Historical accounts are vague as to when and if the Bini (Edo), migrated from
the Nile valley. What is not in doubt is that the earliest rulers of Benin were
called Ogisos.
Thirty-one Ogisos in all ruled the kingdom of Benin between 900 - 1200 AD,
which is the earliest period so far accounted for in Benin history.
The Bini monarchy demonstrates strong affinity with ancient Egyptian gods and
Pharaohs, with which it shares identical authority, grandeur and a great deal of
reverence from their subjects.
In fact, the hair style of Bini chiefs is similar to Pharaoh Ramses II's famous
helmet, while the small circles on the helmet appear also on many Bini
bronzes. Bini Queens wear identical hairstyles to that of Pharaoh Mycerinus
(Fourth-Dynasty), and Pharaoh Sesostris I (Twelfth Dynasty). The kings
(Ogies) of Benin (Bini) also adopt grand Osirian titles of the 'Open Eye,'
signifying omniscience and omnipotence.
The Bini cosmological account of the universe draws significantly from the
Egyptian one. The Egyptian version, which later formed the basis of genesis in
the Bible, is that the universe was created from chaos and primeval (or ancient)
ocean. After a hill (called tatjenen) arose from the bottom of the ocean, a son-
god (God's child or baby god) called Atom (which is the Sun without which life
on earth is impossible), appeared on the land created by the hill. The son-god
or Atom then created eight other gods which together with himself made nine
gods. These nine gods are presumed by modern science to be symbolized by
the nine major planets of the universe.
The Bini version is that, in the beginning there was no land only water
everywhere. In the middle of the water stood a tree on top of which lived
(Owonwon) the toucan. Osanobua (The Creator) decided to populate the world
so The Creator sent three sons, each with a choice of peculiar gift.
One of the three sons chose to have wealth and the next chose magical skills.
As the youngest was about to make his choice known, Owonwon cried out to
him to settle for a snail shell. This he did. When the canoe the three children
were travelling in reached the middle of the waters, the youngest son turned his
snail shell upside down to release endless stream of sand resulting in the
emergence of land from the waters.
The three sons at first were afraid to step on the land from the canoe. To test
the firmness of the land, they sent the Chameleon, which is why Chameleons
walk with hesitation.
Osanobua then came down on a chain, from the sky, to demarcate the earth and
allocate responsibilities. Osanobua appointed the younngest son as ruler of the
earth. The son called the earth (Agbon) and promptly set up his headquarters
at Igodomigodo.
The oldest son was given control of the waters by Osanobua. The Bini call this
son, Olokun (meaning the god of the river). The other son was allowed freedom
to use his magical powers to balance out the negative and positive forces of
nature. He apparently represents evil and the Bini call him Ogiuwu (or Esu
sometimes) meaning the harbinger of death. Ogiuwu is supposed to own the
blood of all living things. In other words, no living thing can live forever.
Osanobua then settled in the realm of the spirit world across the waters where
the sky and the earth meet.
While Osanobua and Olokun represent aspects of life such as good health, long
life, good luck, prosperity and happiness to which man may apeal through ritual
purity, Ogiuwu represents mourning, evil omen and diseases.
The youngest son, the ruler of the earth represents innocence and so is
susceptible to the powers of the other deities. These same good and evil
influences form the basic elements of all modern religions, with man endowed
with the power to make choices.
The importance of the emergence of the tree before man on earth is not lost on
modern science, which recognizes that without the tree manufacturing oxygen,
life on earth would have been impossible. Modern science has also confirmed
the Bini cosmology that birds, insects etc preceded man to earth. The Bini
myth of creation was earth based in scope.
The Ogisos (meaning rulers of the sky) because of their direct lineage to the
youngest son of Osanobua (God), from the sky, were of course, accorded divine
qualities by the Bini. These, the Ogisos naturally tried to strengthen in a variety
of ways, including not allowing themselves to be seen eating in public and so
suggesting that they can live without food. They are not mortal but god-kings
with celestial mystique attached to them.
Because the kings (Ogisos) of Bini are considered divine, they are worshipped
by their subjects who speak to them always with great reverence, at a distance
and on bended knees. Great ceremonies surround every action of the Bini king.
