IIARD International Institute of Academic Research and Development

AFRICAN JOURNAL OF HISTORY AND ARCHAEOLOGY (AJHA )

E-ISSN 2579-048X
P-ISSN 2695-1851
VOL. 4 NO. 1 2019

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Some Perspectives on the Religious Beliefs and Practices among the Gbagyi of the Middle River Kaduna Valley in the Pre- Colonial Period

Idris Abubakar Zakari, Muhammad Thalith Abubakar Jagaba

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Abstract

The Middle River Kaduna Valley* is a strip of land that is located in the Eastern part of Niger State of North Central Nigeria. Today, this area is referred to as Minna emirate. The dominant ethnic group inhabiting the region are Gbagyi. In the pre-colonial period the Gbagyi in the area of study have their religion. This religion to Gbagyi, are things that involved their personal and communal experience of scared and set of beliefs and practices that defines the relations between the people and sacred or divinity. As Gbagyi’s ldeas that are exclusive and relate to their existence, characteristics and worship of deity or deities, the religion provides the Gbagyi with social comfort, acts as social control which individual conducts are regularized and served as a power source of sanctions that constitutes values which the Gbagyi society relied upon. It is against this background that this paper would provide some perspectives on the Gbagyi religious beliefs and practices with a view to creating a clear understanding on the traditional religious beliefs and practices, it’s significance, and position today considering the historical development the Gbagyi went through as a result of their contact with foreign cultures.

keywords:

Religious Beliefs and Practices, Gbagyi, Middle River Kaduna Valley, Pre- Colonial Period

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