Some of these towns are eko ohae, usama, uselu, udin. Primarily made of cast bronze and carved ivory, benin art was produced mainly for the court of the oba of benin a divine ruler for whom the craftsmen produced a range of ceremonially significant objects. Kingdom of benin writing exercises free printable worksheet for world history scroll down to print pdf african civilizations writing exercises on the kingdom of benin. By the last half of the nineteenth century great britain had become desirous of having a closer relationship with the kingdom of benin. Apr 25, 2017 the benin british wars clash of two empires military might of benin empire west africa. They were ruled by a dynasty of kings called ogisos meaning kings of the sky and the people began to build an.
Benin, a narrow, northsouth strip of land in west africa, lies between the equator and the tropic of cancer. The slave trade, depopulation and human sacrifice in benin history. Pupils will use atlases to find out where the kingdom of benin used to be located. In this lesson pupils will use the benin bronze plaques as historical sources to find out about the obas who ruled benin kingdom. The bariba and fula in the northeast arrived from mali in the 16th century. There has been no written history of benin except the few notes written by adventurous european traders and missionaries who visited benin city from 1472 to the punitive expedition in 1897. Benin was thus the first african country to effect successfully the transition from dictatorship to a pluralistic political system. The history of the kingdom of benin from african historical.
Yet, while a great deal ofattention has been paid to the art of benin, little has. Below are amazing facts about the great benin kingdom. Benin was ruled by france between 1904 and 1960 and french is still. This presentation looks at the edo people of the old kingdom of benin through the. The inhabitants of benin spoke a group of closely related languages known as. Thornton, 1988,tradition, documents, and the ifebenin relationship history in. At some point, the creator osanobua decided to populate the earth so he sent down his three sons whom he gave the choice of selecting one special gift each. The history of ancient benin kingdom and empire in. In the benin kingdom the obas kings power is less than in centuries past, but the ideas underlying kingship persist, through myth and ritual, as a general cognitive model.
Benin kingdom is a government of its own with it articulate machineries of the administration by convention which cannot be influence by outside forces. To preserve benins independence, bit by bit the king of benin banned the export of goods from benin, until the trade was exclusively in palm oil. Within the kingdom, specialized artists belonged to guilds with hereditary membership and worked solely for the oba. A vivid picture these men took part in the expedition made by the british in 1897. Under the 15thcentury oba ewuare and his successors, benin expanded into the most powerful and best organized kingdom in the region.
Ewuare reorganized the army for the purpose of conquest, developed a system of hereditary succession to the throne, and turned the capital, benin city, into a stronghold protected by walls and moats. The benin kingdom 19 centuries as a megacommunity. The kingdom of benin was also well known to european traders and merchants during the 16th and 17th centuries, when it became wealthy partly due to the slave trade. Besides this, the story of oranmiyan is one of the bini and yoruba oral history. Bronze and terracotta art created by this civi between 700 and 900 ce, the ife kingdom developed as a major artistic center. The last ship of slaves departed from dahomey for brazil in 1885. Pupils will use their online research skills to discover more information and then use what they have learned to design their own bronze plaque depicting a powerful oba. Second in status only to the gods, the oba of benin remains a sacred overlord. After this period, production declined as political and economic power shifted to the nearby kingdom of benin which, like the yoruba kingdom of oyo, developed into a major empire. Pdf contesting the history of benin kingdom researchgate. Pdf of all the west african societies, the kingdom of benin is the one. Benin 1th17th century bronze portrays the king in a mystical, spiritual aspect grasping docile leopards and holding them in a heraldic pose reference to authority as the only person in the kingdom who can take human life or the taking of it fish symbolize identification with olokun, whos realm is water. The kingdom of benin s capital was edo, now known as benin city in edo state. The kingdom of benin flourished from the th to 19th centuries in southwest nigeria.
The history of ancient benin kingdom and empire oronsaye, daniel nabuleleorogie on. Benin culture has long been the focus of attention in the western world because of the remarkably sophisticated lostwax bronze castings made by specialist craftsmen for the royal house, which played a variety of functions in court life and ritual. Le royaume du benin, qui a dure du xii siecle, a son invasion par lempire britannique en. The pdf file contains the full lesson plan and two pupil activity sheets. Benin, one of the principal historic kingdoms of the western african forest region fl. Answer each of the following questions using complete sentences.
