The Tiv (or Tiiv) are a Bantu ethnic group. They constitute approximately 3.5% of Nigeria's total population, and number over 8 million individuals throughout Nigeria and Cameroon.
The Tiv language is spoken by over 8 million people, predominantly in Nigeria, with a smaller number of speakers in Cameroon. The majority of Tiv language speakers reside in the Nigerian states of Benue, Taraba, Nasarawa, Plateau and Cross River. Linguistically, the Tiv language belongs to the Benue–Congo branch of the Niger–Congo phylum.
Historically, during pre-colonial times, the Fulani ethnic group referred to the Tiv as "Munchi" (sometimes recorded as Munshi), a designation that has not been embraced by the Tiv people themselves till present day.
History The Tiv believe they moved into their present location from the southeast of Africa. It is claimed that the Tiv left their Bantu kin and wandered through southern, south-central and west-central Africa before returning to the savannah lands of West African Sudan via the River Congo and Cameroon Mountains and settled at Swem, the region adjoining Cameroon and Nigeria at the beginning of 1600C.E., which was originally the Bantu cradle and home.
The term "coming down" is used by the Tiv to describe their migration, which is said to have occurred in successive groups. Some Tiv migrated southward across the Obudu Plateau, while others spread into the Mdema and Waka districts, which correspond to contemporary central and Southern Taraba in Nigeria. A further group moved into the Benue Valley, which is also part of present-day central Nigeria. This significant dispersion of the Tiv people is believed to have taken place between the early 1600s and the 1700s CE.
Over time, as social interactions developed and new migrants entered Nigeria, the Tiv people interacted with the Fulani at their northern boundaries, fostering a relationship characterized by mutual recognition, evidenced by the terms "Jo." Consequently, the Tiv referred to the Fulani as "Fulanijo," while the Fulani called the Tiv "Tivjo." Additionally, the Fulani used the term "Munchi" to refer to the Tiv, a designation that the Tiv consider derogatory and unacceptable.
The Tiv people historically existed as a free society without a central monarchy; governance within each clan or kindred was administered by the eldest male, known as the "Orya." They were among the earliest inhabitants of the Benue Valley, as documented in Mark Cartwright's accounts of Bantu migrations, before the arrival of other tribes in the region. Due to their peaceful nature and decentralized living arrangements, the Tiv posed little threat to incoming migrants, who cohabited with them until the advent of European colonialism.
The first recorded contact between the Tiv and Europeans occurred in the 18th century. This date does not correlate with the Tiv's own migration timeline; rather, their late recognition by colonial powers stemmed from their lack of a centralized kingship. This absence complicated British efforts to implement indirect rule, which relied on collaboration with centralized traditional authorities. Colonial administrative reforms later culminated in the establishment of the office of the Tor Tiv in 1946.
In the early 20th century, British explorers encountered the Tiv people along the banks of the Benue River. This interaction revealed the Tiv as a distinct ethnic group, notable as the primary inhabitants of the Benue Valley, which piqued European curiosity. The Tiv were instantly classified as part of the Bantu groups due to similarities observed with other Bantu populations previously documented in Central and Southern Africa.
The British military's incursion into Tivlands led by Lieutenant-Colonel Hugh Trenchard, began in 1906 amid existing tensions between the Tiv and other ethnic minorities residing in the Benue Valley. The fighting techniques, weapons, and physical characteristics of the Tiv were akin to those of other Bantu communities, which influenced British perceptions during this period. A significant claim made by the Tiv in 1950 asserted they had successfully resisted British forces during this initial conflict, leading to subsequent negotiations with the British.
The southern regions of Tivland experienced a British invasion characterized by what the southern Tiv people referred to as "the eruption," a term denoting the disruptive entrance of British forces into their territory in 1911. This colonial encounter marked a significant moment in Tiv history and their interactions with European powers.
The Tiv people, first encountered European culture during the colonial period. This significant contact occurred between November 1907 and the spring of 1908, when an expedition led by Lieutenant-Colonel Hugh Trenchard of the Southern Nigeria Regiment engaged with the Tiv. Trenchard, recognizing the importance of establishing goodwill, presented gifts to the elders of the community. This initial interaction paved the way for subsequent developments, including the construction of roads and the establishment of trade links between the Tiv and European entities.
Prior to these infrastructural advancements, missionary efforts played a crucial role in the region. Notably, Mary Slessor, a pioneering missionary, dedicated herself to addressing the needs of the Tiv people, fostering a rapport between the missionaries and the local population.
The Tiv territory represented one of the last significant areas in Nigeria to come under British control, highlighting the complexities and gradual processes of colonial expansion in the region.
