Aare-Ona-Kakanfo Afonja, c.1796-c.1824: An Interrogation of the Historiography of a Critical Chapter of Ilorin History

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dc.contributor.authorSalihu, Ismail Otukoko
dc.date.accessioned2026-05-14T10:19:27Z
dc.date.available2026-05-14T10:19:27Z
dc.date.issued2024
dc.description.abstractVarious studies have examined the transformation of Ilorin from an insignificant settlement in the 1790s to an emirate of the Sokoto Caliphate by the mid-1820s. The role played by key actors like Afonja, a Yoruba generalissimo, Solagberu, a Kanuri scholar-warrior-chief, and Alimi, a Fulani cleric, among others, has also received scholarly attention. In spite of the centrality of Afonja to the unfolding of the events that characterised the transformation, certain aspects of his era and career have remained inadequately interrogated and analysed in extant literature. This paper interrogates some themes related to Afonja’s era in the history of Ilorin. The paper adopts the interpretive approach of the historical methodology, which relies on the use and interpretation of qualitative data from primary and secondary sources. The data used for the study include archival materials such as petitions, memoranda, Gazetteers, and unpublished manuscripts, newspapers, autobiography, books, journal articles, and theses. The paper further adopted a thematic analytical framework to subject the information from various sources to historical analysis and interpretation. It argues that, as a major catalyst for the events that culminated in the rise of Ilorin emirate by c.1825, and final collapse of the Old Oyo Empire by c.1835, Afonja’s era in Ilorin lasted longer than often suggested in several works and, requires a proper chronology and analysis of the events associated with it and rationale for his actions and inactions. The paper also highlights the need for adequate incorporation of local and other neglected sources in examination of Afonja’s era. Keywords: Ilorin, History, Transformation, Historiography, Chronology
dc.identifier.citation1. Salihu, I. O. (2024). Aare-Ona-Kakanfo Afonja, c.1796-c.1824: An Interrogation of the Historiography of a Critical Chapter of Ilorin History. The Journal of African Studies and Research Forum, 33(3): 64-83.
dc.identifier.issn2948-2402
dc.identifier.urihttps://kwasuspace.kwasu.edu.ng/handle/123456789/7110
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherAfrican Studies and Research Forum
dc.relation.ispartofseries33; 3
dc.titleAare-Ona-Kakanfo Afonja, c.1796-c.1824: An Interrogation of the Historiography of a Critical Chapter of Ilorin History
dc.typeArticle
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