How did the kingdom begin?
- The kingdom of Benin began in the 900s.
- The Edo people settled in the rainforests of West Africa.
- The kingdom was called鈥Igodomigodo.
- It was ruled by a series of kings, known as鈥Ogisos,鈥痺hich means 鈥榬ulers of the sky鈥.
Who were the Obas?
In the 1100s the Ogisos lost control of their kingdom.
The King of Ife sent his son Prince Oranmiyan to bring peace to the Edo kingdom.
Oranmiyan chose his son Eweka to be the first Oba of Benin. An Oba was a ruler.
By the 1400s Benin was a wealthy kingdom.
The Obas lived in beautiful palaces decorated with shining brass.
Who were the five great warrior kings?
- Around 1440, Ewuare became the new鈥Oba of Benin.
- He built up an army.
- He also rebuilt Benin City and the royal palace.
Find out more about the warrior kings below.
| Oba | What did they do? |
|---|---|
| Oba Ewuare | First of the great warrior kings |
| Oba Ozolua | Believed to have won 200 battles. |
| Oba Esigie | Created an empire and won land from the Kingdom of Ife. |
| Oba Orhogbua | During his reign, the empire reached its largest size. |
| Oba Ehengbuda | Last of the Obas |
Listen: What was trade like in Benin?
In the year 1668 a Dutch writer called Olfert Dapper put together some merchants鈥 descriptions of their travels. Listen to them in this audio clip.
How did traders from Europe see Benin?
Benin City is at least four miles wide. The city has wide, straight roads, lined by houses. The houses are large and handsome with walls made from clay. The people are very friendly and there seems to be no stealing.
Inside the city is the king鈥檚 court. It is large and square and surrounded by a wall. The court is divided into many palaces with separate houses and apartments for courtiers.
The court has many galleries flanked by wooden pillars. Fixed to these pillars are shining metal plaques showing battle scenes and deeds of courage. The roofs of the palace have pointed turrets and on top of each turret there is a copper bird with outspread wings.
The king shows himself just once a year to his people, riding out of his court on horseback. He is beautifully dressed with all sorts of royal ornaments. Three or four hundred noblemen accompany their king, some on horseback and some on foot. And a great number of musicians walk before and behind him, playing merry tunes on all sorts of musical instruments.
The king doesn鈥檛 ride very far from the court, but soon returns after a little tour. Then he orders some tame leopards that he keeps, to be led about the city in chains.
How did the kingdom end?
By the 1800s, Britain wanted to take over Benin's rich natural resources (palm oil and rubber).
In 1897, a group of British officials tried to visit Benin. A group of warriors drove them back and several British men were killed.
This attack made the British angry. 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.
Activity: Quiz 鈥 Kingdom of Benin
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