| Group: | Ìjèshà |
| Pop: | ~ 738,910 |
| Popplace: | Osun State - 738,910 (2011) Ilesha West: 123,710 Ilesha East: 125,340 Atakumosa East: 89,3100 Aatakumosa West: 89,210, Oriade: 174,210 Obokun: 137,130 • Okemesi (now in Ekiti State) : 56,000 |
| Religions: | ChristianityIslamYoruba religion |
| Related Groups: | Èkìtì, Ifẹ̀, Ọ̀yọ́, Other Yoruba people |
The Ijesha (written as Ìjẹ̀ṣà in Yoruba orthography) are a sub-ethnicity of the Yorubas of West Africa. Ilesha is the largest town and historic cultural capital of the Ijesha people, and is home to a kingdom of the same name, ruled by an Oba locally styled as the Owa Obokun Adimula.The present ruling family of ijesha is the Aromolaran family with the current reigning Owa Obokun being Oba Gabriel Adekunle Aromolaran.
Ijeshaland is located at latitude 8.92°N and Longitude 3.42°E. It lies in a forested region at the heart of the Yoruba country, west of the Effon ridge which separate the Ijeshas from the Ekitis to their east, and at the intersection of roads from Ile-Ife, Oshogbo, Ado Ekiti and Akure. The Ijesa cultural area presently covers six local government councils within Osun state and Okemesi currently the headquarter of Okemesi/Ido-ile LCDA in Ekiti State of Nigeria.
The Ijesha territory is adjoined by the Ekiti on the east, the Igbomina to the north, the Ife to the south, and the Oyo and Ibolo to the west.
The nationally famous Olumirin waterfalls, more popularly known as Erin-Ijesha Waterfalls is located in Ijeshaland.
Ijeshaland is rich in Gold and has the largest deposit in Nigeria.
The word Ìjèsà comes from eating with the god (Orisha). The people were devoted Orisha worshippers and are always celebrating one festival or another eating and celebrating hence those who eat Orisha's food . The Ijesha may have lost some territory to their neighbours during various conflicts and wars of the nineteenth and preceding centuries. The people of Oke-Ako, Irele, Omuo-Oke are said to speak a dialect similar to Ijesha.[1]
The city state of Ilesa (Ile ti a sa, which means "a homeland we chose") is the traditional headquarters of Ijesaland. It was founded in c.1250 by Owaluse, a grandson of Ajibogun Ajaka Owa Obokun Onida Arara, one of the most accomplished great-grandsons of Oduduwa, the royal progenitor of the Yoruba race of South-Western Nigeria, Benin Republic and Togo. His father became mysteriously blind and Ifa concluded that he has to wash his eyes with sea water to be able to see again. Owa volunteered and got the water from the sea hence the name Owa-Obokun . [2] The city was described by Rev. William Howard Clark in 1854 as:
For its cleanliness, regularity in breadth and width, and the straightness of its streets, the ancient city of Ilesa far surpasses any native town I have seen in black Africa.[3]
The Ijesha royals all claim descent from Oba Oduduwa by way of Ajibogun. In addition to serving as rulers of Ijeshaland, the dynasty has also contributed to the development of other powerful kingdoms in Yorubaland. The ruling houses of the Akure Kingdom, for example, claim descent from the Owas by way of Princess Owawejokun, a daughter of Owa Atakunmosa.
The rulers of the Kingdom have been:
| - | ||
| Owa Owaka Okile | ||
| Owa Obarabara Olokun Eshin | ||
| Owa Owari | 1466 - 1522 | |
| 1522 - 1526 | ||
| Owa Atakunmosa | 1526 - 1546 | |
| Yeyelagagba | 1588 - 1590 | |
| Yeyegunrogbo | 1588 - 1590 | |
| Owa Biladu I | 1652 - 1653 | |
| Owa Biladu II | 1653 - 1681 | |
| Yeyewaji | 1681 - | |
| Owa Bilaro | 1681 - 1690 | |
| Owa Bilayiarere | 1691 - 1692 | |
| Owa Bilagbayo | 1713 - 1733 | |
| Yeyeori | 1734 - 1749 | |
| Ori Abejoye | 17.. - ... | |
| Owa Bilajagodo "Arijelesin" | ... - ... | |
| Owa Bilatutu "Otutu bi Osin" | 1772 - 1776 | |
| Owa Bilasa "Asa abodofunfun" | 1776 - 1788 | |
| Owa Akesan | 1788 - 1795 | |
| Owa Bilajara | 1... - 1807 | |
| Ogbagba | 1807–1813 | |
| Obara "Bilajila" | 1813–1828 | |
| Owa Odundun | 1828–1833 | |
| Gbegbaaje | 1833–1839 | |
| Ariyasunle (1st time) -Regent | 1839 | |
| Owa Ofokutu | 1839–1853 | |
| Ariyasunle (2nd time) -Regent | 1853 | |
| Owa Aponlose | 1858 –1867 | |
| Owa Alobe | 1867–1868 | |
| Owa Agunlejika I | 1868 - 1869 | |
| Vacant | 4 Jun 1870 - 1871 | |
| Owa Oweweniye (1st time) | 1871–1873 | |
| Vacant | 1873 | |
| Oweweniye (2nd time) | 1873–1875 | |
| Owa Adimula Agunloye-bi-Oyinbo "Bepolonun" | 1875 - 1893 | |
| Mar 1893 - Nov 1894 | ||
| Vacant | Nov 1894 - Apr 1896 | |
| Apr 1896 - Sep 1901 | ||
| Owa Ataiyero [Atayero] | 1901–1920 | |
| Owa Oduyomade Aromolaran I | June 1920– July 31, 1942 | |
| Ajimoko "Haastrup" - Regent | 1942 - 10 Sep 1942 | |
| Ajimoko II "Fidipote" | 10 Sep 1942 - 18 Oct 1956 | |
| J. E. Awodiya - Regent | 18 Oct 1956 - 1957 | |
| Owa Biladu III "Fiwajoye" | 1957 - Jul 1963 | |
| .Ogunmokun... - Regent | Jul 1963 - 1966 | |
| Owa Peter Adeniran Olatunji Agunlejika II | 1966–1981 | |
| February 20, 1982–present |