Post by Prince Atanda (@princewriter01)

Let me take you to a time when being born royal was not a blessing. It was a death sentence wrapped in gold and honor.

Have you ever fantasized about being a prince in precolonial Nigeria? Let me shatter that dream for you today.

Using the Oyo Empire and Yoruba monarchs as our case study, let me walk you through the tragic reality of being a crown prince.

The day you are born, everything changes. Not for you. For your mother.

Her title rises from Olori (queen) to Iya Aremo (Crown Mother). She becomes the second most powerful woman in the empire, second only to Iya Oba, the king's mother. She now manages all accessories set for every queen in the palace. She has influence that stretches across the empire. She becomes the eyes of the king's mother, who is must to live outside the capital as tradition requires.

But here is the dark truth your mother knows from the moment she holds you.

Once the king dies, his son must die too.

Your mother becomes the personal guard of her husband. She tastes every meal before he eats. She protects him from poison. She protects you from being killed too soon. She carries a weight no mother should ever carry.

As a child, you know nothing but wealth and care. Double guards surround you. Honor is poured on you. But you are also taught to prostrate to elders even though you are a prince.

And then comes the cruelest lesson of all. You are going to die if your father dies.

You start wondering. What kind of life is this? I did not sign up for this.

By age 4, you are taken from your mother. You move to your father's quarter. You eat with him. You listen to court affairs. By age 10, you know every ruling family in the empire. You learn who to trust. Who to fear. Who to avoid. You start building alliances house by house. You never have time to be a child. Not even for one day.

You start seeking loyalty from your siblings. Because if one of them is poisoned against you, your life and your father's life are at risk. Every meal could be your last. Every smile could hide a dagger.

By 15, you are getting married. You marry the most beautiful woman in the empire. But here is what truly sucks. Your children will never be called prince or princess. They will live as peasants or at best, a rich family if you prepare their path. Your royal blood ends with you.

By 18, your mother dies. The second queen to your mother now becomes your mother. She loves you by force. Even if she never truly did. Her job is to make sure you are saved and fattened. Fattened to be slaughtered once the king dies.

By 20, your father sends you away. You are posted as Ajele to one of the provinces in the North where the real enemies are. The second prince is sent with you as your assistant governor. He protects you with his life. Not because he loves you. But because if you die, he becomes the next crown prince. And he knows what that means.

You rule like a king while your father is still alive.

Then at 25, the news arrives. The king is dead.

Now you have 30 days. Thirty days to prepare for your own death.

If you run, your first son who is in the palace will die in your place. And the rest of your descendants will live in shame forever.

In those 30 days, the king's favorite horse is killed. His dog is killed. His horseman commits suicide willingly.

Then the prince follows.

No resistance. No escape. No mercy.

That was the life of a crown prince in precolonial Oyo Empire. Born with everything. Died with nothing but duty.

Being a crown prince was never living your life to the fullest. It was living your life as a sacrifice waiting to happen.

So let me ask you.

Was being a crown prince an honor or a curse?

Would you have accepted this fate or would you have run?

Did you ever fantasize about being a prince in precolonial Nigeria?

Drop your thoughts in the replies. Let us talk.

This is Prince Atanda, and it's "What If?"

Follow me for more untold stories.

What fantasies should we explore next?

#lekeelekee #OyoEmpire #YorubaHistory #CrownPrince #PrecolonialNigeria #History #Royalty #Trending #Unfiltered #AfricanHistory #PrinceAtanda #WhatIf #UntoldStories

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