This article is about the 19th-century West African king. For the VoIP provider, see Jajah.
King Jaja of Opobo (full name: Jubo Jubogha; 1821–1891) was the first king (amanyanabo) of Opobo. He was also the founder of Opobo city-state in present day Rivers State of Nigeria. Born in Umuduruoha Amaigbo in present-day Imo State, his actual birth date, as well as his birth parents, is unknown. At an indeterminate date, Jaja was kidnapped and sold into slavery. He was then brought to Ijawland thereafter.
As was customary amongst the Ijaw, Jaja earned his way out of slavery after serving his master for a number of years. At the death of his master, he took charge of the trade and went on to head the Anna Pepple House merchant faction of Bonny. Under him, Anna Pepple absorbed other trade houses until a war with the Manilla Pepple House led by Oko Jumbo compelled Jaja to break away to form the Opobo city-state (26 miles east of Bonny) in 1869.[1]
Opobo came to be a prominent trading post in the region's palm oil trade. Jaja barred entry to European and African middlemen, effectively monopolizing trade, and by 1870 was selling eight thousand tons of palm oil directly to the British. Opobo also shipped palm oil directly to Liverpool. Despite his trade rivalry with the Europeans, Jaja sent his children to schools in Glasgow and enlisted whites to staff the secular school he built in Opobo. He barred any missionaries from entering Opobo.[2]
At the 1884 Berlin Conference the Europeans designated Opobo as British territory. When Jaja refused to cease taxing the British traders, Henry Hamilton Johnston, a British vice consul, invited Jaja for negotiations in 1887. Jaja was arrested on arrival aboard a British vessel; he was tried in Accra in the Gold Coast (now Ghana) then exiled, first to London, and later to Saint Vincent and Barbados in the British West Indies.[3][4] His presence in the West Indies was alleged to be the cause of civil unrest, as the people of Barbados, of African descent, were upset at the poor treatment of a King from their homeland.[5]
In 1891, Jaja was granted permission to return to Opobo, but died en route.[6] Following his exile and death, the power of the Opobo state rapidly declined.[7] In 1903 the King Jaja of Opobo Memorial was erected in his honor in Opobo town centre.
^"Jaja of Opobo: The Slave Boy Who Became King". The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News. 2019-08-25. Retrieved 2022-08-29.
Sources
Adebowale, Oludamola (25 August 2019). "Jaja of Opobo: The Slave Boy Who Became King". The Guardian (Nigeria). Retrieved 2022-04-22.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
Cookey, S. J. S. (2005) [1974]. King Jaja of the Niger Delta: His Life and Times 1821–1891. UGR Publishing. ISBN978-0-9549138-0-9. Retrieved 2010-10-14.
"Ja Ja of Opobo". Encyclopedia of World Biography. Vol. 8 (2nd ed.). Detroit, MI: Gale Research. 1998. pp. 201–204. ISBN978-0-7876-2548-1.
Ofonagoro, Walter I. (1978). "Notes on the Ancestry of Mbanaso Okwaraozurumba otherwise known as King Jaja of Opobo, 1821-1891". Journal of the Historical Society of Nigeria. 9 (3): 145–156. JSTOR 41854916.
Zuckerman, Jocelyn C. (2021). Planet Palm: How Palm Oil Ended Up in Everything - and Endangered the World. The New Press. ISBN978-1-62097-523-7.
External links
at Black History Pages
at Igbani-Awo Association
"King Ja Ja of Opobo Dead". The New York Times (Obituary). 9 August 1891. p. 6. from the original on 2021-09-14. Retrieved 2021-09-14.
(PDF). The New York Times (Obituary). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-14 – via Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta.
