Kemi Morgan and the Second Reconstruction of Ibadan History
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 11846641 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Toyin Falola (0000-0002-2457-2930, York University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 1991 |
| Volume | 18 |
| Pages | 93-112 |
| Publication date | 1991-01-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | History in Africa (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0361-5413 • E-ISSN: 1558-2744 |
| Publisher | Cambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.2307/3172056 |
| OpenAlex | W2096869888 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 2 |
| References cited | 4 |
I did not set out to write a new book, not even to write the history of Ibadan. I intended to re-write the old man's book. The concerns which dominated Yoruba historiography in the nineteenth century were similar to those of the first half of this century. Primary among these concerns were the patriotic desire to document Yoruba history, explain the turbulence of the nineteenth century, and inspire the new generation with a sense of history. Isaac Babalola Akinyele (1881–1964), the first to write a chronicle on Ibadan, expressed these concerns in the preface to the first edition of his book, Iwe I tan Ibadan , published in 1911. He explained that the origin of the book was the invitation extended to him in May 1911 by an Ibadan-based society, the Egbe Onife He Yoruba (“Lovers of the Yoruba”) to give a lecture on “Ancient and Modern Ibadan.” In the same month, he delivered a lecture which he later expanded and published into a book in order to preserve history at a time when the knowledge about the past was being forgotten and the elders were passing on. Chief Akinyele believed that it was urgent to document the oriki of Yoruba Obas , again being forgotten because only a few persons were interested in them. To him the oriki reveal much about Yoruba history. He also believed that the Yoruba language was undergoing a decline, and that there was a need for a rescue mission. He concluded his preface by appealing to his readers to accept his work and to ignore any derogatory remarks on people and ethnic groups in the oriki , which were composed by poets to eulogize the achievements of chiefs and warriors during a period of warfare. Finally, he enjoined all the Yoruba to unite, to learn from the British nation where everybody, irrespective of differences in language and culture, had united in order to build a strong and prosperous nation
Archaeology · Art · Historiography · Linguistics · Literature · Yoruba · African history and culture studies · Classics · History · Philosophy
| Citations per year | 0.1 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2006 - 2014 (9) |
| Highly cited | No |