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On a visit to the Nigerian city of Ibadan in 1900, William MacGregor, the colonial governor of Lagos Colony and a qualified medical practitioner, described the traditional Yoruba practice for… Click to show full abstract
On a visit to the Nigerian city of Ibadan in 1900, William MacGregor, the colonial governor of Lagos Colony and a qualified medical practitioner, described the traditional Yoruba practice for acknowledging the power and authority of political leaders: “Whilst I was there the two highest Chiefs in the land, one of them the Bashorun of Oyo, next in rank to the Alaafin [supreme ruler, king] himself, presented themselves before the Alaafin” (CO 879/62/13, 10). What happened next, while unsurprising to anyone familiar with Yoruba courtly and deferential practices, created a strong reaction in the British onlooker because of the unexpected appearance of dirt:
Journal Title: Social Dynamics
Year Published: 2018
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