It is a complex monarchical system built on a solid foundation with perfect organizational structure. The portuguese established contact with benin in the 15th century, and the kingdom became famous for its bronze works a derivative form of the ife heads and the mightiness of its rulers. He sent oranmiyan, whose first son eweka became the first oba or. The origin of benin and its early rulers kingdom of benin. The kingdom was ruled by theoba and a sophisticated bureaucracy. Find out about benins magnificent capital city, the objects that benin traded with europe and their intricate bronze plaques and statues. The benin kingdom is a conglomeration of many towns founded at different periods of its history. Benin kingdom began as a group of small villages situated in the rainforests of west africa. The kingdom of benins capital was edo, now known as benin city in edo state. Benin art is the art from the kingdom of benin or edo empire 14401897, a precolonial african state located in what is now known as the southsouth region of nigeria. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Culturally diverse, benin s people follow a diverse mix of christian, muslim, and west african traditional beliefs.
The first kingdom of benin is believed to have developed in the 12th or th century. Ceremonial robes, and festivals were given in favor of gods and goddesses. Benin was an important kingdom in west africa in the 15th and 16th centuries. Queen mother pendant mask iyoba edo peoples benin plaques at the british museum. In most cases, the period of each oba witnessed self sacrifice, effective administration, innovation in the cultural pattern of the environment, territorial expansion and socioeconomic development of the kingdom. The kingdom of benin, also known as the benin kingdom, was a precolonial kingdom in what. Project muse contesting the history of benin kingdom. A short history of benin 3rd edition by jacob egharevba. Aug 18, 2018 the precolonial benin kingdom or empire was located in what is today southern nigeria. Wealthy businessman and political novice patrice talon was elected to a fiveyear presidential term in 2016 on a cleangovernment platform. The yoruba people of the southeast spread westwards from nigeria during the 12th century, while the fon and aja people in the southwest originally came from togo. The portuguese arrived in the area in the 15th century, which marked the fall of one of africas most powerful territories.
Benin kingdom in edo is yoruba territory ooni of ife. There is no other theme in precolonial benin kingdom studies around which so. Sep 07, 2012 the benin people corrupted owomika to eweka and gave it as the title to oranmiyans son who thus became known to the benin people as eweka. Since the end of the 15th century, a great deal of material about benin has. Stanford libraries official online search tool for books, media, journals, databases, government documents and more. History of the benin people the benin creation story. Find out about benin s magnificent capital city, the objects that benin traded with europe and their intricate bronze plaques and statues. How and why did the kingdom of benin come to an end. Egedege nokaro is the first storey building in benin kingdom and in the whole of the midwestern region, nigeria which is the present day edo and delta states. Since the end of the 15th century, a great deal of material about benin has been supplied by sailors, traders, etc.
The kingdom of benin, home of the edospeaking peoples, is located in the tropical rain forest region of what is now nigeria. The benin kingdom th 19th centuries as a megacommunity. More than 40 different ethnic groups have settled in benin throughout its history. One can imagine how great and tedious the task has been of reducing to comprehensive facts the stories which were told by superstitious native historians in. The republic of benin is a small west african country. The bini people of the benin kingdom heritage library. Primarily made of cast bronze and carved ivory, benin art was produced mainly for the court of the oba of benin a divine ruler for whom the craftsmen produced a range of. The bini people of the benin kingdom heritage library of african peoples west africa.
Jun 07, 2017 the british museum pdf kingdom of benin, c. It was located in presentday southern nigeria, east of the yoruba land and west of the niger river. An oba, or king, and his court have, from around 0 c. Benin was once a great african kingdom, but it was transformed into the largest supplier of humans for the slave trade. What came to be known as the benin kingdom did not being its existence as a kingdom in the sense of it being headed by a king or a traditional. Pdf ancient african civilizations span the course of several millennia, in time, and a large expanse of lands stretching from the nile valley a c. It was built in 1906 by late chief iyamu, the inneh of benin kingdom, late chief iyamu is the great grandfather of osagie ize.
Contesting the history of benin kingdom article pdf available in research in african literatures 3. By about 1750, the kingdom of dahomey a part of benin was earning an estimated. Kingdom of benin art of the benin kingdom flashcards. The capital of the kingdom was located in modern day benin city, of edo state, in nigeria, west africa. The kingdom of benin was well known to european traders and merchants during the 16th and. Exploring the visual arts of the benin kingdom of africa 2. Space does not permit a more detailed account of either the oyo or the benin empire, nor of the other yoruba states includ. Benin arose as a citystate in the late 1100s or 1200s and expanded into a larger kingdom or empire in the mid1400s. Iron technology the use of iron and development of its technology in benin kingdom. When he had finished his creation, he decided to send his sons to be kings to rule over different parts of the world. Of all the west african societies, the kingdom of benin is the one most mentioned in contemporary european literature.
