Relationship Between People From Different Centers Of Civilization In Precolonial Nigeria: Igbo/Niger Delta City States JSS2 Nigerian History Lesson Note

Relationship Between People From Different Centers Of Civilization In Precolonial Nigeria: Igbo/Niger Delta City States

Long before Europeans came to Nigeria, the people of southeastern Nigeria built advanced societies that connected with each other through trade, culture, religion, and sometimes war. Two important groups that developed strong relationships were the Igbo people and the Niger Delta city-states. The Igbo lived mainly in what is now Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo states, while the Niger Delta city-states were located along the coast and rivers of the Niger Delta in what is now Rivers, Bayelsa, and Delta states.

These two societies were very different in how they organized themselves. The Igbo had a decentralized system without kings, while the Niger Delta people built city-states with powerful rulers. Despite these differences, they created important connections that helped both societies grow and prosper for hundreds of years before Europeans arrived.

Historical Background

The Igbo Society

The Igbo people lived in the forested areas of southeastern Nigeria for thousands of years. Unlike some other Nigerian groups, they didn’t create a centralized kingdom with a single ruler. Instead, they organized themselves through:

• Village democracies where all adult men could participate in decision-making
• Councils of elders who provided leadership based on age and wisdom
• Age-grade associations (groups of people of similar age) who performed community tasks
• Title societies that recognized achievement rather than birth
• Market networks that connected different communities

The Igbo are often described by the phrase “Igbo enwe eze” meaning “the Igbo have no king.” They governed themselves through group discussions and consensus rather than through commands from a ruler.

Igbo communities were primarily farmers who grew yams, cassava, and other crops. They also developed skilled crafts, particularly metalworking, wood carving, and cloth weaving. Their largest settlements included Awka (known for metalworking), Nri (a religious center), and Arochukwu (home to the famous Ibini Ukpabi oracle).

The Niger Delta City-States

Along the coast and rivers of the Niger Delta, a different kind of society developed. Here, people built trading city-states ruled by kings or chiefs. The major city-states included:

• Bonny (also called Ibani)
• Kalabari (New Calabar)
• Nembe (Brass)
• Okrika
• Opobo (which formed later)
• Elem Kalabari (Old Calabar)

These city-states were built on islands and along waterways in the Niger Delta. Their location gave them control over trade routes between the interior and the ocean. Each city-state had its own government, but they shared similar cultures and often competed with each other for trade.

The people of these city-states were skilled boat builders, fishermen, and traders. They developed complex political systems with kings (called Amanyanabo) and various chiefs who controlled different aspects of community life. Unlike the democratic Igbo system, the Niger Delta city-states had more hierarchical societies with clear differences between rulers and common people.

Economic Relationships

Trade Networks

The strongest connection between the Igbo and the Niger Delta city-states was trade. The geography of the region created natural trading partnerships:

• The Igbo lived in the forested interior and produced food and crafts
• The Niger Delta people controlled the waterways leading to the ocean
• Together they formed a trading system that connected the inland areas to the coast

This trade followed established routes:

• Rivers and creeks served as highways for canoes carrying goods
• Regular markets were held at points where inland paths met waterways
• Trading settlements grew at these meeting points

The trade network operated on a weekly or 4-day or 8-day market cycle, with different market centers active on different days. This allowed traders to visit multiple markets and move goods efficiently through the region.

Goods Exchanged

Many different goods moved through this trading network:

From Igbo areas to the Delta:

• Agricultural products like yams, palm oil, and palm kernels
• Textiles, particularly the highly valued Akwete cloth
• Iron tools and weapons made by Awka smiths
• Wooden carvings and household items
• Pottery for storing and cooking food
• Livestock such as goats and chickens
• Medicinal herbs and plants

From the Delta to Igbo areas:

• Salt produced from seawater
• Fish and seafood (dried or smoked for preservation)
• Imported goods obtained from European traders (later period)
• Shells used for decoration and sometimes as currency
• Manilla (horseshoe-shaped pieces of metal used as currency)

As European ships began to visit the coast from the 16th century onward, the trading relationship became even more important. The Niger Delta city-states served as middlemen, controlling trade between Europeans on the coast and the Igbo in the interior.

Trading Practices and Partnerships

Special arrangements developed to support this trade:

• Trusted trading partnerships formed between Igbo and Delta merchants
• Credit systems allowed goods to be exchanged on promises of future payment
• Market regulations protected traders from different regions
• Trade disputes had special procedures for resolution
• Trading languages or pidgins developed to help people communicate

One important practice was the “trust” system, where Delta traders would advance European goods to Igbo partners, who would then bring back inland products. These relationships sometimes lasted for generations, with children inheriting their parents’ trading partners.

Political Relationships

Diplomatic Contacts

Despite their different political systems, the Igbo and Niger Delta peoples maintained regular diplomatic contacts:

• Representatives from trading communities visited each other
• Agreements were made about market rights and trade routes
• Disputes were settled through negotiation and sometimes ritual
• Neutral zones were established for inter-group meetings
• Messengers carried information between communities

These diplomatic contacts didn’t create formal alliances like those between kingdoms, but they did establish important understandings about how the groups would interact.

Conflict Resolution Mechanisms

When conflicts arose between Igbo and Delta communities, several methods were used to resolve them:

• Meetings between respected elders from both communities
• Oath-taking ceremonies at shrines respected by both groups
• Compensation payments for wrongs committed
• Market boycotts to pressure wrongdoers
• Appeals to oracles considered neutral and powerful

The famous Arochukwu oracle (Ibini Ukpabi) sometimes served as a final judge in disputes between communities from different ethnic groups, showing how religious institutions could transcend ethnic boundaries.

