Emirs in London: Subaltern Travel and Nigeria's Modernity

By Moses E. Ochonu

Emirs in London recounts how Northern Nigerian Muslim aristocrats who traveled to Britain between 1920 and Nigerian independence in 1960 relayed that experience to the Northern Nigerian people.

Moses E. Ochonu shows how rather than simply serving as puppets and mouthpieces of the British Empire, these aristocrats leveraged their travel to the heart of the empire to reinforce their positions as imperial cultural brokers, and to translate and domesticate imperial modernity in a predominantly Muslim society.

Emirs in London explores how, through their experiences visiting the heart of the British Empire, Northern Nigerian aristocrats were enabled to define themselves within the framework of the empire. In doing so, the book reveals a unique colonial sensibility that complements rather than contradicts the traditional perspectives of less privileged Africans toward colonialism.

Emirs in London was named in the Brittle Paper 100 Notable African Books of 2022 list.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Indiana University Press
• Release date: Apr 5, 2022
• ISBN: 9780253059147

Moses E. Ochonu

Moses E. Ochonu is an assistant professor of African history at Vanderbilt University. He is the author of many journal articles and book chapters. His op-ed articles on African affairs have been published in The Chronicle Review and on Tennessean.com.

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