Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of Illustrations
- Introduction
- Part I Writing Yorùbá
- Part II Chiefs and Tradition
- 8 Power, Status, and Influence of Yorùbá Chiefs in Historical Perspective Toyin Falola
- 9 Chieftaincy Structures, Communal Identity, and Decolonization in Yorùbáland
- 10 Odogbolu Chieftaincy Dispute in Historical Perspective
- 11 Yorùbá Nationalism and the Reshaping of Ọbaship
- Part III Identity and Modern Politics
- Notes on the Contributors
- Index
8 - Power, Status, and Influence of Yorùbá Chiefs in Historical Perspective Toyin Falola
from Part II - Chiefs and Tradition
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 12 September 2012
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of Illustrations
- Introduction
- Part I Writing Yorùbá
- Part II Chiefs and Tradition
- 8 Power, Status, and Influence of Yorùbá Chiefs in Historical Perspective Toyin Falola
- 9 Chieftaincy Structures, Communal Identity, and Decolonization in Yorùbáland
- 10 Odogbolu Chieftaincy Dispute in Historical Perspective
- 11 Yorùbá Nationalism and the Reshaping of Ọbaship
- Part III Identity and Modern Politics
- Notes on the Contributors
- Index
Summary
Power, status, and influence are dynamic aspects of elite politics in all societies. Because the three are related to a society's political philosophy and economy, they inevitably undergo modifications as the other aspects of society also change. For instance, the power of a ruler may be affected by economic misfortunes, political changes such as the imposition of a new dynasty, the incorporation of one polity by another, and the redefinition of the concept of power. The forms are as varied as the factors of change. It can be revolutionary, that is, when a totally new structure, with attendant consequences on power and social relations within a polity, replaces another one. It may be no more than a modification to an existing structure. Change may even involve only the leadership elite and not the structure of politics itself. Change can also be tied to the evolution of a political system, such that each phase possesses its own distinctive character. A well-established system can also decay. These changes affect the leadership elite who can gain or lose power, influence, and status and who can also be replaced by a new set of leaders or even a new dynasty.
All these observations are applicable to the Yorùbá of southwestern Nigeria. The position of their chiefs was never static, as this chapter points out. Our examination of the role of Yorùbá chiefs that follows is set in the context of the changing political system.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Yorùbá Identity and Power Politics , pp. 161 - 176Publisher: Boydell & BrewerPrint publication year: 2006