Bini kings have immense political powers, as ultimate judges in court matters,
the deliverers of death penalty, the receivers of taxes and tributes, the
regulators of trade, the nominal owners of the land of the kingdom, chief
executives and law makers, and principal custodians of customs and traditions.
However, their immense powers are hedged with checks and balances to
prevent excesses. The king's powers are held in trust for the entire community
and cannot be exercised without consultation with other levels of authority,
such as the kingmakers, known as Edionisen.
The first Ogiso king was called Ogiso Igodo and his kingdom Igodomigodo was
at Ugbekun. Ogiso Igodo's successor, Ogiso Ere, transferred the capital from
Ugbekun to Uhudumwunrun.
This detailed history of Bini is being provided to illustrate the formidable
authority and infleunce welded by monarchs in African kingdoms and
demonstrate how ancient people tried to breath life into myths. Whether it is
the son-god of the Bini, Egypt or the Christian religion, ancient people
translated myths into reality. There is, therefore, nothing special about Jesus
Christ. The idea of the Son of God or Son-God is as old and ancient man in
Africa.
Ogiso Ere was a very resourceful king. He introduced the guild system of
carpenters and wood carvers, which eventually developed into the world
celebrated wood works and bronze casting of Igun Street in Benin City. Ogiso
Ere also built the first ever Igodomigodo market known then as Ogiso market
and in modern times as Agbado market. Ogiso Ere, a lover of peace, invented
the famous African kingship paraphernalia which includes the Ada (a sword of
honour), Eben (a sword for dancing), Ekete (a royal stool), Agba (a rectangular
stool) and Epoki (a leather box).
Ogiso Ere was succeeded by Ogiso Orire, maintaining the primogeniture (son
succeeding his father) principle. The fourth dynasty on the death of Orire
introduced the system of gerontocracy (the oldest person in the community
rules), until the death of the twenty-second Ogiso when the primogeniture
system was restored. The twenty-third Ogiso extended the primogeniture rule
to all his frontline chiefs known collectively as the Edion (Elders). The Edion
included Chief Oliha, Edohen, Ero, Ezomo and Eholo-Nire. Ogiso Ibioye, another
resourceful king introduced the use of cowries as currency to Igodomigodo.
The last of the Ogiso kings was called Owodo. He reigned in the 12th century
AD and had only one child (a male) despite having many wives. In attempt to
unravel the cause of his wives' barrenness, he sent his first wife Esagho and
three male messengers to consult an oracle. The oracle named Esagho as the
cause. To avoid the wrath and punishment of the king, Esagho threatened to lie
to the king that the male messengers had carnal relationship with her (an act
carrying death penalty), if they revealed the oracle's declaration. The
messengers, in connivance with Esagho told the king that the oracle fingered
his only son, Ekhaladerhan as the cause of his wives' barrenness and that
Prince Ekhaladerhan had to be killed to reverse the situation.
The king, angered by the development but reluctant to take the life of his only
child, banished Ekhaladerhan and his mother to a place called Ughoton on the
outskirts of Igodomigodo kingdom. Three years after the banishment, Owodo's
wives were still barren so he sent another set of messengers to the oracle. It
was then that the truth about Esagho's treachery was revealed. Esagho was
executed as punishment and still the king's wives remained barren. Apparently,
the problem had to do with the fertility status of the king himself but no body
dared to raise such ideas in those days. Women were always blamed for
barrenness.
However, Ogiso Owodo, apart from his domestic problems, was not a very
popular king and his execution of a pregnant woman for some misdemeanor,
proved to be one offence too many for his subjects and frontline chiefs who
banished Owodo from his throne. Owodo took refuge at a place called
Uhinwinrin, where he died miserably a few years later.
During the period of Owodo's banishment, a monster that appeared to be
coming out of the Ikpoba river, (although the Igodomigodos believed it was
coming from the sky), attacked and devoured people at will at the Ogiso
market. The Igodomigodos as a result, nicknamed the Ogiso market, Ägbado
Aigbare, (meaning we go there together we never return together), which is how
Ogiso market acquired its current name of Agbado market.
