Book

The king in every man: evolutionary trends in Onitsha Ibo society and culture

Yale University Press • New Haven • Published In 1972 • Pages:

By: Henderson, Richard N..

Abstract

This source provides a thorough and detailed analysis of the socio-political structure and process of Onitsha in historical perspective. Because the Igbo literature frequently emphasizes the atypical nature of such former city-states with kings and casts of courtly officials, this work will be of especial interest to researchers. Without sacrificing any of the complexity or particularity of the Onitsha data, Henderson's analysis of the intricate relationships among the descent system, title system, religious associations, sodalities, and age-sets is relevant to all Igbo society.

HRAF PubDate

2003

Region

Africa

Sub Region

Western Africa

Document Type

Book

Evaluation

Creator Type

Ethnologist

Document Rating

4: Excellent Secondary Data

5: Excellent Primary Data

Analyst

Jan Simpson ; 1981

Field Date

1960-1962

Coverage Date

1500-1880

Coverage Place

Onitsha City, Anambra State, Nigeria

Notes

by Richard N. Henderson

Although much of the material in this document is historical, History (175) has only been used for passages about specific events in which pre-1900 dates are given. Traditional History (174) and Identification (101) are used for regional description and historical reconstruction regardless of the ethnic composition of the communities mentioned. Village chiefs who appeared to have roles in the larger Onitsha hierarchy were indexed for Deliberative Councils (646); where this did not seem to be the case Community Heads (622) was used.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 549-563)

LCCN

77151576

LCSH

Igbo (African people)