Benin Fingertip knowledge Flashcards
When was Benin’s rise?
C12
What did oral stories say about a divine ruler?
Claimed that village chiefs requested a divine ruler from Ife-Ife after a period of discord and Oranmiyan was sent.
Who was appointed as oba in 1200?
Oranmiyan’s son Eweka.
What were the close links between Benin and Yorubaland?
Heads of deceased obas were sent to Ife for burial.
By the mid C15 who had consolidated their kingdoms to the North?
Oyo and Nupe.
What administrative changes consolidated Benin in the 1400s.
3 associations of palace chiefs, royal festivals eg, Ugie Erhe and Igue. Road systems also improved.
What grew as Benin expanded?
Growing military power.
What strengthened Ewuare’s power?
His reputation as a magician and a warrior.
What did people believe about the oba dynasty and what power did this give them?
Believed they were supernaturally gifted - this fed military success which reinforced that belief.
Why did Benin not convert to Christianity?
The importance of traditional beliefs in the divinity.
When and where did Portugal found a trading post?
1490 in Gwanton but abandoned it in 1507.
What was the initial focus of European trade and what did this shift to?
Was on the Beni pepper. Focus then shifted
Where were traders for slaves trading in?
Sao Tome by 1510.
By when were the separate markets for men and women?
1516
What happened in 1530 to do with slave trade?
There was a total embargo on selling slaves which lasted until 1700. They traded with cloth instead.
How many catholic churches by 1500 were there in Edo?
3
When did the Igala from the kingdom of Idah invade?
- Portuguese troops helped and fought alongside Esigie.
What was the capital of Benin?
Edo.
Who expanded Edo?
Ewuare. Before Portugal arrived.
Where was there a thick forest?
Between Gwanton and Edo.
What was Edo surrounded by?
A moat and a high wall.
When did Edo expand dramatically?
C16 and C17
What official levied taxes and in what?
Ukonurho and provincial governors in cowries and kind.
What did the Portuguese do to the cowries already being used?
They added to them. This expanded currency base stimulated trade, taxation and fiscal development.
By 1786 how many officials dealt with reciepts and expenses, trade, and war?
20 each.
What else was traded in Benin other than the pepper?
Cloth, palm oil, skins, coral beads.
What did the Portuguese use to buy Benin’s products?
Manilas
When did Benin begin to provision passing ships?
By 1520.
What did the expansion of iron by trading ships do?
Turned into agricultural tools which stimulated agriculture.
How was trade a large part of royal power?
It provided revenue and luxury goods which could be displayed and distributed to followers.
What began to replace manilas as the main form of currency by 1630s?
Iron
Why did the Dutch create economic pressures?
They challenged the monopoly of Benin cloth producers.
When was Benin’s cloth no longer in demand?
1700
What kind of power did the oba have?
Divine power.
By C17 when did the oba leave the palace?
Only a couple times a year for annual festivals.
Who was the obas divinity traced back to?
Oranmiyan
Who was the only person with the power of life or death?
The oba.
What did the Edo consider themselves in regards to the oba?
The true slaves of the oba.
What could someone get capital punishment for?
Implying the oba ate, washed and was moral etc.
How did the palace reinforce the obas power?
It was an impressive complex.
What rules governed how ordinary people could look at obas in court?
They couldn’t look the oba in the face or turn their back on him.
What was the palace in terms of a political and administrative way?
Became a complex administrative and political centre.
What were town chiefs called?
eghaevo n’ore
What were palace chiefs called?
eghaevo n’ogbe
What were the 3 classes of titles in the palace?
The chamberlains (iwebo) in charge of regalia state, later controlled reserves of cowries, beads and cloth.
Household officers (iwegune) looked after the obas private apartments, later collected tribute and taxes.
Attendants of the king’s family (ibiwe) looked after obas wives and children.
How was nobility symbolised with coral?
Wearing coral beads.
What was access and promotion based on?
Merit.
Were titles hereditary?
NO
How did people progress through ranks?
Commoners were initiated into one type of title and could get promoted through the ranks.
When did Ewuare rule from?
1440-1473
What did Ewuare do of note to be significant?
Accelerated urbanisation of Edo.
New titles and administrative structures.
Developed new religious structures and symbols.
New religious cults, shrines and festivals.
Enable Benin to reject the demand by the Portuguese for slaves.
When did Ozolua rule from?
1481-1504
What did Ozolua do that made him significant?
Established stable trade relations with Portuguese.
Consolidated achievements of Ewuare.
Expanded kingdom.
When did Esigie rule from?
1504-1550
What did Esigie do that made him significant?
Established diplomatic ties with the Portuguese - sent ambassadors to Lisbon in 1514.
Established school to teach Portuguese in Edo.
Banned export of male slaves.
Expanded importance of brass and copper working.
Introduced queen mother cult (the Iyoba) after Idia (his mother) secured his power.
When did Orhogbua rule from?
1550 - 1578
What did Orhogbua do that made him significant?
Led expansion to conquer Lagos lagoon.
Who found it hard to control the kingdom and what happened as a result?
Ehengbuda. Dependent, coastal people began to break away.
What two obas were interested in obtaining firearms from the Portuguese?
Ozolua and Esigie.
Why did Ozolua and Esigie not obtain firearms from the Portuguese?
They would only sell them to a baptised oba.
Who expanded the kingdom to Lagos and east to the lands of the Igbo?
Ozolua, Esigie and Orhogbua.
What was the obas responsibility in war? How had this changed by the end of C16?
It was the obas duty to declare war and command high-ranking military officers. It changed to iyase.
What was the size of the army by C17?
20,000 with 80-100,000 in reserve.
What was the relationship between Edo and the provinces?
Complex.
What happened to quarrelsome sons and brothers of the oba?
Sent away to govern distant provinces.
How many times a year did provincial governors levy food for the palace?
Twice a year from each village.
Where could the obas request labour from?
The villages.
What did each new oba send to the villages as a symbol of power?
Chalk
What was the sole head of each village?
The Odiunwere, he shared authority with the hereditary chief - the Onogie but Odiumwere had executive power. Supported by a council of elders.
What did the Odiunwere do?
Organised local agriculture production and mediated with provincial governors.
How could the iwebo, iwegune and ibiwe gain power? What did this contribute to?
In the provinces through marriage alliances and trade links. This contributed to conflict on succession and the problems of the C17.
What were the swords of the Benin warriors shaped like and why?
Leaves showing the power of axe, a Yoruba concept of lifeforce and power.
What were soldiers helmets girded with and why?
Girded with cowries showing the importance of currencies and taxation.
What was the tradition of casting linked to?
The spiritual power of the obas and the relationship of Benin to Ife. They used the lost wax method and Portuguese trade stimulated this further.
What were the royal arts designed to do?
Reinforce the centrality of the oba.
What rank guild were casters within the iwebo?
The highest ranking guild.
What were casters job?
To elaborate ‘official histories’ of the central events of each oba’s reign. Expanded significantly under Esigie and then declined in C18.
