Benin Empire Facts For Kids: Must-Know Details About African History

The kingdom of Benin holds a special place in the history of Nigeria.

The legendary Benin kingdom was located in the coastal region of West Africa and comprised the area that currently forms the modern nation-state of Nigeria. The kingdom's capital was Benin City, a historically significant city that is presently the fourth-largest city of modern Nigeria.

Traces of this culture can be found in the museums of Nigeria. Although most of the natural treasures were taken away by the British, some of them still remain in the country of their origin. Chief among these is the Benin City National Museum, which houses some of the best artifacts produced in all of African history.

The greatness of Benin lies in its flourishing trade. At first, it was the Portuguese with whom the Benin people developed strong trade links.

Articles manufactured in Benin, ranging from artworks, gold, pepper, palm oil, and ivory, were in very high demand in Europe, beginning in the 15th century AD. Benin helped European traders capture and ferry enslaved people from its shores in the late 17th and early 18th centuries.

During the height of the slave trade in West Africa, the kings of Benin worked in tandem with European and American slave traders to transport bound men, women, and children across the Atlantic ocean to mainland Europe, the Caribbean, and the Americas. This is a dark chapter in the otherwise glorious history of the African powerhouse.

The History Of The Benin Empire

It was sometime around the year 900 AD that the Edo people cleared the forests of coastal West Africa and began to live a sedentary life. As group after group migrated to this region, a kingdom soon formed in what is now modern Nigeria.

Traditionally, this indigenous kingdom was called 'Igodomigodo'. The kings of this early kingdom were known as 'Ogisos', which translates to 'rulers of the sky'.

The Ogiso rule collapsed in the 1100s AD, following hostilities within the ruling class. As the Ogiso kings lost all their power and possessions, the Edo people were left defenseless and without a leader. Out of fear of the kingdom going into total degeneration, representatives of the community sought help from the neighboring kingdom of Ife. 

The ruler of Ife saw that as an excellent opportunity to increase his influence, and sent his son, Prince Oranmiyan, to resolve the crisis in Igodomigodo. Peace was soon restored to the kingdom of Igodomigodo after Prince Oranmiyan placed his son, Eweka, on the throne.

Eweka was given the title of 'Oba'. He was the first Oba in a long line of the Obas of Benin. He was succeeded by other powerful Obas such as Oba Henmihen and Oba Oguola.

When Oba Ewuare sat on the throne of Benin in circa 1440 AD, the kingdom was still a small regional power. The new Oba, Ewuare, was a military-minded ruler and assembled a large army to win adjoining kingdoms. During Oba Ewuare's reign, Benin City was revamped and enlarged. The king's palace was also rebuilt. 

King Oba Ewuare was succeeded by four more warrior kings, who made it a tradition to fight in expansionist battles. While Oba Ozolua and Oba Esigie almost doubled the size of Benin, they did not overlook Benin's trade interests. Trade with the Portuguese reached its height during their reign. 

Benin reached its greatest territorial extent under the rule of Oba Orhogbua. The boundaries of Great Benin then extended well beyond the River Niger to the east, and to the area that forms modern-day Ghana to the west.

Benin's prosperity was, however, short-lived, as soon after the death of Oba Ehengbuda, the empire began to face political disturbances caused by local chiefs and their followers.

From 1601 onwards, after Oba Ehengbuda passed away, Benin started losing its territories. This trend continued well into the 1800s, a time when the Obas were rulers only in name. This was also the time when the British slowly made inroads into Benin's political circles.

The Location Of The Benin Empire

Benin kingdom was an ancient kingdom that spread across large parts of Western Africa for the major part of the first millennium CE. The kingdom of Benin was founded sometime around AD 900 when the Edo people settled in the marshy forests of coastal West Africa.

Within the next 500 years, the Edo people of southern Nigeria had successfully established the powerful Edo kingdom in West Africa. As time went by, the rulers of this African kingdom began to acquire more and more territory.

By the early 1400s AD, the Edo kingdom had expanded to form the kingdom of Benin. Around this time, the Benin people started developing trade links with the major European naval powers like Britain and France.

The Benin kingdom flourished for the next 200 years on account of its profitable commerce and business links with Europe. But by the beginning of the 1600s AD, the might of the kingdom of Benin was starting to wane.

This was mainly due to internal strife and civil wars. The decline in the power of the Benin kingdom was sensed by the British, who were by far the biggest trading partner of this African kingdom. The Benin kingdom survived for almost the whole of the 1800s.

