Oba (ruler): Difference between revisions

Oba, is a word that originated from the ancient Edo/Benin Kingdom. The Oba is the title of the supreme ruler/leader. So many people mistakes the meaning of the word "Oba" to be "king", where as the actual meaning of the word "Oba" is "illuminous" while "Enogie" actually translate to "King". The Oba of Benin is the supreme leader and guardian of the culture and tradition of the Edo/Benin people. The current Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II CFR is the 40th Oba of Benin.

The Oba Dynasty started with Oba Eweka I in the year 1200 AD. After the death of the Oba, the heir to the throne (the eldest/first son) becomes the next Oba after all the necessary traditional rites have been observed. This has been the custom and tradition of the Edo/Benin people from the very first Oba till date.

The Oba uses the Ada and Eben which are symbol of authority. The Oba also gives the Ada and Eben to his Enogie(s),Chief(s) to exercise his authority over the communities/dukedoms they lord over on his behalf. Any kingdom, dukedom, and community that the Ada and Eben are being used were part and parcel of the Benin empire that fell during the British invasion in 1897.

All of the subordinate members of the Yoruba aristocracy, both traditional chieftains and honorary ones, use the pre-nominal "Olóyè" (lit. 'Owner of a title', also appearing as "Ìjòyè") in the way that kings and queens regnant use 'Ọba'. It is also often used by princes and princesses in colloquial situations, though the title that is most often ascribed to them officially is "Ọmọba" (lit. 'Child of a Monarch', sometimes rendered alternatively as "Ọmọọba", "Ọmọ ọba" and "Ọmọ-ọba"). The wives of kings, princes and chiefs of royal background usually make use of the title "Olorì" (the equivalent of Princess Consort), though some of the wives of dynastic rulers prefer to be referred to as "Ayaba" (the equivalent of Queen Consort). The wives of the non-royal chiefs, when themselves titleholders in their own right, tend to use the honorific "Ìyálóyè" (lit. 'Mother who owns a title') in their capacities as married chieftesses.

The bead-embroidered crown with beaded veil, foremost attribute of the Oba, symbolizes the aspirations of a civilization at the highest level of authority. In his seminal article on the topic, Robert F. Thompson writes, "The crown incarnates the intuition of royal ancestral force, the revelation of great moral insight in the person of the king, and the glitter of aesthetic experiences."^[1]

The role of the oba has diminished with the coming of colonial and democratic institutions. However, an event that still has symbolic prestige and capital is that of chieftaincy title-taking and awarding. This dates back to the era of the Oyo warrior chiefs and palace officials in the medieval period, when powerful individuals of varied ancestries held prominent titles in the empire. In Yorubaland, like in many other areas of Benin, Nigeria and Togo, chieftaincy titles are mostly given to successful men and women from within a given sub-sectional territory, although it is not unheard of for a person from elsewhere to receive one. The titles also act as symbolic capital that can be used to gain favour when desired by the individual oba that awarded them, and sometimes vice versa. During any of the traditional investiture ceremonies for the chiefs-designate, the oba is regarded by the Yoruba as the major centre of attention, taking precedence over even the members of the official governments of any of the three countries if they are present.

As the oba leads the procession of nominees into a specially embroidered dais in front of a wider audience of guests and well-wishers, festivities of varied sorts occur to the accompaniment of traditional drumming. Emblems are given out according to seniority, and drapery worn by the oba and chiefs are created to be elaborate and also expensive. Most of the activities are covered by the local media and enter the public domain thereafter. Only the secret initiations for traditional chiefs of the highest rank are kept a secret from all outsiders. Ceremonies such as this, and the process of selection and maintenance of networks of chiefs, are two of the major sources of power for the contemporary royals of West Africa.^[2]

As a sacred ruler, the oba is traditionally regarded by the Yoruba as the ex officio chief priest of all of the Orisha sects in his or her domain. Although most of the day-to-day functions of this position are delegated in practice to such figures as the arabas, certain traditional rites of the Yoruba religion can only be performed by the oba, and it is for this reason that the holders of the title are often thought of as being religious leaders in addition to being politico-ceremonial monarchs.

• Odigba
• Babalawo
• Eso Ikoyi
• Nigerian chieftaincy
• Nigerian traditional rulers
• Oba of Benin
• Oba of Lagos
• Ogboni
• Olori