The history of Benin
Hello friends,
In many ways the kingdom of Benin, which emerged in the mid western region of Nigeria, was historically one of the most important of the state and empires of the southern Savannah, forest and coastal regions of west Africa. In the first place, it was the first of the kingdoms to emerge in the forest and Guinea areas of West Africa. Secondly, it did not owe its rise and early development to either Islam or the European presence on the coast. Thirdly, unlike Oyo, Benin never abandoned her capital city, which has remained in continuous existence in the same place for about a thousand years. Its second dynasty,the Oranyan or Eweka dynasty, founded in the thirteenth century, has also remained in power ever since. Its cultural artifact are world famous , and Benin probably exerted a greater influence on the sociopolitical institutions of the state and people of southern Nigeria than did Oyo or any other state.
The pre-twentieth century history of this old and fascinating state falls into two main phases: the first is known as the Ogiso period from the beginning to about 1300; the second began with the founding of the the Eweka dynasty.
It is evident from the few available sources that by the tenth century, a centralized kingdom, or rather city state, had already emerged in the very area of the city of Benin today under a ruler with the title of Ogiso. Not much is known about this early rulers except Ere, who was the eldest son and successor of Igodo, the founder of the dynasty. According to chief ogharevba, the outstanding traditional historia of Benin, it was Ere who founded many villages and created the five elders of the kingdom, who were later to constitute the Uzama group or council. He is also believed to have introduce a number of items, royal regalia, and to have instituted the Ughoron, a specialist group of royal historians.Above all, he established the guild system by organizing woodworkers, carvers, hunters into separate association.
Many rulers followed Ere about whom history is still silent. It is known, however that some rulers of the period extended the frontiers of the kingdom by founding villages over which they sent their children to rule to rule as hereditary chiefs or Onogie. However, sometime between 1000 and 1300, the last Ogiso was banished for his cruelty and after an interregnum and a period of instability, the five elders of the Uzama got together and appealed to the Ooni of Ife to send them a new ruler. According to both Benin and some yoruba traditions, this request was granted, and Oduduwa sent one of his sons,Oranmiya to them.