Talk:Oduwa

GA review

This review is transcluded from Talk:Oduwa/GA1. The edit link for this section can be used to add comments to the review.

Nominator: Vanderwaalforces (talk · contribs) 21:41, 20 February 2025 (UTC)

Reviewer: Reverosie (talk · contribs) 13:45, 3 June 2025 (UTC)

Hello, Vanderwaalforces! I'll be your GA reviewer. First and foremost, I'm sorry for the long wait! I'm a very new reviewer, but I understand how frustrating that must be. Since this is only my second review, if you want a more experienced reviewer, please let me know, and we can assign you to somebody else. I have quite a bit of background in medieval history (especially the 1100s), but I've never researched Igodomigodo, so this piqued my interest. From what I've read so far, I have high hopes for this review to go well. I'll be starting my in-depth review now. 🌷Reverosie🌷^★talk★ 13:45, 3 June 2025 (UTC)

Initial Review:

1. Is it well written?

   A. The prose is clear and concise, and the spelling and grammar are correct:

   B. It complies with the manual of style guidelines for lead sections, layout, words to watch, fiction, and list incorporation:

2. Is it verifiable with no original research, as shown by a source spot-check?

   A. It contains a list of all references (sources of information), presented in accordance with the layout style guideline:

   B. Reliable sources are cited inline. All content that could reasonably be challenged, except for plot summaries and that which summarizes cited content elsewhere in the article, must be cited no later than the end of the paragraph (or line if the content is not in prose):

   C. It contains no original research:

   D. It contains no copyright violations nor plagiarism:

3. Is it broad in its coverage?

   A. It addresses the main aspects of the topic:

   B. It stays focused on the topic without going into unnecessary detail (see summary style):

4. Is it neutral?

   It represents viewpoints fairly and without editorial bias, giving due weight to each: (I need to do a more in-depth reading of the article before scoring this)

5. Is it stable?

   It does not change significantly from day to day because of an ongoing edit war or content dispute:

6. Is it illustrated, if possible, by images?

   A. Images are tagged with their copyright status, and valid non-free use rationales are provided for non-free content:

   B. Images are relevant to the topic, and have suitable captions:

7. Overall:

   Pass or Fail:

Things are very positive so far. I will begin my in-depth review now. Please use the  Done template or strikethrough to indicate that a problem has been fixed, and add any comments/questions after the points that you have. I'll add sections of the article as I go.

I'll be abbreviating the paragraph and sentence I'm referring to in my suggestions to P and S. For example, paragraph 2, sentence 3 would be P2S3. The paragraph counter also resets with each new section.

Looking at this article's statistics, I noticed that it is 100% your work. Because of this, some of the problems listed may seem redundant. That being said, I commend you for your dedication to the subject, and the article itself is extremely impressive in its current state (especially since you single-handedly wrote and nominated it); it just needs a bit of work to qualify for GA status

Spot Check

I will begin the spot check now.

Spot #1

I will check reference 1.

The footnote says: The Kingdom of Benin no longer exists as a governing entity, but the Oba of Benin still rules a tribal kingdom and holds an advisory role in the government of Benin City, Nigeria. The source says: "A desire for control over West African trade and territory ultimately led to a British invasion of Benin in 1897. Benin City was burned by the British, who then made the kingdom part of British Nigeria (which became Nigeria after the country gained independence in 1960). After that time, the kingdom no longer played a governing role in West Africa. However, even today, the oba still serves in Benin City as a government advisor." This is clearly a pass.

Spot #2

I will The History of Benin: Ogiso Dynasties, 40 BC - 1200 AD, cited throughout the article

• Reference 12 (Page 90): The article says: These envoys carried official insignia—the Ada ("ceremonial sword") and Eben ("royal scepter")—which acted as credentials and symbols of their authority. The source says: "They always have a badge of Ada and Eben sceptre which is the emblem of the Oba of Benin today. The Oba's messagers still attach the emblem or badge of Ada and Even to their caps or uniform up till date". This is a pass.
• Reference 6 (Page 88): The article says: These governors (Ekaevbo), who were granted significant authority over vast areas, reported directly to the palace, ensuring that governance remained centralised while curbing the autonomy of local leaders. The source says: "He (Oduwa) made sure that these Ekaevbo were strong enough to counter any move by these rebels. By appointing these provincial administrators to all parts of Igodomigodo, he gradually restored law and order..." Pass.
  The sources are checked.

