Scholarly Journal of Science Research and Essay Vol. 9(2), pp. 34-41, December 2019 Available online http:// www.scholarly-journals.com/SJSRE ISSN 2315-6147 © 2019 Scholarly-Journals The Rise of Jaja and the Establishment of the Jaja Dynasty Edna Adagogo-Brown PhD. Department of History and International Studies Faculty of Humanities Federal University Utueke, Bayelsa State. Email: brownadagogo2@gmail.com Abstract The paper focused on the rise of Jaja as the king of Opobo, the ability and capacity of his descendants to occupy his throne from 1893-2003, leading to the establishment of the Jaja dynasty and the challenges and responses of the King Jaja Executive Authority to sustain the Jaja dynasty for one hundred and fifty years. For 23 years, from 1980-2003, the Jaja group defended the dynasty at the Bori High Court, Appeal Court in Port Harcourt and the Supreme Court which finally agreed that King Jaja established the dynasty and only the Jaja descendants and the Opuwari could produce the Amanyanabo of Opobo. The paper used primary, secondary, Treaty Agreements, Opobo district papers and archival sources to reconstruct the history of the dynasty. The paper maintained that it was the payment of the debt of ₤15,000 owed the super cargoes in Bonny which Jaja paid that led to his election as the Head of the Annie Pepple group. He eventually led the group out of Bonny during the civil war of 1869. King Jaja’s House became the Opuwari (Main House) from 1870, while the old Annie Pepple House became part of the Jaja group of Houses. Key words: Jaja, the king of Opobo, Kingdom, Niger Delta INTRODUCTION The Annie Pepple group by the 1860s was bankrupt by the reason of huge debts owed the super cargoes and because of this, the House was left for a period without a head. The principal members of the group were generally minding their own businesses and left the House to drift in uncertainty. One of such principal members of the group was Chief Captain Uranta. He qualified for the headship of the group because of his financial capacity. However, despite pressure from all angles, he refused to be elected as the next head of the group. This was because, whoever accepted to be the head of the group would automatically be asked to shoulder the burden of the payment of the £15,000 owed to the super cargoes. According to Dike (1956:183), “When Alali died, the Annie Pepple House was for some time left without a head. By the right of seniority, a chief named Uranta was offered the place, but for reason of his own he refused”. After Uranta, Chiefs Annie Stewart, Black Fubara, and Wariso, all men of wealth and high standing also refused to shoulder the responsibility. The Chiefs held several meetings in search of any capable person in the group and the searchlight picked Chief Jack Jaja Annie Pepple whose gradual rise became noticeable and he was immediately elected as the successor of Chief Iloli Annie Pepple. He was contacted to assist the House financially. At this time there was in the House a young man who had not very long been a chief, though he had, for a considerable number of years been a very good trader, and was respected by the white traders for his honest and the dependence they could place in him to adhere strictly to any promise he made in trade matters… (Dike 1956:184). From a letter he wrote in December, 1863, the Consul, Sir Richard Burton, said this about Jaja, “one Jaja, son of an unknown bushman, a common Negro; had been elected to head the Annie Pepple House. He is young, healthy, and powerful, and not the less ambitious, energetic, and decided. He is the most influential man and the greatest trader in the River and ₤50,000 it is said, may annually pass through his hand. He lives much with Europeans, and he rides rough shod over young hands coming into Bonny. In a short time he will be shot or he will beat down all his rivals. At present he leads the party against king Pepple”, ( Dike 1956:184). It was observed by Jones that the two main Houses of Manilla and Annie Pepple were in dept at the same time and this was caused by the hardening of trade, and that when this happens, the chief of the main House was at an