The Saga of the Early Warri Princes: A History of the Beginnings of a West African Dynasty, 1480-1654

by O'mone, Chris

• ISBN13: 9781462084289
• ISBN10: 1462084281
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2012-01-20
• Publisher: Author Solutions

Summary

"A fascinating read ... history that has never before been revealed. I highly recommend this book to the young and old who thirst for true knowledge of African ancestry." -Lisa Haywood The Saga of the Early Warri Princes narrates the circumstances and time of Prince Iginua's exile from the Edo Kingdom in West Africa in the late fifteenth century and the establishment of the Iginua Dynasty. With vivid details, author Chris O'mone delivers the intriguing story of this little-known piece of African history. By the order of the Oba, young Prince Iginua was sent to establish a subordinate kingdom in the riverine settlements of Itsekiri near the Edo Kingdom. He was also charged with controlling and supervising the Portuguese trade. Effectively banished from his country in the midst of an economic upheaval caused by European trade, Prince Iginua nevertheless took his loyal followers with him to the settlements. Here, he established a dynasty that survived and prospered in adverse environmental circumstances. Remarkably, the Iginua Dynasty rivaled the Edo Kingdom by embracing the same European trade, religion, and education that had so disrupted the Edo Kingdom. But perhaps even more remarkable was how Prince Iginua's descendants came to be related to the Royal House of Braganza, which ruled Portugal and Brazil for centuries. The Saga of the Early Warri Princes offers a detailed historical account, ideal for general readers and scholars alike.

Excerpts

During this period of public and social discontent, a prince was coming of age. Intelligent but unpretentious, Iginua had distinguished himself as an affably mannered scholar whose good nature made him popular among his peers, siblings, and supervisors at the Palace School. He had become a city-smart Prince. His personal attributes had apparently transformed a small circle of court friends and admirers into an overt and sizeable following inside and outside the palace. The Oba and his court were preoccupied with pressing matters of state that were compounded by the inflationary pressures on the economy, which were precipitated by the trading activities of the otherwise friendly Itsekiri neighbors. The unexpected increasing popularity of a charismatic junior prince of a dynasty, without a primogeniture tradition of succession, was of grave concern. Legend held that succession struggles were divisive; their aftermaths were characterized by enduring rancor. Not many in the hierarchy wanted to witness one such event during their watch. The commemorative ancestral rites of 1478 were exceptional. The crowds were thrilled by the performances of the dancers and drummers; the sacrificial ceremonies were clean and classic; the festive boards sagged under mounds of food. But before the acclaim abated and the good will generated by the offerings forfeited, the Oba and his court acted.