Igbo Rule

Prior to British colonization, with the exception of a few places, Igbo communities did not have kings. Instead, they were highly-egalitarian in nature and were ruled by councils of elders and priests. Most of the monarchies known today as "Igwe", "Eze" and "Obi" were created by the British. Realizing they could not effectively directly govern the Igbo, the British implemented a system of indirect rule that installed Warrant Chiefs as local representatives of the Crown. These Warrant Chiefs were given the ability to collect taxes and enforce laws on behalf of the colonizers and eventually evolved into the kings we see today.

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