1
Q
What aspects of Benin’s geography were conducive to its development?
A
- fertile land to produce palm oil, yams and Beni pepper
- relatively easy access to coastal ports (Gwaton)
- natural defences of marshlands and rainforests
2
Q
What were Oba Ewuare’s military achievements?
A
expanded East to Ibo and Ijo, West to Lagos Lagoon and South to the coast
3
Q
Who first started using firearms on a large scale?
A
Oba Ozolua
4
Q
What was Ugie Erha Oba?
A
festival dedicated to the Oba’s ancestors
5
Q
What was new yam festival?
A
celebrated the harvest and credited the Oba with bringing abundance
6
Q
What was the limitation on the new yam festival?
A
dependent on abundant harvests
7
Q
How did the Oba maintain his divine image?
A
- only appeared outside the palace once or twice a year
with 6000 men marching in front of him and decorated with corals and scarlet cloth - complex rituals regarding who could see and speak to the Oba
- high palace wall
8
Q
What was the death ritual?
A
when the Oba died, his body and his living servants were put into a grave and a large rock placed on top
9
Q
What was the importance of the death ritual and a limitation?
A
- emphasises the importance of servitude to and sacrifice for the Oba, even in the afterlife
- limitation: may have been more symbolic than factual
10
Q
Who installed the shrine of the royal ancestors and what was it called?
A
Ewuare installed Ugie Erha Oba
11
Q
What was the Ague Oghene festival?
A
period of ritual abstinence from drinking, eating and sex
12
Q
Why was the Ague-Oghene festival important?
A
strengthened Edo people’s spirituality, affirming their beliefs in the Oba’s divine legitimacy and presenting the Oba as a pious figure
13
Q
What were Iru?
A
sacred brass vessels placed on the Ebo n’Edo shrine in the Oba’s palace, believed to hold mystical powers
14
Q
What were the main types of tribute sent to the Oba?
A
- twice yearly levy of provisions (food) for the palace
- slaves
- the Oba could also request labourers for palace infrastructure and soldiers
15
Q
How did the Obas manage infighting?
A
sons who were fighting were appointed as governors of distant provinces and took their retinues and dependents with them
16
Q
How was the delivery of tribute from disobedient provinces ensured ensured?
A
if provinces refused, military contingents attacked them to take the payment and took slaves
17
Q
Who was the Odiunwere?
A
the village head responsible for organising the age grades of village youth in charge of agricultural production
18
Q
Who was the Onogie?
A
hereditary village chief who shared power with the Odiunwere
19
Q
How did the Odiunwere ensure the stability of food supply and tribute?
A
organised village youth in charge of agricultural production to ensure they had a surplus
20
Q
Who was the Oba’s representative in the provinces and what did they do?
A
The Bale-Kale collected tribute
21
Q
What was a limitation of the Bale-Kale?
A
they decentralised power and took a larger cut of the tribute than they were entitled to
22
Q
Why were festivals and ceremonies important?
A
- affirmed the Oba’s divine image
- reduced the need for military enforcement of tribute
- reinforced hierarchy
- suggested that tribute was duty and not coercion
23
Q
What were some limitations of ceremonies and ritual?
A
over time, the divine power was not enough to enforce tribute and in C17, military enforcement was needed
religious belief much more present in Benin proper than the periphery
if stability was dependent on religion and divine legitimacy, when that fell, everything did e.g. new yam festival and descendance from Oranmiyan
24
Q
What was Oranmiyan’s significance?
A
Founded Benin
gave successive rulers divine legitimacy
25
What was the capital city?
Edo, where the Oba resided
26
When did the Portuguese first arrive and establish a trading relationship with Benin?
1486
27
When was the embargo on the slave trade?
1530
28
What were the short term consequences of the trade embargo?
curbed depopulation
29
How did Benin continue to engage with the slave trade after the embargo?
provisioned slave ships with water, yam and barrels
30
When did Benin shift back to slavery?
1700
31
Why did Benin shift back to engaging with the slave trade?
Benin cloth was no longer in demand due to the rise of the Indian cloth trade so they had to find an alternative source of income
32
What were Benin's main imports?
Beni pepper, cotton cloths, slaves, palm oil, yam
33
When did areas of Benin state begin trading directly with the Portuguese?
