Kingdom of Benin

The Kingdom of Benin was an Edo state in present-day southern Nigeria, centered on Benin City and ruled by an oba. It became renowned for its court culture, political power, and brass and ivory artworks.

Oba of Benin: The oba is Benin’s hereditary monarch and the central figure of its royal court and religious life. The oba embodied sovereignty and anchored the kingdom’s political and ceremonial order.
Edo people: The Edo are a people of southern Nigeria whose language and cultural traditions are centered in Edo State. The kingdom developed from Edo-speaking communities and remains central to Edo identity.
Ewuare the Great: Ewuare the Great was a fifteenth-century oba credited with expanding and reorganizing the Benin kingdom. His reign is associated with major political reforms and the kingdom’s territorial growth.
Benin Expedition of 1897: The Benin Expedition of 1897 was a British military invasion that captured Benin City and ended the kingdom’s independence. The invasion forcibly transformed the monarchy and dispersed court treasures.
Edo State: Edo State is a state in southern Nigeria, created in 1991, with Benin City as its capital. The kingdom’s historic center lies within the modern state bearing the Edo name.
Benin City: Benin City is the historic capital of the Edo kingdom and the modern capital of Edo State, Nigeria. Its palace, walls, and surrounding districts concentrated the kingdom’s authority.
Ogiso dynasty: The Ogiso dynasty is the traditional name for the rulers said to have governed Benin before the Oba dynasty. Benin origin traditions place the kingdom’s earliest royal era under the Ogiso.
Akenzua II: Akenzua II was the oba of Benin from 1933 to 1978, during British rule and Nigeria’s independence. His reign connected the historic monarchy to the modern Nigerian state.
Benin ivory mask: The Benin ivory mask is a carved pendant portrait of Queen Mother Idia, made for the royal court. Its image became an internationally recognized emblem of Benin court art.
African art: African art encompasses visual and material traditions produced across the continent and its diasporas. Benin court works became central to global understandings of African artistic achievement.

Linked from 17 pages