Oba of Benin explained

The Oba of Benin is the traditional ruler and the custodian of the culture of the Edo people and all Edoid people. The then Kingdom of Benin (not to be confused with the modern-day and unrelated Republic of Benin, which was then known as Dahomey)[1] has continued to be mostly populated by the Edo (also known as Benin ethnic group).

In 1897, a British military force of approximately 1,200 men under the command of Sir Harry Rawson mounted the Benin punitive Expedition.[2] The force was dispatched in retaliation to the ambush of a British party, at Ugbine village near Gwato on 4 January 1897 by a group of Benin soldiers who were acting without orders from the Oba; the ambush had led to the deaths of all but two of the British party. The British force captured the capital of the Kingdom of Benin, sacking and burning the city while forcing the Oba of Benin, Ovonramwen, into a six-month exile.[3] The expeditionary force consisted of both indigenous soldiers and British officers based in colonial-era Nigeria. Numerous artworks (collectively known as the Benin Bronzes) looted from the city palace were sold off to defray the costs of the expedition.[4] [5] Ovonramwen died in 1914,[6] his throne never having been restored to him.[7] His son, grandson and now his great-grandson, however, has preserved their title and status as traditional rulers in modern-day Nigeria.[8]

List of Obas of the Benin Kingdom

Pre-Imperial Benin (1180–1440)

Source:[9]

Imperial Benin (1440–1897)

There is some uncertainty in the dates of the reigns of some of the earlier warrior kings[10]

Post-Imperial Benin

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: The Benin Kingdom Pre-Colonial Political Systems . 2023-01-25 . Nigerian Scholars . en-US.
  2. Web site: "Massacres committed in Africa during colonial times" . 2023-01-27 . World Council of Churches . en.
  3. Web site: Museum Insights / The Raid on Benin, 1897 . 2022-06-25 . africa.si.edu.
  4. Web site: 2020-11-29. The kingdom of Benin was obliterated by the British, who still have the evidence on display. 2021-07-09. www.abc.net.au. en-AU.
  5. News: 2021-04-30. Benin Bronzes: Germany to return looted artifacts to Nigeria. en-GB. BBC News. 2021-07-09.
  6. Web site: The British Conquest of Benin and the Oba's Return The Art Institute of Chicago . 2023-01-27 . archive.artic.edu.
  7. Web site: Ovonramwen king of Benin Britannica . 2023-01-25 . www.britannica.com . en.
  8. Web site: Leopard's Head Ornament. 2021-07-09. The Hunt Museum. en-GB.
  9. Book: Ben-Amos, Paula Girshick . The Art of Benin Revised Edition. 1995 . British Museum Press . 0-7141-2520-2 . 20.
  10. Book: Ben-Amos . The Art of Benin Revised Edition. 1995 . 32.

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