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Ovonramwen, Oba of Benin from 1888- January 1898
An Oba on horseback with attendants from 16th century
An Oba of Benin from the late 17th century

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)

Oba Oguola. Museum of Black Civilisations, Dakar.

Source:[9]

Imperial Benin (1440–1897)

Orhogbua

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

Post-Imperial Benin

See also

References

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

External links

Obas of the Benin Empire and the Benin/Edo traditional state
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