'Civil Disorder Is the Disease of Ibadan': Chieftaincy and Civic Culture in a Yoruba City

by Ruth Watson

This book is a study of chieftaincy and political culture in Ibadan, the most populous city in what was Britain's largest West African colony, Nigeria. Examining the period between 1829 and 1939, it shows how and why the processes through which Ibadan was made into a civic community shifted from the battlefield to a discursive field. Concentrating on the early-to-mid colonial period, the book's focus on political discourse encompasses Ibadan's pre-colonial past, because forms of social action and political argument were always legitimated in terms of past precedents. This book offers a contribution to the social and cultural history of British colonial administration in Africa, as well as to the field of urban history. It should be of interest to anthropologists and social scientists for its innovative approach to the study of political culture. North America: Ohio U Press; Nigeria: HEBN

256 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2003

Reviews

[Timi · Rating 4 out of 5]

A comprehensive research work, the author took us to pre-independence Ibadan and carefully explored the characters that shaped the developments and politics of Ibadan. A balance read devoid of sentiments and all that.

The book is your plug if you need to understand the chieftaincy system in Ibadan which is over 150 years now, the custom and traditional of Ibadan.

Good work

[Abiodun · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best book on Ibadan chieftaincy history and colonial influence in Ibadan.