Pre-colonial Era Research Articles

Jvaranirṇaya: a rare monograph on diagnosis of fevers from the pre-colonial era

In Ayurveda, manuscripts in the form of monographs dealing with only one disease are rare and Jvaranirṇaya is one such rare monograph dealing exclusively with types of jvara (fevers) but currently unavailable. This treatise belongs to sixteenth century CE and is written by Sri Nārāyaṇa Paṇḍita. The out of print monograph is available without any language translation or commentary but is complete, readable, in Devanāgarī script and with 365 verses divided into five sections. The uniqueness of the text is that one can get a comprehensive classification, symptomatology and diagnosis of jvara, all at one place in this text. The context of fever caused due to the vitiation of all the three doṣas (sannipāta jvara) is elaborated in great detail and dealt exclusively as a separate chapter. The description of types of pacifications (upaśaya) is explained with examples. The concept of “prakṛti samā samavētā and vikṛti viṣama samavēta” and bad omen (ariṣṭa lakṣaṇā) related to the symptoms are some of the other interesting aspects of the text. These features of the monograph make it worth exploring further. It needs to be critically studied, translated and made available.

A Philosophical Exposition of Kinship in Igbo African Ontology

Ndigbo have a peculiar way of being as a people. They have a peculiar way of relating among themselves and establishing social affinities; they have their unique idea of relatedness. This peculiar sense of relatedness bound them together as a people despite the absence of a central government in the pre-colonial era. Kinship was cherished and was in some situations elevated to the sacred. It was the sacred bond that established as well as defined social relations among Ndigbo. The Igbo social web of relatedness generally revolved around the father. Patriarchy was ubiquitous in the Igbo society. The mother was important but was not the pivot of kinship relations among Ndigbo. However, Afikpo, Ohafia and Abiriba stand out as notable exceptions due to their matrifocal kinship practices. Although kinship is generally expressed by proximity and consanguinity, Ndigbo have their peculiar ways of interpreting and expressing consanguinity in their cultural milieu. Ndigbo express certain levels of relatedness with people in their proximity but definitely do not ipso facto see such people as kith and kin. Although, Igbo kinship is mostly patrilineal, it certainly does have significant bi-lineal components. This work showcases Igbo kinship system in philosophical formations. It is essentially a philosophical investigation of the Igbo idea and practice of kinship using the analytic method of inquiry. The work will systematically explore the subject matter in logical formation.

Units of Length in 17th – 18th Century Bengal Temples: Context Bishnupur

Shubhankari is an almost-forgotten mathematical treatise of Bengal that was widely used in the pre-colonial era. It consists of verses, called arjyas, which deal with everyday computations like weights and measures, land measurement and so on. The arjyas list various units of length measures, like the angula (finger), muth (fist), hath (hand) and the relation among these units. The same types of units have been found in Monu Mistiri’s handbook on construction of temples, of which only a few pages survive. The author conducted in-depth research and realised that these units of length were used in India since the Harappan times and have been mentioned in ancient treatises of architecture like Arthashastra, Brihatsamhita, Mayamata, Manasara and Bhubanapradipa. These units of length also matched the units used in the ancient world viz. the cubit and the digit. To find out whether the ek-ratna temples of Bishnupur were constructed using these length measures, the author measured ten such temples and collected on-site data. These dimensions were then converted to hath-angula units and matched with the Shubhankari system of measurements. The results showed that there was a very good match, establishing that these units of length were used in the 17th–18th century temples of Bishnupur.

An appraisal of the diplomatic role of benin kingdom in pre-colonial Era

An appraisal of the diplomatic role of benin kingdom in pre-colonial Era

Literature and History: Study of Nigerian Indigenous Historical Novels

The assumption that history posits itself as a fact, while literature is to be taken as an artistic form, only for entertainment (i.e., the difference between truth and falsehood, reality and illusion) has long been debated by formalists and soclologlsts of literature. In Yoruba society, literature and history are im­portant in explaining the fullness of life and the world around us. It is against this background that this paper examines the relationship between literature and history and how Yoruba novelists use their works as vehicles for the repre­sentation of history. We adopt the theory of New Historicism to analyze T.A.A. Ladele's lgbi Aye n yi and Olu Owolabi's Ote Nibo. Some of the findings reveal that: both Yoruba literature and history are closely related, they are both based on Yoruba experience and Yoruba existence either in the past or present; while Ladele Interprets the history of the dignity and royal glamour of the Yoruba oba in the precolonial era as a form of domination which is often achieved through culturally-orchestrated consent rather than force; Owolabi represents the hlstory of party politics in Yoruba society as fraudulent, deceltful, full of bitterness and violence. The paper concludes that both novelists are subjective in their representation of Yoruba history, but they successfully establfsh the fact that the novel is a repository of history; however, such history is not a mere chronlcle of facts and events, but rather a complex description of human reality and a challenge to the preconceived notions of the societies from which they emerged.

