Historical studies Made Easy

18/08/2020

18/08/2020

HISTORY OF THE TIV PEOPLE

The Tiv are one of the major ethnic groups in the north-central geopolitical zone of Nigeria. They are mostly found in Benue State. However they can also be found in Nassarawa, Plateau and Taraba State.
Tradition of Origin:
The origin of the Tiv is by no means fixed. Like those of many other Nigerian pre-colonial groups it is shrouded in oral traditions of myths, legends and theories of migration. Tiv oral tradition speaks of the group as having been founded by Tiv. Note that Tiv refers both to the language and the person believed to be the progenitor (ancestor) of the whole group. The various tradition refers to an earlier settlement of Tiv at seem together with his associates and from there they moved onto their present location through Nwangue and Ibinda. The movement of Tiv into swem and thence to it's present location, brought them into contact with other groups thus bringing about adjustment of frontier between them and other groups like the Idoma aand the Etulo who inhabited the Katsina- Ala area of modern day Benue State. It is believed that all this movement took place the 16th and 17th centuries.

Economic Organization:
The pre-colonial Tiv were basically farmers, traders and local artisans. Stable food like corn, sorghum, millet, yams and other root crops were produced and exchanged for their other needs; while salt making was an important industry among them. Other local industries includes weaving, pottery making, beer brewing and handicraft. The Tiv also participated in short and long distance trade with proximate and distance groups. Most of these activities have been transferred to the present.

POLITICAL ORGANIZATION OF THE TIV PEOPLE

The Tiv political was very unique in the sense that it present a classic example of segmentary or largely decentralized system of government in pre- colonial Nigeria. The Tiv practiced a non- centralised system of government which was egalitarian in nature. The family group of ''Tsombor'' was the largest entity recognised. Each family group was in turn divided into smaller units with each having it's head "mbavessen"(elders). It is important to state that much importance was attached to the intricately waven kinship relation among the Tiv because of the believe that ultimately all Tiv were of one father and thus of one lineage. They lived in large compounds administered by the eldest in the compound. Several of the Tiv compounds formed lineages that were segmented

13/08/2020

HISTORY OF THE HAUSA PEOPLE AND STATES

The Hausa group are one of the major ethnic group in Nigeria. Hausa States are located in present day north-east and north-west Nigeria. The origin of the Hausa is not very certain, however evidence available do indicate that their
distinct characteristics arose from an intermingling of diverse elements from the north essentially Saharan nomads of Baghama and Zaghawa extraction and the east apparently the Nilotic Sudanic elements.
it is also generally believed they are an extraction of the Tedadaza speaking people who moved down southward following the desiccation of the Sahara region, and had settled in their present abode by about A.D 1000 as Neolithic people.
The history of Hausa is generally bound up in the fortunes of a number of city-states which were formed in the course of the 11th and 12th centuries. These states were of two distinct groups.

Legend Of Origin

The Bayajida story is essentially an oral tradition in Hausa land which attempts to explain the origin of the Hausa states. It raced the origin to a founder hero named Bayajida as having tocome from Baghdad to Kanem-Borno and thence to Hausa land. Bayajida is believed to have married the daughter of the Mai of Bornu by whom he had a son at Biram. Bayajida reportedly left Biram for Duara where he helped killing a snake which prevented the people from taking water from a well. In appreciation of this feat, the Queen of Daura married him and they had a son named Bawo. Bawo is said to have six children of his own who together with Bayajida's other son at Biram are believed to have founded the original seven Hausa state refered to as the "Hausa Bokwoi" or Bakwai (legitimate Hausa) they include Gobir, Kano, Rano, Zazzau, Katsina,. Daura and Biram . Bawo also had other children he had with his concubine called "Hausa Banza" (Pseudo-state) these includes Ilorin, Yauri, Kebbi, Zamfara, Gwar, Jukun and Nupe. The authenticity of this legend is very questionable