# Oluyole

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{{Short description|Military commander of Oyo Empire}}{{about|Military commander of the Oyo Empire|Local government area of Oyo State|Oluyole, Nigeria}}

'''Oluyole''' (fl. c. mid-1800s AD) was a leader and military commander from the [Oyo](/source/Oyo_Empire) empire.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Oladejo |first=Mutiat Titilope |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=31vpCgAAQBAJ&dq=Oluyole&pg=PA48 |title=Ibadan Market Women and Politics, 1900–1995 |date=2015-12-16 |publisher=Lexington Books |isbn=978-1-4985-1857-4 |language=en}}</ref> He rose to fame as '''Bashorun''', a title he subsequently made famous, and was one of the leaders who contributed immensely to the military and economic development of [Ibadan](/source/Ibadan) (the Oyo empire's capital) during the city's formative years, a period which had its share of tumult and uncertainty.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite book |last1=Forde |first1=Daryll |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BLJqDwAAQBAJ&dq=Oluyole&pg=RA1-PA1838 |title=West African Kingdoms in the Nineteenth Century |last2=Kaberry |first2=P. M. |date=2018-10-10 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-0-429-95851-9 |language=en}}</ref> 

He was born in Old Oyo<ref>{{Cite book |last=Falola |first=Toyin |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aO8a3aqA0VkC&dq=Oluyole&pg=PA110 |title=Yoruba Gurus: Indigenous Production of Knowledge in Africa |date=1999 |publisher=Africa World Press |isbn=978-0-86543-699-2 |language=en}}</ref> to the polygamous family of Olukuoye by [Omoba](/source/Oba_(ruler)) Agbonrin, a daughter of the [Alaafin](/source/Alaafin) [Abiodun](/source/Abiodun_(Oyo_ruler)).

==Life and Career of the Founding Father of Ibadan==
Due to the strain caused by the Yoruba civil wars of the 19th century, Old Oyo's senior chiefs fought among themselves over who was to occupy the vacant throne of the [Alaafin of Oyo](/source/Alaafin). This led to the collapse of the empire, which in turn forced many Oyo natives to leave their abode in the [West African](/source/West_African) [savannah](/source/savannah) and move towards the thick [forest](/source/forest)s of southern [Yorubaland](/source/Yorubaland) for their relative safety. However, the resulting influx of northern Yorubas known as Oyos to the [hinterland](/source/hinterland) led to skirmishes and later wars with the [Egbas](/source/Egba_people), who controlled a large chunk of the region. It was during this era that Oluyole rose to prominence. He first gained esteem when he was a member of the victorious coalition that won the Owu wars, which eventually led to the collapse of many Egba towns including Ibadan. As a reward for the prominent role he played in defeating the Egbas at Ipara and [Ijebu-Remo](/source/Remo), and to strengthen the disparate Oyo nobility which had weakened as a result of the wars, Oluyole was made the Areago of Ibadan. He later created for himself the post of Osi-Kakanfo, the third in command of the Ibadan army. 

After the success of the Owu war, a power vacuum emerged in the vital military leadership sphere in Yorubaland. Oluyole took on the challenge in successfully defending his new city, Ibadan, against the regrouped Egbas, the Fulanis and the Dahomeyans. He was later crowned the Oloye Bashorun, a title which made him the military leader of Ibadan and [ex officio](/source/ex_officio) prime minister of Oyo. By this time, he was considered by many to be a prominent [exilarch](/source/exilarch) of the scattered people of Oyo. Possibly only the Alaafin himself had more authority amongst the Oyos. 

He was also a successful farmer, with large estates of [tuber](/source/tuber) [crops](/source/crops) and [vegetables](/source/vegetables). He had one of the largest productive [plantations](/source/plantations) in Ibadan, with indigenes always touring his farm, trying to imitate his innovative [planting](/source/planting) technique. His effective power could be explained by his will to control economic and social events indirectly, as opposed to through blunt force. For the fear of Oluyole, and also for lack of efficient pricing, many traders usually did not sell their products when he took his to the [market](/source/Market_(place)).

==References==
{{reflist}}
*Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation; 1960, Eminent Nigerians of the Nineteenth Century: A Series of Studies Originally Broadcast by the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation

Category:People from the Oyo Empire
Category:People from Ibadan
Category:Yoruba military personnel
Category:Yoruba farmers
Category:19th-century Nigerian people
Category:Yoruba royalty
Category:Abiodun family
Category:History of Ibadan

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Oluyole](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oluyole) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oluyole?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.