The Oyo Empire was a Yoruba state in what is now western Nigeria and Benin, and became the largest Yoruba-speaking state; it was among the most powerful states of West Africa from the late 16th to the early 18th century, with the kingdom of Dahomey under its sway (Wikipedia).
- Type
- Empire
- Founded
- by the late 16th century (Wikipedia)
- Ended
- Oyo-Ile destroyed by Ilorin in 1835; the capital moved south (Wikipedia)
- Still exists
- No
The Oyo Empire was a Yoruba state in what is now western Nigeria and Benin, and became the largest Yoruba-speaking state; it was among the most powerful states of West Africa from the late 16th to the early 18th century, with the kingdom of Dahomey under its sway (Wikipedia). Tradition names Oranmiyan, a prince of Ile-Ife, as its founder and first Alaafin. Its strength rested on trade and cavalry, and its capital was Oyo-Ile, or Old Oyo. From 1793 the war camp of Ilorin broke away, and in 1835 Ilorin destroyed Oyo-Ile; the capital moved south to Ago d'Oyo, the present Oyo, under Alaafin Atiba, but the empire never regained its prominence (Wikipedia).
- Oyo-Ile
How evidence is graded
- Verified: Supported by an official source, or by two or more independent sources that agree.
- Well documented: Supported by credible sources, but not yet independently confirmed.
- Reported: Found in a credible source; further corroboration is welcome.
- Needs corroboration: The evidence is thin or incomplete; more sources are being sought.
- Disputed: Credible sources or community accounts disagree; the differing accounts are noted.
- Uncertain: There is not yet enough information to classify this responsibly.
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Archive ID: POL-OYO-EMPIRE · Last updated 2 October 2026.
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