The Female King of Colonial Nigeria Ahebi Ugbabe [Paperback]

Nwando Achebe presents the fascinating history of an Igbo woman, Ahebi Ugbabe, who became king in colonial Nigeria. Ugbabe was exiled from Igboland, became a prostitute, traveled widely, and learned to speak many languages. She became a close companion of Nigerian Igala kings and the British officers who supported her claim to the office of headman, warrant chief, and later, king. In this unique biography, Achebe traces the roots of Ugbabe's rise to fame and fortune. While providing critical perspectives on women, gender, sex and sexuality, and the colonial encounter, she also considers how it was possible for this woman to take on the office and responsibilities of a traditionally male role.

The Female King of Colonial Nigeria will be a valuable read for a variety of audiences. Whether one is interested in colonial history, gender history, family history, or womens history, there is much to be found in this biography to enrich and complicate ones understandings.[This is] the story of a woman, Ahebi Ugbabe, who rose from the status of a local girl and commercial sex worker to that of a village headman, a warrant chief and a king....[This book]... salvage[s] the history of a woman who became the only warrant chief in colonial Nigeria...distinguishes between Western concepts of gender and sexuality, and the indigenous meanings of these concepts in an African setting.... [A] well-written, amply researched, and efficiently documented [book]. It is a major contribution to African history and the practice of oral history.March 2013This important, but neglected, story of Nigerias only female warrant chief is thoroughly grounded in local meanings and local categories, yet speaks to some of the most important concerns in comparative womens history: from slavery and freedom, to sexuality, power, and spirituality.[A] fascinating exploration of the fluidity of gender and the nature of political authority. And its a remarkable reconstruction not only of colonial rull_