The Itsekiri began trading directly with Portuguese in 1730
34
What were Benin's main imports?
firearms, cowrie shells, copper manilas, iron manilas later on
35
What were Benin's currencies?
cowrie shells (useful for collecting tax), copper manilas, iron manilas
36
Who was Oranmiyan's father?
The Ooni of Ile-Ife
37
Who was the main ethnic group in Benin proper?
The Edo
38
What was Gwaton?
the main port of Benin
39
Who were the Uzama?
6 hereditary village chiefs whose duty was to install each new Oba
40
Who was the Ezomo?
commander of the metropolitan army in Edo
41
What was Olokun?
the chief deity, God of waters and prosperity
42
What was the Edaiken?
the crown prince
43
Who was the Iyase?
commander of the combined armies
44
Who was the Iyoba?
queen mother
45
Who was the Edogun?
commander of the royal troops
46
What happened to chiefs' property upon their death?
appropriated by the Oba. This law was revoked by Ewuakpe before 1701
47
When did Ewuare reign?
(c1440-c1473)
48
When did Oba Olua reign?
1473-1481
49
When did Oba Ozolua reign?
1481-1504
50
When did Oba Esigie reign?
1504-1550
51
When did Orhugbua reign?
1550-1578
52
When did Ehengbuda reign?
1578-1606
53
When did Oba Ohuan reign?
1606-1608
54
When did Oba Ewuakpe reign?
1700-1712
55
What were Oba Ewuare's religious and cultural achievements?
established Igue festival and an annual cycle of royal rituals
encouraged crafts like Ivory crafting and was a patron of craft guilds
56
What were Oba Ewuare's economic achievements?
- used the port at Gwaton to trade with the Portuguese
- expanded urban structures and road systems in Edo
- sold slaves in small numbers
57
What were Oba Ewuare's political achievements?
33 year reign
established 3 associations of palace chiefs
created Edaiken to improve succession
removed hereditary tribal heads from government
58
What were some limitations to Oba Ewuare's political success?
2 of his sons dies, rendering the Edaiken title useless
his purification laws were seen as authoritative
59
What were the purification laws and the consequences?
after his sons dies, Ewuare commanded abstinence from washing and sex. Many tried to leave so he told neighbouring states not to give sanctuary and used tribal markings to identify the Edo so other states would reject them
60
What were Orughbua's political achievements?
created the title of Ezomo
close relationship with the Portuguese and they may have assisted his army
enforced tribute payments from all parts of his empire
61
What were Orhugbua's military achievements?
created a maritime army, established a permanent garrison at Lagos Island, allowing him to monitor trade
62
What did Ehendbuda do to the military?
After being injured in battle, he established the precedent that Obas should not fight, reducing image of military strength that kings like Ewuare (warrior king) had benefitted from
63
How was Benin connected to Yoruba politics and religion?
the Ooni of Ile-Ife, Oranmiyan's father, was Yoruba and all Obas travelled back to Ile-Ife to be confirmed
64
What were Oba Ozolua's military achievement?
fought 200 successful battles (spiritually significant number so likely exaggerated)
used Portuguese firearms
65
What were Oba Ozolua's economic and political achievements?
exported spices and cloth in exchange for firearms and copper manilas with the Portuguese
introduced patrilineal primogeniture and gave dukedoms to other princes
66
What were Esigie's cultural achievements?
patron of the arts, commissioned palace plaques to create prestige
67
What were Esigie's political achievements?
sent his son as an envoy to the Portuguese court (first ever)
created the title of Iyoba (queen mother)
68
What were the 3 classes of palace chiefs?
chamberlains (in charge of regalia)
household officers (looked after private apartments and guests)
attendants of the King's family
69
How much did a slave cost in 1506?
15 copper manilas
70
How much did a slave cost in 1517?
57 copper manilas
71
What were Benin's greatest cultural and artistic achievements?
Benin bronzes, first commissioned by Ewuare and perfected by Esigie, depicting warriors, ancestors or the Oba
Patronage of craft guilds (ivory and wood carving, casting most respected)
Great Walls of Benin 3200 km long
72
What was a limitation of the cultural and artistic development?
Within the Oba's palace and Edo so had little impact on the periphery
73
Why was cultural development important?
created a strong national identity, exalted the Oba, reinforcing his divinity, displayed wealth and encouraged European traders, who were impressed by Benin's prosperity and development
74
Why did the Iyase decentralise power?
