Ilorin Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.Anti-spam check. Do not fill this in! ==History== {{Moresources | section|date=March 2024}} {{Main|Ilorin Emirate}} [[File:Ilorin 1929.png|thumb|Aerial view of Ilorin in 1929]] Ilorin was founded by the [[Yoruba people|Yoruba]], one of the three largest [[Demographics of Nigeria|ethnic groups in Nigeria]], in 1450.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Ilorin {{!}} Location, History, Facts, & Population {{!}} Britannica|url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Ilorin|access-date=2022-02-16|website=www.britannica.com|language=en}}</ref> It became a provincial military headquarters of the ancient [[Oyo Empire]], and later became a [[Northern Nigeria Protectorate|Northern Nigeria protectorate]] when [[Shehu Alimi]], an [[Itinerant preacher|itinerant]] [[Ulama|Islamic preacher]] and teacher, took control of the city through the spread of [[Islam in Nigeria|Islam]]. The capital was occupied by the [[Royal Niger Company]] in 1897 and its lands were incorporated into the [[British Empire|British]] colony of [[Northern Nigeria]] in 1900, although the emirate continued to perform ceremonial functions.<ref name=EB>{{cite EB1911|wstitle=Illorin |volume=14 |page=312}}</ref> The city retains a strong [[Islamic]] influence, although [[Christianity in Nigeria|Christianity]] is now widely practised in the [[Cosmopolitanism|cosmopolitan]] part of the city due to the significant [[immigration]] of people from other parts of [[Kwara State]] and the rest of [[Nigeria]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Unveiling Nigeria|url=https://www.unveilingnigeria.ng/index.php/geopolitical-zone/kwara-state|access-date=2022-02-15|website=unveilingnigeria.ng}}</ref> Ilorin, city, [[Emirate|traditional emirate]], and capital of Kwara state, western [[Nigeria]]. It is located on the Awun River, a minor tributary of the Niger. Founded in the late 18th century by Yoruba people, it became the capital of a kingdom that was a vassal state of the [[Oyo Empire|Oyo empire.]] Oyo’s commander at Ilorin, [https://www.thehistoryville.com/aare-ona-kakanfo-afonja-oyo-empire/ Kakanfo] (Field Marshal) [[Afonja]], led a rebellion in 1817 that destroyed the unity of the empire. He was aided by Mallam Alimi (a Fulani from Sokoto), by Fulani warriors and slaves, and by Hausa slaves. Afonja was increasingly dominated by the Muslim Fulani, and, upon his assassination, Alimi’s son, Abd al-Salam (Abdul Salami), became emir of Ilorin and pledged allegiance (''c.'' 1829) to the Sokoto caliphate. As a Muslim emirate, Ilorin subjugated several towns in Yorubaland and destroyed the Oyo capital, Oyo Ile (Old Oyo, or Katunga), 40 miles (64 km) northwest, in 1837. Abd al-Salam conducted a jihad toward the sea and was only stopped by the [[Ibadan]] victory over his cavalrymen at [[Osogbo|Oshogbo]] in 1840. Throughout the 19th century, Ilorin served as a major trade centre between the Hausa of the north and the Yoruba of the south.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ilorin {{!}} Nigeria, Map, Facts, & Population {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Ilorin |access-date=2024-02-11 |website=britannica.com |language=en}}</ref> It strongly resisted British rule, and not until 1897, when the army of the Royal Niger Company arrived after conquering Bida (106 miles east-northeast), did Ilorin recognize British supremacy. In 1900 Ilorin emirate was the only part of Yorubaland to be included in the [[Northern Nigeria]] Protectorate, which, later in the colonial period, developed into the Northern Province and then the Northern Region. With the subdivision of the country’s administrative regions in 1967, Ilorin became part of West Central (later Kwara) state. Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. If you do not want your writing to be edited mercilessly, then do not submit it here. You are also promising us that you wrote this yourself, or copied it from a public domain or similar free resource (see Christianpedia:Copyrights for details). Do not submit copyrighted work without permission! Cancel Editing help (opens in new window) Discuss this page