Atuwatse I

Ògíamẹ̀ Atuwatsé I (Dom Domingos)
Olú of Iwere, Domingos Prince of Warri
Olu Atuwatsé First of His Name, Western-educated prince, trained in Portugal (1600–1611)
Olú (king) of Warri
Reign	c. 1623 – c. 1643
Coronation	c. 1623
Predecessor	Olu Atorongboye (Sebastian I)
Successor	Olu Oyenakpagha
Born	Oyeomasan Unknown Ode-itsekiri
Died	c. 1643 Ode-itsekiri Warri Kingdom
Burial	1643 Ijala Royal Cemetery, Warri Kingdom
Spouse	Maria Pereira
Issue	Don Antonio Domingo
House	House of Ginuwa
Father	Olu Atorongboye (Sebastian I)
Mother	Unknown
Religion	Roman Catholicism
Occupation	Sovereign Monarch

Olu Atuwatse I (Olu Dom Domingos) was the 7th Olu of Warri who ruled over the Warri Kingdom. ^[1] He was the son to Olu Atorongboye (Olu Sebastian) and succeeded his father Olu Atorongboye (Olu Sebastian) as the 7th Olu of Warri. He was initially home-schooled by his father and the Bishop in Ode-Itsekiri, which resulted in his ability to read and write in Portuguese. He was educated in Portugal from 1600 to 1611. He returned to Warri Kingdom as a graduate, making him the first graduate in Sub Saharan Africa ^{[2] [ self-published source ]} Olu Dom Domingos was the second Christian Olu to rule Warri Kingdom. He married a Portuguese noblewoman, Maria Pereira, before returning to Nigeria with her in 1611. ^{[3] [4] [5] [6]}

Reign and Life

Prince Oyeomasan (later baptized as Dom Domingos) was the son of Olu Atorongboye (Sebastian I), the 6th Olu of Warri. He received his early education at home in Ode-Itsekiri, learning to read and write Portuguese under the tutelage of his father and a resident bishop. ^{[7] [8]}

Around 1600, Olu Sebastian I sent him to Portugal, where he studied theology at the Collégio de São Jerónimo in Coimbra and later matriculated in its university system. He is widely recognized as the first university graduate from Sub-Saharan Africa. ^[9]

While in Portugal, Dom Domingos married a Portuguese noblewoman, Maria Pereira, in June 1610, and returned to the Warri Kingdom with her in 1611. His return introduced European education and Catholic influence into Itsekiri royal circles. ^[10]

Upon his father's death around 1623, he ascended the throne as Olu Atuwatse I, becoming the 7th Olu of Warri. His reign, lasting until approximately 1643, saw the consolidation of Catholicism within the court and the introduction of European regalia, including a silver crown commissioned from Portugal. ^[11]

Olu Atuwatse I was the first Christian Olu to marry a Portuguese woman, setting a precedent followed by his son, Olu Antonio Domingo. His reign strengthened diplomatic and religious ties between Warri and Portugal, embedding European cultural elements into the kingdom's governance and symbolism. ^[12]

He died around 1643 and was buried at Ijala Royal Cemetery in Ijala community. He was succeeded by his son, Olu Oyenakpagha (Antonio Domingo). ^{[13] [14] [15]}

References

1. The African Guardian. Guardian Magazines. 1987.
2. Nwaka, Tony (25 September 2015). Lords of the Creek. AuthorHouse. ISBN   978-1-5049-5024-4 – via Google Books.
3. Silva, Alberto da Costa e (21 August 2014). A manilha e o libambo. Nova Fronteira. ISBN   978-85-209-3949-9 – via Google Books.
4. "About". Ugbajo Itsekiri.
5. "The Itsekiri Kingdom (1480 AD - Present): the Afro-Europeans of the Niger Delta -". thinkafrica.net. 6 December 2018.
6. Koschorke, Klaus; Ludwig, Frieder; Delgado, Mariano; Spliesgart, Roland (14 September 2007). A History of Christianity in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, 1450-1990: A Documentary Sourcebook. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. ISBN   978-0-8028-2889-7 – via Google Books.
7. Edeme, Victoria (20 August 2021). "Warri Kingdom, according to history dating back 541 years". Punch Newspapers. Retrieved 2 July 2025.
8. O’mone, Chris (20 January 2012). The Saga of the Early Warri Princes: A History of the Beginnings of a West African Dynasty, 1480–1654. iUniverse. ISBN   978-1-4620-8429-6.
9. www.premiumtimesng.com https://www.premiumtimesng.com/opinion/150473-the-itsekiris-rich-history-and-their-bond-with-the-yoruba-by-eric-teniola.html?tztc=1 . Retrieved 2 July 2025.{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
10. Sanneh, Lamin (24 March 2015). West African Christianity: The Religious Impact. Orbis Books. ISBN   978-1-60833-149-9.
11. Lloyd, P. C. (1963). "The Itsekiri in the Nineteenth Century; An Outline Social History". The Journal of African History. 4 (2): 207–231. doi:10.1017/S0021853700004035. ISSN   0021-8537. JSTOR   179535.
12. Ayida, Allegra Otsaye (25 July 2022). "How to Make a Warri King". The Republic. Retrieved 2 July 2025.
13. THEWILL, Aina Ojonugwa (11 May 2021). "Goodbye, Welcome… Warri Begin Final Rites For Deceased Olu, Coronation Process For Successor" . Retrieved 2 July 2025.
14. eribake, akintayo (16 October 2015). "Olu of Warri-elect performs traditional Iken rites for predecessor". Vanguard News. Retrieved 2 July 2025.
15. "Ijala: Delta State community where the Kings never die – www.africatravelherald.com" . Retrieved 2 July 2025.