Infobox

• Suggestion (You don't have to accept these!): The title and title text feel a bit redundant
• Suggestion: Instead of separating Oduwa's spouses and children on the same line, a new line between each person is the usual format.
  • Done. I changed the template from hlist to unbulleted list, looks good to me now.

Lead

• This article's lead is very well-written, but I'd recommend making it longer and covering more of the article. As stated in WP:Lead Length, few leads with under 100 words will suffice, and this article hinges on that, with 174.
  • The lead looks like a pretty LEADLENGTH compliance from my view though. I was/am being careful not to make it really boring. Is there something from the body of the article that you think is important but currently not mentioned in the lead? --Vanderwaalforces (talk) 16:02, 3 June 2025 (UTC)

  No. I neglected to account for the article's shorter length when writing this. The lead is actually a very good length. 🌷Reverosie🌷^★talk★ 16:12, 3 June 2025 (UTC)

• Suggestion: P2S3: However, towards the end of his reign, a severe famine c. 1119 – c. 1125 affected the kingdom. It would be nice to specify how this directly affected Oduwa himself/Oduwa's policies themselves.
  • Just like above, plus the fact that how this inflation relates to Oduwa is very well explained in the "Economic growth and trade policies" subsection of his "Reign".
• P3S2: He was succeeded by Obioye it should be specified here that Obioye is Oduwa's son, not just in the infobox
  • Done, with thanks!

things are looking very positive so far.

Early life and ascension

• P1S2: His six older brothers.... It should be specified that this is referring to Oduwa's older brothers, since Ohuede was also mentioned in the previous sentence.
• P1S2: ...leading to suspicions of witchcraft being cast upon his mother. This could be shortened for clarity by better phrasing. Perhaps something like "leading to his mother being suspected and accused of witchcraft"
• P1S4: ...an ironworker and artisan who had arrived in the city during the reign of Ogiso Oriagba. Since many readers may not know when Oriagba was on the throne, a specific decade should be specified
• P2S1: Upon the death of Ogiso Ohuede c. 1112,. In the article itself, it should say something like "around" or "in approximately" instead of "c."
• P2S1: ...the Edionisen acted swiftly.... Since you specified who the Edionsen are in the lead, you don't need to italicize the title. This applies to the others as well.
  • They are all Edo language words. They're not italicised because I was defining them, they're italicised because all non-English language words have to be wrapped in the appropriate language template wrapper.
    • Oh! I didn't know that. Thanks for letting me know! I take this suggestion back 🌷Reverosie🌷^★talk★ 12:53, 4 June 2025 (UTC)
• P2S1: ...from gaining control over the selection of the next Ogiso Since you already linked to the article about the Ogiso earlier, you don't have to do it again.
• Suggestion: P2S2: To ensure continuity, they hastily installed Idugioduwa as Ogiso... Although it is obvious, it could be specified that this is referring to the Edionisen, since the Edionwere were mentioned earlier. I'll add this as a suggestion and not a requirement since the reader could easily infer this without specification.
• P2S3: Why did the Edionwere and Edionevbo oppose Oduwa? Context here would be nice to have.
• P2S4: Rather than the exercise of military strength.... This can be rewritten for clarity. Perhaps "Rather than exercising military strength..."
• Suggestion: P2S4: Perhaps this could start with something like "As a response..."
• Suggestion: P2S4: ...of the major nobles. Perhaps this could say something like "of Igodomigodo's major nobles" for clarity
• Suggestion: P2S5: Where opposition was most fierce.... Perhaps this could say something like "Where opposition to his rule was most fierce..." for clarity

