Oyo Empire metropolitan Oyo. This may have been fine in the 15th century when Oyo controlled only its heartland. But to make and maintain farther conquest, the structure underwent several changes. Oyo maintained a semi-standing army of specialist cavalry soldiers called the "Eso", the "Esho" or, formally, the Eso of Ikoyi. These were 70 junior war chiefs who were nominated by the Oyo Mesi and confirmed by the Alaafin of Oyo. The Eso were appointed for their military skill without regard to heritage and were led by the Are-Ona-Kakanfo. After Oyo's return from exile, the post of Are-Ona-Kakanfo was established as the
History of the Yoruba people main groupings. The first one is the recent immigrants that moved to the United States and the United Kingdom after the political and economic changes in the 1960's and 1980's. The second group of people are the slaves who migrated to South America countries like Cuba, Trinidad, Brazil, Grenada, and other countries. Many people today who are part of the Yoruba culture are Muslims and Christians. History of the Yoruba people The documented history of the Yoruba people begins with the Oyo Empire, which became dominant in the early 17th century. The older traditions of the formerly dominant Ile-Ife kingdom