Every effort to tackle the monster, including spiritual means failed until Evian, a
member of the Ogiso royal family, succeeded in throwing a fire-hot iron into the
mouth of the monster. The feat appeared to have sent the monster to its
eventual death and endeared Evian to his people, because the monster never
bothered the people of Igodomigodo again.
The death of Ogiso Owodo created leadership vacuum for the first time in
Igodomigodo's history. The people were not prepared to countenance a mere
mortal from a non-Ogiso lineage ruling them. It had to be the God-son's first
son or nothing. It was during this period of confusion that the elders, known as
Edionisen, including Chiefs Edohen, Ero and led by Oliha mounted a search for
their banished Prince Ekaladerhan.
In the meantime, Ekaladerhan had set up a settlement he called
'Ilefe,' (meaning, successful escape) and had changed his name to 'Izoduwa,'
(meaning I have chosen the path of prosperity).
Izoduwa's new home, ' Ilefe' was in the heart of Yoruba land and because of his
immense magic powers soon endeared himself to his Yoruba community which
included some Uzebu (corrupted in Yoruba to Ijebu) who had followed him into
exile from Igodomigodo, and were treating him as a god. The Yoruba corrupted
his name Izoduwa to 'Oduduwa' and his camp, 'Ilefe' to
'Ile-Ife.'
Oduduwa became the spiritual leader of the Ifa divinity. The yoruba (who call
The Creator, Olodumare), saw Oduduwa as a direct descendant, which he
claimed as a result of his God-son lineage, although his banishment link with
the God-sons (Ogisos) was kept a secret from the Yoruba. In fact, the Yoruba
believed he was a deity from the sky as he claimed and accorded him great
reverence as their leading ancestor.
The Ifa myth of creation draws significantly from the Bini and Egyptian corpus.
It claims that Olodumare (The Creator) sent Orunmila (another name for
Oduduwa) down to the earth with a cock (rooster) which carried a quantity of
sand in its claws. Before then, the entire earth surface was covered with
water. The cock dropped the sand on the water and spread it with its claws to
create land. Oduduwa subsequently had eight children who later dispersed to
found and rule other Yoruba communities. The Yoruba myth of creation is
community based confirming lineal relationship with its (earth based Bini and
universe based Egyptian) mother sources.
Oduduwa's first son was by a Yoruba woman called Okanbi. This son was
called 'Omonoyan,' (meaning precious child in Bini) which the Yoruba corrupted
to 'Oranmiyan.'
When the Edionisen of Igodomigodo finally traced Ekaladerhan (Oduduwa) down
to (Ilefe) Ile-Ife, they could not persuade Oduduwa to return to his father's
throne in Igodomigodo. The Edionisen, out of frustration for not being able to
persuade Izoduwa to return home to his throne, installed a temporary
administrator, the hero whose name was Evian, to oversee the affairs of
Igodomigodo.
Evian was a popular administrator. He invented the acrobatic dance called
Amufi and the traditional dance called Emeghute. He ruled until very old age
and before his death, nominated his oldest son, Irebor to succeed him. Most of
the people of Igodomigodo and senior chiefs would not have this. They rejected
Irebor on the ground that his father Evian was not an Ogiso and, therefore,
lacked divine authority to bequeath kingship (Ogieship)to his heir.
Leadership vacuum was again created in Igodomigodo and after a period of
uncertainly, the Edionisen decided to once again reach out to their son,
Izoduwa, who had by then acquired the Yoruba title of 'Ooni.' After much
pleading by the Edionisen, for the Ooni to allow his first son to ascend to the
throne of Igodomigodo, the Ooni decided to put the people of Igodomigodo to a
test. He gave the Edionisen some lice and instructed them to bring them back
in three years to get their answer.
Cheif Oliha kept the lice in the hair of one of their slaves and after three years
returned the lice to Izoduwa who was surprised at the level of preservation and
development of the lice. Izoduwa (Oduduwa) concluded that if the Edionisen
could so adequately take care of the lice, his son was likely to be in good
hands.
