Question:
When did the Kingdom of Benin begin?
(Question taken from Part 1)
Text:
The Kingdom of Benin (Part 1)
The kingdom of Benin began in the 900s when the Edo people settled in the rainforests of West Africa. By the 1400s they had created a wealthy kingdom with a powerful ruler, known as the Oba. The Obas lived in beautiful palaces decorated with shining brass.
Gradually, the Obas won more land and built up an empire. They also started trading with merchants from Europe.
For 200 years Benin was very successful, but in the 1600s the Obas started to lose control of their people. By the 1800s Benin was no longer strong or united. The kingdom came to a sudden end in 1897, when a British army invaded and made it part of the British Empire.
How did the kingdom begin?
Around the year 900 groups of Edo people began to cut down trees and make clearings in the rainforest. At first they lived in small family groups, but gradually these groups developed into a kingdom.
The kingdom was called Igodomigodo. It was ruled by a series of kings, known as Ogisos, which means ‘rulers of the sky’.
In the 1100s there were struggles for power and the Ogisos lost control of their kingdom.
The Edo people feared that their country would fall into chaos, so they asked their neighbour, the King of Ife, for help. The king sent his son Prince Oranmiyan to restore peace to the Edo kingdom.
Oranmiyan chose his son Eweka to be the first Oba of Benin. Eweka was the first in a long line of Obas, who reached the peak of their power in the 1500s.
How did Benin become an empire?
Around 1440, Ewuare became the new Oba of Benin. He built up an army and started winning land. He also rebuilt Benin City and the royal palace.
Oba Ewuare was the first of five great warrior kings. His son Oba Ozolua was believed to have won 200 battles. He was followed by Oba Esigie who expanded his kingdom eastwards to form an empire and won land from the Kingdom of Ife. Ozolua and Esigie both encouraged trade with the Portuguese. They used their wealth from trade to build up a vast army.
The fourth warrior king was Oba Orhogbua. During his reign, the empire reached its largest size. It stretched beyond the River Niger in the east and extended west as far as present-day Ghana.
Oba Ehengbuda was the last of the warrior kings. But he spent most of his reign stopping rebellions led by local chiefs. After his death in 1601, Benin’s empire gradually shrank in size.
How did the kingdom end?
By the 1860s Benin was no longer a powerful empire and the Obas struggled to rule their people.
Benin was also under threat from Britain. The British wanted to gain control of Benin so they could get rich by selling its palm oil and rubber. The Oba tried to stop all contact with Britain, but the British insisted on their right to trade.
In 1897 a group of British officials tried to visit Benin. They were sent away because the Oba was busy with a religious ceremony, but they decided to visit anyway. As they approached the borders of Benin, a group of warriors drove them back and several British men were killed.
This attack made the British furious. They sent over a thousand soldiers to invade Benin. Benin City was burnt to the ground and the kingdom of Benin became part of the British Empire.
What was life like in Benin - Part 2
Benin was a large and varied kingdom. Some people lived in villages and small towns, but most people lived and worked in Benin City.
The most important person in the kingdom was the king, known as the Oba. Hundreds of men and women lived at the royal court, and devoted their lives to looking after the Oba and his family. Some people at court had very special jobs, working as acrobats, sorcerers or leopard hunters.
Most people in the countryside worked as farmers but there were also potters and blacksmiths. They made simple pots, weapons and tools for the villagers.
What was life like for the Obas?
The people of Benin believed that their Oba was a god. He lived apart from the ordinary people inside the royal court in Benin City.
Most of the time the Oba was kept very busy with his duties as king. He held meetings with his officials and he led religious ceremonies. But he also had some free time to spend with his family. Obas had many wives, and all their wives and children lived in special apartments inside the palace.
The Oba owned all the land in his kingdom. He gave orders to his chiefs on how his kingdom should be run and he decided when his armies should go to war. Sometimes he rode into battle at the head of his troops.
Everyone had to show great respect to the Oba. People approached him on their knees and nobody could look at him without his permission. Most people in Benin believed that the Oba didn’t need to eat or sleep!
Who else was important at court?
The Oba relied on many chiefs and officials to help him run his kingdom.
Palace chiefs ran the royal court, organised the craft workers and made agreements with European merchants. They came from rich families and their jobs were passed down from father to son. Town chiefs were chosen to do their jobs because they were good rulers. They governed the ordinary people.
Another important figure was the mother of the Oba. The first great Queen Mother or 'Iyoba' was Queen Idia, the mother of Oba Esigie. She helped her son to defeat his enemies and gain control of the River Niger. As a reward, Esigie gave her a palace of her own.
People believed that the Queen Mother had magical powers. She was not allowed to see her son after he became Oba, in case she used her magic to control him!
What was life like for ordinary people?
Many people in Benin lived in villages in the rainforest. They cleared away the trees to grow vegetables and they built their houses from mud, wood and palm leaves.
Benin was famous for its craft workers. Specialists in a craft (like ivory-carvers) formed groups called guilds. All the members of a guild lived and worked together.
There were more than 40 guilds in Benin City and each guild had to perform a special duty for the Oba. Not all the guilds were for craft workers. Doctors, drummers, acrobats and dancers had their own guilds too.
Men from all over the kingdom served the Oba as soldiers. Warriors went into battle armed with swords, spears and crossbows, and by the 1600s they had guns as well. Some brave boys trained as hunters. They started their training very young and the bravest of all became elephant hunters.
