IGBO POLITICAL INSTITUTION: THE ARO HEGEMONY FROM 1800-1900

ABSTRACT

The Aro hegemony in Igbo land was a complex and multifaceted phenomenon that encompassed their rise to power, their establishment of socio-economic dominance, and their eventual decline in the face of various internal and external factors. The Aro hegemony in Igbo land was a complex and multifaceted phenomenon that encompassed their rise to power, their establishment of socioeconomic dominance, and their eventual decline in the face of various internal and external factors. Three phases can be identified in the charting of Aro people based on the aforementioned data. The Aro hegemony emerged in Igbo country in 1771, marking the start of the first phase. The Aro Confederacy's ascendancy to power was marked by their strategic positioning at the crossroads of trade routes linking the interior regions of Igbo land with coastal trading centers. Their role as intermediaries in the transatlantic slave trade granted them significant economic and political influence. Elizabeth Isichei's work, "A History of the Igbo People,” provides valuable insights into the emergence of the Aro Confederacy as a central player in Igbo land.1 During their zenith, the Aro Confederacy managed to consolidate their power through various means.