Elizabeth Isichei was a historian of West Africa, and this academic book, published by Macmillan, is a comprehensive history of the Igbo people of Nigeria from the precolonial period through the colonial era, drawing on oral tradition, archival colonial records and archaeological evidence together. Its strength is exactly that combination of sources, taking Igbo oral historical tradition seriously as evidence alongside written colonial records rather than privileging one over the other. Its limit is its age, published in 1976, so later Igbo historical and archaeological scholarship has continued to develop since, and any claim sensitive to more recent research, particularly on precolonial religious practice, benefits from being checked against more current specialist work.
Facts
Citation
AuthorElizabeth Isichei
PublisherMacmillan
Publication Year1976
Source TypeScholarly work
Assessment
Reliability Tier1
Elizabeth Isichei's general scholarly history of the Igbo people of southeastern Nigeria. NotesGeneral history of the Igbo people of southeastern Nigeria.
Cross-Tradition Connections
Associated With
This source names Africa directly: "Isichei was a historian of West Africa, and this academic book, published by Macmillan, is a comprehensive history of the Igbo people of Nigeria from the precolonial period through the colonial era..."
Claims Backed By This Source (65 claims)
This source backs 65 claims across the atlas. As facts: 40 well-attested, 4 scholarly debate. As cited relationships: 15 holds. Plus 6 entities citing it as a general reference with no single fact or relationship attached.
Disposition By Topic
- Deities, 33 claims: 19 well-attested, 4 scholarly debate, 7 holds, 3 general references.
- Religions, 9 claims: 4 well-attested, 4 holds, 1 general references.
- Articles, 8 claims: 8 well-attested.
- Sources, 8 claims: 7 well-attested, 1 holds.
- Cultures, 5 claims: 2 well-attested, 2 holds, 1 general references.
- Doctrines, 2 claims: 1 holds, 1 general references.
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