Location

Ìsèdó is an ancient Igbomina

Igbomina

The Ìgbómìnà are a tribe of the Yoruba people occupying the north-central portion of the Yoruba region of southwestern Nigeria....

 kingdom in northeastern Yorubaland

Yoruba people

The Yoruba people are one of the largest ethnic groups in West Africa. The majority of the Yoruba speak the Yoruba language...

 of Nigeria

Nigeria

Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...

. Ìsẹ̀dó was founded as a new city-state

City-state

A city-state is an independent or autonomous entity whose territory consists of a city which is not administered as a part of another local government.-Historical city-states:...

 several centuries ago (between 1250 to 1400) by Ọba'lumọ

Obalumo

- Oba'lumo as Prince of the Ancient Oba Civilization:Ọbalúmọ̀ or Ọba'lúmọ̀ , , is the titular name of the founder-king of the ancient Ìsèdó-Olúmọ̀, city-state, an ancient monarchy of the Igbomina-Yoruba...

, a Prince of the ancient Oba civilization (whose name or appellation is contracted from "Ọba Olumọ" meaning "knowledgeable king", or "king of the lords of knowledge"). Ìsẹ̀dó is fully known and called "Ìsẹ̀dó-Olúmọ̀" using its founder-king's name as an identifier suffix. Ọba'lumọ

Obalumo

- Oba'lumo as Prince of the Ancient Oba Civilization:Ọbalúmọ̀ or Ọba'lúmọ̀ , , is the titular name of the founder-king of the ancient Ìsèdó-Olúmọ̀, city-state, an ancient monarchy of the Igbomina-Yoruba...

, emigrated from the ancient Ọ̀bà

Oba, Nigeria

Oba-Igbomina , is an ancient Igbomina town in northeastern Yorubaland of Nigeria in Isin Local Government Area of Kwara State...

 civilization in northeastern Yorubaland.

Foundation & Development

Obalumo

Obalumo

- Oba'lumo as Prince of the Ancient Oba Civilization:Ọbalúmọ̀ or Ọba'lúmọ̀ , , is the titular name of the founder-king of the ancient Ìsèdó-Olúmọ̀, city-state, an ancient monarchy of the Igbomina-Yoruba...

, a prince

Prince

Prince is a general term for a ruler, monarch or member of a monarch's or former monarch's family, and is a hereditary title in the nobility of some European states. The feminine equivalent is a princess...

 of the Oba civilization

Oba, Nigeria

Oba-Igbomina , is an ancient Igbomina town in northeastern Yorubaland of Nigeria in Isin Local Government Area of Kwara State...

, and a veteran

Veteran

A veteran is a person who has had long service or experience in a particular occupation or field; " A veteran of ..."...

 hunter and warrior

Warrior

A warrior is a person skilled in combat or warfare, especially within the context of a tribal or clan-based society that recognizes a separate warrior class.-Warrior classes in tribal culture:...

, founded Ìsẹ̀dó, his new city-state

City-state

A city-state is an independent or autonomous entity whose territory consists of a city which is not administered as a part of another local government.-Historical city-states:...

 in one of the areas of his frequent hunting expeditions.

Recent archaeological research results (and published works of oral history

Oral history

Oral history is the collection and study of historical information about individuals, families, important events, or everyday life using audiotapes, videotapes, or transcriptions of planned interviews...

 experts, anthropologists

Anthropology

Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...

 and archaeologists

Archaeology

Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...

 of the Arizona State University

Arizona State University

Arizona State University is a public research university located in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area of the State of Arizona...

, USA and the University of Ibadan

University of Ibadan

The University of Ibadan is the oldest Nigerian university, and is located five miles from the centre of the major city of Ibadan in Western Nigeria...

, Nigeria); of the region's contemporary and later settlements suggest that Ìsẹ̀dó was founded between the 10th and the 12th centuries by Ọ̀bà

Oba, Nigeria

Oba-Igbomina , is an ancient Igbomina town in northeastern Yorubaland of Nigeria in Isin Local Government Area of Kwara State...

 refugees probably fleeing from both internal dissension in their Òbà kingdom as well as the cyclic

Historic recurrence

Historic recurrence is the repetition of similar events in history. In the extreme, the concept hypothetically assumes the form of the Doctrine of Eternal Recurrence, which has been written about in various forms since antiquity and was described in the 19th century by Heinrich Heine and Friedrich...

 conflicts

War

War is a state of organized, armed, and often prolonged conflict carried on between states, nations, or other parties typified by extreme aggression, social disruption, and usually high mortality. War should be understood as an actual, intentional and widespread armed conflict between political...

 of their Ọ̀bà kingdom with the neighbouring kingdoms, perhaps including the Nupe to the north.