Ancestral genealogy Tiv oral tradition traces the Tiv people's ancestry through a legendary ancestor named Tiv. In the Anyamazenga tradition recorded by Cletus A. Lanshima, Anyamazenga's descendant Takuruku married Aliwe, and they had a son named Tiv. Tiv subsequently married Ayaaya, who is traditionally said to have borne Gbe, Anadendem, Ichongo and Ipusu. Other accounts give a shorter genealogy, identifying Takuruku and Aliwe as the parents of Tiv and Ayaaya as his wife, with Ichongo and Ipusu as their two sons.
Ichongo and Ipusu occupy a central position in Tiv genealogical tradition. They are traditionally regarded as the two principal sons of Tiv, and the Tiv trace their patrilineal descent through one or the other. The name *Ichongo* is traditionally associated with circumcision, while *Ipusu* is associated with uncircumcision; the two names consequently came to designate the two major ancestral divisions of Tiv society. The present-day Tiv article likewise describes the people as tracing their genealogy to the legendary ancestor Tiv and identifies Ichongo and Ipusu as his two sons.
The genealogy is part of Tiv oral tradition rather than a documented historical genealogy, and versions differ in details. Some accounts vary over the number of children attributed to Tiv and Ayaaya, while other traditions give different accounts of Tiv's parentage. The relationships between Takuruku, Aliwe, Tiv, Ayaaya, Ichongo and Ipusu should therefore be understood as elements of Tiv ancestral tradition rather than independently verified historical relationships.
Social and political organization
The Tiv people possess a sophisticated understanding of genealogy, structured predominantly through patrilineality. Their lineage is traced back to a legendary ancestor known as Tiv, who is said to have had two sons, Ichongo and Ipusu. Consequently, all Tiv individuals identify as descendants of either Ichongo, translated in English as "circumcised," or Ipusu, meaning "uncircumcised." Each of these sons is further divided into several major branches, which are subsequently subdivided into smaller branches. The smallest unit of lineage is referred to as an ipaven.
Members of an ipaven typically reside in close proximity to one another, forming kin-based communities known as "tar." This social structure exemplifies a segmentary lineage system, a phenomenon recognized in various cultural contexts but particularly well-documented within African societies(Middleton and Tait 1958). Among West African communities, the Tiv serve as a prominent example of this system, as described in the research of Laura Bohannan in 1952 and subsequently by Paul and Laura Bohannan in 1953. In contrast, in East Africa, the Nuer people, studied by E.E. Evans-Pritchard in 1940, represent a notable instance of segmentary lineage organization.
The Tiv people traditionally did not have formal administrative divisions and did not operate under a system of chiefs or councils. Leadership within Tiv society was determined by factors such as age, influence, and wealth. The responsibilities of leaders included ensuring safe conduct for community members, mediating disputes within their lineages, presiding over communal gatherings, and guiding their people in both internal and external matters.
This decentralized socio-political structure posed significant challenges for British colonial authorities attempting to integrate the Tiv into the broader framework of Colonial Nigeria. The British strategy of indirect rule, which had proven effective in managing other populations such as the Hausa and Fulani in Northern Nigeria, was not successful in the context of the segmentary society of the Tiv(Dorward David Craig 1969). Various administrative approaches were tried, including placing the Tiv under the jurisdiction of neighboring Jukun tribes and exerting control through councils of elders, known as "Jir Tamen," but these efforts yielded limited results.
In 1934, the colonial administration took steps to organize the Tiv by categorizing them into clans, kindreds, and family groups. Additionally, British authorities appointed native leaders to oversee these divisions, marking an attempt to establish a more structured administrative system within Tiv society.
Members of the Tiv group are found in many areas across the globe, such as the United States and United Kingdom. In these countries, they hold unions, known as MUT (Mzough U Tiv, or Mutual Union of Tiv in English), where members can assemble and discuss issues concerning their people across the world, but especially back in Nigeria. The arm of the MUT serving the United States of America is known as MUTA (Mzough U Tiv ken Amerika, or Mutual Union of the Tiv in America), for instance.
Language
The Tiv people have always had their history in oral tradition and have had all the Tiv people to speak the language. There is no evidence of an ancient script or write up of the language.
The first reference to the language was by Sigismund Koelle in 1854 from freed slaves in Sierra Leone according to his study Polyglotta Africana.
The language's classification has been debated as either semi-Bantu or bantu. Even though, Sir Johnston Harry H. classified it in 1919 and later Talbot P. Amaury in 1926 as Semi-Bantu, Roy Clive Abraham together with the South African missionary, Rev W. A. Malherbe in 1933 classified it as bantu after making a complete linguistic study of the language. Abraham stated that the language vocabulary of the Tiv people and the East African Nyanza group have a lot of similarities.
Society and culture Religion and culture
The Tiv are predominantly Christians. Christianity dates back to 1911 when the first Dutch missionaries from Dutch Reformed Church of South Africa arrived at the Tiv village in Katsina-Ala local government of Benue State called Sai. They established the N.K.S.T. There are other Tiv practices such as akombo, tsav, etc.
Dressing (A'nger)