Kingdom of Benin

Some time during the 900s, the Edo people started to farm in clearings they had made in the rainforest of southeastern Nigeria. Using tools made from iron, they grew crops such as yams, bananas and oil palm kernels. Gradually, a kingdom, known as Igodomigodo, emerged. It was ruled by a series of kings, known as Ogisos (meaning "kings of the sky").

In around 1100, the last Ogiso died. According to tradition, a group of Edo chiefs invited Prince Oranmiyan of the neighbouring Kingdom of Ife to restore order to their kingdom. It is Oranmiyan's son, Eweka, who became the first Oba, or king of Benin. (A tradition has it that Edo's own Crown Prince Ekaladerhan, who had earlier been forced into exile, was the same figure as Ife's first king, Odudawa. Prince Oranmiyan was Odudawa's son, meaning that Eweka was descended from an Edo king.) Eweka ruled the Kingdom of Benin as the first of a long line of Obas.

Golden Age
The Kingdom of Benin grew wealthy because of trade. Benin acted as a "middle-trader" between other kingdoms, selling on goods which it did not produce itself, such as cotton and semi-precious stone beads. Other goods exchanged between West African peoples included fish, salt, yams and cattle. At its height, Benin dominated trade along the entire coastline from the Niger Delta, through Lagos to present-day Ghana, known today as the Bight of Benin. This trade later expanded to include European goods from Portuguese merchants.

Around 1440, Ewuare became the new Oba of Benin, following a violent clash with his brother Uwaifiokun which destroyed much of Benin City. He built up an army and started conquering neighbouring lands, extending into what is now mid-western Nigeria. Overseeing a period of great prosperity for Benin, he also rebuilt the capital and the royal palace. Oba Ewuare, who ruled until 1473, was the first of five great warrior kings. His descendants Ozolua and Esigie, both encouraged trade with Portuguese merchants. They used their wealth from trade to build up a powerful army.

​​​​​​​The fourth warrior king was Oba Orhogbua. During his reign, Benin—now an empire—reached its greatest extent. It stretched beyond the River Niger in the east and west as far as present-day Ghana. Oba Ehengbuda was the last of the warrior kings. After his death in 1601, Benin’s empire gradually shrank in size.

The kings of Benin had the title of Oba and were considered to have a divine right to rule. The king not only controlled all trade with outsiders but also personally owned nearly all the kingdom's valuable goods, such as leopard skins, pepper, coral and ivory. Many kings are commemorated in Benin art. The leopard was an appropriate symbol for the Oba, since the animal was regarded as the "King of the Bush". Only the king was permitted to kill leopards. One animal was sacrificed annually in his honour.

From around 1450, Portuguese ships began sailing down Africa's Atlantic coast. From Benin, Portuguese traders purchased pepper, palm oil, ivory and slaves which they could then trade on to other West African peoples in exchange for what they prized most of all: gold. In exchange, Benin traders acquired cotton cloth (originally from India), glass beads and cowrie shells, as well as copper, which they needed to make the brass for their sculptures. They also bought guns and gunpowder. The king of Benin restricted the sale of male slaves after 1516, because he needed the men for his own army, although this restriction was later lifted.

The Benin traders used a form of money called manillas, heavy, horseshoe-shaped bracelets usually made of copper, bronze or brass to trade with the Portuguese.

Weakened by a series of civil wars, by the 1860s Benin was no longer a powerful empire and the Obas struggled to rule their people. At the same time, the British wanted to gain control of Benin so they could exploit its resources of palm oil and rubber.

​​​​​​​In 1897, a number of British officials arrived outside Benin City. Although they had given word of their intended visit, they were informed that their journey must be delayed because foreigners were not allowed into the city while rituals were taking place. The British ignored the warning and were massacred by the Oba's warriors.

In response, a British military expedition was sent to Benin. British forces burned the capital city to the ground and looted the works of art decorating the Royal Palace. The stolen treasures consisted of bronze and ivory sculptures (including the heads of kings and queen mothers), leopard figurines, bells and a large number of brass plaques, together known as the "Benin Bronzes". The kingdom of Benin became part of the British Empire.

The Benin Bronzes (so-called, although they were made of brass) are a collection of more than a thousand metal plaques and sculptures that decorated the Royal Palace. Created by the Edo people from the 13th century onwards, they are famous for their exquisite artistry. The plaques, which date from 1550–1650, were fixed to the wooden pillars supporting the palace's many galleries. They glorified the Oba—the divine king—and his victories in war. Besides plaques, Benin artists produced life-size brass sculptures of heads, human and animal figures and ceremonial bells. They also made masks, ornate boxes, combs and armlets from ivory.

In 1897 most of the plaques and other objects were looted by British forces. Around 200 of the pieces were taken to the British Museum, London, while the rest were purchased by other European museums. The bronze plaques caused a sensation in Europe, who previously had no inkling that such works of art could have been created by African craftsmen. They transformed European understanding of African history.