consisted of the infantry and the cavalry but it was the horsemen who made the Oyo army most feared and respected in the forest region.

Social Organisation.

Socially, the Yoruba of Oyo had a common language, culture and religion.

Their religion featured the worship of ancestors and the common gods were Sango, he was the god of thunder, Ogun was the god of iron and war.  These formed the bond of union of Oyo empire.

The Ogboni cult was also an important feature of the Oyo religion.  This was a secret society of freemen remarkable for their age, experience and wisdom.

The cult was devouted to worship  of the earth goddess.  They also mediated between the Alafin and the Oyo-mesi thus creating a peaceful atmosphere.

Economic Organisation

Agriculture was the main source of wealth of Oyo empire .  Every citizen was a farmer, for example in the northern parts of the kingdom there was cattle keeping and the main food crops were maize, and millet.  In the southern parts yams, palm oil, kola nuts and pepper were grown.

Oyo was also the centre of manufacturing iron tools, high quality cloth and works of art and craft.  These products were produced on household basis. They controlled a lot on the revenue of Oyo.

Oyo also depended on taxes and tributes which were other sources of revenue.  Taxes came from regular markets which were held in major towns.  The Alafins impose taxes on goods entering and leaving Oyo eg Dahomey between 1729-81 paid annual tributes of 40 men, 40 women, 40 girls and 4000 lots of cowrie shells to Oyo.

Trade was also an important aspect of Oyo's economy.  Oyo exported pepper , camwood, kola nut, ivory and slaves to the north.  While the imports from the north were copper, beads , cowrie shells and horses.

However, from the 18th century trade gradually changed direction from the north to the south.  With Europeans at the coast Oyo exported ivory and slaves and imported European cloth, beads, firearms and luxurious items from the coast.

The Decline and Fall of Oyo.

Oyo empire reached the zenith (climax) of its peak in the 1st half of the 18th century.  However by the 19th century the strong and well organised empire of Oyo had disintegrated e.g the northern part was captured by the Fulani moslems and the southern part had broken up into a number of independent states.  Many factors contributed to this state of affairs.

Continuous weakness of the central government:  This was as a result of political  unrest caused by the struggle between the Bashurun and the Alafin.  For a period of twenty years, Oyo was torn by internal civil wars e.g. Gaha the prime minister over threw the Alafin then it took long  for king Abiodun to suppress Gaha.

Decline of its military strength: This was due to a number of civil wars and the subsequent loss of horses during the wars.  This was even  worsened by the fact that the horses were expensive . The army was greatly weakened .  By the beginning of the 19th century Oyo was a shadow of its former self.

Desire of provincial rulers to regain their independence: For instance in 1781, king Gezo of Dahomey refused to continue paying annual tribute to Oyo.  Even the lishabe asserted their independence. This defeat was a big encouragement to other provincial states to regain their independence.

Decline of Oyo's economy: With the break away of Dahomey, Nupe and Borgu, Oyo was denied its important source of wealth.  Also trade with the north declined due to civil wars and even some traders diverted to Dahomey and Borgu.  Therefore Oyo became incapable of running the empire efficiently without enough resources.

Abolition of slave trade:  This was done by the British in 1807 it deprived Oyo of its important source of revenue.  Thus the Alafin lacked sufficient resources to support the empire.

Inversion of the Fulani Moslems:  The Fulani moslems from the north declared a Jihad in the second half of the 19th century.  They conquered the Haussa states and were waiting for an opportunity to invade Oyo.  However Afionga a rival prince to Oyo's throne visited the Jihads to assist him in his struggle for independence from Oyo.

British interference: This was done in the interest of suppressing slave trade, promoting legitimate trade and encouraging missionaries.  In 1851, the British bombarded Lagos.  I n 1861, it was annexed .  Having been weakened internally by civil strives and externally by the Fulani.  Oyo finally succumbed to the British (accepted British rule)