200yrs history: Behold the five Mogajis of Soun Ruling Dynasty and their origins!

200yrs history: Behold the five Mogajis of Soun Ruling Dynasty and their origins!

Femi OGUNLANA

The installation of Mogaji (family head) of Bolanta Ruling House of Soun Dynasty of Ogbomoso, Mogaji Samuel Oyedeji Oyebamiji, on Friday (April 18) by the Soun of Ogbomosoland His Imperial Majesty Oba Ghandi Afolabi Olaoye Orumogege III, has opened a new chapter in the annals of the dynasty nay of Ogbomoso.

The ceremony further ensured the Soun tradition remains unbroken, from generation to generation, from era to era. The Soun Dynasty founded by the Invincible Soun Ogundiran Ogunlola in the 1600s has reigned gloriously in Ogbomoso for about 400 years and it continues to get stronger. The wars of the nineteenth century especially that ravaged Yoruba country and the whole of what became Nigeria and beyond led to the destruction of many empires, kingdoms and towns but the Ogunlola enclave remained unmovable, its unconquerable armies in all generations stood like the proverbial Rock of Gibraltar, repelling numerous onslaughts, and saving a lot of other communities from being laid desolate. Only few kingdoms still occupy their original homesteads or palaces as of old in contemporary times; many had been moved due to the vicissitudes of the times. But proudly, that is never the lot of Ogbomoso and it is to the credit of the Souns and the House of Soun generally, who led with sagacity and strength and unequalled ability and capacity to identify men of military prowess and other talents and how to put them and mould them into indomitable forces and co-community builders.

The installation of a new Mogaji today thus served as a renewal of the covenant, a trajectory that has persisted and persevered. The Soun throne has always cleansed itself of all “nettlesome gadflies;” unity of purpose, elevation of common good over parochial interest, strict maintenance of Soun sacred bone (pureline) and personification of wisdom have continued to give them the edge and put them in the ascendancy.

Who are the ancestors of Soun-designate, Crown Prince Afolabi Ghandi Olaoye?

The dynasty has five government-recognised ruling houses today though there are other royal lineages that make.up the dynasty. These five recognised ruling houses are Aburumaku, Gbagun, Laoye, Bolanta and Odunaro. The five assume the throne in turn and in that order.

ORIGINS OF THE RULING HOUSES

Kumoyede Ajao Erinsababa, is the progenitor of the present ruling houses. Five of his sons, Toyeje Alebiosu (1808;- 1826, and who rose to the position of Aare Ona Kakanfo), Aremu Oluwusi (1826 – 1836), Bayewuwon Kelebe – nija (1936 – 1845),, Idowu Bolanta (1844 – 1846) and Odunaro Apaebu (1846 – 1864) reigned as Baale of Ogbomoso in turn. They were of different mothers but all were his sons. Kumoye’s own father was Jogioro who also reigned as Baale of Ogbomoso and descended from Soun Ogunlola.

After the five sons of Kumoyede ruled, ending the cycle with Odunaro.(the youngest), Toyeje’s son, Ojo Aburumaku, took the stool after, inadvertently.beginning another cycle. Following Aburumaku’s demise, Oluwusi’s son, Gbagun Ondugbe Ajagungbade l ascended to the stool. After Gbagun, Kelebe’s son, Olaoye Orumogege l came on the throne, and then Bolanta’s son, Ajibola Elepoaran succeeded.to the stool. Odunaro’s son, Adegoke Atanda Olayode came after. That completed the second cycle. During the span of the second cycle, the head of the kingmakers, Areago Akinfenwa then, according to history, mooted the idea of adopting the five lineages as ruling houses and in that rotational order, this proposal was accepted and adopted. During the colonial era it further received the imprimatur of government and got inserted in the Soun Chieftaincy Declaration.

The cycle has continued in that order. The present Soun, Oba Ghandi Afolabi Olaoye is from the Bayewuwon Kelebe lineage.

From the above we can incontrovertibly deduce the origins of the five ruling houses of the dynasty. This rotational order has now stretched for about 200 years.

Thus today, we have Aburumaku (Toyeje), Gbagun (Oluwusi), Laoye (Bayewuwon), Bolanta and Odunaro ruling houses.

The present Mogajis are: