Jayin was a unpopular Aáàfin of the

Oyo Empire The Oyo Empire was a Yoruba people, Yoruba empire in West Africa. It was located in present-day western Nigeria (including the South West (Nigeria), South West zone, Benin Republic, and the western half of the North Central (Nigeria), North Cent ...

, who was ordered to commit suicide by the

Oyo Mesi The Oyo Mesi is the privy council of Oyo, Oyo State, Oyo, a Yoruba people, Yoruba List of Nigerian traditional states, traditional state in Southwestern Nigeria. It dates to the medieval period, when it served as the government of a powerful pre- ...

after having killed his own son. Jayin was the son of Oba Kanran. Like his father, Jayin was reportedly an unpopular ruler. He was considered to be an

effeminate Effeminacy or male femininity is the embodiment of feminine traits in boys or men, particularly those considered untypical of men or masculinity. These traits include roles, stereotypes, behaviors, and appearances that are socially associated wi ...

and dissolute prince prior to his accession to the

throne A throne is the seat of state of a potentate or dignitary, especially the seat occupied by a sovereign (or viceroy A viceroy () is an official who reigns over a polity in the name of and as the representative of the monarch of the territory ...

. As king of Oyo, his

Harem A harem is a domestic space that is reserved for the women of the house in a Muslim family. A harem may house a man's wife or wives, their pre-pubescent male children, unmarried daughters, female domestic Domestic worker, servants, and other un ...

was usually filled with varied sort of characters. However, it was his son who carried the hopes and aspirations of the people during his reign, in the process triggering jealousy from the King. Jayin allegedly poisoned his son, Prince Olusi. Olusi was kind and generous, but his stay in the palace was short-lived. Some accounts state that he was raised in his father's house and one day succumbed to a tryst with one of his father's

wives A wife (: wives) is a woman in a marital relationship. A woman who has separated from her partner continues to be a wife until their marriage is legally dissolved with a divorce judgment; or until death, depending on the kind of marriage. On th ...

. The

prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...

was caught and inevitably had an audience with Jayin, who could not control his jealousy and poisoned the prince. Olusi's death was a tragic event in Oyo and shattered the hopes of many citizens. The chiefs began to suspect foul play and vowed to find the cause of death. During Olusi's

funeral A funeral is a ceremony connected with the final disposition of a corpse, such as a burial or cremation, with the attendant observances. Funerary customs comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember and respect th ...

, the King was asked to abdicate the throne, preferably committing

suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Risk factors for suicide include mental disorders, physical disorders, and substance abuse. Some suicides are impulsive acts driven by stress (such as from financial or ac ...

. According to legend, he committed suicide upon hearing

Egungun Egungun, Yoruba language: Egúngún, also known as Ará Ọ̀run (The collective dead) in the broadest sense is any Yoruba masquerade or masked, costumed figure. More specifically, it is a Yoruba masquerade for ancestor reverence, or the ances ...

chanters approach his palace, knowing that Olusi's murder would be the subject of their songs. The throne then passed to Olusi's young son, Ayibi. It was during Jayin's reign the title of

Awujale Awujale is the royal title of the monarch of the Ijebu Kingdom. The holder is addressed as the Awujale of Ijebuland. The present Awujale is Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona Ogbagba II. He is from the House of Anikinaiya. By the declaration made under se ...

of Ijebu was created.

References

*Samuel Johnson, ''Obadiah Johnson. The History of the Yorubas: From the Earliest of Times to the Beginning of the British Protectorate.'' p 171. Alaafins of Oyo {{Alaafins of Oyo