Reign

Governance and administrative reforms

• P1S2: In response to opposition from the Edionwere and Edionevbo, he strategically placed Ekaevbo ("provincial governors") in regions prone to rebellion, countering their influence and reestablishing control. This sentence should be moved to or merged with the end of the previous section, where this is already specified. Saying it again is redundant, but these previously unsaid details shouldn't be removed from the article.
• P2S1: ...the rebellious Enigies ("Dukes"). This should be rephrased, as it may imply to the reader that all of the Enigies are rebellious. Perhaps removing the word "the" before "rebellious Enigies" could work.
• Suggestion: P2S2: ...eventually being elevated to the rank of Enigie due to their increasing command and popularity. For clarity, this could say, "being elevated to the rank of Enigie themselves due to..."
• Suggestion: P2S3: His administration introduced a more disciplined approach to provincial administration... I'd suggest starting this sentence with "Oduwa" instead of "his".
• P2S4: However, his economic measures were later affected by the breakout of famine and increased inflation. It could be specified that this occurred at the very end of his reign. More context on exactly how these measures were affected would also be nice to have here (and potentially what caused the inflation if it had anything to do with Oduwa)
  • All these were exactly and I think sufficiently explain in the immediate next subsection.
    • Doing a bit of rereading, I can't say I don't agree with you. 🌷Reverosie🌷^★talk★ 12:53, 4 June 2025 (UTC)

Economic growth and trade policies

• Image: No suggestions here. The image is high-quality, relevant to the topic, and doesn't violate copyright. I feel as though I should point this out instead of passing it without any explanation.
• Suggestion: P1S1: ...maintain Igodomigodo's position as a key commercial hub. Specification that external trade declined before Oduwa's reign could be nice to put here instead of the next paragraph, but I'll leave it up to you.
• P2S2: He encouraged Edo merchants... The link to the article about the Edo people should be here, since the reader might not know that the Edo people are from Igodomigodo.
• Suggestion: P2S2: between Igodomigodo and western territories, particularly the Yoruba regions. He encouraged Edo merchants to shift their trade focus westward.... Saying "west" twice feels redundant; perhaps it could say "shift their trade focus there" or "to these places" instead.
• Suggestion: Image caption: The image caption could include that these beads were introduced to Igodomigodo by Yoruba traders.
• P3S3: ...with cutlasses, knives, ukotin ("needles"), as well as thread... This should say "with cutlasses, knives, and ukotin ("needles"), as well as thread..."
• P3S4: ...as Edo artisans had mastered bronze craftsmanship as early as c. 700. In the article itself, it should say something like "around" or "in approximately" instead of "c." In this particular case, perhaps "around 700 AD" would be the most efficient. There is also no period at the end of this sentence.
• P3S7: To oversee these growing communities, an Okaevbo ("provincial governor") was stationed in Ughoton to manage trade and governance on behalf of the Ogiso. I'd suggest saying "on the behalf of Oduwa" instead
• Suggestion: P4S4: Oduwa's diplomatic efforts sought to maintain stable relations while safeguarding economic interests. Perhaps this could say "Oduwa's diplomatic efforts (here or with them) sought to..."
• P4S4: ...the circulation of cowries as currency. The link to the article about cowries should be here
• P4S4: Oduwa also introduced a monetary reform that increased the circulation of cowries as currency.[10] By the height of his reign, cowries were so widespread that nobles incorporated them into their attire as symbols of status and wealth.[10] Since these two sentences are back-to-back, the cited source (10) only needs to be there once (see citation overkill)
• P5S1: Ogiso Oduwa undertook a pilgrimage to Uhe ("Ife") You can simply list Uhe with the link to Ife like so: Uhe
  • Uhe is what Ife was called by the Edo people, so whether I link the Uhe to Ife or not, I still need to mention Ife, which is more reasonable to be linked.
• P5S5: —at most, its arrival was postponed until a later reign. As the famine did start during Oduwa's reign, this should be rephrased to specify this or deleted entirely

Diplomatic strategies and foreign relations

• Suggestion: P1S1: The link to the article about symbolic communication could be nice to have here
• Suggestion: P1S2: Since the list of materials here is so long, it could be put into a footnote instead to avoid clutter. This isn't needed, so I'll leave it up to you.
• Suggestion: P2: I'd suggest merging the last two sentences with "and" instead of separating them with a period

