Benin City
Encyclopedia
Benin City, is a city and the capital of Edo State in southern Nigeria
. It is a city approximately twenty-five miles north of the Benin River. It is situated 200 miles by road east of Lagos
. Benin is the center of Nigeria's rubber
industry, but processing palm nuts
for oil
is also an important traditional industry.
. Before leaving Benin Oranmiyan had a son by princess Erewinde who could not talk when Oranmiyan heard of this he sent seven marbles for his child to play with, when his son was playing with the marbles one of the marbles broke he immediately said owomika or Eweka. He immediately became the first Oba of Benin Eweka I changing the name of Ogiso to be tiled Oba meaning king in yoruba language. And the town became ile binu, Oba Ewedo would later change this name to "Ubinu" which the Portuguese interpreted as "Benin" in their own language. Around 1470, Ewuare changed the name of the state to Edo. This was about the time the people of Okpekpe
migrated from Benin City.
This portion is largely incorrect (11/28/2011
The Portuguese
visited Benin City around 1485. Benin grew rich during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries due to the slave trade with the Dutch
and the Portuguese, as well as through the export of tropical products.
The Bight of Benin
's shore was part of the so-called "Slave Coast
", from where many West Africans were sold to slave traders who enticed them to sell able-bodied men into bonded servitude. In the early sixteenth century the Oba sent an ambassador to Lisbon
, and the King of Portugal sent Christian
missionaries to Benin. Some residents of Benin could still speak a pidgin
Portuguese in the late nineteenth century. Many Portuguese loan words can still be found today in the languages of the area.
On 1 February 1852 the whole Bight of Benin
became a British protectorate, where a consul
represented the protector, until on 6 August 1861 the Bights of Biafra
and Benin became a united British protectorate, again under a British Consul.
On 17 February 1897, Benin City fell to the British. In the "Punitive Expedition", a 1200 strong British force, under the command of Admiral Sir Harry Rawson, conquered and raized the city, destroying much of the country's treasured art and dispersing nearly all that remained. No thorough studies have been done so far in order to estimate the number of Nigerians massacred by the British and other Europeans during these periods, as well as the extent of crimes against humanity such as rapes and tortures to the local dwellers by the European invaders. The "Benin Bronzes
", portrait figures, busts, and groups created in iron
, carved ivory
, and especially in brass
(conventionally called "bronze"), were taken from the city by the British and are currently displayed in various museum
s around the world. This act was perpetuated by the British who also auctioned some of the bronzes allegedly to cater for their expenses incurred during the invasion of the city. Most of these artifacts can be found today in British museums and other parts of the world. In recent years, various appeals have gone to the British government to return such artifacts. The most prominent of these artifacts was the famous Queen Idia mask used as a mascot during the Second Festival of Arts Culture (FESTAC '77) held in Nigeria in 1977 now known as "Festac Mask".
The defeat, capture and subjugation of Benin paved the way for British military occupation and the merging of later regional British conquests into the Niger Coast Protectorate
, the Protectorate of Southern Nigeria and finally, into the Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria. The British permitted the restoration of the Benin monarchy in 1914, but true political power still lay with the colonial administration of Nigeria.
, Ambrose Alli University (Previously Edo State University), Igbinedion University, the Benson Idahosa University
-renowned for its advancement in Information Technology, Entrepreneurship and Leadership development. Benin City also has one of the best secondary schools in Nigeria and these include, Edo College
, Eghosa Grammar School, Edokpolor Grammar School, Niger College, Presentation National High School, Immaculate conception Collge, Idia College, University of Benin Demonstration Secondary School, University Preparatory Secondary School
, Benin Technical College, Headquarters of Word of Faith Group of Schools, Nosakhare Model Education Centre and Igbinedion Educational Centre, Federal Government Girls College Benin-city, Paragon Comprehensive College.
Benin city, the Oba Palace, Igun Street (-famous for bronze casting and other metal works for centuries). Other attractions include various festivals and the Benin Moats (measuring about 20 to 40 ft), the famous King's Square on Ring Road and its traditional markets.
Beninese are known for bronze sculpture, its casting skills and their arts and craft. Benin city is also reputed taking in one of the oldest sustained monarchies in the world. Various festivals are held in Benin city yearly to celebrate various historic occasions and seasons. Igue Festival is the most popular of the festivals where the Oba celebrates the history and culture of his people and blesses the land and the people. It is celebrated at a time between Christmas and New Year.
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
. It is a city approximately twenty-five miles north of the Benin River. It is situated 200 miles by road east of Lagos
Lagos
Lagos is a port and the most populous conurbation in Nigeria. With a population of 7,937,932, it is currently the third most populous city in Africa after Cairo and Kinshasa, and currently estimated to be the second fastest growing city in Africa...