Ultimately, the British got an opportunity in 1897 to annex the kingdom of Benin. A British army was then sent to destroy the capital, Benin City, and capture the king. The great Benin Empire was thus made a part of the British Empire that same year.

What is the Benin Empire known for?

The kingdom of Benin was known for its advancements in the fields of technology, science, astronomy, architecture, public administration, and town planning. The people of this kingdom had great reverence for the ruler, known as the Oba. Their system of labor was based on the guild system, and the workforce boasted of fantastic craftsmanship and partisanship. 

The people of the Benin kingdom did not have a writing system for most of its history. Knowledge was stored and exchanged orally.

Most of what we really know about this culture is extracted from their art and legends. They were also fine metalworkers. Archaeological evidence suggests that the people of the Benin kingdom were engaged in the production of copper, zinc, and brass in 900 AD.

As far as the religious beliefs of the people of Benin are concerned, they were mainly animists. They held the view that animals and birds possessed souls and spirits. As a result, they worshiped them. They even held human sacrifices as part of special religious ceremonies. 

The economy of the Benin kingdom was supported by a monetary system that used cowrie shells as money. Primarily an agricultural society, the people of Benin depended on the cultivation of food crops such as yams, beans, okra, and melons.

The chief cash crops were pepper and palm oil. Since non-vegetarianism was the norm in Benin, hunting wild animals like boars, deer, monkeys, and gorillas were customary.

The Benin kingdom was famous for its unique artworks. Benin artists were highly skilled craftsmen who produced a vast array of decorative items made chiefly of brass.

The fame of the artisans of this kingdom was well-known, not only in Africa, but even in the corridors of power in Europe. Apart from exquisite works made of brass, artists also created beautiful handicrafts with wood and ivory.

The kingdom was a major supplier of finished decorative and ceremonial items made of brass and other materials. The king's palace was a prime example of the brilliance of Benin art.

If you visit the major museums of the world today, you will find on display what is commonly referred to as 'Benin bronzes'. These were actually artifacts that adorned the palace walls of the Benin kings.

Other prized objects of the people of Benin were the brass plaques. A brass plaque was significant in the day-to-day life of Benin society, as it had representations of essential scenes from the daily life and popular stories of the Benin people.

The plaques served as constant reminders to the people of their heritage and history. Legendary feats of a famous king were, at times, drawn on top of a brass plaque.

Who ruled the Benin Empire?

The Benin kingdom was ruled by the Ogiso and the Oba dynasties for over one thousand years. The first of these lineages, the Ogiso dynasty, lasted for around 800 years.

On the other hand, the Oba dynasty remained in power for about 845 years. Together, during the period when there was no king on the throne of Benin, the lineage of the Benin kingdom is arguably the oldest remaining royal family line.

In the absence of written records and chronicles, it is difficult to ascertain the number of kings the kingdom had in its long history. Some sources suggest that a total of 92 kings have ruled this kingdom since its inception.

Among these, there were three recorded usurpers. One of them was named Oba Uwaifiokun and was on the throne of Benin from 1430 to 1440.

A peculiar custom that was prevalent in the Benin kingdom was the killing of the queen mother right before the prince was crowned as the new king. This custom was broken for the first time when Oba Esigie's mother, Queen Idia, was spared her life owing to her strong influence in the king's court.

The Obas of Benin had connections with kingdoms in Europe through trade and diplomacy. Due to the thriving trade relations with the European merchants, the religion of Christianity was introduced in Benin around the end of the 15th century AD.

As a matter of fact, Oba Esigie became the first African king to be officially baptized in 1504 AD. This took place around the time when Portuguese missionaries made visits to the Benin king to seek his permission to spread the Christian gospel among the people of Benin.

In the 15th century AD, the first church in Western Africa arose in Benin. A fascinating detail from this era mentions the visit of Pope Pius XII to the Benin kingdom in 1692 AD.

This papal visit was instrumental in bringing Benin into the Catholic Christian fold. The visit of the Pope also coincided with the completion of the construction of the Holy Aruosa Church, and the Pope formally presented the freshly-built religious structure to Oba Oreoghene.

Benin was a prosperous kingdom, mainly because of its rich palm oil and rubber industries. The British desired to take over the kingdom to make huge profits by owning and operating Benin's indigenous industries.

The Oba was aware of the real intentions of the British and tried to put a stop to all commercial and political connections with the British.

However, it was too late for the Oba to stop the inevitable. Benin was captured by the British in 1897, ending a rich history that stretched back to at least a thousand years.