The kingdom of Nri, also known as Òràézè nri in Igbo, is a medieval Igbo kingdom that arose around AD900 and is still active today, but its power and territory have dwindled dramatically. It was one of Nigeria's oldest monarchies, with its capital in Igbo-Ukwu.
Nri is an old Igbo village in Nigeria's Anambra state. The Igbo people are one of the most numerous ethnic groups in Nigeria, occupying most of the country's south-eastern states of Abia, Anambra, Enugu, Ebonyi, and Imo. Despite the fact that they can be found in large quantities throughout Nigeria, and around the world.
With no permanent organized military force, the Kingdom of Nri was a remarkably tranquil place. Peace, knowledge, fairness, harmony, and oneness with creation were central to its worldview. Its pacification stems from the Nri religious view that violence is an immorality that pollutes the environment. Slavery was frowned upon, unlike in most kingdoms from the 12th to 18th centuries and earlier, and it was a kingdom where all people were accepted, including outcasts from neighboring communities, and it was a shelter for fugitive slaves. The Nri kingdom honed and applied novel talents in rituals, economy, diplomacy, administration, and control of a segmented and autonomous population.
ORIGIN AND HISTORY
The Igbo ethnicity's motherland and cradle is commonly regarded as Nri. Eri is also thought to be the founder of Nri, and this is commonly recognized. Eri's origins, on the other hand, are unknown. According to one myth, Eri was a divine creature sent by Chukwu (God) to provide peace to the Igbo people, remove abominations, and supply nourishment. As a result, he plummeted from the sky, according to one theory.
Another theory about Eri's origin is that he is the historical Jacob's grandson, and his father is Gad, Jacob's seventh son. Eri was an Egyptian pharaoh's high priest. He sensed the impending invasion of the Egyptians before the scriptural mass Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt.He recognized the Egyptians' impending onslaught on his people, the Israelites, as the Egyptians grew increasingly envious.
As a result, Eri departed Egypt, crossed the Nile, and traveled into southern Sudan, from where he crossed into Chad he got to lokoja where trunked to the east ,He came ashore near the confluence of the Ezu and Omambala Rivers named Agbanabo or Ezu Na Omambala near the junction of the Ezu and Omambala Rivers, where it was divinely revealed to him that he was to settle.
Although it was not known as Aguleri at the time, this place is today known as Aguleri in Anambra state.
As a result, Aguleri could have been the Igbos' Motherland.
When you realize that in, this idea becomes even more plausible.
Fact about Aguleri :
When an Aguleri man is present at a gathering in Igbo territory, it is a well-known tradition that no one can crack Kola nuts. He is deserving of this honor.
Another fact that supports this assertion is that in most Igbo communities, before a King is coronated, he must visit and pay tribute to Aguleri with his retinue, spending a mandatory seven days touring sacred spots and making sacrifices to various deities in shrines. Another reference point is the ObuGad Temple in Aguleri, which was built by Eri in memory of his father Gad.
By the time Eri arrived to the Ezu Na Omambala confluence, he had two wives, Nneamaku and Oboli, who were the first and second respectively.
Nneamaku is the mother of five children. The first son, Nri-Ifikwuanm-Menri, was also known as Nri, Agl, Ogbodudu, Onogu, and Iguedo, the only daughter, while Oboli, the second wife, produced only one child, Onoja.
Onoja founded the present-day town of Igala in the state of Kogi. Nri-Ifikwuanm, Eri's first son, had Agkwu Nri, Enugwu-Ukwu, Enugwu-Agidi, Nfa, and Ambia. His sister Iguedo gave birth to the Umu Iguedo clan, which includes Ogbunike, kuzu, Nando, mleri, and Nteje. Onogu gave birth to gbariam.
Nri-Ifikwuanim, Eri's first son, was a spiritual priest like his father. He left Aguleri and settled in the present-day Nri Kingdom's thick forest, which he named Agu-Ukwu Nri which is now the Kingdom of Nri. He hunted, farmed, and performed priestly tasks, demonstrating his spiritual prowess in the same way that his father Eri did in Egypt, by purifying abominations, mastering the use of plants and roots, and bestowing honorable titles on his subjects.