At its zenith

Zenith

The zenith is an imaginary point directly "above" a particular location, on the imaginary celestial sphere. "Above" means in the vertical direction opposite to the apparent gravitational force at that location. The opposite direction, i.e...

 towards the end of the 15th century, Ìsèdó had grown into a city-state of 13 clans, some of which were later "consolidants" into the Obalumo

Obalumo

- Oba'lumo as Prince of the Ancient Oba Civilization:Ọbalúmọ̀ or Ọba'lúmọ̀ , , is the titular name of the founder-king of the ancient Ìsèdó-Olúmọ̀, city-state, an ancient monarchy of the Igbomina-Yoruba...

's kingdom at Ìsèdó and were not of the ancient Oba origin.

New Arrivals

Some oral-historians indicate that at the request of an arriving faction from Ila-Yara

Ila Yara

Ila Yara was the original kingdom founded about the 12th century by Ajagun-nla , also nicknamed "Orangun", the legendary son of Oduduwa. The kingdom split into two after Orangun Apakiimo was installed towards the end of the 15th century...

, the city-state founded by Òràngún

Orangun

Orangun or Ọ̀ràngún is the title of both paramount kings of the Yoruba kingdoms of Ila Orangun and Oke-Ila, Ila Orangun and their ancient kingdom of Ila-Yara of northeastern Yorubaland, presently in southwestern Nigeria.-History:...

, Oduduwa's fourth son, the region's king, Ọba'lúmọ̀ gave land-grants to the new arrivals at a location thought to be sufficiently distant from Ìsẹ̀dó's location. Another version of the oral history, which seems more reliable, indicates that the land-grant occurred a few centuries later, when the faction of the younger of two quarreling princes arrived in the vicinity of the Ọba'lúmọ̀'s Ìsèdó kingdom, from the schism at their old kingdom at Ìlá Yàrà. Arutu Oluokun, the younger of the feuding princes, founded a settlement at the Ila-Magbon

Ila, Nigeria

Ìlá Òràngún, is an ancient city in Osun State, Nigeria that was capital of an ancient city-state of the same name in the Igbomina area of Yorubaland in southwestern Nigeria...

, but the new kingdom moved within a short time to found another city called Ila-Odo

Ila, Nigeria

Ìlá Òràngún, is an ancient city in Osun State, Nigeria that was capital of an ancient city-state of the same name in the Igbomina area of Yorubaland in southwestern Nigeria...

 closer to Isedo, which subsists as the modern Ìlá Òràngún.

Consolidation & Accommodation

An annual celebration called "Ìmárúgbó" (or "Òkùnrìn") festival was instituted between the two city-states during which the King Ọ̀ràngún leaves his palace with his chiefs to pay a day-long homage to his primogenitor, the King Ọba'lúmọ̀ in his (the Ọba'lúmọ̀'s) palace. This is in symbolic tribute to Ọba'lúmọ̀'s land grant and precedence of him in the region, in appreciation of Ọba'lúmọ̀'s hosting of the Òràngún's elderly mother who could not continue with the immigrant party to the location of their allocated land. The Ọ̀ràngún's mother died in the palace of the Ọba'lúmọ̀ and was buried at Ìsèdó. So the Ọ̀ràngún also visits her grave as part of this festival.

While it has maintained the royal title of Oba'lúmò, the kingdom of Ìsẹ̀dó has in modern times been virtually engulfed by the present-day Ila Ọrangun

Ila, Nigeria

Ìlá Òràngún, is an ancient city in Osun State, Nigeria that was capital of an ancient city-state of the same name in the Igbomina area of Yorubaland in southwestern Nigeria...

 such that the old Isedo township now lies (at 8.013°N 4.9°E), in the southeast quadrant of Ila Orangun. In Oke-Ila, the oratures of the Ọbaálá clan refer to their origin from Ìsèdó, indicating that they are actually a segment of the Ìsẹ̀dó royalty which emigrated several centuries ago to an alliance with Apakiimo, the last Orangun at Ila Yara

Ila Yara

Ila Yara was the original kingdom founded about the 12th century by Ajagun-nla , also nicknamed "Orangun", the legendary son of Oduduwa. The kingdom split into two after Orangun Apakiimo was installed towards the end of the 15th century...

 kingdom to found his (Orangun's) new kingdom now known as Oke-Ila

Òkè-Ìlá

Òkè-Ìlá Òràngún is an ancient city in southwestern Nigeria that was capital of an ancient Igbomina-Yoruba city-state of the same name....

.

In this five-centuries-old quasi-consolidation treaty to help found with the new Oke-Ila

Òkè-Ìlá

Òkè-Ìlá Òràngún is an ancient city in southwestern Nigeria that was capital of an ancient Igbomina-Yoruba city-state of the same name....