In the meantime, Irebor was warning the people of Igodomigodo against what
he called (Ogie a mien, Aimmien Oba), meaning it is an Ogie that rules
Igodomigodo and not an Oba, in protest against the intrusion of the Ife Prince.
The word Ogiamen then became the nickname of Irebor and subsequently the
hereditary title of the ruler of Irebor's Igodomigodo.
Ogiamien Irebor prevented Prince Oranmiyan from entering the heart of
Igodomigodo kingdom. The people of Igodomigodo built a palace for Prince
Oranmiyan at Usama. Prince Oranmiyan, unable to bear the animosity for very
long, renounced his office and called Igodomigodo land, Ile Ibinu (meaning a
land of annoyance and vexation). He declared that only a child of the soil,
educated in the culture and traditions of Igodomigodo could rule the kingdom.
Prince Oranmiyan, on his way home to Ife, stopped briefly at Ego, where he
pregnated Princess Erimwinde, the daughter of the Enogie of Ego. Princess
Erimwinde's casual encounter with Prince Oranmiyan resulted in the birth of a
baby boy who couldn't talk in his early years but loved playing the game of
marble.
When Oranmiyan, who had in the meantime established his Alafin dynasty in
Oyo was informed about his son's predicament, he sent the child's mother
seven marbles. While playing with the marbles and other children, one of his
throws hit the target and in the excitement screamed: ' Owomika,' (meaning I
hit the target). This is how his title of Oba Eweka was derived and he ruled
over Usama renamed Ile-Ibinu outside Igodomigodo. In the meantime,
Ogiamien Irebor who ruled Igodomigodo had been succeeded by Ogiamien Ubi
by the time of Oba Eweka's reign in Ile-Ibinu.
Oba Eweka's reign was not particularly eventful. He was succeeded by Oba
Ewuahen, Oba Ehenmihen and the Oba Ewedo. Oba Ewedo changed the name of
Ile-Ibinu to Ubini, which the Portuguese corrupted to Benin or Bini.
Oba Ewedo moved his palace from Usama or Ubini to its present site in
Igodomigodo, causing a bitter war between the Oba and Ogiamien Ode who was
the ruler of Igodomigodo at the time. The fight was considered purely a family
matter by the people and elders of Igodomigodo. To prevent it leading to the
death of too many innocent lives, the elders prevailed on the adversaries to
settle their quarrel amicably.
Oba Ewedo requested Ogiamien Ode to sell the land to him. A treaty was
struck requiring Ogiamien as the traditional landlord of Igodomigodo kingdom,
to sell part of the land to the Oba at the coronation of every successive Oba.
The Oba elect first had to present gifts to the Ogiemien which include two male
and two female servants, a royal stoll, a wooden staff, a rectangular stool and a
round leather box.
The Oba-in-waiting and the Ogiamien would then meet at their common
boundary called Ekiokpagha, where the Ogiamien would take sand from the
ground and put it in the hand of the Oba while he eays: "I have sold this part
of Benin land to you but not your son and when you pass away your son will
buy the land from me as you have done."
The Ogiamien's dormain in Benin kingdom is known as Utantan where he has
chiefs assisting him in his traditional duties. The present Ogiamien of Utantan-
Benin is Ogiamien Osarobo Okuonghae, a graduate of history from the University
of Benin.
Oba Ewedo's reign was followed by that of Oguola, Edoni, Udagbedo, Ohen,
Egbeka, Orobiru and Uwaifiokun in that order, none of which was considered
particularly spectacular in Benin history.
The mid 15th century AD through the 16th century AD, withnessed the period of
the warrior kings in Benin history. Ewuare the great, Ozolua, Esigie, Orhogbua
and Ehengbuda consolidated, developed and expanded the kingdom through
innovative leadership ideas, closely knit, disciplined community organization,
warfare and conquests. A British adventurer called Ling Roth, was the first to
refer to Benin as great, a tribute not only to the extend of the Benin empire but
also to the elaborate, detailed and efficient administrative machinery the people
had evolved over a period of more than 1,000 years.