Alàgbà Adébáyọ̀ Fálétí as a Yorùbá Novelist

In their introduction to a book entitled: Yorùbá creativity, fiction, language, life, and songs, Falola and Genova (2005) assert that creativity among the ̣ Yorùbá has a long history and the traditions of oral histories, storytelling, performances and dramas are parts of fundamental habit of their civilization. In the pre-colonial era, the authorship of the stories in the folktales and in some poetic genres could not be claimed by any particular artist/artiste, but due to the influence of colonial rule, western literary traditions, among others, storytellers can claim authorship of their works today. The Yorùbá make no distinction between myth, legend and history. They all come under ìtàn (Ogunsina, 1992). One Yorùbá novelist that has distinguished himself in the effective use of ìtàn (story) in novel writing is Adébáyò ̣ Fálétí. He is not only a storyteller, he is a literary historian. Every creative writer in Yorùbá society is admired and judged as competent or otherwise not only by writing in the medium of the language but by having captivating story line and on the basis of his/her use of ‘quality’ Yorùbá language (i.e. language full of proverbs and other rhetoric devices). An average Yorùbá reader of Fálétí’s novels, poetry, plays and viewer of his films usually responds with delight because of his powerful use of Yorùbá language and captivating story lines, plot construct, narrative techniques and thematic contents. Isọ la (1998) classifies all other Yorùbá major novelists apart from Fágúnwà ̣ into three groups on their use of language and creative pedigree (190). According to him, “some are mere story tellers” who use mainly casual language; 154 Lere Adeyemi there are others with mixed styles and there are a few of them who creatively exploit the genius of the language. He identifies Adébáyò ̣ Fálétí among few others as belonging to the genius category. Ogunsina (1992) groups Fálétí as a prominent historical novelist who incorporates historical materials into novel writing. I agree with Ogunsina that Fálétí’s effective transfer of histori ̣ - cal materials into fiction is a revelation of the novel’s eclectic quality and also a manifestation of Fálétí’s creative genius. Fálétí’s love of ìtàn (story) is reflected in all his literary works, be it poetry, play or novel. However, our focus in this study is to examine Adébáyọ̀ ̣ Fálétí as a Yorùbá novelist through his literary lens.

She Put Her Foot In It

She Put Her Foot In It

African Humanities and the Paradox of Western Education in Ghana

The pre-colonial era of Africa was characterized, among other things, by a traditional or informal system of education. Some of the emphases of traditional education were (and still are) Africans’ delight, expression and appropriation of their beliefs, values, precepts and ideals. Despite these laudable emphases, the traditional system of education is characterized by some scholars as lacking a formal or systemized structure of knowledge production. Moreover, the post-colonial debates on the influence of Western education in Africa in general and Ghana, in particular, are conspicuously silent on Western education’s role in gradually altering the economic ideology of Ghana from a mixed and socialist economy to a capitalist mode of production. Using secondary data sources, this paper argues that the traditional system of education was (and still is) somehow structured or systemized almost as the formal or Western education. It also contends that Western education is gradually spearheading a paradigmatic shift in Ghana’s economic system from mixed economy to capitalism. It further maintains that recourse to African humanities would mitigate the unbridled effects of capitalism in Ghana. Keywords: African humanities, Western education, traditional education, economic system.

Purba film as a prototype of Malay film genre: A preliminary exploration

This article attempts to trace the historical development of the period costume dramas known as purba films, a prototyped genre for Malay cinema produced in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur during the ‘studio era’ from the late 1940s to early 1970s. Either adapted from folk literature/theatre and historical texts or based on original ideas by the screenwriters/directors, purba films are set in the pre-colonial era, invariably in a kampong and glorify the Malay world prior to the arrival of the imperialists. I argue that the genre, which encompasses diverse variants and subdivisions, has undergone several phases of transformation and evolution, in particular, while drawing out the genre’s codes, conventions and ideologies. Additionally, I demonstrate that they are, on the one hand, culturally and cinematically specific, and, on the other, are borrowed from, and shaped by, other cinematic genres, forms and practices. The discussion also provides evidence on how purba films were situated within the cultural and industrial contexts.

