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| states of pre-colonial africa | |
| aros | |
| history of nigeria | |
| history of cameroon | |
| former monarchies of africa | |
| SHOPPER'S DELIGHT | |
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THE RISE The slave trading Confederacy was started after Arochukwu formed. Making alliances with several Igbo and eastern Cross River neighbours, the Aro People started mass slave raiding activities around Igbo and Ibibio lands. Aro priests used the God Ibini ukpabi which was popular in midwest and southeast Nigeria, to capture slaves. As this continued, Aro businessmen from Arochukwu migrated across southern Nigeria, Cameroon, and Equatorial Guinea and founded numerous settlements. There they spread the Aro religion and tricked people into slavery and put them under Aro authority. THE CONFEDERACY ERA This game became very popular as coastal Niger Delta city-states became main sources for exporting slaves. These City-states were Opobo , Bonny , Brass , Calabar , and other slave trade city-states controlled by the Ijaw , Efik , and Igbo . The Aros formed a strong trading network and had had hundreds of communties that formed into powerful Kingdoms. The Ajalli , Arondizuogu , and Bende Kingdoms were of the most powerful Aro kingdoms in the Confederacy after Arochukwu. They were founded and named after great Commanders and Chiefs like the Legendary Chief Izuogu Mgbokpo and Chief Iheme who led Aro forces to destroy and conquered Ikpa Ora and founded Arondizuogu. THE FALL In the late 19th century, European Colonists moved in Aro territories and had many problems capturing them. But their power died down as Germans colonized Cameroon in 1884 and Spaniards colonized Equatorial Guinea in 1900. The Royal Niger Company of Britain , had friction with the Aros because of their alleged human sacrificing, trading network, and economical control of the hinterland. Aro authorities had a problem with them pressuring their lands and their missionaries like Mary Slessor who converted Aros into Christianity . This led to a war known as the Anglo-Aro War which started in 1901 with an Aro invasion of Obegu on British. The British responded with repeated invasions on the Arochukwu Kingdom which eventually crumbled in 1902 by a final attack capturing and burning the state and blowing up the oracle Ibini Ukpabi . Aro leaders were arrested and assassinated. Some artifacts were stolen and the Confederacy crumbled and went to British hands. REFERENCES
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