Orompoto (also spelled Oronpoto) was an

Alaafin Alaafin, or ''The Owner of the Palace'' in the Yoruba language, is the title of the emperor of the medieval Oyo empire and present-day Oyo town of West Africa. He ruled the old Oyo Empire which extended from the present day Benin republic to Ni ...

of the Yoruba

Oyo Empire The Oyo Empire was a powerful Yoruba empire of West Africa made up of parts of present-day eastern Benin and western Nigeria (including Southwest zone and the western half of Northcentral zone). It grew to become the largest Yoruba language, ...

. The empire of which she ruled is located in what is modern day western and north-central Nigeria.

History

Orompoto was the sister of her predecessor,

Eguguojo Eguguojo (also known as Egunoju) was the Alaafin of Oyo during the sixteenth century. It was during his reign that the capital city was moved from Oyo ile to Oyo Igboho (New Oyo), after a protracted battle with the Nupes and also as a result of in ...

. She became the first woman to become "king" of the Oyo in the imperial era, and the first woman since the pre-imperial ruler Yeyeori. Orompoto assumed the throne because there was no male successor within her family at the time. She helped drive the

Nupe Nupe may refer to: *Nupe people, of Nigeria *Nupe language, their language *The Bida Emirate, also known as the Nupe Kingdom, their former state *A member of the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity in the United States *National Union of Public Employees (Ne ...

from Oyo in 1555. Orompoto lived in the 16th century. Orompto was the second Oyo monarch to reign in the new capital of

Igboho Oyo Igboho is a large town in Oyo State, Nigeria. It is the headquarters of the Orelope Local Government Area. It has an estimated population of 200,000. The town has a post office and a radio station. History Igboho was founded by Alaafin Eg ...

. Some traditions of the oral record hold that she was miraculously transformed into a man before assuming the throne there. Orompoto used horses extensively in military battles and may have obtained them from

Borgu Borgu is a region in north-west Nigeria and in the northern Republic of Benin. It was partitioned between Great Britain and France by the Anglo-French Convention of 1898. People of Borgu are known as Bariba or Borgawa. History According to the ...

. She was reportedly masterfully skilled on horseback, and created a specialized order of cavalry officers within her army that were subject to the

Eso Ikoyi {{Short description, Aristrocratic attribute in Yoruba culture Eso Ikoyi (also appearing as Esho Ikoyi) is an aristocratic attribute amongst the Yoruba people which denotes an eminent warrior. It has been used as everything from a chieftaincy title ...

. The first of its kind, the cavalry was a force to be reckoned with in the various wars with Oyo's enemies. Considered a skillful

warrior A warrior is a person specializing in combat or warfare, especially within the context of a tribal or clan-based warrior culture society that recognizes a separate warrior aristocracies, class, or caste. History Warriors seem to have been p ...

herself, she is said to have distinguished herself at the Battle of Illayi. While fighting her enemies there, she lost three war chiefs in quick succession, titleholders that are known as ''Gbonkas'' in Oyo. The third of them is believed to have fallen with his face locked in an unnerving grin. The enemies thought that he was still alive and was making a mocking gesture, and were overwhelmed by what they considered to be their inability to best the Oyo gbonkas. They abandoned the battlefield thereafter, and the Oyo later claimed victory. She was succeeded by

Ajiboyede Ajiboyede was a successful but autocratic ''alaafin'' of the Oyo empire during the sixteenth century. He succeeded Orompoto. Events of reign According to Oyo tales, the empire was attacked by the King of Nupe, Lajomo, during Ajiboyede's time in of ...

References

Alaafins of Oyo Women in 16th-century warfare 16th-century Nigerian women Nigerian women's history African women in war 16th-century monarchs in Africa 16th-century women rulers Yoruba queens regnant {{Africa-royal-stub