A new chapter in Benin history began when the Portuguese arrived in the country in 1485. International trade and Christianity were the two principal goods brought by the Portuguese. Both parties were initially very excited, but it quickly became apparent that the honeymoon would not continue. From their side, the Portuguese hoped and dreamed that the empire would be a good place to plant Christianity. The Oba treated the Portuguese with such kindness and hospitality that it seemed to them that he was an enlightened king who could be converted if he was just told the truth about Christianity.
The Portuguese were also happy to learn that the Benin believed in a supreme being, which they thought would preclude the empire from adopting Christianity. The Portuguese were optimistic about the kingdom of Benin’s economic prospects, particularly after learning that the country possessed the pepper species pimenta-del-raba. Subsequently, there was a pledge to increase the supply of ivories, and Benin guaranteed a large supply of slaves. On the other hand, the oba was personally interested in weapons, particularly the rifles that the Portuguese brought. He believes this will transform combat in the Benin Gulf and increase the efficacy of his army.
In the 1515 war against Idah, Oba Esigie found the Portuguese gun to be of great assistance. This was a brief friendship in the beginning. It is true that Esigie commanded his son and two of his nobles to join Christianity and undergo baptism following the Idah expedition. Following then, not a single Benin ruler expressed any interest in Christianity. This came about because:
The indigenous tradition of Benin served as the foundation for the monarchy.
The civilization of Benin was too old and advanced to crumble under the influence of Christianity.
Because Benin was an inland monarchy rather than a coastal settlement, getting there was challenging.
The environment was a big worry; it was discovered that the environment in Benin was dangerous for Europeans, making it difficult for white men to carry out long-term missionary work there. Additionally, it was hard to find educated native missionaries in Benin.
The Portuguese were devastated to learn that the Oba only respected them economically and militarily; the early pledges were not followed through on for a variety of reasons. First of all, Benin had a solid, self-sufficient economy by the time the Portuguese arrived, so the goods they brought were luxuries rather than necessities.Benin, therefore, did not rely solely on that trade to the same degree as coastal states did.
Because no tradeable good was identified in sufficient quantities to be profitable, the Benin trade never truly gained much traction among Europeans. Thirdly, slaves from Benin were unable to meet the demand for a variety of reasons. Initially, only convicts were sold; it was likely an auction of male slaves since he need them for his military campaigns. This action further decreased the quantity and caliber of slaves coming from Benin. Benin offered ivory, but it was never provided in sufficient amounts to support the trade.
The Portuguese’s refusal to provide the Oba with weaponry in the manner he desired demoralized him. For these reasons, the history of the connection between Benin and the Portuguese is essentially that of a brief, low-value partnership with minimal lasting effects on Benin. During a more optimistic period of their relationship, the Portuguese started constructing trading stations in Qwato, Sao Tome, and Principe. From this safe haven, they exploited the resources in the Congo and the Bight of Benin. The Oba had anticipated that this alliance would increase his royal monopoly on significant trade goods.
This tentative business arrangement quickly blossomed into a shocking global collaboration and a diplomat exchange. As we’ve seen, Benin was aided by Portuguese weapons in the conflict with Idah and was able to seize control of the route to Lagos and Bonny. However, the Portuguese were compelled to leave Benin by 1520. Due to their dissatisfaction with the country and engage in trade with the Itsekiri on the Forcados rivers.
The discovery that a large portion of the evangelical seed had fallen on rocks, some on unproductive soil, and some on thorns caused the fervor for trade in Benin to decline after the first part of the 16th century.
The English and the Dutch replaced the Portuguese as they left the “unprofitable Benin.” During the initial part of the 17th century, Benin persisted as a strong and thriving empire. The city impressed the Dutch visitors. In the interior, the empire was able to compete. However, degradation and decline began to occur toward the end of the 17th century.
THE 1897 BENIN CONQUEST.
An important development in the history of colonization and the race for Africa was the exploration of Benin in 1897. This discovery had a significant impact on the history of the area and signaled the start of British rule over the kingdom of Benin.
A pact of protection was made in 1892 between Oba Ovarawen and Galway, the British consul in charge. This indicated that the Kingdom of Benin was already a client of the British protectorate. This meant that the kingdom would not be subject to attacks by other European imperialist nations. The meaning of this treaty wasn’t entirely evident to everyone. This was the driving force behind Consul Phillips’ voyage to Benin in 1897, which resulted in two massacre.
When Mr. James R. Philip, acting vice consul in place of Ralph Moore (who was abroad on leave), visited Benin River in November 1896. He discovered that all of the marketplaces in the Oba regions were closed. After Philips, through the Itsekiri chiefs, was unable to convince the Oba to allow trade, he wrote to Britain requesting permission to travel to Benin with the intention of overthrowing the Oba.
The Acting Consul General James Philips of the Niger Coast Protectate was ordered to stop the expedition because the kingdom was observing the Igue festival. He disobeyed. This resulted in an ambush at Ugbine village, which is close to Gwato, on their route to the kingdom. A few were executed, while others were just killed. Only Captain Alan Boisragon and District Commissioner Ralph Locke, who were both shot at, managed to escape.
Oba Ovaramwen and his chief turned themselves up to Captain E.P.S. Roupell, the acting resident, on August 7, 1897. On September 1st, the trial of the Oba and his leaders began, with Commissioner Ralph Moore and Consul-General Ralph Moore presiding. The oba was sent to Calabar, where he passed away in 1814, and seven chiefs, including Ologbosere, were put to death as a result of the trials. Some British scholars classified the incident on January 4, 1897, as a massacre, which it wasn’t. Benin was later ravaged and pillaged by a British force of 1200 soldiers under the command of Harry Rawson. Oba Ovarewen Nogbaisi was later forced into exile, where he died. Full authority by the British was established in the empire on February 17.
Following the collapse of the Benin kingdom, palaces, shrines, and the homes of prominent leaders were plundered. February 21, 1897, saw the looting and burning of the Oba palace. The Benin people made several human sacrifices to placate the gods and prevent the British invasion. The majority of the pilfered artifacts were sold at auction. Meanwhile, the remainder were taken and retained by private persons as war booties within their residences.
Leave a Reply