Ibadan market women and Lebanese traders in Southwest Nigeria, 1900–1960

ABSTRACT In the pre-colonial era, Yoruba market women were astute itinerant traders with a formidable presence in the trading spaces of towns and villages. This legacy subsists till the twentieth century when colonialism shaped the business terrain. Colonial commercial changes such as the cluster of business districts in Ibadan around Dugbe, Ogunpa and Old Gbagi market were strengthened by the railway facility in the environs which ultimately aided the inflow of imported goods and textiles inclusive. Thus, this work examines the politics of textile trade between market women and the Lebanese merchants involved. The work contextualises the features of rivalry and discontent in the trade relations. It exposes market women’s cultural disposition to the market as a means of economic power cherished as a source of livelihood in the colonial era. The work deployed the historical approach to analyse primary and secondary sources such as books, journals and archival materials.

TOTIC: PORTUGUESE PRE- COLONIAL AND COLONIAL DIPLOMATIC AGENTS OF TERRITORIAL EXPLORATION AND EXPLOITATION OF SAO - TOME AND PRINCIPE ISLANDS OF THE GULF OF GUINEA IN THE ATLANTIC OCEAN 1485-1975

The present article brings out typologies of pre-colonial and colonial great figures that strongly coordinated, moderated and put in radical human forces of European exploration, exploitation and colonisation activities in the overseas colonies in Sub-Saharan Africa with examples drawn from the following important lucrative region known as the Gulf of Guinea within the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS). The two countries used as our case studies include Sao-Tome and Principe from 1485 to 1975 (490 years) with 210 official agents remarkably during the pre-colonial and colonial periods. Considering the fact that most history books at times mentioned only few colonial administrators of the Continent, we therefore deemed it necessary to carry out this research on the various portfolios of specific foreign actors in full beginning from pre-colonial to end of colonial exploitations. The pre-colonial era brings out some of the foreign agents who in one way or the other prepared the ground work for deeper colonial partition, expropriation, expansion, exploitation and exaggerations of colonial activities as the best means to compensate themselves from the natural providence of the Black Continent in terms of natural and human resources well accessible in to the Atlantic Ocean. The work is divided into two parts using a chronological approach as indicated on the various tables and it brings out the total number of all prominent pre-colonial and colonial agents of the two countries. The scrutiny of specialized documents based on the pre-colonial and colonial Africa actually inspired us in the writing of this paper which can open new avenues to future researchers to find out in detail which of the Portuguese agent did what and when during their tenure of offices characterized with changing portfolios and revision of radical exploitative colonial policies colonialism.

Philosophical Foundations of Bette-Bendi Indigenous Economy

This paper is focused on the philosophical foundations of the pre-colonial economy of the Bendi in Cross River State of Nigeria. It pays particular attention to what informed the economic decisions the people took, which enabled them to build a stable egalitarian agrarian economy in the pre-colonial era. Up to the eve of their colonial subjugation and integration into the capitalist world, the economy of the Bendi was communal, without anyone aspiring to have undue advantage over others in the ownership of production resources. In land ownership or labour force possession, unfair advantage was either non-existence or it was greatly reduced by communal land ownership, common communal exploitation of forest resources and interfamilial mutual aid in labour recruitment. The pre-colonial economic structures and philosophies of the Bendi made it impossible for capitalists, landed exploiters, loiterers and idlers to emerge among them. Though Bendi still stands in the same place in this industrial and information age, there has been a negative impact on the foundation of its economy, which has become grossly incapable of meeting the economic yearnings and aspirations of the people. Today, exploitation, selfishness, theft and greed have eclipsed the humane, fair and altruistic disposition of the Bendi. Though it is no longer feasible that the Bendi recreate its exact economy of the pre-colonial era, it is important that she rebuild and resuscitate the unique aspects of her pre-colonial economy and, by so doing, work towards an equitable sustainable economic development. It is hoped that the analysis in this paper can lead the Bendi, nay Nigeria away from the current selfish, predatory and callous economic decisions that have left many people unemployed and economically decrepit.

