Towards Understanding Ibadan Traditional and Religious Systems Before and After the Advent of Christianity

Abstract

Long before the colonial interruption or the advent of Christianity in 
Ibadanland, the Yoruba people had been exhibiting their republican nature by 
relentlessly subverting their kingship institution through civil disturbances and 
rebellions. This made some groups of people to settle in what is now known as 
Ibadanland after the fall of Oyo Empire. This paper aims to briefly introduce the 
readers to the traditional and religious life in Ibadanland in the nineteenth 
century, the time of the advent of Christianity in the city, the political and 
administrative setting, and the religion of the people of Ibadanland on the eve 
of the advent of the Christian religion. The paper adopted historical research 
design to achieve this as systematic literature review was done on some 
literature about Ibadanland. It was found out that Ibadan people were 
traditional worshippers with egúngún (masquerade) and Okebadan as the 
major religious festivals of the people. Islam came before the Hinderers led 
some people to introduce Christianity to the people. Ibadanland has had a wellestablished traditional political and administrative system of Baale-in-Council 
that later metamorphosed to Olubadan-in-Council. There has been an almost 
seamless succession plan to the throne of Baale, now Olubadan, of Ibadanland. 
Olubadan has become the symbol of unity in Ibadanland as other institutions 
are mere agents of unity or catalysts for concretizing that unity. As 
recommendations, the strengths and the weaknesses in the traditional and religious life of Ibadan people and administrative systems are to be revisited in 
the light of the advent of Christianity and modernization in the city.