Subject

Igbo monarchy

3 records filed under this subject

The Njemanze Family and Royalty in Owerri: Tradition, Power, and Historical Memory

Owerri, the cultural and administrative heart of present-day Imo State, occupies a unique position in Igbo history. Unlike many Igbo communities that operated strictly through republican systems, Owerri developed a distinct form of sacred kingship centered on the Eze Owerri (Ọba Owerri). At the heart of this royal tradition stands the Njemanze family, widely…

Place Owerri

Omu Nwagboka: The Last Female Leader of Onicha and Her Legacy in Women’s Authority

Unidentified women photographed by Henry Crosse with the Royal Niger Company, c. 1886–1895. Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Cambridge. It is plausible to identify the woman on the left as Omu Nwagboka, the last Omu of Onicha (Onitsha). Omu Nwagboka was a prominent and wealthy trader, appointed as Omu in 1884 by Obi Anazonwu, the…

Place Onicha

A man from Mgbakwu, present day Anambra State, and the titled elder Onyeso were photographed by Northcote Thomas in the early 1910s.

The Titled Elder Onyeso and Igbo Cultural Heritage: A Glimpse into Early 20th Century Mgbakwu In the early 1910s, renowned British anthropologist Northcote Thomas captured a photograph of a man from Mgbakwu and a titled elder named Onyeso in what is now Anambra State, Nigeria. This photograph offers valuable insight into the traditions, leadership, and…