GST 122 Flashcards
To know the GST 122 course
What major empires emerged in the pre-colonial history of Nigeria?
Oyo, Benin and Igbo States
Who formulated the Hamitic Hypothesis?
C.G Seligman
Who authored the book “Races of Africa”?
C.G Seligman
The racist view of Africa was propagated by the early _____
Europeans
Who authored the book “How Europe Underdeveloped Africa”?
Walter Rodney
The Trans-Atlantic Slave trade started in which century?
Sixteenth
Name the sources Africans have to turn to to debunk the Hamitic hypothesis.
- Literary Sources
- Archaeology
- Cultural History or Ethnology
- Historical Linguistics
- Physical Anthropology
- Oral Tradition
Literary sources of Nigerian history can be divided into how many categories?
Three
Literary works by Arab scholars, geographers and historians help us to get insight into the history of early peoples of West Africa most especially from which century up to which century?
eighth up to fifteenth
What was used to reconstruct the history of Ghana, Mali, Bornu empires and Hausa states?
Literary sources
Name the Arab writers who wrote about the people of West Africa.
- Leo Africanus
- Al-Barki
- Al-Umari
- Ibn Khaldun
- Magrizi
Name the two indigenous African writers who wrote about the people of West Africa
- Ahmad Ibn Fartuwa
2. Al-Barnawi
Who are the people who wrote about Sokoto and the Sokoto Jihad?
- Usman Dan Fodio
- Al Said
- Abdulahi
- Mohammed Bello
European literary sources of Nigerian history may be divided into how many categories?
Two
Name the two European Literary Sources Nigerian history may be divided into
Primary sources and general literature
Name two Europeans who were clear falsifiers of Africa’s history.
Stanley and Carl Peters
Who mistook the Saan and the Khoi-Khoi for one and the same people?
John Van Riebeecks
Who wrongly ascertained that the Niger flows into the Nile?
Frederick Horneman
Name the three categories in which literary source of Nigerian history can be divided into
- Works by Arab scholars, geographers and historians
- Indigenous Africans who had acquired knowledge of Arabic writing
- European writers (e.g. explorers and colonial masters) and Africans who had acquired knowledge of English writing
List seven European writers who wrote about Nigeria.
- Pachero
- Periera
- Dappa
- De Barros
- Hubbard
- Nyendeal
- Ruy de Pina
List seven European writers who wrote about Benin in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries
- Pachero
- Periera
- Dappa
- De Barros
- Hubbard
- Nyendeal
- Ruy de Pina
List six explorers who wrote about Nigeria
- John and Richard Lander (Lander brothers)
- Clapperton
- Henry Bath
- Mary Kingsley
- Frederick Horneman
- Richard Deham
Name three early Nigerians in the book “Nigerian Peoples and Culture” who had acquired knowledge of English writing.
- Samuel Johnson
- Jacob Egharevba
- Olaudah Equiano
What is archaeology?
Archaeology is the historical science which attempts to reconstruct the past the analysis and interpretation of excavated natural objects.
What source has been used to solve difficult problems regarding wide issues as the origin of man and the re-establishment of truth and facts about African civilizations and cultures?
Archaeology
What source was used to lay to rest the old myths and reactionary falsifications of history regarding Zimbabwe, Kingdoms of Sudan, Ghana, Mali, Songhai, Nok, Ife, and Benin?
Archaeology
What is cultural history?
Cultural history or Ethnology is a method of establishing the relationship between two cultures and the evolution they have experienced.
How is cultural history achieved?
By comparing cultural traits common to the two cultures
What is historical linguistics?
Historical linguistics is a historical science whose subject is the establishment of the genetic links between languages and groups of people.
What source of African history gives the history of Migrations?
Historical Linguistics
What is Physical Anthropology?
Physical anthropology attempts to establish the similarities and dissimilarities between the cultures of the world.
What source of African history contributed immensely to the study of the origin of man, and man’s gradual spread to different parts of the world?
Physical anthropology
Answer True or False:
The value of physical anthropology to history is limited
True
Why is the value of physical anthropology to history limited?
Because the result of physical anthropology is more or less generalized
Name three cultures that existed in Southern Precolonial Nigeria?
- Ife
- Benin
- Igbo-Ukwu
Which culture influenced the Ife culture?
Nok culture
The people of Ife developed a civilization that dates back to _____?
6th Century B.C. to 100 A.D.
The main features of Ife culture include _____ and ______?
iron working and craft specialization
Name the constituents of Ife art.
- Terra cotta and brass
- Bronze moldings of human heads and some animals.
- Wood carving and potsherd pavement
Name the feature of Ife brass heads.
They were made of copper and zinc
Name the feature of Ife terra cotta heads.
They had vertical facial marks.
Name three archaeologists who brought Ife art to life.
- Leo Frobenius
- Oliver Myers
- Frank Willet
Benin got its knowledge of brass casting from which culture?
Ife
Who were the first in precolonial Nigeria to be visited by the Europeans?
The Binis
Name the constituents of Bini art.
- Brass and bronze head figures
- Stools and vessels
- Potsherd pavement which is similar to that of Ife
Where is Igbo-Ukwu town located?
40 km south west of Onitsha in Anambra State
Name seven features of Igbo-Ukwu culture.
- Bronze
- Pottery decorated in highly ornamental manner
- Vessels
- Beads
- Objects made of copper such as earrings, bracelets, wrist-lets and bells
- Models of animals such as snakes, ram heads and chameleon.
