Kingdom of the Benign one
The kingdom of Benign the was one of rare large the kingdom of coastal Africa of the West to have reached an important size apart from the influence of the Islam, and before any contact with Europeans. Its territory corresponds to the south-west of current the Nigeria. And even, on a Dutch chart of 1705, reprinted in 1907 by sir Alfred Jones, the country noted large Benign corresponds to the part of Nigeria located at the south-west of the river Niger, the current Bénin and part of the Togo.
Origins
The creation of the kingdom dates from the 13th century. The genesis is dubious, but certain traditional writings tell that the inhabitants of Edo invited prince Oranmiyan of the kingdom Yoruba close to Ife to protect them from tyranny from the Ogiso S. From other versions claim that prince Oranmiyan directed an invasion which rejected Ogisos which directed the area since -355. It is generally allowed that Eweka, the son of Oranmiyan, was the first Oba (king) of the Benign one.
In the first stages of the emergence of the kingdom, the capacity remained with the council of the chiefs, the Uzama , with Oba at their head. Under the reign of Oba Owedo, at the end it XIIIe century the capacity starts to pass more firmly in the hands of Oba.
In Europe, it was known before the 15th century that beyond the the Maghreb, the Arabs obtained gold of black tribes.
The golden age
The golden age of the kingdom of Benign begins with Oba Ewuare , known as the large one, which reigned of 1440 with 1473. It starts by reinforcing its capacity by creating other categories of chiefs to weaken the capacity of Uzama, and to counter the political factions. It begins a series from conquests: Idah towards north, Owo and Akure in country Ibo, in the west of the Niger. The kingdom becomes an empire, and Benin City, which it makes strengthen, is the metropolis. The Oba has from now on a semi-divine nature, and Ewuare institutes the heredity of the title.
It is at the end of the reign of Ewuare, in 1472, that Ruy de Sequeira, a navigator Portuguese, establishes a first contact with the kingdom of the Benign one. However, this contact is prone to controversy in the historians.
The son of Ewuare, Ozolua the conqueror, continues the extension of the empire. Lagos becomes a garrison town for the troops. In 1486, another Portuguese navigator, Joao Affonso d' Aviero, comes into contact with the kingdom and from the exchanges of ambassadors between the two countries will be established, as well as commercial exchanges: the Benign one sends Poivre, skins of leopard S, Ivoire, traditional clothing, artisanal objects of wood and terra cotta. In exchange, they receive clothing, Lunette S… and especially of the firearms which support the military capacity and still accelerates the expansion during all the 16th century. The Portuguese missionaries had like instructions to convert the Oba with the Catholicisme, but the position of this one as a chief of the worship of his people ruins this project.
It is with the son of Ozolua, Oba Esigie , which reigns of 1504 with 1550, that the kingdom reaches its apogee, especially in the field of arts and the culture. English explorers reported that Esigie could raise an army of twenty thousand men in the course of the day, and to a hundred and thousand men so necessary. Esigie creates also the title of queen mother to celebrate her Idia mother; the oldest heads of brass queen, one of the chiefs of Beninese work of art, go back to this time.
Esigie, in an effort to diffuse the Christianisme near its people sends Ohen-Okun, the priest of Ughoton, as ambassador near the king of the Portugal in exchange of catholic missionaries, the two kings exchange many invaluable gifts. Esigie authorizes also the construction of churches in the towns of Ogbelaka , Idumwerie and Akpakpava . The church Aruosa of Benign City is a survival of this time.
The first British forwarding with Benign goes back to 1553. Quickly commercial exchanges are established, in particular ivory, of Palm oil and pepper, then later of Esclave S, prisoners of war sold by the Benineses. This market will become so flourishing that the coasts of Benign will be called coasts of the slaves .
Decline
In 1702, the Dutchman David Van Nyendal describes the typical food mode of the kingdom at the end of its golden age, containing ox, sheep and chicken. The influence of the kingdom decreases at the 18th century under the push of Yorubas in the west, the British in the south and Nupes in north. However, it takes again rise at the 19th century with the trade of the palm oil.
Destruction
In the Years 1880 and 1890, the pressure of the British is done stronger. To preserve the independence of the kingdom, Oba gradually restricts exports until those are not done any more but out of palm oil.
In 1897, lieutenant Philips requires an appointment of the Oba Ovoramwen to sign a treaty requiring the stop of the draft of the slaves and the human sacrifices. It goes to Benin City with a detachment of nine men, whereas it did not receive an answer yet. This arrival is taken as an act of war by the Benineses and lieutenant Philips as seven of its men are massacred.
The British launch a punitive forwarding. A force of 1200 men, directed by the admiral Harry Rawson, takes Benin City, destroys the major part of the royal treasure and disperses the remainder. The remainders of hundreds of human sacrifices will be discovered by the British. Oba is forced with the exile towards Calabar, a remote city of Nigeria. Since 1897, the province of Warri is separated from the remainder of the kingdom. The war ends at the end of the independence of the kingdom in 1900 where the Benign one is built-in the British colonial empire inside the protectorate of the south Nigeria.
The monarchy of Benign is restored in 1914, but Oba does not have any more reality capacity.
The fall of the empire of Benign is told in 1973 in the film Ovonwamren Nogbaisi of the realizer and scenario writer Olawale Rotimila.
What it remains
Many current tribes have their origins in the kingdom of the Benign one: Esans, Ihohos, Ikas… The influence remains strong, even far from its bases: Itsekiri of Warri, Igbo of Onitsha and until Kalabari Ijaw of Degema in the state of Rivers claim royal line Bini.
In 1975, old the Dahomey is famous Benin in remembering.
Current Oba, Solomon Erediauwa II, always have, although its functions are not official, a great influence on the tribes of the states current Nigerians of Edo and Delta. It abolished the human sacrifices, and preserves an advisory role in the government.
A large campaign was launched to recover the parts of art distributed in the museums of the whole world after the catch of Benign City in 1897.
| Random links: | Mary Mary | Lorne Balfe | Lotter | Bandage Amir |