At its height, the Binis controlled vast Yoruba land with populations several
times larger than that of Benin. The Benin kingdom extended in the West to
Lagos, where the Binis set up a military camp of occupation which they called
Eko, in the North-east to Ekiti, Owo, Ondo, most of Delta state and all of the
North-west to the river Niger.
The Binis established their influence and authority along the West Coast of
Africa and through dominance lent their name to the Bight of Benin. The Binis
have very close affinity with the Ashantis of Ghana and are considered of
similar or common stock.
However, the frontiers of the Benin Empire were constantly expanding and
contrasting as new conquests were made and as vassals on the borders
rebelled only to be re-conquered.
The Binis spread their culture and traditions, particularly their Obaship ideology
and system by sending royal brothers to rule over tributaries, or holding
hostage, sons of conquered chiefs to be trained in Benin City or by sponsoring
candidates for thrones of conquered territories. Objects such as Ada and brass
masks were introduced to vassal lords as emblems of their authority and these
symbols have endured in virtually all the territories that experienced Bini
control. Even in places outside direct Benin influence, such as in the Niger
Delta area, the reputation of the Oba of Benin was such that leadership disputes
were brought to him for arbitration and the winners took back home, Benin
regalia to form part of their leadership traditions.
The city of Benin, like the ancient Egyptian cities walled against predators, has
a giant protective moat dug around it between 1280 - 1295 AD, without using
mechanical equipment. The engineering feat still marvels in modern times. The
Benin moat is described in the Guinness Book of Records as second in
magnitude only to the Great China wall.
Ewuare, the first Bini warrior king, was himself forced into exile as a young
prince and nearly would not have ascended the Benin throne. With death
penalty hanging on his head as a result of some misdemeanor, he fled into the
woods although regularly, secretly visiting the city of Benin at night.
The elders (Edionisen) heard about his secret visits and set a trap to capture
and kill him. Just as he was about to be caught, he escaped to the home of
Ogieva Nomuekpo, who hid him in a well covered on top with leaves. Ogieva
then went to invite the elders to come and arrest Prince Ogun as he was called
then.
While Ogieva was on his way to call the elders, Edo, the head servant of
Ogieva's household alerted Prince Ogun about his master's diabolical plan and
helped the prince to escape. Ogieva returned with the elders to find that he had
been betrayed and he severely punished Edo for this.
After several years in the bush, Prince Ogun began to grow weary of his
vagabond life and accepted to be crowned Oba Ewuare of Ubini land around the
mid 15th century AD. The father's throne had been vacant for a while then and
he was the oldest heir.
On the throne, one of his first acts was to reward Edo with many valuable gifts.
After Edo's death, he bought his corpse from Ogieva and buried it at the
entrance to the palace's inner tower. Then he decreed that the land of Ubini
should henceforth be known and called Edo. This was later expanded to Edo
O'Evho Ahire, meaning Edo the city of love, in appreciation of Edo's love that
saved young Prince Ogun's life and gave Benin her greatest king.
Oba Ewuare the great, as he later came to be known, was the most dynamic,
innovative and successful Oba in the history of Edo kingdom. Under him, Benin
was completely transformed religiously, politically, socially and physically.
Houses originally built with poles or palm ribs and padded with mud were
rebuilt with packed mud. The city was re-planned and neatly laid out, with
roads radiating from the center. It was divided into two distinct segments with
Ore ne Okhua, constituting the public sector and the Oba's sector (Ogbe) the
other.
The population of Ore ne Okhua was organized into wards with each
specializing in a peculiar craft or ritual services in allegiance to the king.
The palace, which did not have a permanent site in previous reigns, was
constructed on a massive scale covering several acres of land at its present
location and turned into a beehive of activities as the political and spiritual
nerve centre of the vast kingdom.
The Binis have a saying that in the Oba's palace there is never silence. The
complex includes shrine areas, meeting chambers for a variety of groups of
chiefs, work spaces for ritual professionals, royal artists and craftsmen,
storehouses, residential sections for the Oba's numerous wives, children and
servants.