- A sophisticated burial site for a very important personality
Who carried extensive archaeological study of Igbo-Ukwu?
Professor Thurstan Shaw
List the trade of the Igbo-Ukwu culture
- Trans-Saharan ivory trade.
- Trade in slaves.
- Trade in kola nuts.
Radiocarbon dating shows Igbo-Ukwu culture flourished from which time period?
1100 B.C. to about 850 A.D.
Who authored the book “History of the Yoruba”?
Rev. Samuel Johnson
What is Obatala also known as?
Orisa Nla or Orisa Alase
In Yoruba, “Oye” means _____ ?
Immortals
What is the name of the site in which Obatala and the sixteen Oye landed from heaven to earth called?
Oke Oramfe in Ife
When did the Oyo empire emerge?
In the middle of the fifteenth century
Traditions have it that Oyo was established by who?
Oranmiyan, the son of Oduduwa
Who is credited to have established the present Benin monarchy?
Oranmiyan
Who was the head of the Oyo empire?
The Alafin
What was the Alafin regarded as?
The Lord of many lands
What is the name of the fourth king of the Oyo empire?
Sango
Who regained the lost military fame of the Oyo empire, was a skilled commander and successful statesman?
Orompoto
Who was a powerful king in whose reign Dahomey was brought under the authority of Oyo empire?
Ojigi
How did the Oyo empire derive its revenue?
Trade in agriculture and craft products
Where does Hausa kola come from?
Yoruba land
How many members made up the Oyomesi?
Seven
Who were the king makers in the Oyo empire?
The Oyomesi
Who played a mediatory role in any conflict between the Oyomesi and the Alafin?
The Ogboni cult
Who headed the Oyomesi?
The Bashorun
What is the title of the head of the army of the Oyo empire?
Are-Ona-Kankanfo
In the Oyo empire, provincial governors were called ____?
Bale
The name of the personal agents of the Alafin in the provinces is called _____ ?
Ilari
Which festival took place annually in the Oyo empire and was a period of renewal of allegiance of the provincial governors to the central government?
Bere
Which century began the fall of the Oyo empire?
Eighteenth
What two factors led to the fall of the Oyo empire?
- The vastness of the empire
2. The autonomy granted to the provinces
Which Bashorun caused the death of four consecutive Alafins in quick succession and usurped the throne in the year 1754?
Bashorun Gaha
Who eliminated Bashorun Gaha and members of his family?
Alafin Abiodun
Who freed the Egbas from the Oyo’s suzerainty?
Lasisi
What is the name of the king of Dahomey that stopped the payment of tributes to Oyo?
Geze
In which century was Oyo attacked and sacked by Muslim jihadists from Illorin?
Nineteenth
In what year did the Europeans first visit Benin Kingdom?
1472
In whose reign as Oba did the Portuguese first visit Benin Kingdom?
Oba Ewaure
What is the name of the European that visited Oba Ewuare in 1472?
Ruy de Sequeira
In whose reign as Oba did the Portuguese Affonso De Aviero visit Benin Kingdom?
Oba Ozolua
In what year did the Portuguese Affonso De Aviero visit Benin Kingdom?
1484
Which kingdom was the first in the west coast of Africa to exchange ambassador with a major European power?
The Benin Kingdom
Benin sent an ambassador to Portugal during the reign of Oba Ozolua in what year?
1481
In what year was a chief of Ughoton sent as an ambassador to Portugal?
1504
In whose reign as Oba was a chief of Ughoton sent as an ambassador to Portugal?
Oba Esigie
The first period of Benin pre-colonial history is known as ______?
The Ogiso Era
“Ogiso” means what?
“King of the sky”
What is the name of the first Ogiso?
Ogiso Igbodo
Who was Ogiso Igbodo succeeded by?
Ogiso Ere
Who is credited to have created the guild system?
Ogiso Ere
What does “owina” mean in Bini language?
Wood-workers
What does “owinaido” mean in Bini language?
Weavers
What does “ohue” mean in Bini language?
Hunters
What does “emahe” mean in Bini language?
pot makers
What does “esohian” mean in Bini language?
leather workers
What does “igbesamwan” mean in Bini language?
carvers
Who encouraged various craftsmen to form associations with monopoly rights to produce, standardize, market and attend to their products?
Ogiso Ere
Who introduced the royal throne (ekete) and the symbol of authority (ada and eben)?
Ogiso Ere
Who was Ogiso Ere succeeded by?
Orire
Who was the last Ogiso?
Owodo
Who founded Ughoton - a port town in Benin?
Ekaladeran
Who headed the republican government established by the elders of Benin Kingdom?
Evian
Who attempted to usurp the throne by nominating his son Ogiamen to succeed him?
Evian
Who gave the country the name “Ile-Ibinu”?
Oranmiyan
Who was the first oba of Benin?
Eweka I
Who was Oba Eweka succeeded by and in what year?
Uwakhuhen. In 1220 A.D
The Benin society was classified into ____ distinct classes.
Two
What are the names of the classes that Benin society was classified into?
The Nobility (Adesotu) and the commoner (Ighiotu).
The Nobility (Adesotu) was organized into ____ groups of title holders?
Three
Name the groups of title holders the nobility were organized into.
- The Uzama
- The Eghaevbo N’Ogbe (Palace chiefs)
- The Eghaevbo N’Ore (Town chiefs)
