The 10th Alaafin of Oyo was a female "king" who ruled Oyo during the imperial

The 10th Alaafin of Oyo was a female  "king" who ruled Oyo  during the imperial era, Alaafin Orompotoniyun Ajiun  (commonly known as Orompoto), was  the Alaafin of Oyo from  1554 to 1562.

Her father was the 7th Alaafin of Oyo, Alaafin Onigbogi. When  Alafin Onigbogi was on the throne, Oyo was in Ibariba  territory. After his  death, his eldest son,  Ofinran, was crowned  Alaaf of Oyo after him in  1512.
After Alafin Ofinran became king, he decided to  leave Ibariba  territory and  settle where Oyo-Ile was later  established, near Igboho. After making his  decision, he  announced it to his subjects and  brothers: Prince Egungun Oju (also known as Egun Oju),  Princess Orompotoniyun and  Prince Ajiboyede.  All agreed with  Alafin Ofinra on his  decision.
The royal family and their entourage left  the village of Ibariba. On the way, one of the  king's "Olorit" gave birth to Prince Tella  Abiipa. Alafin Ofinran died before they  reached Oyo-Ile. Prince Egungun Oju was crowned  Alaaf of Oyo in 1534 when they  arrived in Oyo-Ile. It was Alaafin Egungun Oju  who led the  Oyo people to Oyo-Ile, very close to Igboho before  he was razed in 1835 by a Fulani scholar of Islam called Alim al Salih and his Fulani  Jihad army. It was Are-Ona Kakanfo  (general of the empire) Afonja,  a master of  Ilorin, who invited Alim al  Salihu to his  ranks.
Those who survived  settled in Ago  d'oyo/Oyo Atiba where  the city of Oyo is  located today. At the same time that they inhabited the  territory, the Nupe also  began to invade the  territory and  the Oyo and Nupe  began to fight for supremacy over the  territory. Alafin Eguguoju also died shortly after  his settlement in Oyo-Ile.  Alaafin Ofinran's other siblings  (children of Alaafin  Onigbogi) were  Princess Orompotoniyun and  Prince Ajiboyede. Prince Ajiboyede was  also a  young prince and  Alafin Ofinran's son,  Prince Tella  Abiipa, was  just a  child. The Oyomesi wanted to use one of the two,  regardless of age, but  Princess Orompotoniyun Ajiun insisted that she  was the  rightful heir to the  throne.
The Oyomesi also insisted that  there had never been a female  king in the history of Oyo. They told Princess  Orompotoniyu that they  could not crown her as king,  that they  preferred to use little  Prince Ajiboyede or  little Tella Abiipa as Alaafin of  Oyo.
Princess Orompotoniyun felt  offended and told the  Oyo people that  she would show them that  she was a "man" and brave,  and not  an illegitimate and  a woman, as they  claimed. She promised to show them why she  had the right to the throne. She asked them to meet her at the palace in seven  days. From that  day on, Princess Orompotoniyun  began to dress like a prince, not a princess. She  began to behave and  dress like a  man.
On the seventh day, when Oyomesi  arrived at the palace,  Princess Orompotoniyun  took off the "male" agbada she  was wearing. The Oyomesi were not surprised that  Princess Orompotoniyun had little or no  breasts. This did not surprise the Oyomesi, they  did not  touch her, they just hissed and  replied: "It is not new  to see a lady  who has very small  breasts on her chest,  it does not  give you  the right to the throne, you are still a  woman." "Even dressing and acting like a royal prince  does not change anything.  She remains a princess, a princess has never been crowned in our history.  "It's not happening now."
Orompotoniyun just smiled and  took off his pants. To their surprise, they  saw not only what looked like a  penis, but also a  scrotal sac with two  scrotal balls  hanging below the penis.  That is why she  praised him thus:  "Emi Ajiun, a ri òbò sẹgun  tử".
Terrified, the Oyomesi immediately  bowed down before the princess and  began to praise her and  sing, Kabiyesi o. She was immediately crowned  Alafin of  Oyo. She ruled from the  city founded by her ancestor and brother, Alaafin Egungun Oju (near Igboho). The  bravery and leadership  of the female "queen" laid the foundation  of the powerful  "old Oyo  empire". An empire that united the  entire Oduduwa race as  the Yoruba  nation and  also subjugated  many cities as far as Togo and Dahomey  (now the Republic of Benin) with the  Alafin as  its emperor.
Like the  famous warrior queen  of northern  Nigeria, Queen Amina of Zaria, Alaafin Orompotoniyun Ajiun led  her people into war. She fought and  won every battle against or  from Oyo. In 1555 (a year after  becoming Alafin of Oyo), she  completely defeated the Nupe warriors  who had  long terrorized  Oyo-Ile. Alafin Orompotoniyun was  known as an expert on  horses and  had created a specialized order of cavalry officers  in her  army, known as the Eso Ikoyi. She used horses extensively in military battles,  which is why  BBC Yoruba describes her as a  brave warrior  who defeated her enemies on  horseback. Her reign was peaceful and  tranquil.