Recent Research in the Sahuaripa Region of Sonora, Mexico

This article summarizes research conducted in the Sahuaripa and Bacanora valleys of Sonora, Mexico. Located in the Serrana culture area of the Sierra Madre Occidental, data from this region speaks to several prevalent debates regarding the precolonial era of Northwest Mexico. Radiocarbon dates support demographic reconstructions for sizeable populations post-1000 AD; a time when other regions of the Northwest/Southwest (NW/SW) experienced significant demographic changes. Material cultural patterns reflect substantial local and regional connections with neighboring Río Sonora groups and Huatabampo. Recovered polychrome ceramics demonstrate long-distance connections with Casas Grandes, and obsidian data reflect connections to the Sonora and other neighboring valleys. These data indicate the Sahuaripa Valley participated in a corridor of exchange, which potentially included interaction between Casas Grandes and West Mexico. These observations are relevant to macro-scale patterns of interaction in the late-precolonial NW/SW.

Obstacles along the path of women enterprises in Africa: A case study of Ogotun women in Ekiti state, Nigeria

African women have a history of entrepreneurship dating back to the pre-colonial era, but in this 21st century, women in Africa are assessed by the World Bank to be at the lower deck of economic breakthrough in comparison to men. Although both men and women operate in the same business climate, women are usually poorer and are harder hit by adverse economic situations. Oftentimes, they self-develop their businesses and skills; they also seek, create and self-fund opportunities, but these efforts are usually met with huge obstacles and barriers. Therefore, this study aims to identify some of the obstacles and barriers plaguing the success and growth of women entrepreneurial activities and proffer solutions that could ameliorate the problems. The study uses a qualitative case study research design to uncover the experiences of women in a rural community of southwestern Nigeria. The data for analysis were collected through twenty in-depth interviews, two participants observations, and four focus group discussions. Some documents were analyzed to triangulate the data sources to ensure credibility. Findings include obstacles such as a traditional patriarchal culture that inhibits women from achieving personal development, complete subordination to male domination, colonial vestiges that gendered entrepreneurship in Africa, and lack of support by male-dominated government. The implication of these is that women continue to struggle to develop their entrepreneurial activities without much breakthrough. They remain economically impoverished and suffer greatly to care for themselves and their families, and to be part of social development. The study recommends that relevant organizations and government continue to work to develop strategies to remove these barriers.

Non-uniform tropical forest responses to the \u2018Columbian Exchange\u2019 in the Neotropics and Asia-Pacific

It has been suggested that Iberian arrival in the Americas in 1492 and subsequent dramatic depopulation led to forest regrowth that had global impacts on atmospheric CO2 concentrations and surface temperatures. Despite tropical forests representing the most important terrestrial carbon stock globally, systematic examination of historical afforestation in these habitats in the Neotropics is lacking. Additionally, there has been no assessment of similar depopulation–afforestation dynamics in other parts of the global tropics that were incorporated into the Spanish Empire. Here, we compile and semi-quantitatively analyse pollen records from the regions claimed by the Spanish in the Atlantic and Pacific to provide pan-tropical insights into European colonial impacts on forest dynamics. Our results suggest that periods of afforestation over the past millennium varied across space and time and depended on social, economic and biogeographic contexts. We argue that this reveals the unequal and divergent origins of the Anthropocene as a socio-political and biophysical process, highlighting the need for higher-resolution, targeted analyses to fully elucidate pre-colonial and colonial era human–tropical landscape interactions.

Uncertainties and trends in the forest policy framework in Sierra Leone: an overview of forest sustainability challenges in the post-independence era

Sierr a Leone is part of the Upper Guinean Forests with a climate that enhances great floral biodiversity. The exploitation of forest resources in Sierra Leone has seen a steady increase over the years while the establishment of forest plantations has witnessed a drastic decline. The relationship between forest exploitation and plantation forest decline is broadly assumed to be influenced by population growth, weak forest policies, legislatures, forest management and monitoring policies over the past century. The paper examines forests status and forest resources policy evolution since the pre-colonial era but pays particular attention to policies developed from 1988, in the post-colonial era, and the challenges facing their implementation. The paper highlights major challenges facing the healthy and sustainable growth of forest resources in Sierra Leone. The challenges range from the attachment of the Forestry Division to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food Security (MAFFS), the overlap in ministerial mandates about forest protection, corrupt government officials, poverty, illegal logging, inadequate funding and staff, natural disaster and outdated forestry instruments. Natural factors such as climate change, drought, and landslides are considered among the issues affecting the sustainable expansion of forest resources in Sierra Leone. A flowchart of forest sustainability challenges in Sierra Leone was designed, and classified forest challenges into natural and man-made causes. The inability of the Forestry Division to become an independent body and the continued reliance of the Division on the 1988 Forestry Act to make informed decisions in the 21st century is serving as a major barrier in sustaining forests resources in Sierra Leone. Improving forest management in the country requires the collective efforts of both national and international forests protections entities and organizations. Sound forests conservation policies and adequate funding and staffing can strengthen the Forestry Division in enforcing its constitutional mandates. Adopting the best practices models from countries such as China, India and the USA will help towards the goal of managing forest resources sustainably for current and future generations.

