Historical Sites in Nigeria-Benin – JSS1 Nigerian History Lesson Note (Second Term)

The Benin Kingdom was a powerful, well-organised state centred on Benin City in present-day Edo State, ruled by an Oba from early times until the British expedition of 1897.

Behavioural objectives

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

1. Explain how the Benin Kingdom began, including the roles of the Ogiso, Oranmiyan and Eweka.
2. Describe the political organisation of Benin, including the Oba and the chiefs.
3. Describe Benin art, religion, social structure and economic activities.
4. State how Benin related with the Portuguese and other Europeans.
5. Explain how the British expedition of 1897 ended Benin’s independence.
6. Mention reasons why the Benin Kingdom is still important today.

What was the Benin Kingdom?

The Benin Kingdom was one of Africa’s greatest early states, located in what is now southern Nigeria.

• Capital: Benin City, in present-day Edo State.
• People: the Edo people.
• Ruler: the Oba.
• Famous for: brass artwork, strong government, city walls and rich traditions.
• End of independence: the British expedition of 1897.
• Why it matters: it shows the achievements of African states before European colonisation.

How did the Benin Kingdom begin?

The Benin Kingdom began as a small state founded by the Edo people around the 11th century AD, near the Benin River Valley.

Who were the Ogiso?

The Ogiso, meaning “Kings of the Sky”, were the first rulers of the Benin land.

• Number: tradition says there were 31 Ogiso.
• First ruler: Ogiso Igodo.
• End of the dynasty: a period of political disruption, said to be about the 13th century.

How did Oranmiyan and Eweka found the Oba dynasty?

Eweka became the first Oba of Benin after his father, Prince Oranmiyan of Ife, was invited to restore order.

1. The people of Benin asked Ife, a powerful Yoruba kingdom to the west, for a ruler.
2. The Oni (king) of Ife sent Prince Oranmiyan.
3. Oranmiyan found ruling Benin difficult and stayed only a short time.
4. He fathered a son with a local woman and named him Eweka.
5. He returned to Ife.
6. Eweka became the first Oba, starting a royal dynasty that lasted until 1897.

• Result: a lasting link between Ife and Benin, and Yoruba cultural influence in Benin.

Who was Oba Ewuare the Great?

Oba Ewuare the Great, who ruled from about 1440 to 1473, turned Benin from a small state into a powerful empire.

• Territory: expanded Benin through military campaigns.
• Capital: rebuilt and fortified Benin City with its famous walls and moats.
• Government: reorganised it and created new titles and positions.
• Religion: established new religious practices and ceremonies.
• Arts: encouraged crafts, including bronze casting.

• Successors: Oba Ozolua and Oba Esigie kept strengthening the kingdom in the 15th and 16th centuries.

How was the Benin Kingdom governed?

The Benin Kingdom was governed by the Oba, who was supported by chiefs and officials.

What was the role of the Oba?

The Oba was the supreme ruler of Benin and was regarded as divine or semi-divine.

• Powers: political, religious, judicial and military.
• Belief: he had spiritual power and a direct link to the ancestors and gods.
• Protocol: his person was sacred, and strict rules guided how people approached him.
• Palace: a very large complex in the heart of Benin City, with hundreds of rooms, courtyards and shrines.
• Palace decoration: brass plaques showing historical events, religious symbols and the Oba’s court.

Who were the chiefs of Benin?

The chiefs were advisers and administrators who helped the Oba rule, and there were three categories.

• Council meetings: chiefs gave advice on important matters.
• Final say: the Oba made the final decision.

How did Benin control its provinces?

As Benin expanded, it used four methods to control conquered areas.

• Local leaders: conquered areas often kept their own leaders but paid tribute to Benin.
• Officials: Benin officials lived in important provincial towns to represent the Oba.
• Messengers: a network of messengers carried the Oba’s orders.
• Tribute: goods, food and labour flowed from the provinces to the capital.

What were the art and craft traditions of Benin?

Benin produced some of Africa’s finest artwork, especially in metalwork.

What are the Benin Bronzes?

The Benin Bronzes are world-famous works of art made of brass, not true bronze, by Benin metalworkers.

• Commemorative heads: heads of Obas placed on ancestral altars.
• Plaques: panels showing court scenes and historical events.
• Figures: animals, warriors and Portuguese visitors.
• Ceremonial items: staffs, swords and boxes.

How did Benin artists use lost-wax casting?

Lost-wax casting is a method of making metal objects by pouring molten metal into a mould left after wax melts away.

1. The artist made a model in wax.
2. The model was covered with clay.
3. The clay was heated so the wax melted and ran out, leaving a hollow mould.
4. Molten metal was poured into the mould.
5. When the metal cooled, the clay was broken off to free the finished piece.

What other crafts did Benin have?

• Ivory carving: armlets, masks and decorative items made from elephant tusks.
• Wood carving: masks, figures and ceremonial objects, mainly for religious use.
• Beadwork: crowns, necklaces and garments of valued coral beads, worn by the Oba and nobles.

What were the religion and rituals of Benin?

Religion was central to life in Benin, and it centred on ancestors, gods and royal ceremonies.