Buffer Communities

Some communities positioned between the core Igbo areas and the Delta city-states played important roles as cultural and political bridges:

• They often spoke both languages
• They understood the customs of both groups
• They served as neutral meeting grounds
• They developed specialized roles as intermediaries
• They sometimes had mixed political systems with elements from both traditions

These “buffer communities” helped smooth relations between the different political systems of the Igbo and the Delta city-states.

Cultural Exchanges

Religious Interactions

Religious ideas and practices moved between the groups:

• Powerful deities from one region might be adopted by the other
• Shrine priests traveled to perform rituals in different communities
• Divination systems spread across ethnic boundaries
• Similar masquerade traditions developed in both areas
• Religious festivals sometimes attracted visitors from neighboring ethnic groups

For example, the water spirit cults important in the Delta region influenced religious practices in riverside Igbo communities. Similarly, some Igbo deities gained followers in parts of the Delta.

Marriage and Kinship Connections

Marriage across ethnic lines created lasting connections:

• Traders sometimes married women from communities where they did business
• These marriages created family bonds that strengthened trading relationships
• Children of mixed marriages often became important intermediaries
• Extended family networks spread across ethnic boundaries
• Certain communities developed traditions of intermarriage

These family connections helped overcome the differences between the societies and created networks of people with ties to both cultures.

Artistic Influences

Art forms and creative expressions showed clear evidence of cultural exchange:

• Similar mask designs appeared in both regions
• Musical instruments and styles spread between communities
• Body decoration and personal adornment practices influenced each other
• Architectural features were sometimes borrowed
• Ceremonial regalia showed mixed influences

The famous Ekpe/Ekpo masquerade society, which combined social, political, and entertainment functions, spread throughout the region, adapting to local conditions but maintaining core similarities.

Language and Communication

Multilingualism

People living in the contact zones often spoke multiple languages:

• Traders typically learned enough of their partners’ languages to conduct business
• Border communities often became bilingual
• Special vocabularies developed for trade interactions
• Interpreters gained importance in facilitating communication
• Some individuals became known for their language abilities

This multilingualism helped bridge the communication gap between the different language groups.

Development of Pidgin

Over time, a simplified form of communication emerged that combined elements of local languages with Portuguese and later English words:

• This early form of Nigerian Pidgin developed first in the coastal trading areas
• It allowed people with different mother tongues to communicate
• It incorporated vocabulary from Igbo, Delta languages, and European languages
• It spread along trade routes into the interior
• It became an important tool for inter-ethnic communication

The development of Pidgin shows how the need for trade and communication drove linguistic innovation in the region.

The Slave Trade Period

Changes in Trading Relationships

The growth of the Atlantic slave trade from the 16th to 19th centuries changed the relationship between the Igbo and Delta peoples:

• Human beings became the most valuable trade item
• Delta city-states grew wealthy and powerful as middlemen in the slave trade
• Some Igbo communities raided others to capture people for sale
• New trading networks developed focused on moving captives to the coast
• Power balances shifted as firearms became important trade goods

During this period, the Niger Delta city-states grew in power because they controlled access to European slave traders. Communities in the interior, including many Igbo areas, suffered from increased warfare and raiding.

Resistance and Adaptation

Both Igbo and Delta communities developed various responses to the pressures of the slave trade:

• Defensive alliances formed to protect against slave raiders
• Some communities moved to more easily defended locations
• New religious practices emerged to protect against capture
• Alternative trade goods were emphasized by communities opposed to slaving
• Escaped slaves sometimes formed new communities in boundary areas

Despite the disruptions of the slave trade period, many of the traditional connections between Igbo and Delta communities continued, though often in changed forms.

Legacy of the Relationship

Creation of Hybrid Cultures

The long relationship between Igbo and Niger Delta peoples created blended cultures in many areas:

• Communities with mixed heritage developed distinctive identities
• Religious practices combined elements from both traditions
• Art forms showed influences from both cultures
• Foods and cooking methods were exchanged
• Social customs reflected both heritages

These hybrid cultures show how the relationship between different groups could create new and distinctive cultural forms.

Trading Diaspora Communities

The trading connections led to the establishment of “diaspora” communities:

• Igbo traders settled in Delta city-states, forming distinct communities
• Delta merchants established bases in Igbo market centers
• These immigrant communities maintained their identities while adapting to host cultures
• They served as cultural bridges between the regions
• They often gained special status as valued trading partners

These diaspora communities continued to play important roles even into the colonial period, helping maintain connections between different ethnic groups.

Conclusion

The relationship between the Igbo and the Niger Delta city-states shows how different societies in precolonial Nigeria created valuable connections despite having very different political systems. Through trade, diplomacy, cultural exchange, and sometimes conflict, these societies influenced each other’s development in important ways.

Their relationship created a network that moved goods, ideas, and people between the forest interior and the coast. Each society maintained its distinct identity while developing systems that allowed them to work together for mutual benefit. The differences in their political organizations – the decentralized democracy of the Igbo and the kingdom structure of the Delta city-states – did not prevent them from creating lasting and productive relationships.

Studying these historical connections helps us understand that precolonial Nigerian societies were not isolated from each other but engaged in complex networks of exchange and influence. The relationships between the Igbo and Niger Delta peoples represent an important chapter in Nigeria’s rich precolonial history, showing how different groups interacted and shaped each other’s development long before the arrival of European colonial powers.