Yoruba Women and Pre-colonial Warfare in Pre-colonial Yorubaland

Abstract

The history of women's involvement in warfare spans various societies and time periods, including ancient, medieval, precolonial, colonial, and postcolonial Africa. However, the contributions of Yoruba women to warfare in pre-colonial Yorubaland remain understudied. This study investigates Yoruba women's multifaceted roles in warfare, explores their experiences, examines their contributions, and highlights their strengths and sheds light on their hidden roles in warfare in order to promote a more inclusive understanding of military history and the complex dynamics of power and gender in precolonial Yorubaland. The study adopted a historical and documentary research design. Primary and secondary data were gathered through in-depth interviews (IDI) with 39 individuals, including women leaders, traditional chiefs, priestesses, historians, and experts in women's studies. Ten focus group discussions (FGD) were conducted with traditional women leaders, clan heads, and traditional religious leaders. The study applied social, womanism, and actor-network theories, and data were content-analyzed to reveal Yoruba women's significant roles in communal wars. Findings revealed that Yoruba women played significant and multifaceted roles in Yoruba warfare, including as war deities, warrior queens and kings, war legislators, spiritual leaders, titled war leaders, combatants, and various military effort supporters. The study also highlighted the importance of women's involvement in intelligence gathering, diplomacy, and logistics, illustrating their agency, power, and impact on the battlefield and beyond. Their roles were not inferior or subservient to men's roles but rather complementary and sometimes catalytic. Yoruba women's experiences in warfare were shaped by their social, cultural, and religious contexts. They made significant contributions to warfare, demonstrating courage, resilience, and independence. This study recommended recognizing and valuing Yoruba women's contributions to warfare and exploring ways to build on their strengths. The study concluded that Yoruba women played crucial roles in pre-colonial Yorubaland in challenging the prevailing narrative that women's contributions to warfare are limited. Their experiences and contributions offer valuable lessons for understanding the complex history of warfare in Africa.