Empire of Ife | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| c. 1200 – 1420 | |||||||||||
 Ife Empire during mid 14th century | |||||||||||
| Status | Empire | ||||||||||
| Capital | |||||||||||
| Common languages | Yoruba Edo Djerma Nupe Bariba | ||||||||||
| Religion | Yoruba religion, Islam,[1] | ||||||||||
| Government | Elective Monarchy | ||||||||||
| Oba | |||||||||||
| Historical era | Postclassical Era | ||||||||||
| Currency | Possibly Glass beads | ||||||||||
| |||||||||||
| Today part of | Nigeria Benin | ||||||||||
The Ife Empire was the first empire in Yoruba history.[2][3] It was founded in what is now southwestern Nigeria and eastern Benin. The Ife Empire lasted from 1200 to 1420. The empire was formed by Odùduwà, and became well-known for its sophisticated art pieces. Although Yoruba was the main language of the empire, there were also various spoken dialects and languages. It rose to power through trade with Sahelian and forest states. Its capital city, Ilé-Ife, was one of the largest urban centers in 14th century West Africa.
- ^ Kalilu, Razaq Olatunde Rom (1997). "BEARDED FIGURE WITH LEATHER SANDALS: ISLAM, HISTORICAL COGNITION, AND THE VISUAL ARTS OF THE YORÙBÁ". Africa: Rivista Trimestrale di Studi e Documentazione dell'Istituto Italiano per l'Africa e l'Oriente. 52 (4): 579–591. JSTOR 40761227. Archived from the original on 2021-12-05.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Akinwumiwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Akintoye, Stephen Adebanji (2010). A History of the Yoruba People. Amalion Publishing. ISBN 978-2359260052.