Jayin 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

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-speaking s ...

. Jayin was the son of Oba

Kanran Kanran, or Karan, was an Alaafin of the Oyo Empire. He succeeded Oba Odarawu. He was considered a fierce and tempestuous leader, and is said to have subjected his subjects to severe punishments. He inspired the Oyo proverb, 'O nika ninu ju Karan ...

. Like his father, Jayin was reportedly an unpopular ruler. He was considered to be an

effeminate Effeminacy is the embodiment of traits and/or expressions in those who are not of the female sex (e.g. boys and men) that are often associated with what is generally perceived to be feminine behaviours, mannerisms, styles, or gender roles, rath ...

and dissolute prince prior to his accession to the

throne A throne is the seat of state of a potentate or dignitary, especially the seat occupied by a sovereign on state occasions; or the seat occupied by a pope or bishop on ceremonial occasions. "Throne" in an abstract sense can also refer to the mona ...

. As king of Oyo, his

Harem Harem ( Persian: حرمسرا ''haramsarā'', ar, حَرِيمٌ ''ḥarīm'', "a sacred inviolable place; harem; female members of the family") refers to domestic spaces that are reserved for the women of the house in a Muslim family. A har ...

was usually filled with varied sort of characters. However, it was his son who carried the hopes and aspirations of the people during his reign, in the process triggering jealousy from the King. Jayin allegedly poisoned his son, Prince Olusi. Olusi was kind and generous, but his stay in the palace was short-lived. Some accounts state that he was raised in his father's house and one day succumbed to a tryst with one of his father's

wives A wife ( : wives) is a female in a marital relationship. A woman who has separated from her partner continues to be a wife until the marriage is legally dissolved with a divorce judgement. On the death of her partner, a wife is referred to as ...

. The

prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. T ...

was caught and inevitably had an audience with Jayin, who could not control his jealousy and poisoned the prince. Olusi's death was a tragic event in Oyo and shattered the hopes of many citizens. The chiefs began to suspect foul play and vowed to find the cause of death. During Olusi's funeral, the King was asked to abdicate the throne, preferably committing suicide. According to legend, he committed suicide upon hearing

Egungun Egungun, (''egúngún'' with Yorùbá language tone marks) in the broadest sense is any Yoruba masquerade or masked, costumed figure. More specifically, it is a Yoruba masquerade for ancestor reverence, or the ancestors themselves as a collectiv ...

chanters approach his palace, knowing that Olusi's murder would be the subject of their songs. The throne then passed to Olusi's young son, Ayibi. It was during Jayin's reign the title of

Awujale Awujale is the royal title of the king of the Ijebu Kingdom. The holder is addressed as the Awujale of Ijebuland. The present Awujale is Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona Ogbagba II. He is from the House of Anikinaiya. By the declaration made under secti ...

of Ijebu was created.

References

*Samuel Johnson, ''Obadiah Johnson. The History of the Yorubas: From the Earliest of Times to the Beginning of the British Protectorate.'' p 171. Alaafins of Oyo {{Alaafins of Oyo