jaja, opobo, this, article, about, 19th, century, west, african, king, voip, provider, jajah, king, full, name, jubo, jubogha, 1821, 1891, first, king, amanyanabo, opobo, also, founder, opobo, city, state, present, rivers, state, nigeria, born, umuduruoha, ama. This article is about the 19th century West African king For the VoIP provider see Jajah King Jaja of Opobo full name Jubo Jubogha 1821 1891 was the first king amanyanabo of Opobo He was also the founder of Opobo city state in present day Rivers State of Nigeria Born in Umuduruoha Amaigbo in present day Imo State his actual birth date as well as his birth parents is unknown At an indeterminate date Jaja was kidnapped and sold into slavery He was then brought to Ijawland thereafter King Jaja of OpoboAmanyanaboKing Jaja of Opobo OpoboReign25 December 1870 September 1887Coronation25 December 1870PredecessorIbaniSuccessorUbaniBornc 1821AmaigboDiedc 1891BurialOpoboNamesJubo Jubogha Jaja HouseIbaniDynastyJajaAs was customary amongst the Ijaw Jaja earned his way out of slavery after serving his master for a number of years At the death of his master he took charge of the trade and went on to head the Anna Pepple House merchant faction of Bonny Under him Anna Pepple absorbed other trade houses until a war with the Manilla Pepple House led by Oko Jumbo compelled Jaja to break away to form the Opobo city state 26 miles east of Bonny in 1869 1 Opobo came to be a prominent trading post in the region s palm oil trade Jaja barred entry to European and African middlemen effectively monopolizing trade and by 1870 was selling eight thousand tons of palm oil directly to the British Opobo also shipped palm oil directly to Liverpool Despite his trade rivalry with the Europeans Jaja sent his children to schools in Glasgow and enlisted whites to staff the secular school he built in Opobo He barred any missionaries from entering Opobo 2 At the 1884 Berlin Conference the Europeans designated Opobo as British territory When Jaja refused to cease taxing the British traders Henry Hamilton Johnston a British vice consul invited Jaja for negotiations in 1887 Jaja was arrested on arrival aboard a British vessel he was tried in Accra in the Gold Coast now Ghana then exiled first to London and later to Saint Vincent and Barbados in the British West Indies 3 4 His presence in the West Indies was alleged to be the cause of civil unrest as the people of Barbados of African descent were upset at the poor treatment of a King from their homeland 5 In 1891 Jaja was granted permission to return to Opobo but died en route 6 Following his exile and death the power of the Opobo state rapidly declined 7 In 1903 the King Jaja of Opobo Memorial was erected in his honor in Opobo town centre Contents 1 See also 2 References 2 1 Notes 2 2 Sources 3 External linksSee also EditLegends of AfricaReferences EditNotes Edit Jaja of Opobo The Slave Boy Who Became King The Guardian Nigeria News Nigeria and World News 2019 08 25 Retrieved 2022 08 26 Zuckerman 2021 p 37 King Ja Ja Parliamentary Debates Hansard House of Commons 24 April 1891 col 1322 Cookey 2005 p 159 Adebowale 2019 Encyclopedia of World Biography p 203 Jaja of Opobo The Slave Boy Who Became King The Guardian Nigeria News Nigeria and World News 2019 08 25 Retrieved 2022 08 29 Sources Edit Adebowale Oludamola 25 August 2019 Jaja of Opobo The Slave Boy Who Became King The Guardian Nigeria Retrieved 2022 04 22 a href Template Cite news html title Template Cite news cite news a CS1 maint url status link Cookey S J S 2005 1974 King Jaja of the Niger Delta His Life and Times 1821 1891 UGR Publishing ISBN 978 0 9549138 0 9 Retrieved 2010 10 14 Ja Ja of Opobo Encyclopedia of World Biography Vol 8 2nd ed Detroit MI Gale Research 1998 pp 201 204 ISBN 978 0 7876 2548 1 Ofonagoro Walter I 1978 Notes on the Ancestry of Mbanaso Okwaraozurumba otherwise known as King Jaja of Opobo 1821 1891 Journal of the Historical Society of Nigeria 9 3 145 156 JSTOR 41854916 Zuckerman Jocelyn C 2021 Planet Palm How Palm Oil Ended Up in Everything and Endangered the World The New Press ISBN 978 1 62097 523 7 External links EditKing Jaja of Opobo at Black History Pages History of Opubo Ama Opobo Town at Igbani Awo Association King Ja Ja of Opobo Dead The New York Times Obituary 9 August 1891 p 6 Archived from the original on 2021 09 14 Retrieved 2021 09 14 King Ja Ja of Opobo Dead PDF The New York Times Obituary Archived from the original PDF on 2011 07 14 via Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta King Ja Ja Sing Out Barbados on YouTube a Barbadian folk song referencing the king Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Jaja of Opobo amp oldid 1142484852, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