What kind of gods did people worship?
The people of Benin worshipped many gods. They told stories about their gods and held ceremonies in their honour. Some of these ceremonies are still performed today by the Edo people.
According to Edo legends, the great god Osanobua created the world. Olokun, his eldest son, became the god of the waters. Obiemven, his daughter, was put in charge of farming and childbirth. Ogiuwu, his youngest son, became the king of death.
Olokun was a very popular god. As well as ruling the ocean, he was the god of wealth. Other popular gods were Ogun the god of iron and warriors and Osun the god of medicine and magic.
People believed that the Obas of Benin were the direct descendants of Osanobua, the creator god. The Obas were all worshipped as gods.
What can we learn from the art of Benin? - Part 3
The people of Benin made many different kinds of art. Village craft workers made simple pots, weapons and tools. They carved masks for ceremonies and they moulded sculptures of gods out of mud.
In Benin City, craft workers were organised into groups known as guilds. There were guilds for wood carvers, ivory carvers, leather workers, blacksmiths and weavers. Most important of all was the brass casters’ guild. They were only allowed to work for the Oba (king).
The art of Benin features people, animals and gods. It provides a fascinating guide to what life and religion were like in the kingdom of Benin.
What materials did craft workers use?
Craft workers in Benin used lots of different materials. People worked with clay, wood and leather. Weavers used fibres from plants to make colourful cloth. The most precious materials were brass, coral and ivory.
People believed that brass had the power to drive away evil. It was so special that it could only be used in the royal court. The palace walls were covered with plaques made from brass and it was used to make figures and heads for the royal altars.
Coral was also thought to have magical powers. It was seen as a gift from Olokun, god of the sea. Chiefs were allowed to wear coral necklaces, bracelets and anklets, but only the Oba could dress completely in coral. His people believed that when he wore his coral suit all his curses would come true!
Ivory was seen as a symbol of purity and strength. Carved ivory tusks stood by the Oba’s throne and ivory bracelets and pendants were worn by the Oba and important chiefs.
A statue made from brass, showing Queen Idia wearing a coral headdress
How were Europeans shown in art?
The craft workers of Benin often showed Europeans in their art. Most of these foreign figures have long, narrow faces and straight, shoulder-length hair.
Sometimes they have a beard and sometimes they wear armour and hold a gun. Can you imagine how different they must have looked to the African people?
Even though the Europeans must have seemed very strange, they were welcomed by the people of Benin. The Obas had a good relationship with merchants from Europe until the 1800s, but then the Europeans changed their attitude. Instead of simply trading with African kingdoms, they wanted to take their land.
In the late 1800s, European countries competed with each other for African land. They seized control of the African kingdoms and built their own empires.
Benin and other West African Kingdoms - Part 4
West Africa has been home to some great kingdoms and empires. The earliest of these kingdoms belonged to the Nok people. They were farmers, potters and metalworkers who settled near the River Niger around 500BC.
The kingdom of Ife developed in the rainforest in the 600s. Its art and religion influenced the culture of Benin, which began in the 900s and reached the height of its power between the 1400s and the 1600s.
Between 700 and 1600 there were three great empires in the centre of West Africa: Ancient Ghana, Mali and Songhai. They all grew immensely rich by trading in gold. One of the last great kingdoms was Asante. It was founded around 1700. The Asante people were famous for their work in gold.
What kind of art did people create?
The people of West Africa were skilled potters and metalworkers. Some of them worked with brass and some with gold.
Potters in the kingdom of Nok made sculptures from a type of clay called terracotta. They created figures of men and women with very large heads. Many of the figures had elaborate hairstyles and wore delicate jewellery.
The kingdom of Ife was famous for its sculptures made from brass. Brass-workers made figures of gods, humans and animals.
In the Asante kingdom, goldsmiths made ornaments to show off the wealth of their king. The king wore golden necklaces, rings, bracelets and anklets. He even had a pair of gold castanets attached to his thumb and first finger. The king clapped the castanets together when he wanted people to listen to him!
Who was Mansa Musa?
Mansa Musa was a Muslim king of Mali. He ruled from around 1280 to 1340. Arab writers met him when he made a pilgrimage to the Muslim holy city of Mecca. They were amazed by his wealth.
Mansa Musa travelled to Mecca with a procession of 60,000 men and 12,000 slaves. Each of the slaves carried a heavy gold bar. He also took 80 camels loaded with sacks of gold dust. Musa gave away gold to all the poor people he met on his route.
Mansa Musa brought back Arab teachers and architects to Mali. He built many mosques and schools in the cities of Timbuktu and Gao. The buildings had colourful domes and their doors and windows were covered with gold. Some of these buildings survive in Timbuktu today, but they have lost their golden decorations.
What happened to the African kingdoms?
Most West African kingdoms slowly came to an end. Then new African kingdoms grew up to take their place. However, some kingdoms were taken over by European countries.
By the 1890s, many countries in Europe were competing for land in Africa. They wanted to gain control of valuable trading goods, such as gold, oil and rubber. Britain and France both wanted land in West Africa.
In 1897, Benin became a British colony. Asante was declared a British colony in 1902. This marked the end of the great West African kingdoms.
Until the 1950s Africa was ruled by European countries, but then things started to change. Over the next 30 years, more than 40 African countries won their independence. Today, the ancient kingdom of Benin is part of Nigeria and Asante is in Ghana.