When Eri died, Agulu became the new leader, and the name Aguleri was born. "Agulu Nwa Eri," which means "Agulu, the son of Eri" in Igbo, is often used to refer to "Agulu" and "Eri." The Igbos expanded, spread, and formed new Igbo settlements from that location. It was not Nrifikwuanim-wish Menri's to die outside of his ancestral home as he grew older, therefore he told his son and He told his children to transport him to modern-day Aguleri. He died and was buried there in the end. His burying location is still marked and visible today in the Okpu settlement of Aguleri's Ivite village. The magical springing up of three gigantic trees barricading the entrance to his grave, according to oral history passed down from older generations in Aguleri. The trees are said to share a common root and are so enormous that to get a complete view, one must travel many miles back.
Traditional Igbo belief is that Eri has some type of extremely profound spiritual knowledge or abilities. This could have contributed to his person being disoriented over time after he died.
When Eri died, Agulu became the new leader, and the name Aguleri was born. "Agulu Nwa Eri," which means "Agulu, the son of Eri" in Igbo, is often used to refer to "Agulu" and "Eri." The Igbos expanded, spread, and formed new Igbo settlements from that location. When Nrifikwuanim-Menri became old and neared the end of his life, he told his children that he did not want to die outside of his ancestral home, so they took him back to present-day Aguleri. He died and was buried there in the end. His burying location is still marked and visible today in the Okpu settlement of Aguleri's Ivite village. In Aguleri, oral history has been passed down through the generations.
CULTURE, TRADITIONS, AND POLITICAL STRUCTURE
Over Igbo regions, the Nri kingdom used a decentralized democratic and theocratic government system. Nonetheless, most Igbo colonies already practiced a form of societal republic, as opposed to a feudalistic system in which a king wields absolute or great power over his followers.
In the Igbo language, the leader of Nri is known as "Eze Nri," which means "king of Nri." In the truest sense, he is a priest-king. He's more of a ritualistic father figure, with mystic abilities but no military command.
Priests support the Eze Nri, who lives primarily in solitude from his people. The Eze Nri employs ritual priests known as Ndi Nri, who are easily identified by their face scarifications.
This immediately distinguishes them as an Eze Nri spokesperson, who represents peace, justice, and divine forces, particularly throughout their journeys. In order to win converts or carry out their tasks, they frequently travel with a ritual staff of peace. They have Eze Nri power over lands known as Odinani Nri, which are ruled by the Eze Nri. These priests have the authority to remove taboos from the land, restore peace and harmony, and perform ceremonies.
The Nri kingdom's Ikenga power circle is led by Eze Nri. Ikenga is typically regarded as the god of achievement and power in the Igbo community, and is associated with the right hand.
The Eze Nri has supernatural authority and represents the Nri people in trade and diplomacy. He possessed the ability to undo evil and rid the world of abominations and taboos. Being an Ozo denotes that the bearer is Nze, and being Nze denotes that the bearer has become the living soul of the ancestors. As a result, Nze serves as the society's moral conscience and is seen as a fair arbitrator in territorial disputes[9]. Because of their accomplishments, title holders were respected and recognized, but they were not feared or revered.
The "Umunna," which means "sons of the father," is a patrilineal group of closely related males of a specific ancestry led by the eldest man. The backbone of Nri society, and indeed all Igbo communities, is this structure.
The Eze Nri bestows honorary titles on his subjects, including Ichi, Ogbuevi, Ivijioku, Ekwu, Amanwulu, and the highest, "Nze Na Ozo."
Despite the fact that the Nri kingdom was a peaceful place, there were a number of restrictions or items that were banned. Human, animal, behavioural, speech, temporal, place, and object were the key categories. Giving birth to twins, for example, was considered taboo and falls under the human type. Killing or eating pythons was prohibited and considered taboo if it occurred, and thus falls under the animal category, among other things. The kingdom exercised jurisdiction over all of the Igbo regions through rules like these. Igbos all throughout the world, under various authorities and leaderships, felt obligated to follow and respect the Eze Nri principles and rules.
The Nri, like all Igbos, are extremely inventive and have devised their own methods for practically everything, including time. The Nri priests were well-versed in the movement of celestial bodies, allowing them to precisely calculate lunar months. In reality, a British government anthropologist named Northcorte Thomas reported receiving the Nri names for Orion, the Great Bear, and other stars in 1910, which benefited the priests in calculating lunar period intervals and locating directions during long journeys.
A week had four days in the Igbo calendar; a month had seven weeks; and 13 months made a year, with a day added to the last month of each year. This calendar is still in use today, and it is what Igbo people use especially in determining market days; Eke, Afor, Nkwo, and Oye.
