Intergroup Relations

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Welcome to class! 

In today’s class, we will be talking about intergroup relations. Enjoy the class!

Intergroup Relations

This is the interaction between states, kingdoms, communities etc to foster political, economic and social developments.

Factors that promoted Intergroup relations

1. Trade
2. Trade routes
3. War
4. Diplomacy
5. Marriage. etc

Commercial contact between Nigeria’s diverse peoples

Around the 14^th century, trade routes had linked the

1. Hausaland with Bornu
2. Bornu with Adamawa and Benue Valley
3. Hausaland with Nupe and the confluence
4. Hausaland with Yorubaland and
5. Benin with Yorubaland
6. People of the coastal region also exchange fish for tuber crops from the interior.

Intermarriage, bilingualism, linguistic and cultural borrowing

1. The Hausa and Fulani inter-married, also the Yoruba and the Edo, the Igala and the Nupe etc.
2. These intermarriages resulted in cultural fusion and the emergency of distinct societies.
3. Itsekiri kingdom evolved out of Benin, Ijaw, Urhobo and Yoruba peoples.
4. Cultural borrowings e.g. Nupe’s egungun taken over by the Oyo Yoruba, the Igala Okega and the Igbo Ikenga, the ekura masquerade derived from the Jukuns, etc.
5. Specialisation in crafts and industries e.g Yoruba and Benin were artists and carvers, awka were blacksmiths.
6. The result of this for intergroup relations is that it encourages contact between the various Nigerian groups. People migrating often trace their way to these place of industries.

The trading association that cut across linage and territorial barriers

1. The Awka blacksmiths, carvers and those who dealt in Ivory and beads travelled length and breadth of Igbo and Ibibio territories where they ‘carved out spheres of influence’ for themselves.
2. The Aro people whose trading mercenary created a network of market trade-routes throughout Igbo land. They also used their mercenaries to raid slaves in these zones.
3. The trade-in cattle and kolanut between the Yorubas and the Hausas.
4. Cattle Fulani who lived and traded in Yorubaland such as Ijebu-Ode, Sagamu etc.
5. The forest trade controlled by Benin in the Yorubaland-Akure.

The role of migrations in intergroup relation forms and patterns of migrations

1. The forced migration of slaves and captives.
2. Islamic teachers and scholars fleeing war zones. e.g.. Muslim preachers ‘drifted’ from Hausaland and Bornu into Nupeland and Ilorin.
3. Wars of expansion and incorporation of diverse peoples into Kingdoms and empires e.g. as in Itsekiri land, aboh Tawuri etc.
4. Groups with centres of political or ritual power also attracted immigrants e.g. Oyo, wukari, Bornu, Benin and Igala.

General evaluation

1. Discuss the commercial and cultural relations among Nigerian Peoples.
2. Describe the role of crafts and industries on inter-group relations.
3. Examine the pattern of migrations in Nigeria.
4. Describe the effects of wars and relate these to inter-group contacts in Nigeria.

 

In our next class, we will be talking about Contacts with North Arabs.  We hope you enjoyed the class.

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