List of rulers of Nri

The following is a list of rulers of Nri. The title of the ruler of Nri is "eze Nri". The eze held religious and political authority over the Kingdom of Nri in a fashion comparable with that of the pope. The Nri culture is believed to stretch back to around the 10th century, however, its recorded kings goes back to the early 13th century. The power of the eze Nri and the kingdom as a whole ended in 1911 with the last independent monarch being forced to submit to British rule at gunpoint. Nevertheless, the title of eze Nri has survived into the 21st century.

election

The eze Nri was chosen by the Nze and Nzemabua (state leadership) and had to be recognized by the general public. Prior to being crowned, he could not have a living father. The potential eze Nri also had to prove he was the choice of God ("Chukwu"), Eri (founder of Nri), the ancestors ("ndiichie") and spirits ("alusi") through revelations and visions confirmed by diviners. After this, he had to travel to Aguleri to obtain a lump of clay from the bottom of the Anambra River used to make the ritual pot ("odudu") for the shrine to Nri Menri. [Uzukwu, page 98] After various other rituals such as causing the magical ripening of a fruit palm and undergoing a ritual burial and reviving, the eze Nri was proclaimed and saluted as "igwe" (meaning "heavenly one"). [Uzukwu, page 99]

Reigns

It is difficult to trace the exact dates for an individual eze Nri, because there was an interrugnum after each one's death. During this time, the priests of the eze Nri waited for someone to manifest the signs indicating they were the next priest-king. [Isichei, page 246]

List of recorded Eze Nri

Eze Nri Ìfikuánim
1043-1189http://www.nrikingdom.com/default.asp?id=ndiezenri&mnu=hmnu Eze Nri Enweleana - History of Nri] || || || ||
-
Eze Nri Nàmóke
1090-1158 |||| Diodo |||
-
Eze Nri Buífè
1159-1259 |||| Obeagụ Unified Ọfọ N’alọ Agukwu and Diodo |||
-
Eze Nri Ọmalọ
1260–1299 |||| Uruọji |||
-
Eze Nri Jiọfọ I
1300-1390 |||| Uruọji |||
-
Eze Nri Ọmalonyeso
1391-1464 |||| Obeagu |||
-
Eze Nri Anyamata
1465-1511 |||| Uruọji |||
-
Eze Nri Fenenu
1512-1582 |||| Agbadana |||
-
Eze Nri Agụ
1583-1676 |||| Obeagu |||
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Eze Nri Apia and Nri–Alike
1677-1700 |||| Both from Uruọji |||| Both died the same day
-
Eze Nri Ezimilo
1701-1723 |||| Agbadana |||| Assasinated [Murder at Montpelier By Douglas B. Chambers notes p.253]
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Eze Nri Èwenétem
1724-1794 |||| Agbadana |||
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Eze Nri Ènweleána I
1795-1886 |||||||
-
Eze Nri Òbalíke
1889-1936 || |||||

Post decline

Eze Nri Jiọfọ II Taabansi Udene
1937-1987 |||| Agbadana |||
-
Eze Nri Ènweleána II Obidiegwu Onyeso (MFR)
1988-current || || Obeagu |||

ee also

* Kingdom of Nri
* Eze
*Igbo-Ukwu

Footnotes

ources

*cite book |author=Chambers, Douglas |title=Murder At Montpelier: Igbo Africans In Virginia |publisher=University Press of Mississippi |location=Jackson |year=2005 |pages=325 pages |isbn=1-57806-706-5
*cite book |author=Isichei, Elizabeth Allo |title=A History of African Societies to 1870 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |location=Cambridge, UK |year=1997 |pages=588 pages |isbn=0-521-45599-5
*cite book |author=Uzukwu, E. Elochukwu |title=Worship as Body Language: Introduction to Christian Worship: An African Orientation |publisher=Liturgial Press |location=Collegeville |year=1997 |pages=384 Pages |isbn=0-81466-151-3