• Ancestor worship: the Edo believed ancestors could influence the living, and honoured royal ancestors with sacrifices and ceremonies.
• Deities: gods and spirits linked to natural forces were worshipped.
• Royal ceremonies: festivals linked to the Oba, the ancestors and the farming year.
• Shrines and altars: kept in the palace and across the kingdom, holding sacred objects such as brass memorial heads of dead Obas.

Which gods did the people of Benin worship?

• Olokun: god of the sea and wealth.
• Ogun: god of iron and war.
• Osanobua: the creator god.
• Nature spirits: spirits of rivers, forests and weather.

What was the Igue festival?

The Igue festival was the most important annual ceremony in Benin, held to renew the Oba’s spiritual power.

What was the social structure of Benin?

Benin society was arranged in levels, but people could move upwards.

• Slavery in Benin: it differed from the chattel slavery that later developed in the Americas.
• Social mobility: military service, craft skill or trading success could earn titles and higher status.

What were the economic activities of Benin?

The economy of Benin rested on farming, trade, crafts and taxation.

• Agriculture: most people were farmers growing yams, plantains, oil palm and other crops.
• Trade: Benin traded with neighbouring states and later with Europeans.
• Crafts: workshops made brass works, ivory carvings, wooden objects and woven cloth.
• Taxation: taxes and tribute from subjects and conquered areas supported the court and public projects.

How did Benin relate with Europeans?

Benin traded with Europeans from the late 15th century, beginning with the Portuguese, while the Obas kept control of European access.

What was Portuguese contact like?

The Portuguese were the first Europeans to reach Benin, and early relations were friendly.

• Trade: ivory, pepper and, later, slaves.
• Diplomacy: the Oba exchanged ambassadors with the Portuguese king.
• Residence: some Portuguese lived in Benin City.
• Missionaries: they tried to convert the Benin elite, with limited success.
• Art: brass plaques showing Portuguese soldiers and traders come from this period.

Which other Europeans traded with Benin?

• Dutch: important trading partners in the 17th century.
• British: traders increased contact in the 18th century.
• Palm oil: European demand grew in the 19th century as the slave trade declined.

• Control: the Obas limited Europeans to trading posts in boundary areas and decided who could enter Benin City.

Why did the Benin Kingdom decline and fall?

The Benin Kingdom declined through internal weaknesses and fell to the British expedition of 1897.

What internal problems weakened Benin?

• Succession disputes: quarrels between rival princes.
• Powerful chiefs: some chiefs grew stronger than the Oba.
• Economic problems: trade patterns changed.
• Military setbacks: losses in conflicts with neighbouring states.

Why did Britain want to control Benin?

• Trade: Britain wanted to control palm oil and other products.
• Human sacrifice: the British wanted to end this practice, which they considered barbaric.
• Colonial aim: officials wanted all Nigerian territories under British control.
• Disputes: trade quarrels increased tension.

What happened in the British expedition of 1897?

In 1897 Britain sent a “punitive expedition” to Benin after Benin forces attacked a British party visiting during a sacred period when foreigners were forbidden.

• Force: about 1,200 British soldiers and colonial troops attacked Benin City.
• Resistance: Benin fought fiercely, but the city fell after several days.
• Looting: thousands of artworks, including bronze plaques and sculptures, were taken from the palace.
• Burning: the palace and many shrines were burned.
• Oba Ovonramwen: captured, exiled to Calabar, and died there in 1914.
• Result: Benin lost its independence and became part of the Niger Coast Protectorate, and later colonial Nigeria.

What are the historical sites of Benin City?

The historical sites of Benin City are the remains of the old walls and moats, the Oba’s palace and the Benin City National Museum.

What is the legacy of the Benin Kingdom?

The legacy of Benin is its art, its traditions and its place in African history, which remain important today.

What is Benin’s cultural and artistic heritage?

• Benin Bronzes: recognised worldwide as masterpieces of African art.
• Traditions: ceremonies and customs continue in changed form.
• Language: the Edo language and oral traditions keep knowledge of the past.
• Monarchy: restored in 1914 without political power, and still a cultural institution.
• Art influence: Benin art influenced modern Nigerian artists, and bronze casting is still practised.
• Attitudes: Benin’s achievements helped challenge European prejudice about African cultures.

Why is Benin historically important?

• Politics: evidence of complex government in pre-colonial Africa.
• Diplomacy and trade: records of African relations with Europe.
• Technology: examples of skill in metalwork and construction.
• Planning: a planned, walled city in pre-colonial Africa.

Why is Benin still relevant today?

• Looted artefacts: debates about returning them to their place of origin.
• Identity: questions of cultural heritage in modern Nigeria.
• Tourism: visits to Benin’s historical sites.
• Pride: recognition of African achievements before colonisation.

What is Benin City like today?

• Status: capital of Edo State, with a population of over one million.
• Oba: the present Oba of Benin, Ewuare II, was crowned in 2016.
• Traditions: some traditional institutions and ceremonies continue.

Evaluation

1. Who were the Ogiso, and what does the name mean?
2. Explain how Eweka became the first Oba of Benin.
3. List three things Oba Ewuare the Great did to strengthen Benin.
4. Describe the lost-wax casting technique used by Benin metalworkers.
5. What happened to Oba Ovonramwen after the British expedition of 1897?

Assignment

1. Write five short points on the Benin Bronzes: what they were made of, what they showed, how they were made and why they are famous.