Aro Confederacy
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
|
|||
| National motto: | |||
| Official language | Igbo, Ibibio, Ijaw, Delta Ibo, Urhobo, Isoko, Itsekiri, and etc. | ||
| Capital | Arochukwu | ||
| Largest city | Arondizuogu | ||
| Ruler | EzeAro (King of Aros) | ||
| Area | N/A | ||
| Population;- Total | 3,000,000? (1900) | ||
| Currency | Cowry shells and Slaves | ||
| Created | 1690 | ||
| Dissolved | 1902 | ||
The Aro Confederacy was an African state which had its prime in the 18th and 19th centuries. Their authority and presence were scattered across Nigeria's Midwestern region sharing borders with the Benin Kingdom and, to the east, it extended through parts of present-day Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea. The Arochukwu Kingdom was the Aro Confederacy's political and spiritual center as it was home of the powerful Long Juju oracle, the Aro King, Chiefs, and High Priests. This Confederacy was born with the rise of the slave trade in the hinterland.
Contents |
[edit] The Rise
The slave trading Confederacy was started after Arochukwu formed. Making alliances with several Igbo and eastern Cross River neighbours, the Aro people started mass slave raiding activities around Igbo and Ibibio lands. Aro priests used the god, Ibini Ukpabi, who was popular in midwest and southeast Nigeria, to capture slaves. As this continued, Aro businessmen from Arochukwu migrated across southern Nigeria, Cameroon, and Equatorial Guinea and founded numerous settlements. There they spread the Aro religion and tricked people into slavery and put them under Aro authority.
[edit] The Confederacy Era
This activity became very popular as coastal Niger Delta city-states became main sources for exporting slaves. These city-states were Opobo, Bonny, Brass, Calabar, and other slave trade city-states controlled by the Ijaw, Efik, and Igbo. The Aros formed a strong trading network and had had hundreds of communities that formed into powerful Kingdoms. The Ajalli, Arondizuogu, and Bende Kingdoms were the most powerful Aro kingdoms in the Confederacy after Arochukwu. Some were founded and named after great Commanders and Chiefs like the legendary Izuogu Mgbokpo and Iheme who led Aro forces to destroy and conquered Ikpa Ora and founded Arondizuogu.
[edit] The Fall
In the late 19th century, European colonists moved into Aro territories and had many problems capturing them. But their power partially died down as Germans colonized Cameroon in 1884 and Spaniards colonized Equatorial Guinea in 1900 although only minor colonies and settlement of Aro were there. The Royal Niger Company of Britain, had friction with the Aros because of their alleged human sacrificing, trading network, and economical control of the hinterland. Aro authorities had a problem with them pressuring their lands and with their missionaries like Mary Slessor who converted Aros to Christianity. This led to a war known as the Anglo-Aro War which started in 1901 with an Aro invasion of British-controlled Obegu. The British responded with the Aro expedition which was repeated invasions on the Arochukwu Kingdom resulting in it collapsing in 1902 after a final attack captured the state and destroyed the oracle, Ibini Ukpabi. Aro leaders were arrested and assassinated.[citation needed] The Confederacy crumbled and went to British hands.
