In 1750, Alaafin Labisi ascended the throne of the powerful Old Oyo Empire, also known as Oyo-Ile. One of his first acts was to appoint Gaa as the Bashorun, the head of the Oyomesi, the seven hereditary kingmakers. Under Labisi’s reign, Oyo-Ile became a formidable political and military force, commanding respect from other Yoruba kingdoms and collecting tributes from as far as Dahomey, Popo, and Ashanti.
Gaa, the Bashorun, was a brave and powerful man known for his potent charms and supernatural abilities. He was feared and respected in Oyo-Ile, with the rumored ability to transform into any animal. However, Gaa’s influence and authority soon surpassed even that of Alaafin Labisi, who had appointed him. His misuse of power, often driven by his ‘juju’ powers, led to significant turmoil in the empire.
Shortly after becoming Bashorun, Gaa murdered two of Alaafin Labisi’s closest friends, causing the heartbroken king to commit suicide in 1750. Alaafin Awonbioju succeeded Labisi, but Gaa, known for rebelling against any Alaafin who did not submit to his authority, ended Awonbioju’s reign after just 130 days, ordering his execution.
The next Alaafin, Agboluaje, managed to rule for a bit longer by cooperating with Gaa, but he too fell victim to the Bashorun’s treachery. Alaafin Majeogbe, who ruled from 1772 to 1773, also met a similar fate, though he managed to poison Gaa, leaving him paralyzed.
The end of Gaa’s tyrannical reign came during the rule of Alaafin Abiodun (1774-1789). Determined to eliminate the Bashorun, Abiodun conspired with the Onikoyi and the Are-Ona-Kakanfo, Oyabi from Ajaseland. The final straw was Gaa’s murder of Abiodun’s only daughter, Agborin, due to a misunderstanding of her name for a deer. In 1774, the people of Oyo-Ile, fueled by anger and the weakening influence of the paralyzed Gaa, stormed his compound, killed his household members, and publicly incinerated Gaa himself.
Alaafin Abiodun ruled in peace after Gaa’s death, but he ultimately committed suicide in 1789 following criticism for his attacks on Ijaye and Popo. The death of Bashorun Gaa had significant repercussions for the Old Oyo Empire. It weakened the empire’s military and political strength due to the destabilization of the Oyomesi, who became the Alaafin’s puppets, granting him absolute authority. This political unrest led to some kingdoms, like Dahomey, declaring independence, contributing to the eventual decline and fall of the Old Oyo Empire in 1836/1837.
