Igala Kingdom
Encyclopedia
The Igala Kingdom also known as the Kingdom of Idah was a pre-colonial West African state of what is now Nigeria
. The kingdom was founded by the Igala, a people living north of the Igbo
with its capital at Idah
. It was heavily influenced by the Igbo, Yoruba
, Bini
and Jukun
kingdoms.
The first "Attah" (king) of the kingdom is known as Ayegba om'Idoko (Ayegba son of Idoko). He led a great war of liberation against the Jukun
culminating in the sacrifice of his daughter, Inikpi to ensure victory.
The attah-ship of Igala (the Attah is NOT 'Attah of Idah' but 'Attah of Igala') rotated among four branches of the royal clan. Anthropologists believe the Igala kingdom was founded in the mid-16th century. The kingdom was ruled by nine high officials called the Igala Mela whom are custodians of the sacred Earth shrine.
The kingdom of Igala survived well into the 19th century. It became a British protectorate in 1901.
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
. The kingdom was founded by the Igala, a people living north of the Igbo
Igbo people
Igbo people, also referred to as the Ibo, Ebo, Eboans or Heebo are an ethnic group living chiefly in southeastern Nigeria. They speak Igbo, which includes various Igboid languages and dialects; today, a majority of them speak English alongside Igbo as a result of British colonialism...
with its capital at Idah
Idah
Idah is a town in Kogi State, Nigeria, on the eastern bank of the Niger River in the middle belt region of Nigeria. It is the headquarters of the Igala Kingdom, whose traditional ruler, the Attah of Igala, is Alhaji Aliyu Obaje....
. It was heavily influenced by the Igbo, Yoruba
Yoruba people
The Yoruba people are one of the largest ethnic groups in West Africa. The majority of the Yoruba speak the Yoruba language...
, Bini
Bini
Bini may refer to:* Bini people, a cultural group in Nigeria* A slang term for the BMW MINI car* Bini, Burkina Faso, a village in Burkina Faso-People:*Aldo Bini , an Italian road bicycle racer...
and Jukun
Jukun
Jukun or Djugun or Dyugun may refer to:*Jukun people *Jukun Takum language*Jukun people *Jukun language...
kingdoms.
The first "Attah" (king) of the kingdom is known as Ayegba om'Idoko (Ayegba son of Idoko). He led a great war of liberation against the Jukun
Jukun
Jukun or Djugun or Dyugun may refer to:*Jukun people *Jukun Takum language*Jukun people *Jukun language...
culminating in the sacrifice of his daughter, Inikpi to ensure victory.
The attah-ship of Igala (the Attah is NOT 'Attah of Idah' but 'Attah of Igala') rotated among four branches of the royal clan. Anthropologists believe the Igala kingdom was founded in the mid-16th century. The kingdom was ruled by nine high officials called the Igala Mela whom are custodians of the sacred Earth shrine.
The kingdom of Igala survived well into the 19th century. It became a British protectorate in 1901.