The Female King of Colonial Nigeria: Ahebi Ugbabe

323 Pages·2012·6.64 MB·English

by  Nwando Achebe

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e nwAndo Achebe
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Biography  |  africa
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An Igbo woman becomes king at a time of h
extraordinary change in Africa e

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“This important, but neglected, story of Nigeria’s only female warrant chief m
is thoroughly grounded in local meanings and local categories, yet speaks
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to some of the most important concerns in comparative women’s history:
from slavery and freedom, to sexuality, power, and spirituality.” l
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—JeaN allmaN,

Washington University of St. louis k
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“an unusual biography and a compelling tale about
the life of an extraordinary woman.” g
—STephaN F. mieSCher, o
University of California, Santa Barbara
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Nwando achebe presents the fascinating history of an igbo woman, ahebi Ugbabe, who
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became king in colonial Nigeria. Ugbabe was exiled from igboland, became a prostitute,
traveled widely, and learned to speak many languages. She became a close companion of l
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Nigerian igala kings and the British officers who supported her claim to the office of head-
man, warrant chief, and, later, king. in this unique biography, achebe traces the roots of n
Ugbabe’s rise to fame and fortune. While providing critical perspectives on women, gender, i
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sex and sexuality, and the colonial encounter, she also considers how it was possible for
this woman to take on the office and responsibilities of a traditionally male role. l

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NWaNdo aCheBe is professor of history at michigan State University. She is author of
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Farmers, Traders, Warriors, and Kings: Female Power and Authority in Northern Igboland, g
1900–1960. e the female king
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a of colonial nigeria

C Ahebi UgbAbe D
INDIANA
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University Press D
Cover illustration by I
Bloomington & Indianapolis A
Jane Nwakoby N
iupress.indiana.edu A
1-800-842-6796
The Female King oF Colonial nigeria

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The Female King
oF Colonial nigeria

C Ahebi UgbAbe D

Nwando Achebe
Indiana University Press
Bloomington and Indianapolis
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This book is a publication of
Indiana University Press
601 North Morton Street
Bloomington, Indiana 47404-3797 USA
www.iupress.indiana.edu
Telephone orders 800-842-6796
Fax orders 812-855-7931
Orders by e-mail [email protected]
© 2011 by Nwando Achebe
All rights reserved
No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, elec-
tronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information
storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. The
Association of American University Presses’ Resolution on Permissions constitutes the
only exception to this prohibition.
• The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of the American
National Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence of Paper for Printed Library
Materials, ANSI Z39.48-1992.
Manufactured in the United States of America
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Achebe, Nwando, [date]–
The female king of colonial Nigeria : Ahebi Ugbabe / Nwando Achebe.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-253-35538-6 (cloth : alk. paper) — ISBN 978-0-253-22248-0 (pbk. :
alk. paper) 1. Ugbabe, Ahebi. 2. Women, Igbo—Biography. 3. Sex role—
Nigeria. 4. Igbo (African people)—Kings and rulers—Biography. 5. Nigeria—
Kings and rulers—Biography. 6. Nigeria—History—1851–1899. 7. Nigeria—
History—1900–1960. I. Title.
DT515.77.U43A65 2010
966.9'403092—dc22
[B]
2010022842
1 2 3 4 5 16 15 14 13 12 11

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In memory of Professor A. E. Afigbo
and for
My friend and guide, Mr. Erobike Eze

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The tortoise on setting out for a long journey
said to his people: if usual things happen, do
not send for me; if the unheard of happens,
call me.
—Igbo proverb

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Contents
Ekene / Acknowledgments ix
Nkwado / The Preparation:
All Trees Grow in the Forest, but the Ora Singled Itself Out 1
Nkowa / The Introduction:
Unspoken, Blame the Mouth; Unheard, Blame the Ear 19
one
Oge Nwatakili: The Time of Childhood, ca. 1880–1895 37
two
Mgbapu Ahebi: Exile in Igalaland, ca. 1895–1916 62
three
Performing Masculinities:
Homecoming—and She Becomes a Man, ca. 1916–1930 97
four
Inside King Ahebi’s Palace, ca. 1916–1948 136
five
Mastering Masculinities:
Ekpe Ahebi Masquerade—the Final Insult, ca. 1931–1948 172
Mmechi / The Conclusion:
Ahebi Today—the Works That We Do Are the Things
by Which We Are Remembered 199
Appendix: Select Criminal and Civil Cases in Nsukka
Division, in which Ahebi Participated 1918–1930 209
Glossary of Chronological Terms 219
Glossary of Igbo and Igala Words 221
Notes 225
Bibliography 277
Index 297

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EkEnE / ACknowledgments
The Igbo have a saying that coming and going keeps the road from
getting cold. Like that insightful proverb, my journey into research-
ing and writing King Ahebi’s world has required several comings and
goings to navigate and complete. I owe a debt of gratitude to my family,
friends, and colleagues who have all in one way or the other supported
and nurtured my journey. I am particularly grateful to the late Professor
Boniface Obichere, under whose guidance I first discovered Ahebi. I
have also benefited from the unflagging encouragement and unwavering
support of the late Professor A. E. Afigbo, to whose Nigerian residence
I first pilgrimaged in the summer of 1995 and subsequently every sum-
mer starting in 2006—all in an attempt to learn from a true master and
live up to that perceptive Igbo adage that proclaims that a child who
stays near an adult does not chew pepper but rather chews kola nut.
Professor Afigbo, thank you so very much for your intellectual support
of me. I will forever treasure our conversations and your kind words and
e-mail communications.1 This book is dedicated to you. This book is
as much for my friend and guide, Mr. Erobike Eze, who twice dropped
everything to accompany me into the research field, and without whose
assistance and support this study could never have been completed. Mr.
Eze, words are not enough to thank you for your commitment to this
project. This book is also dedicated to you.
Funding for my research came from several sources and funding agen-
cies. I thrice received the Sesquicentennial Research Fund for Historical
Research and Publication of the history department at Michigan State
University (MSU). Collection of source materials was further facilitated by
MSU’s Special Foreign Travel Fund and the Summer Research Fellowship
of MSU’s International Studies and Programs. I also received MSU’s
Intramural Research Grant Program award, which bought me a semester
with no teaching, and the Wenner-Gren Postgraduate Fellowship, which
allowed me to dedicate an entire academic year to writing. Without this
support, I would never have been able to put Ahebi’s story into writing.
Likewise, this study could not have been completed without the support
of Mark Kornbluh, the former chair of the history department, who
approved the financial support from my department and accommodated
my request for time away from teaching when I received external awards.
Special mention must also go to my present acting chair, Keely Stauter-
Halsted, who has seen to the continued support of my project by provid-
ing funds for an indexer.
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