. Benin is the center of Nigeria's rubber
Rubber
Natural rubber, also called India rubber or caoutchouc, is an elastomer that was originally derived from latex, a milky colloid produced by some plants. The plants would be ‘tapped’, that is, an incision made into the bark of the tree and the sticky, milk colored latex sap collected and refined...
industry, but processing palm nuts
Oil palm
The oil palms comprise two species of the Arecaceae, or palm family. They are used in commercial agriculture in the production of palm oil. The African Oil Palm Elaeis guineensis is native to West Africa, occurring between Angola and Gambia, while the American Oil Palm Elaeis oleifera is native to...
for oil
Palm oil
Palm oil, coconut oil and palm kernel oil are edible plant oils derived from the fruits of palm trees. Palm oil is extracted from the pulp of the fruit of the oil palm Elaeis guineensis; palm kernel oil is derived from the kernel of the oil palm and coconut oil is derived from the kernel of the...
is also an important traditional industry.
History
Benin City was originally under the rule of Ogisos, meaning "Kings of the Sky". When the last Ogiso died the chiefs disagreed over who would be the next Ogiso, so the Benin sent a message to Ife to the Oni of ife Oba Oduduwa the king of Ife to send them a king, Oba Oduduwa then sent them his grandson prince Oranmiyan. When Oranmiyan came to Benin he struggled with the culture and ways of Benin so he then decided to leave Benin, on this Oba Oranmiyan changed the name of the city to Ile-Ibinu (1180-1897) which means "House of Vexation" in the Yoruba languageYoruba language
Yorùbá is a Niger–Congo language spoken in West Africa by approximately 20 million speakers. The native tongue of the Yoruba people, it is spoken, among other languages, in Nigeria, Benin, and Togo and in communities in other parts of Africa, Europe and the Americas...
. Before leaving Benin Oranmiyan had a son by princess Erewinde who could not talk when Oranmiyan heard of this he sent seven marbles for his child to play with, when his son was playing with the marbles one of the marbles broke he immediately said owomika or Eweka. He immediately became the first Oba of Benin Eweka I changing the name of Ogiso to be tiled Oba meaning king in yoruba language. And the town became ile binu, Oba Ewedo would later change this name to "Ubinu" which the Portuguese interpreted as "Benin" in their own language. Around 1470, Ewuare changed the name of the state to Edo. This was about the time the people of Okpekpe
Okpekpe
Okpekpe Okpekpe is a town in Etsako East Local Government Area of Edo State, Nigeria. It is located about 25 km North East of Auchi. It has a population of 3155 inhabitants...
migrated from Benin City.
This portion is largely incorrect (11/28/2011
The Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
visited Benin City around 1485. Benin grew rich during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries due to the slave trade with the Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
and the Portuguese, as well as through the export of tropical products.
The Bight of Benin
Bight of Benin
The Bight of Benin is a bight on the western African coast that extends eastward for about 400 miles from Cape St. Paul to the Nun outlet of the Niger River. To the east it is continued by the Bight of Bonny . The bight is part of the Gulf of Guinea...
's shore was part of the so-called "Slave Coast
Slave Coast
The Slave Coast is the name of the coastal areas of present Togo, Benin and western Nigeria, a fertile region of coastal Western Africa along the Bight of Benin. In pre-colonial time it was one of the most densely populated parts of the African continent...
", from where many West Africans were sold to slave traders who enticed them to sell able-bodied men into bonded servitude. In the early sixteenth century the Oba sent an ambassador to Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
, and the King of Portugal sent Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
missionaries to Benin. Some residents of Benin could still speak a pidgin
Pidgin
A pidgin , or pidgin language, is a simplified language that develops as a means of communication between two or more groups that do not have a language in common. It is most commonly employed in situations such as trade, or where both groups speak languages different from the language of the...
Portuguese in the late nineteenth century. Many Portuguese loan words can still be found today in the languages of the area.
On 1 February 1852 the whole Bight of Benin
Bight of Benin
The Bight of Benin is a bight on the western African coast that extends eastward for about 400 miles from Cape St. Paul to the Nun outlet of the Niger River. To the east it is continued by the Bight of Bonny . The bight is part of the Gulf of Guinea...
became a British protectorate, where a consul
Consul (representative)
The political title Consul is used for the official representatives of the government of one state in the territory of another, normally acting to assist and protect the citizens of the consul's own country, and to facilitate trade and friendship between the peoples of the two countries...
represented the protector, until on 6 August 1861 the Bights of Biafra
Bight of Bonny
The Bight of Bonny is a bight off the West African coast, in the easternmost part of the Gulf of Guinea...
and Benin became a united British protectorate, again under a British Consul.
