The Yoruba are one of the largest ethnic groups in West Africa, with significant populations in Nigeria, Benin and Togo, as well as a sizeable diasporic community around the world. By considering the art, religion, economics and political systems of the Yoruba, Aribidesi Usman and Toyin Falola chart the history of the Yoruba through the lens of the group's diverse and dynamic cultural and social practices. Using archaeological data, oral, and archival sources alongside rarely-discussed local histories Usman and Falola form a rich and detailed picture of the Yoruba from a period of early occupation and agriculture, the growth of complex societies and empires, the turbulent colonial period to the present day, constructing a comprehensive account of Yoruba history brought together in a single volume.
- A comprehensive picture of Yoruba history brought together in a single volume
- Examines the history of the Yoruba through the lens of the group's diverse and dynamic cultural and social practices
- Brings together archaeological data, oral, and archival sources alongside rarely-discussed local histories
Read more
Awards
- Choice Outstanding Academic Title 2020, Choice Reviews.
Reviews & endorsements
'This volume should serve as a foundational reference work for historians of West Africa, and for anyone seeking to understand world history as more than the accumulation of the histories of contemporary nation-states … Essential.' M. M. Heaton, Choice
'… the book is a timely contribution to the literature on Yoruba studies. It should be a worthy reference material for historians, political scientists, sociologist, and non-academicians interested in Yoruba history, culture, society, and politics.' Adeniyi S. Basiru, African Studies Quarterly
See more reviews
Customer reviews

Not yet reviewed
Be the first to review

Log in to review

Review was not posted due to profanity
×

, create a review

(If you're not , sign out)

Please enter the right captcha value

Please enter a star rating.

Your review must be a minimum of 12 words.

How do you rate this item?

Reviews must contain at least 12 words about the product.

×

Product details
- Date Published: July 2019
- format: Paperback
- isbn: 9781107683945
- length: 514 pages
- dimensions: 227 x 153 x 24 mm
- weight: 0.84kg
- contains: 67 b/w illus. 12 maps
- availability: Available
Table of Contents
List of figures
Preface
Acknowledgments
1. Geography and society
Part I. Long Historical Formations:
2. Prehistory and protohistory
3. The growth of complex societies
4. States and small-scale polities, AD 1400–1600
Part II. Yoruba Polities and Entry into the Atlantic World:
5. The seventeenth century: the age of empire building
6. The eighteenth century
Part III. The Nineteenth Century: Wars and Transformations:
7. Yorubaland in the nineteenth century: the height of trouble
8. The nineteenth century: the internecine wars and consequences
9. The nineteenth century: slave trade and slavery
10. The nineteenth century: new agencies of transformation
Part IV. Economic, Social, and Cultural Practices over Time:
11. Precolonial economy
12. Religion and world view
13. Creativity: arts, body adornment, and music
Part V. Colonial Yoruba:
14. Colonial rule, economy, education, and identity
15. Politics and identity in the late colonial era
Part VI. Postcolonial Yoruba:
16. Politics and identity: the post independence era
17. Politics and identity at the close of the twentieth century
18. Contemporary politics and identity
19. Contemporary sociopolitical, economic, and cultural transformation
20. Summary and conclusion
References
Index.
Look Inside
Authors
Aribidesi Usman, Arizona State University
Aribidesi Usman is Associate Professor of Anthropology in the School of Social Transformation at Arizona State University. He is co-editor of Movements, Borders, and Identities in Africa (2009) and the author of The Yoruba Frontier (2012).
Toyin Falola, University of Texas, Austin
Toyin Falola is University Distinguished Teaching Professor and Jacob and Frances Sanger Mossiker Chair in the Humanities at the University of Texas, Austin. A Yoruba chief, he has received numerous awards and twelve honorary doctorates. His most recent edited volumes include Yoruba Culture and Customs (2001), The Yoruba Diaspora in the Atlantic World (2005) and The Encyclopaedia of the Yoruba (2016).
Awards
- Choice Outstanding Academic Title 2020, Choice Reviews.