The Petroglyphs of Indo-Myanmar Frontier

The southern part of Manipur bordering Myanmar reveals petroglyphs and represents an ideal region for studying archaeological remains and human artistry heritage. This paper is an introduction to three petroglyphic rock art assemblages located in the Indo-Myanmar frontier. Comparisoned with dated archaeological materials of adjoining areas, the engraved figures ranges from pre-historic arts to the pre-colonial era of the region. The engraved figures are thematically organized, and contextualized within the subject matter. It argues that the engraved figures like beads, gongs, ponies, and guns are evidence to trade relations with the rest of the world since time immemorial. The motifs were analysed using select colonial ethnographic works, oral literature, folklores, tales current in and around the Indo-Burma frontiers.

On the economic thought of trade practices and policies in Kenya

This study explains trade regimes in Kenya from a History of Economic Thought (HET) perspective using secondary materials (books, papers, and original manuscripts). We found that the pre-colonial era (before 1895) had a mixture of Classical doctrines and Mercantilism, whereby long-distance and barter trade between communities were practiced. Nonetheless, certain communities restricted trade. Classical economic thought was practiced in the colonial period (1895-1962), whereby agricultural produce was exported and less expensive consumables were imported. The post-colonial period started with a Mercantilism approach (Importsubstitution), but successive regimes have promoted Classical doctrines of trade by reducing import and export barriers and creating trade-promotion institutions. Trade in services, which is topical in international trade, has also been promoted in this regime.

أضواء على الأنشطة الاقتصادیة فی بلاد شنقیط (موریتانیا) من خلال النوازل الفقهیة دراسة لنوازل القرنین (12-13هـ/18-19م)