On 17 February 1897, Benin City fell to the British. In the "Punitive Expedition", a 1200 strong British force, under the command of Admiral Sir Harry Rawson, conquered and raized the city, destroying much of the country's treasured art and dispersing nearly all that remained. No thorough studies have been done so far in order to estimate the number of Nigerians massacred by the British and other Europeans during these periods, as well as the extent of crimes against humanity such as rapes and tortures to the local dwellers by the European invaders. The "Benin Bronzes
Benin Bronzes
The Benin Bronzes are a collection of more than 3000 brass plaques from the royal palace of the Kingdom of Benin . They were seized by a British force in the Punitive Expedition of 1897 and given to the British Foreign Office...
", portrait figures, busts, and groups created in iron
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
, carved ivory
Ivory
Ivory is a term for dentine, which constitutes the bulk of the teeth and tusks of animals, when used as a material for art or manufacturing. Ivory has been important since ancient times for making a range of items, from ivory carvings to false teeth, fans, dominoes, joint tubes, piano keys and...
, and especially in brass
Brass
Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc; the proportions of zinc and copper can be varied to create a range of brasses with varying properties.In comparison, bronze is principally an alloy of copper and tin...
(conventionally called "bronze"), were taken from the city by the British and are currently displayed in various museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
s around the world. This act was perpetuated by the British who also auctioned some of the bronzes allegedly to cater for their expenses incurred during the invasion of the city. Most of these artifacts can be found today in British museums and other parts of the world. In recent years, various appeals have gone to the British government to return such artifacts. The most prominent of these artifacts was the famous Queen Idia mask used as a mascot during the Second Festival of Arts Culture (FESTAC '77) held in Nigeria in 1977 now known as "Festac Mask".
The defeat, capture and subjugation of Benin paved the way for British military occupation and the merging of later regional British conquests into the Niger Coast Protectorate
Niger Coast Protectorate
The Niger Coast Protectorate was a British protectorate in the Oil Rivers area of present-day Nigeria, originally established as the Oil Rivers Protectorate in 1891 and confirmed at the Berlin Conference the following year, renamed on 12 May 1893, and merged with the chartered territories of the...
, the Protectorate of Southern Nigeria and finally, into the Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria. The British permitted the restoration of the Benin monarchy in 1914, but true political power still lay with the colonial administration of Nigeria.
Education
Benin City is home to some of Nigeria's institutions of higher learning, namely, The University of BeninUniversity of Benin (Nigeria)
The University of Benin - also known as UNIBEN - is one of the country's major universities.-History:The university was founded in 1970 by the military government of Samuel Ogbemudia.It teaches in a broad range of subjects, including a medical school...
, Ambrose Alli University (Previously Edo State University), Igbinedion University, the Benson Idahosa University
Benson Idahosa University
The Benson Idahosa University is a private, non-profit, Christian university in Benin City, Nigeria.Benson Idahosa University is named after Archbishop Benson Idahosa, a Charismatic Pentecostal minister from Benin City, Nigeria, and reflects his evangelical beliefs. The president of Benson Idahosa...
-renowned for its advancement in Information Technology, Entrepreneurship and Leadership development. Benin City also has one of the best secondary schools in Nigeria and these include, Edo College
Edo College
Edo College is a secondary grammar school in Benin City, Nigeria, the oldest in the Mid-Western Region. It was established in February, 1937 and started as the Benin Middle School with forms, I, II and III...
, Eghosa Grammar School, Edokpolor Grammar School, Niger College, Presentation National High School, Immaculate conception Collge, Idia College, University of Benin Demonstration Secondary School, University Preparatory Secondary School
University Preparatory Secondary School
University Preparatory Secondary School is a private Secondary School situated in Benin City, Nigeria. The school was founded by Professor Andrew Urevbu in 1992. University Preparatory Secondary School is regarded by many as currently being the best Secondary School in Benin City...
, Benin Technical College, Headquarters of Word of Faith Group of Schools, Nosakhare Model Education Centre and Igbinedion Educational Centre, Federal Government Girls College Benin-city, Paragon Comprehensive College.
Culture
Attractions in the city include the National MuseumNational museum
A national museum is a museum maintained by a nation.The following is a list of national museums:-Australia:*Australian National Aviation Museum*Australian National Maritime Museum*, Sydney*Australian War Memorial*Museum Victoria...
Benin city, the Oba Palace, Igun Street (-famous for bronze casting and other metal works for centuries). Other attractions include various festivals and the Benin Moats (measuring about 20 to 40 ft), the famous King's Square on Ring Road and its traditional markets.
Beninese are known for bronze sculpture, its casting skills and their arts and craft. Benin city is also reputed taking in one of the oldest sustained monarchies in the world. Various festivals are held in Benin city yearly to celebrate various historic occasions and seasons. Igue Festival is the most popular of the festivals where the Oba celebrates the history and culture of his people and blesses the land and the people. It is celebrated at a time between Christmas and New Year.