The Iyase commanded both armies and after Ehengbuda limited the Oba's role, he held more military power than him as the Oba's military command was purely nominal
75
How did royal succession precipitate Benin's decline?
several reigns marked with rebellion e.g. Ahenkpaye was deposed
the line of descent dissipated
the Onegwa announced the succession, giving him the power to alter the succession
Ohuan (female) threatened succession
76
What were administrative and political reasons for Benin's decline?
Ehengbuda gave up his royal right to impose justice by taking life
Ahenkpaye tried to reassert royal control by refusing to pay coronation fees but was deposed by the administration
77
How did trade patterns shift?
Oba lost his monopoly
1553 English merchants traded with the Oba directly in his palace
1590 the Oba's chief vendors handled trade for him
C1800 trade in villages by local administration
78
How did shifting trade patterns lead to Benin's decline?
wealth accumulated under lower administrative class, who bought slaves to increase wealth
79
How did neighbouring states lead to Benin's decline?
European trade with Oyo disrupted Benin trade
neighbouring states traded for firearms and currency
80
Who created the state council?
Oba Ewuare
81
Which roles comprised the state council?
chiefs of the major towns
the palace chiefs ( chamberlains, household officers, attendants of the King's family)
The Uzama
82
What problems did Ogboe cause?
led Benin chiefs to resist Oba Olua's son from succeeding, leading to an interim govt of 3 years after Olua's death, which allowed invaders to pillage Edo
83
Who was Ogboe?
The Iyase under Olua
84
How did Ehengbuda and the state council reform the role of the Iyase?
The Iyase could not live in the Ogbe quarter near the palace and could not return to Edo after conquering a large town
85
Who created the title of Ezomo and why was it useful?
Ehengbuda created it to reward outstanding warriors. He gave this to Ekenika, the military commander who pushed back Aworis counter attacks
86
How many soldiers could the Oba mobilise in a day?
20,000
87
how large was Benin's army?
80-100,000 men
88
What was the Idah war?
1515-1516, The Uzama rebelled against Esigie's attempt to adopt Christianity. Esigie narrowly won
89
Who was the first Oba?
Eweka
90
What was the Atora law?
stated that the Oba could appropriate chiefs' belongings after their deaths
91
Which Oba adopted Christianity?
Esigie
92
Why was Orhugbua seen as a foreign king?
he lived in Portugal, training to be a Catholic priest, and spoke perfect Portuguese
93
What was Olokun's significance?
most revered deity, associated with the Oba, believed to be the Oba's father
94
Why was Ewuakpe's accession problematic?
he was young, inexperienced, and could not offer propitiatory rites at the ancestral shrine because his father was still alive
95
What was the Iyoba's role?
she was involved in a strategic council during military campaigns
offered the Oba political advice
acted as a sorceress
96
When was the civil war?
In the late C17-1730s there was civil war
97
What caused the civil war?
Ewuakpe and the great men tried to clamp down on the overmighty middle level administration and the Street King (Iyase)
98
What happened in the civil war?
the Street King/Iyase revolted, left the city and took a large part of the population with him. The Oba gathered troops from a neighbourin country and unsuccessfully attacked the street king, who later sacked Edo
99
Why was the civil war significant?
showed a fault in the military administration and a lack of popularity for the Oba as he had to get troops from a neighbouring state
100
How did Ewuakpe return to power after the civil war (spiritual story)?
he fled with his wife, Iden, to his mother's village but his mother's relatives rejected him. He snuck back to his palace and Iden sold her belongings to pay for a seer, who told them they needed to do a human sacrifice. Iden sacrificed herself, allowing Ewuakpe to bury her alive.
101
How did Ewuakpe return to power (realistic story)?
Portuguese assisted Ewuakpe through mediation and an agreement that the Oba grant amnesty and high positions to those who agreed to return his service and that he revoke the law of Atora
102
How did Ozuere come to the throne and why was this problematic?
Ewuakpe's second son seized the throne with the Iyase's help, demonstrating the overmighty Iyase and a degradation of primogeniture/divine legitimacy
103
Who overthrew Ozuere?
His brother, Akenzua, overthrew him with the Ezomo's help and in return, he made the title herditary
African kingdoms (OCR)
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