 Orangun state, the Ìsẹ̀dó immigrants "of the hilltop" (Isedo Oke or Isedo Ori Oke)were retained their royal title of Ọba'lúmọ̀, and subsequently were accorded a new recognition (possibly for their foremost contribution to the establishment of the new kingdom), awarding their clan the title of Ọbaálá

Obaala

Obaala is a senior title in the royal council of many kingdoms of the northeastern Yoruba - the Igbomina, Ijẹṣa and Ekiti sub-ethnics....

 ("mighty king" or "senior king"), a title next in rank to the Ọ̀ràngún

Orangun

Orangun or Ọ̀ràngún is the title of both paramount kings of the Yoruba kingdoms of Ila Orangun and Oke-Ila, Ila Orangun and their ancient kingdom of Ila-Yara of northeastern Yorubaland, presently in southwestern Nigeria.-History:...

 of Oke-Ila the paramount king. The Ọbaálá is also designated as the automatic regent upon the demise of any reigning Ọ̀ràngún.

Heritage & Diaspora

The Ìsẹ̀dó clans retain references in their oratures to their ancestry from Ìsẹ̀dó and the ancient Ọ̀bà kingdom, and citing their descent from King Ọba'lúmọ̀ of Ìsẹ̀dó and King Olunlakin of Ọ̀bà as well as nostalgically referring to themselves as "children of the great wealth" of Ọ̀bà.

Other examples of Igbomina and non-Igbomina towns (in Kwara

Kwara State

Kwara State is one of the 36 states of Nigeria. Its capital is Ilorin. The primary ethnic group of Kwara State is Yoruba, with significant Nupe, Bariba and Fulani minorities.- History :...

 and Ọṣun

Osun State

Ọṣun State is an inland state in south-western Nigeria. Its capital is Osogbo. It is bounded in the north by Kwara State, in the east partly by Ekiti State and partly by Ondo State, in the south by Ogun State and in the west by Oyo State. The state's current governor is Rauf Aregbesola, who was...

 states of Nigeria) with large concentrations of Ọ̀bà people, now commonly called 'The Ọ̀bà

Oba, Nigeria

Oba-Igbomina , is an ancient Igbomina town in northeastern Yorubaland of Nigeria in Isin Local Government Area of Kwara State...

 Diaspora' , include the following: Oke-Ila Ọrangun

Òkè-Ìlá

Òkè-Ìlá Òràngún is an ancient city in southwestern Nigeria that was capital of an ancient Igbomina-Yoruba city-state of the same name....

, Ila Ọrangun

Ila, Nigeria

Ìlá Òràngún, is an ancient city in Osun State, Nigeria that was capital of an ancient city-state of the same name in the Igbomina area of Yorubaland in southwestern Nigeria...

, Ọra-Igbomina

Igbo-Ora

Igbo-Ora is a town in Oyo State, south-western Nigeria, situated north of Lagos. As of 2001, the population of the town was approximately 60,000 people...

, Ipoti-Ekiti, Isanlu-Isin, Oke-Onigbin

Oke-Onigbin

Oke-Onigbin lies at the heart of and is the major community in Isin Local Government Area, Kwara State, Nigeria. It is mostly inhabited by Igbomina people.-Traditions:...

, Omu-Aran, Rorẹ, Ọyan, Inisha, Ipee, Oke-Ode, Babanla, Ajasẹ-Ipo, Omupo, Esiẹ, Oro, Ijomu-Oro, Iddo-Oro, Idofin, Ado-Eku, Oreke, Sanmora, and Pamo.

The Ìsẹ̀dó clans appear to be the earliest surviving [but perhaps not the only] group in the 'The Ọ̀bà

Oba, Nigeria

Oba-Igbomina , is an ancient Igbomina town in northeastern Yorubaland of Nigeria in Isin Local Government Area of Kwara State...

 Diaspora' that purposefully set out and founded a surviving kingdom ruled by the king Ọba'lumọ

Obalumo

- Oba'lumo as Prince of the Ancient Oba Civilization:Ọbalúmọ̀ or Ọba'lúmọ̀ , , is the titular name of the founder-king of the ancient Ìsèdó-Olúmọ̀, city-state, an ancient monarchy of the Igbomina-Yoruba...

. Subsequent Ọ̀bà-derivative kingdoms and diaporas appear to have resulted solely from refugee flights from wars and slave raids. Ìsẹ̀dó communities resulting from the diaspora of such wars exist in Ipoti-Ekiti, and other Igbomina

Igbomina

The Ìgbómìnà are a tribe of the Yoruba people occupying the north-central portion of the Yoruba region of southwestern Nigeria....

 and Ekiti towns as well as Omido (Kwara State

Kwara State

Kwara State is one of the 36 states of Nigeria. Its capital is Ilorin. The primary ethnic group of Kwara State is Yoruba, with significant Nupe, Bariba and Fulani minorities.- History :...

) and other towns in Kwara State.