Contents

pp v-vi

List of Illustrations

pp vii-vii

Notes on Orthography and Place Names

pp viii-viii

Acknowledgments

pp ix-x

Introduction

pp 1-14

Part I - Igboland: The Historical and Ethnographic Evidence

pp 15-18

1 - The Igbo Local Community: Historical and Anthropological Approaches

pp 19-42

2 - Trans-local Connections and Precolonial Spheres of Influence: Nri “Hegemony” and Arochukwu

pp 43-64

Part II - Creating Community from Outside

pp 65-68

3 - Drawing Boundaries, Making Chiefs: The Colonial State

pp 69-90

4 - “Town People” and “Church People”: The Impact of Christianity

pp 91-110

5 - Making a Larger Community: Igbo Ethnicity

pp 111-131

6 - Federalism and Fear: Impact of Postcolonial State and Society since the 1970s

pp 132-148

Part III - Creating Community from Within

pp 149-150

7 - Institutionalizing Community I: Town Unions

pp 151-170

8 - Institutionalizing Community II: Traditional Rulers and Autonomous Communities

pp 171-192

9 - Reconceptualizing Community: Local Histories

pp 193-212

Part IV - Common Themes, Diverse Histories: Three Local Case Studies

pp 213-214

10 - The Politics of Competition and Fragmentation: Umuopara and Ohuhu

pp 215-233

11 - “History” as Politics by Other Means: Enugwu-Ukwu in Umunri Clan

pp 234-257

12 - Post-slavery and Marginalization: Nike

pp 258-280

Conclusion: Making the Igbo “Town” in the Twentieth Century

pp 281-296

Notes

pp 297-342

Sources and Bibliography

pp 343-376

Index

pp 377-388

Endmatter

pp 389-389