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Civilizations & Empires

Oyo Empire

c. 1600 – c. 1836 (imperial period)

West Africa (southwestern Nigeria, Benin)

A Yoruba state ruled by the Alaafin whose cavalry made it dominant between the Volta and Niger rivers around 1650-1750. Internal conflict and the loss of Ilorin broke it up in the 19th century.

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Flag of Nigeria, the modern country containing the former Oyo Empire's Yoruba heartland
Credit: Wikimedia Commons. License: Public domain.

Content pending: verified research needed.

Related entries

Sources

  1. Encyclopaedia Britannica, "Oyo empire" (Reference)
  2. Mark Cartwright, World History Encyclopedia, "Oyo Empire" (2020) (Reference)
  3. UNESCO World Heritage Centre, Tentative List, "Old Oyo" (site of the city deserted about 1837) (Primary source)

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