Manilla was the currency of the Nri kingdom. Manillas are bronze, copper, or gold armlets, and they built their own banking and savings system, known as Isusu, which is still in use today. Their economy thrived because to trade, agriculture, and the fact that they were excellent hunters. The international market for palm oil trade was Nri and its territories. They were also skilled in the arts, with bronze sculptures being particularly well-known. Some of the numerous works discovered at Igbo-Ukwu, Anambra state, date back to the 9th century. These finds serve as a reminder of a culture from the Middle Ages.
Eze Nri declares the new year and shouts out the Nri calendar to his subjects during the yearly Nri festival of Igu-Aro. In 1160AD[11], Eze Nri Bife (AD 1159 – 1259) was the first Eze Nri to observe the g-Ar Festival as a pan-Igbo event.
There are 13 lunar months in the Nri calendar.
Onwa Mbu: begins from the annually from the 3rd week of February.
Onwa Abua: from March to April, this period normally is the period of tilling lands and cultivation or farming,
Onwa Ife Eke: from April to May, this is usually known as “Ugani” in Igbo meaning hunger period.
Onwa Ana: from May to June, this is the period in which yam seeds are planted.
Onwa Agwu: from June to July, known in Igbo as “Igochi na Mmanwu” meaning masquerades.
Onwa Ifejioku: from July to August, Ifejioku means yam Ritual.
Onwa Alom Chi: from August to early September, this means yam harvest for “Alusi” only. Alusi is an Igbo deity.
Onwa Ilo Mmuo: September ending, this is the period of “Onwa Asato” festival, Onwa Asato means the Eighth month.
Onwa Ana: October.
Onwa Okike: early November, Okike ritual usually takes place,
Onwa Ajana: November ending another Okike ritual takes place.
Onwa Ede Ajana: from November ending through early December.
Onwa Uzo Alusi: early January to early February, offering to the Alusi deity.
Eze Nri also gives yam seeds to the locals during the Igu Aro festival. He frequently tells them that they will get their first rain within a few days, usually not more than "Izu Ano" (four weeks), and that they can then go ahead and plant their seeds.
THE NRI KINGDOM'S DECLINE
The decline of the Kingdom was primarily due to British colonialism and the arrival of missionaries. The missionaries instilled European philosophy in the Igbo community through their teachings and western education. The Igbos first opposed Christianity, although many people later converted to Christianity. As Christianity gained stronger and old society crumbled, they were barred from partaking in the ceremonies normally connectedwith the monarchy. Certain cultural practices began to fade away, and more British culture was assimilated into the Nri people's culture.
The British introduced a foreign Eze notion to most Igbo territories. Eze were introduced as warrant chiefs to allow the British to establish centralized authority over the populace. Warrant chiefs were British-installed African representatives who were given political responsibilities to help the British with indirect governance. Officials from the United Kingdom were paid more and were pampered more.
The British and other European powers had a tense relationship with the monarchy, owing to its highly spiritual orientation and a vehement anti-slavery position. Many slaves seized by the Aro confederacy in the bight of Biafra or Igbo regions were described by British slavers as being particularly rebellious, with a high rate of suicides and efforts to flee slavery Isichei.
The 15th Eze-Nri Obalike was deposed in 1911, and the Eze Nri renounced his ritual power and fled the kingdom (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Igboland). According to some historians, the British achieved this by threatening to destroy Nri and all of its people unless Eze Nri complied. The Eze Nri fled to avoid genocide. Despite the fact that another Eze Nri was anointed later, the kingdom's influence and customs have never been the same.
NRI KING LIST
Eri 948-1041
Eze Nri Ifikuanim 1043-1089
Eze Nri Namoke 1090-1158
Eze Nri Buife 1159-1259
Eze Nri Omalo 1260-1299
Eze Nri Jiofo 1 1300-1390
Eze Nri Omalonyeso 1391-1464
Eze Nri Anyamata 1465-1511
Eze Nri Fenenu 1512-1582
Eze Nri Agu 1583-1676
Eze Nri Apia and Alike 1677-1700(both died the same day)
Eze Nri Ezimilo 1701-1723(Assasinated)
Eze Nri Enwenetem 1724-1794
Eze Nri Enweleana 1795-1886
Eze Nri Obalike 1889-1936(Deposed by the British)
Eze Nri jiofor II Taabansi Udene 1937-1987
Eze Nri Enweleana II Obidiegwu Onyeso(MFR) 1988-present
©️ @History educate
No comments:
Post a Comment