A seventeenth century Dutch engraving from Olfert Dapper's Nauwkeurige
Beschrijvinge der Afrikaansche Gewesten, published in Amsterdam in 1668
described the palace thus:
" The king's palace or court is a square, and is as large as the town of Haarlem
and entirely surrounded by a special wall, like that which encircles the town. It
is divided into many magnificent palaces, houses, and apartments of the
courtiers, and comprises beautiful and long square galleries, about as large as
the Exchange at Amsterdam, but one larger than another, resting on wooden
pillars, from top to bottom covered with cast copper, on which are engraved the
pictures of their war exploits and battles, and are kept very clean. Most
palaces and houses of the king are covered with palm leaves instead of square
pieces of wood, and every roof is decorated with a small turret ending in a point,
on which birds are standing, birds cast in copper with outspread wings, cleverly
made after living models."
Ewuare re-organized the government by centralizing it and he set up three
powerful palace associations of chiefs. The political elite of the kingdom was
made up of titled chiefs and members of the royal family. The seven highest-
ranking chiefs who were, in fact, descendants of original elders of Benin were
constituted into Uzama with leadership authority next to the king.
The brothers of the king who tended to be potential rivals were sent as
hereditary rulers (Enogies) of administrative districts. The mother of the king
was given the title of Queen mother and set up in her own palace in the town of
Uselu just outside the city.
Ewuare restored the annual cycle of royal ceremonies the most important ones
being Ugie Erha Oba in honour of royal ancestors and Igue to strengthen the
mystical powers of the king. The present day elegant ceremonial costumes of
the kings and chiefs of Benin originated from Ewuare's reign.
Ewuare set up a war machine that extended Benin notion of kingship, objects,
aesthetic ideas and power across the West Coast of Africa. The arts,
particularly brass casting, flourished during his reign.
The kings of Benin from the reign of Ewuare the great until the 17th century AD
were Ezoti, followed by Olua, Ozolua, Esigie, Orhogbua, Ehengbuda, Ohuan,
Ahenzae, Akenzae, Akengboi, Akenkpaye, Akengbedo, Ore-Oghene, Ewuakpe and
Ozuere.
When king Ozolua died, a bitter struggle for power ensued between his two
sons, Esigie in Benin City and Aruaran in the town of Udo, about 20 miles from
Benin City to the northwest. Udo then, was an important centre almost as
large and powerful as Benin City. Esigie triumphed just as he did in the war
against the Igala people from north of Nigeria who had attacked the kingdom
during his reign. The Binis drove the Igala soldiers back across the river Niger
and established their king, the Ata, as a vassal of Benin.
The Portuguese first reached Benin which they called Beny or Benin (although
the Binis called themselves, their language, capital city and their kingdom, EDO),
during the reign of Ozolua between 1472 and 1486 AD. The Portuguese found a
highly developed kingdom with unique and very sohpisticated political, artistic,
linguistic, economic, cultural and military traditions in the process of territorial
conquests.
Between 1504 and 1550 AD, the Portuguese, a major European power at the
time, happily negotiated and established diplomatic and trade relations with Oba
Esigie and his kingdom of Benin. Portuguese mercenaries fought along side the
Binis in many territorial wars after the treaty. Trade between the Portuguese
and Benin was mainly in coral beads, cloths for ceremonial attire and great
quantities of brass manilas which Bini craftsmen melted for casting. In
exchange for Portuguese goods, the Binis offered tobacco, spices, colanuts,
ivory, earthenware, jewelry, artifacts, domestic slaves etc.
European slave trade in West Africa started with the acquisition of domestic
servants, and warrior kingdoms like Edo had plenty of them captured as war
booties. It was forbidden to sell or take a native Bini into slavery and so
elaborate identification marks on faces and chests were contrived. Binis,
therefore, were hardly ever captured by Arabs or Europeans into slavery.
One of the numerous elite palace associations was assigned the responsibility
of conducting affairs with the Portuguese. Until this day, a secret language
which some claim is derived from Portuguese, is spoken by members of the
association.
The seventeenth century witnessed another period of internal turmoil in Benin
history. After the death of Ehengbuda, the last warrior king in the late 16th
century AD, his son Ohuan ascended the throne but he did not reign for long
and he produced no heir. With his death, the lineage that produced the Eweka
dynasty ended.
