Deapartment of History and Diplomatic Studies

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Browsing Deapartment of History and Diplomatic Studies by Author "Salihu Ismail Otukoko"

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    The 1906-07 Hunters’ Revolt in Ilorin Emirate: A Re-examination of an Episode in the Resistance to British Colonial Rule
    (Centre for Historical Research and Documentation, Ahmadu Bello University, Kaduna, 2025-10) Salihu Ismail Otukoko
    From the 1850s onward, the elite in Ilorin, north-central Nigeria, contended with attempts by agents of European imperialism to penetrate the emirate. The Balogun or senior war chiefs in particular vehemently resisted efforts by Christian missionaries, Royal Niger Company, and the British colonial government in Lagos to establish or promote European cultural and commercial incursions, presence and political interference in Ilorin’s external affairs. Their stand against British imperialism eventually culminated in the Company’s invasion of Ilorin in 1897, which paved the way for the imposition of British colonialism by 1900. During the early colonial period, resistance to British rule in the emirate continued albeit covertly. A major overt episode of such resistance was the 1906-07 hunters’ uprising. Although the first overt violent anti-colonial uprising in Ilorin, the revolt has not received adequate attention of scholars. This paper, therefore, interrogates the causes, the elite’s roles in, and issues that arose from, the revolt. The study adopts the historical research methodology, involving critical examination of primary and secondary sources, and interpretive approach. It argues that, while local hunters from the rural districts of the emirate played active role in the rural and urban phases of the revolt, members of the urban elite covertly plotted and supported the uprising as part of their response to British colonial rule. The paper submits that, while the imposition of license fees on local hunters was the possible immediate cause, the growing grievances of the chiefs accused of masterminding the riots were also central to its outbreak. Keywords: Elite; Intrigues; Resistance; Hunters; Anti-Colonial Struggle.