Ajagbo
Aláàfin of Oyo
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Àjàgbó was a warlike Aláàfin of the West African Oyo Empire, who allegedly reigned for 140 years in the seventeenth century.[1][2]
| Ajagbo | |
|---|---|
| Aláàfin of Oyo | |
| Reign | ~1600 - 1659 |
| Predecessor | Aláàfin Olúodò |
| Successor | Aláàfin Odarawu |
He was reportedly born a twin to his brother Ajampati with his maternal town being Ikereku-were, which is said to have later been destroyed.[2]
Reign
Àjàgbó officially succeeded his grandfather Ọbalókun as Aláàfin.[1] This has been questioned by multiple scholars who believe the reign of other Aláàfins like Oluodo have been attributed to him. Àjàgbó concluded a lot of conquests that Ọbalókun started as well as subjugating the Òwu kingdom.[3] He employed a military strategy of sending out multiple armies at once with the aim that they would try to outcompete each other for glory[4].He was succeeded by his son Odarawu after he died of natural causes[4]
He is most known for introducing the title of Are ona Kakanfo, a role comparable to that of field marshal who was supposed to combat the power of the Oyomesi and the Bashorun as well as professionalizing the Oyo army.[5]
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