Powerful rebel chiefs established private bases and selected kings from among
their ranks. This produced a series of kings with doubtful claims to legitimacy,
which seriously weakened the Benin monarchy.
At the turn of the 17th century, a very powerful Iyase (head of chiefs and the
supreme military commander of the kingdom), rebelled against Oba Ewuakpe
and after the Oba's death, supported a rival brother to the heir apparent, who
won and became Akenzua I. This rebel (the Iyase ne Ode), is remembered in
Benin oral history as a threatening foe and a very powerful magician who could
transform himself into an elephant at will.
Oba Akenzua I, from 1715 AD and Oba Eresonyen from 1735 AD, successfully
fought the rebellious chiefs and restored power and legitimacy to the Bini
manarchy. Their reigns were followed in 1750 by that of Akengbuda; 1804,
Obanosa and Ogbebo in quick succession; 1815, Osemwede and 1850 Oba
Adolo.
During the British invasion of Benin City in 1897, Oba Ovoranmwen Nogbaisi
(meaning the great) was on the throne. The British, viewing Benin as the main
obstacle in their expansion drive into the agricultural interior of the West African
coast from the river Niger, decided to provoke the kingdom to get an excuse to
sack it. The British stubbornly sent their scouts to Benin against the advice and
tradition of the Binis, during a sacred national ceremony when foreign visitors
are not welcomed. The British mercenaries were eliminated as hostile intruders,
which was the excuse the British wanted. The British then launched a full-scale
war, which lasted for eight days and went in their favour because of their
superior weapons. After capturing the ancient city of Benin, they scattered the
inhabitants to villages and farms. While the Binis were out of the way, and the
invaders had exiled Oba Overanmwen to Calabar (in South-east Nigeria), they
ransac ked the Oba's palace, all Bini shrines and chiefs' homes, stealing
thousands of sacred Benin works of art and other valuables which today adorn
the leading museums in Europe and America. Not content with their looting,
they burnt the entire city down to the last house.
From accounts of members of the British army that invaded Benin City in 1897,
we learn that the floors, lintels, and rafters of the council chambers and the
king's residence in the palace were lined with sheets of repoussé, decorated
brass covered with royal geometric designs and figures of men and leopards.
Ornamental ivory locks sealed the doors and carved ivory figurines surmounted
anterior. A brass snake, observed for the first time by a European in the early
eighteenth century, was still to be seen on the roof of the council chamber
house.
All of these the invading British, in the name of their king and country carted
away. What they could not steal or burn, they destroyed. And sitting on the
ruins, the British subdued and indirectly ruled this outstanding African
civilization for another 63 years as part of their Nigerian colony.
Despite the British abuse of Bini culture and marginalization of Bini history, the
spendour of Edo civilization continues to this day to astound and exite the
world. Benin artifacts are among the most exquisite and coveted in world's
history and the kingdom of Benin ramains famous for its sophistication in social
engineering and organization. The Bini Obaship institution is still one of the
world's most revered apart from being one of the most ancient.
Eweka II ascended the throne of Benin in 1814 and Akenzua the II became Oba
in 1933. Between them, they restored a great deal of the tradition and dignity
of Benin Obaship and rebuilt, although on a smaller scale than the Ewuare
palace, the grandeur, triumph and supremacy of Bini traditions. Large walled
areas have now replaced the numerous compounds of former kings with
enclosed individual altars for each of the three immediate predecessors and one
general altar for the rest. Decorated sheets of brass adorn the rafters and
lintels and terra-cotta plaques recount the exploits of former kings.
The current king of this great African kingdom and one of the most vibrant,
colourful and enlightened civilizations in the history of the world, is Oba
Erediauwa, Uku Akpolo Kpolo, the Omo N'Oba N'Edo.
Copyright: The Secrets of the Ages by Naiwu Osahon,
Published by Heritage Books, Apapa, Lagos, Nigeria.
Also published in the children's book series:
Obobo Books, Apapa, Lagos, Nigeria, under the title:
EDO: the kingdom of love, by Naiwu Osahon
Naiwu Osahon
Hon. Khu Mkuu,
The World Pan-African Movement.