Death and succession

• P1S1: ...caused by a seven-year famine... The first two sentences should be merged, removing the timespan and instead specifying "the final year" of Oduwa's reign
• P1S3: The Uwazota episode... The Uwazota episode, being previously unmentioned, should probably break into a new paragraph to avoid confusion
• P1S5: The oracle at Uhe advised him... Since the oracles were previously mentioned as plural, this might be confusing to the reader. If this is a new oracle, this should say "An oracle at Uhe", and if not, it should say "The oracles at Uhe." If this refers to one article of the many previously mentioned, it should say "One of the oracles at Uhe..."
• P1S7: The chief wife... This should say "Oduwa's chief wife..."
• P2S3: In contrast, the other wives bore monstrous offspring, ranging from a lizard to a monkey. Surely this is according to legend, and needs to be specified as such. Additionally, there is nothing to contrast this to, since Arukho didn't give birth yet.
  • I mentioned it being a lengend now, thanks, but yes, the "In contrast" valid because the sentence that precedes this very one mentions that With no surviving relatives, Arukho wandered into the forest and gave birth to a son at a remote farmstead.
• P2S4: Esagho stole Arukho's child and replaced him with a palm frond... The article about the palm frond should be linked here
• P2S5 + P2S6: The boy was named Uwazota, and for over a year, the deception remained hidden. The truth was revealed when Oduwa fell gravely ill. Thanks to their extremely short length, these sentences should be merged, either using a conjunction or semicolon.
• P2S7: The oracle proclaimed that his survival... Thanks to high infant mortality rates in medieval times, it should be specified that this is referring to Oduwa, not Uwazota
• Suggestion: P3S2 + P3S3: Unlike previous kings, he spent his final days in isolation, accompanied only by Arukho. His eldest son from another wife, Obioye, returned from Ihinmwirin to witness his father's last moments. These sentences could be merged by a semicolon to improve flow, but I'll leave it up to you.
• P3S5: lamenting that Oduwa who had ascended the throne in Owe-egie ("royal steps") left it in Owe-ogue ("pauper's steps"). Commas are needed, and this should say "Lamenting that Oduwa, who had ascended the throne in Owe-egie ("royal steps"), left it in Owe-ogue ("pauper's steps").

These are all of my comments for now. If these are accordingly resolved in a very hasty manner (I'll ballpark 3 or 4 days at most), I will quick pass the article accordingly. If not, I will place the article on hold for these issues to be improved.
But heads-up: I won't be neglecting this article, and I may add more comments in the future! 🌷Reverosie🌷^★talk★ 17:56, 3 June 2025 (UTC)
One more thing: Please don't be afraid to ping me. I'll directly ping you now to inform that the review is complete (Vanderwaalforces) 🌷Reverosie🌷^★talk★ 18:02, 3 June 2025 (UTC)

Update: We're certainly on track for a quick pass 🌷Reverosie🌷^★talk★ 12:54, 4 June 2025 (UTC)

@Reverosie Thank you so much for this review. I have attended to all comments now. Vanderwaalforces (talk) 15:32, 5 June 2025 (UTC)

Congratulations! I'm going to re-read the article once more, and if nothing comes up, I'll pass it! 🌷Reverosie🌷^★talk★ 15:53, 5 June 2025 (UTC)

You've passed, congratulations!!! 🌷Reverosie🌷^★talk★ 15:59, 5 June 2025 (UTC)

@Reverosie Thank you thank you! It was very fun going through this with you as the reviewer. Vanderwaalforces (talk) 16:10, 5 June 2025 (UTC)

Update: I've passed the article, but I think ChristieBot is having some issues, so the nomination is still there even though it's updated. 🌷Reverosie🌷^★talk★ 16:08, 5 June 2025 (UTC)

Oh, it's nothing to worry about, ChristieBot will definitely do its job in due time. Vanderwaalforces (talk) 16:10, 5 June 2025 (UTC)

@Reverosie Looks like you need to list this at Wikipedia:Good articles/History#Monarchs. Vanderwaalforces (talk) 16:15, 5 June 2025 (UTC)

Thanks for letting me know! I did that 🌷Reverosie🌷^★talk★ 16:18, 5 June 2025 (UTC)