يرصد هذا البحث بعض الأنشطة الحرفية في بلاد شنقيط (موريتانيا) خلال القرنين الثامن عشر والتاسع عشر للميلاد، استنادا لما ورد في النوازل الفقهية من إشارات. وتبرز أهمية هذا الموضوع کونه يتعلق بالتأريخ للأنشطة الاقتصادية في إحدى المجتمعات الأفريقية إبان حقبة ما قبل الاستعمار من خلال مصادر محلية أصلية عاصرت الأحداث وعايشتها. ومن أسف أن رکز الباحثون في التاريخ الأفريقي الحديث والمعاصر اهتمامهم على التأريخ للمجتمعات الأفريقية منذ بداية عهد الاستعمار الأوروبي نتيجة وفرة الوثائق الأوروبية، ولم يتطرق أغلبهم للحديث عن الفترة التي سبقت الاستعمار إلا في إشارات عابرة لم تکن سوى مدخلا لدراسة العهد الاستعماري. ويعزو هذا إلى ندرة ما کتب عن تاريخ أفريقيا في تلک الحقبة واعتمدت تلک الکتابات بالأساس على الروايات الشفهية، والدراسات الأنثروبولوجية التي سعت سعيا مقصودا –خدمة للأهداف الإمبريالية- لعقد مقارنات بين وضعية المجتمع الأفريقي قبل الاستعمار وبعده، وبالتالي قدمت صورة موجهة وغير مکتملة، ولا يمکن الاطمئنان إليها في التأريخ للمجتمع الأفريقي قبل العهد الاستعماري. في ضوء ذلک تحاول هذه الدراسة إلقاء حجر في المياه الراکدة، وحث الباحثين في التاريخ الأفريقي الحديث على الرجوع إلى بعض المصادر المحلية المهمة رغم عدم انتمائها للحقل التاريخي، ألا وهي النوازل الفقهية ­­­التي أولاها الباحثون في التاريخ الإسلامي أهمية کبرى، ورصدوا من خلالها أوضاع المجتمع الأفريقي، بينما استبعدها الباحثون في التاريخ الحديث والمعاصر کمصدر تاريخي يمکن الاستفادة منه، ظنا من البعض أن النوازل تشتمل فقط على معلومات فقهية. وتکمن الإشکالية هنا في الخلط بين مفهومي الفتوى والنازلة، فالنازلة عبارة عن قضية تعرض على الفقهاء، وتعبر عن واقع معيش بالفعل، ومن ثم فهي أضبط في التعبير من الفتوى التي تشمل سؤال الناس عن الأحکام الشرعية، سواء حدثت أم لم تحدث. وفيما يتعلق ببلاد شنقيط نموذج هذه الدراسة، فقد أوردت النوازل عددا من الإشارات المهمة التي يمکن من خلالها رصد بعض الحرف والأنشطة الاقتصادية، وکذلک أبرز المشاکل التي عانى منها الحرفيون، وهو ما ستبرزه هذه الدراسة. Lights on Economic Activities in Chinguetti (Mauritania) Accordint to Nawazil Fiqhiya A study of the Nawazil of the two centuries (12-13 AH / 18-19 AD) Eman Ragab Zaki Tammam Department of Modern and Contemporary History , Faculty of Arts, Beni-Suef University , Egypt . E-mail : Emanra@art.bsu.edu.eg Abstract : This research examines some craft activities in the Chinguetti Countries (Mauritania) during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries AD, based on the references mentioned in the Nawazil Fiqhiya. The importance of this topic is highlighted as it relates to the history of economic activities in one of the African societies during the pre-colonial era through indigenous local sources who lived through the events. Unfortunately, researchers in modern and contemporary African history have focused their attention on the history of African societies since the beginning of the European colonial era as a result of the abundance of European documents, and most of them did not address the pre-colonial period except in passing references that were only an introduction to the study of the colonial era. This is attributed to the scarcity of books on the history of Africa in that era, and those writings relied mainly on oral narratives and anthropological studies that sought intentional pursuit - in service of imperialist goals - to draw comparisons between the situation of African society before and after colonialism, and thus presented a directed and incomplete picture. The reassurance of it in the history of African society before the colonial era. In light of this, this study tries to throw a stone into the stagnant waters, and urged researchers in modern African history to refer to some important local sources despite their lack of belonging to the historical field, namely the Nawazil Fiqhiya which researchers in Islamic history gave great importance, and through which they monitored The conditions of African society, while researchers excluded them in modern and contemporary history as a historical source that can be used, thinking that some of the Nawazil include only jurisprudential information. The problem here lies in the confusion between the concepts of the fatwa and the Nazilah, for the catastrophe is a case presented to the jurists, and it expresses the reality of actually living, and then it is more precise in expression than the fatwa that includes asking people about the legal rulings, whether they happen or not. With regard to the Chinguetti countries, the model of this study, the Nawazil cited a number of important signs through which some crafts and economic activities could be monitored, as well as the most prominent problems that craftsmen suffered from, which will be highlighted in this study.

Religious Pluralism and Inter-Religious Encounters in the 21st Century Nigeria

Religion is one of the heritages that Nigeria shares with other African countries. In fact, Nigeria is blessed with three major religious traditions—African indigenous religion, Islam and Christianity—which actually afford her the opportunity to be a pluralistic religious country. These religions relate with the Nigerian society and they fulfil different roles which are deeply rooted in them. However, because of the inbuilt challenges of a pluralistic religious state, some manipulators use religion as their ready-made instrument of conflict and confusion, in the cities that are well-known for their peaceful co-existence over the years. Consequently, the scenario is having negative effects on the socio-political, educational and religious lives of Nigerians nationwide. This paper aims at discussing religious interactions among Nigerians during the pre-colonial era and comparing it with what is in operation in the current dispensation. It will also examine the various ways that manipulators have used religion and explore how interreligious dialogue and other means of peaceful co-existence can be used to enhance meaningful development in the country. The research employs a qualitative method of data collection and uses a phenomenological approach to analyse the data collected. Findings revealed that different religious adherents interacted freely in antiquity until the incursion of foreign religions with their attendant intolerance. Consequently, improper handling of interreligious encounters, lack of adequate interreligious understanding and abuse of religion have caused religious conflicts and insecurity of lives and properties in the country. These in turn have led to the setback experienced in the development of socio-economic and political sectors in Nigeria. It is the opinion of this study that if the relevance of religion is fully understood and it is allowed to perform its roles for the benefit of humanity, Nigerians in general would witness peaceful, harmonious existence and meaningful development in all dimensions.