Those who want a traitor to rule over them should kindly go and form their kingdom. It began as a conglomeration of villages, each of which was headed by the oldest man in the community which we refer to as odionwere or village head. The precolonial benin kingdom or empire was located in what is today southern nigeria. The region was a french colony for 58 years between 1900 and 1958.
What carne to be known as the benin kingdom did not begin its existence as a kingdom in the sense of its being headed by a king or a traditional ruler as is known today. Learn about the ancient kingdom of benin, where was it a when did it begin. According to the story, in the beginning god created the world and everything in it. It was the ritual performed that gave oranmiyans son the title of eweka that every subsequent obatobe goes to use to perform to this day. How do we know about periods of history without primary written sources. Here is the history of benin kingdom, edo state nigeria. Kingdom of benin writing exercises student handouts. The bini people of the benin kingdom heritage library of african peoples west africa azuonye, chukwuma on. Benin traded slaves as well as ivory, pepper, and cloth toeuropeans. Then they will set this period into the wider context of british and world history and make their own timelines. It is entirely separate from the republic of benin, which was then known as dahomey. When european merchant ships began to visit west africa from the 15th century onwards, benin came to control the trade between the. Benin is a long, thin country in west africa that stretches inland and northwards from the gulf of guinea.
The benin kingdom was one of the oldest and most highly developed states in the coastal hinterland of west africa, it was formed around. History of the benin people in nigeria and the stories. According to oral history the people of benin were first ruled by the ogiso kings, but the people revolted and asked the king of ife to send a prince to rule them. Benin is bounded by togo to the west, burkina faso and niger to the north. Owing to the welcome given to the first edition in the vernacular of the short history, i have endeavoured in this english version to meet the needs of foreigners who do not understand the benin language, but are anxious to know its history. Music was also a passion in the benin kingdom, the muscial instruments included some of the same things used today, sticks, drums, and then thumb pianos. Currently found in the nation of nigeria not the modernday country of benin, the kingdom was centred on the city of benin, and dates back to some of the earliest ogiso kings some 2000 years ago.
The history of benin kingdom cannot be accredited to one oba that rules the kingdom but a collection of different obas who at. The benin creation story has it that the universe was covered with water and at the middle of the water there was a tree and on this tree there lived a bird called owonwon. Jun 24, 2015 what were the rulers of benin kingdom like. In order to gain improved trading and security, some of the villages made a decision to join together as a conglomerate around ad 900. What is the difference between tribes and kingdoms. Most of the people within the benin empire were edo. The statement credited to oba erediauwa omonoba uku akpolokpolo, that the yoruba race originated from benin kingdom, was very rich in details and calls for. According to egharevba the terri torial extent of the benin empire was markedly enlarged under ewuare the great. Jun 20, 2015 pupils will use atlases to find out where the kingdom of benin used to be located. We can get an idea of the kingdoms grandeur and accomplishments from the bronze plaques commissioned by the kings obas to commemorate and record achievements during their reign. Although benin kingdom began to develop during the period 9000 ce, it reached its height during the later years of 01700 ce. Tradition asserts that the edo people became dissatisfied with the rule of a dynasty of semimythical kings, the ogisos, and in the th century they invited prince oranmiyan of ife to rule. Bondarenko institute for african studies russian academy of sciences, russian state university for the humanities, moscow abstract. The origins of the kingdom probably go back more than 500 years.
What was the kingdom of benin s major achievements. It is not to be confused with benin, the postcolonial nation state. Culturally diverse, benins people follow a diverse mix of christian, muslim, and west african traditional beliefs. How did the people of benin kingdom believe the world began. Because benin kingdom belongs to no one else but the oba of benin since 2000 years till date. The history of benin kingdom cannot be accredited to one oba that rules the kingdom but a collection of different obas who at different times strengthened the kingdom through unparalled leadership style. Traditional government in benin kingdom kingdom of benin. History of the benin people in nigeria and the stories behind it. The kingdom of benin, also known as the benin kingdom, was a precolonial kingdom in what is now southern nigeria. The ooni of ife, adeyeye ogunwusi, on tuesday said benin kingdom in edo state remained part of the expansive yoruba race, a pronouncement that may spark fresh rivalry and altercation between.
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