At its roots, the city-state of Benin came to life thanks to the Edo-speaking people. The stories told by court historians and visitors paint a picture of a lively cultural hub that’s always changing, shaped by its leaders facing both internal challenges and outside influences. According to oral tradition, around the year 1300, the Edo chiefs sought help from Oranmiyan, the leader of nearby Ife, to kickstart a new royal dynasty sanctioned by the divine. Ever since then, when a new ruler is named as an oba, they take on the significant role of a chief priest, leading important religious ceremonies and overseeing a complex network of palace officials.
In the fifteenth century, during the reign of Oba Ewuare, Benin not only built up its military but also fortified its capital with massive walls. At the same time, Portuguese traders were eager to strike exclusive trade deals with this powerful leader of the region. By the year 1500, Benin’s influence stretched from the Niger delta in the east all the way to the coastal lagoon of Lagos in the west. The city was bustling, exporting pepper, textiles, and ivory in exchange for a wealth of imported metals. This newfound access to brass sparked a wave of creativity among court artists, who crafted everything from ancestral portraits for royal altars to intricate plaques representing the oba, his courtiers, and foreign visitors. Europeans, right from the start of these exchanges, commissioned beautiful ivory pieces from Edo artisans for their royal collections back home.
For nearly five hundred years, the leaders of Benin held the reins when it came to dealings with Portuguese, Dutch, and French traders, making sure their own interests were well represented. Even with the pressures of the Atlantic Slave Trade, they managed to keep their involvement limited to selling prisoners of war to the Portuguese for many years. Historians believe that this changed in the eighteenth century when conflicts among local powers sparked a demand for European firearms. During this tumultuous time, instability from succession disputes and civil wars led to increasing transactions of captives for guns.
As we moved into the nineteenth century, various internal and external factors started to affect the power and stability of Benin’s monarchs. Under Oba Adolo, the balance shifted towards the more dominant chiefs, and by the time Ovonramwen took over, divisions and power struggles were causing rifts among them. This change was evident as the oba focused more on ceremonial duties and rituals, and the rise of chief residences began to surpass the importance of the royal palace itself.
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