Kingdom of Nri
- The Kingdom of Nri (also known as Igbo) was a medieval religio-polity within the Igbo area of Nigeria administered by a priest-king called an Eze Nri. The Eze Nri managed trade and diplomacy on behalf of the Nri people, a subgroup of the Igbo-speaking people, and possessed divine authority in religious matters.
- The kingdom was a haven for all those who had been rejected in their communities and also a place where slaves were set free from their bondage. Nri expanded through converts gaining neighboring communities' allegiance, not by force. Nri's royal founder, Eri, is said to be a 'sky being' that came down to earth and then established civilization.
- One of the better-known remnants of the Nri civilization is manifested in the igbo ukwu artifacts. The Igbo-Ukwu bronzes amazed the world with a very high level of technical and artistic proficiency and sophistication which was distinctly more advanced than contemporary bronze casting in Europe. The bronzes of Igbo-Ukwu pay special attention to detail depicting birds, snails, chameleons, and other natural aspects of the world such as a hatching bird. Other pieces include gourds and vessels which were often given handles. The pieces are so fine that small insects were included on the surfaces of some while others have what looks like bronze wires decorated around them. None of these extra details were made separately; the bronzes were all one piece.
- The Grove Encyclopedia of Materials and Techniques in Art describes them as being "among the most inventive and technically accomplished bronzes ever made." Although the lost wax casting process was used to produce the bronzes, latex was probably used in Igbo-Ukwu instead of beeswax which would explain how the artists were able to produce such fine and filigrann surface detail. Some of the techniques used by the ancient smiths are not known to have been used outside Igbo-Ukwu such as the production of complex objects in stages with the different parts later fixed together by brazing or by casting linking sections to join them.
- The composition of the metal alloys used in the production of the bronze is unique, with an unusually high silver content and is distinct from alloys used in Europe, the Mediterranean or other African bronze centers. The origin of the metal ore used to produce the bronze has been located to old mines in Abakiliki about 100 kilometers from Igbo-Ukwu.
- By the late 16th century, Nri influence extended well beyond the nuclear northern Igbo region to Igbo settlements on the west bank of the Niger and communities affected by the Benin Empire. At its height, the kingdom of Nri had influence in over roughly a fourth of Igboland and beyond.
Kingdom of Nri – the history of Nigeria
The formation of Nri kingdom was back to 9th century by the founder of Nri and Igbo people then became the center of Igbo cultures. After the god-liked founder died, ending of the Eri period, the first king of Nri period, Ìfikuánim, started his reign in 1043. The capital city of Nri was Igbo-Ukwu. Its official language was Igbo. The main religion of Nri was Odinani. Odinani aims to comprehend its world (called “Uwa”) and has gods (called “Chukwu”). It had elective monarchy regimen. Nri had Manillas as a currency. Manillas are armlet created from bronze, copper, or sometime gold.
List of rulers of Nri
The title of the ruler of Nri is eze Nri. He held religious and political authority over the Kingdom of Nri. The Nri culture is believed to stretch back to at least the 13th century, with a traditional foundation by Eri dated 948. The 15th recorded eze Nri, Òbalíke, was deposed by the British administration in favour of the "warrant chief" system, but the title continued to be held; the current eze Nri, Ènweleána II Obidiegwu Onyeso, was instated in 1988.
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