Kingdom of Benin

E69603
historical polity monarchy pre-colonial African state

The Kingdom of Benin was a powerful pre-colonial West African state centered in what is now southern Nigeria, renowned for its sophisticated political organization, monumental earthworks, and highly skilled bronze and ivory art.

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All labels observed (11)

Label Occurrences
Kingdom of Benin canonical 20
Benin Kingdom 13
Benin Empire 8

Statements (72)

Predicate Object
instanceOf historical polity ⓘ
monarchy ⓘ
pre-colonial African state ⓘ
artStyle lost-wax brass casting ⓘ
relief brass plaques ⓘ
royal commemorative heads ⓘ
capital Benin City ⓘ
Edo ⓘ
conqueredBy British Empire ⓘ
continent Africa ⓘ
craftGuild brass casters guild ⓘ
ivory carvers guild ⓘ
culturalLegacy Benin art in European museums ⓘ
restitution debates over Benin Bronzes ⓘ
currency manillas ⓘ
demonym Bini ⓘ
economy long-distance trade ⓘ
regional trade ⓘ
encountered Portuguese explorers in the 15th century ⓘ
ethnicGroup Edo people ⓘ
event Benin Expedition of 1897 ⓘ
export ivory ⓘ
pepper ⓘ
slaves ⓘ
textiles ⓘ
fallDate 1897 ⓘ
firstEuropeanContact late 15th century ⓘ
fortification Benin City walls ⓘ
Benin moats ⓘ
governmentType hereditary monarchy ⓘ
hasInstitution guilds of craftsmen ⓘ
Royal Palace of the Oba of Benin ⓘ
surface form: royal palace of Benin
knownFor Benin Bronzes ⓘ
court art ⓘ
ivory carvings ⓘ
moats and walls of Benin ⓘ
monumental earthworks ⓘ
sophisticated political organization ⓘ
language Edo language ⓘ
legalSystem customary law ⓘ
locatedIn West Africa ⓘ
present-day southern Nigeria ⓘ
militaryFeature professional warrior class ⓘ
use of archers and spearmen ⓘ
neighbor Itsekiri polities ⓘ
Ife Kingdom ⓘ
surface form: Kingdom of Ife

Oyo Empire ⓘ
notableRuler Oba of Benin ⓘ
surface form: Oba Esigie

Oba Ewuare I ⓘ
Oba of Benin ⓘ
surface form: Oba Ovonramwen

Oba Ozolua ⓘ
originTradition associated with Ogiso dynasty ⓘ
linked to Igodomigodo ⓘ
partOfHistory history of Nigeria ⓘ
history of West Africa ⓘ
politicalStructure centralized state ⓘ
court bureaucracy ⓘ
palace chiefs ⓘ
town chiefs ⓘ
region Niger Delta ⓘ
surface form: Niger Delta hinterland
religion Orisha worship ⓘ
ancestor worship ⓘ
traditional Edo religion ⓘ
royalDynasty Oba dynasty ⓘ
rulerTitle Oba of Benin ⓘ
successorState Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria ⓘ
surface form: British Protectorate of Southern Nigeria
symbol leopard imagery ⓘ
royal coral regalia ⓘ
timePeriod c. 13th century to 1897 ⓘ
tradedWith British traders ⓘ
Dutch traders ⓘ
Portuguese Empire ⓘ

Referenced by (49)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

West Africa → hadHistoricState → Kingdom of Benin ⓘ
Ife Kingdom → culturalInfluenceOn → Kingdom of Benin ⓘ
this entity surface form: Benin Kingdom
Edo State → hasHeritage → Kingdom of Benin ⓘ
this entity surface form: Benin Kingdom
Benin City → formerCapitalOf → Kingdom of Benin ⓘ
this entity surface form: Benin Kingdom
Benin City → formerCapitalOf → Kingdom of Benin ⓘ
this entity surface form: Benin Empire
Giovanni Battista Belzoni → placeOfDeath → Kingdom of Benin ⓘ
Benin Bronzes → countryOfOrigin → Kingdom of Benin ⓘ
Edo people → historicalCenter → Kingdom of Benin ⓘ
this entity surface form: Benin Kingdom
Edo people → historicalState → Kingdom of Benin ⓘ
this entity surface form: Benin Empire
West Africans → hasHistoricalState → Kingdom of Benin ⓘ
Olu of Warri → historicalTiesWith → Kingdom of Benin ⓘ
this entity surface form: Benin Kingdom
Edo (Bini) → historicalCenter → Kingdom of Benin ⓘ
this entity surface form: Benin Kingdom
Edo (Bini) → historicalState → Kingdom of Benin ⓘ
this entity surface form: Benin Empire
Esan → historicalRelation → Kingdom of Benin ⓘ
this entity surface form: Benin Empire
Royal Palace of the Oba of Benin → associatedWith → Kingdom of Benin ⓘ
this entity surface form: Benin Kingdom
Royal Palace of the Oba of Benin → associatedWith → Kingdom of Benin ⓘ
this entity surface form: Benin Empire
Igun Street bronze casters’ guild → associatedWith → Kingdom of Benin ⓘ
this entity surface form: Benin Kingdom
Igun Street bronze casters’ guild → linkedTo → Kingdom of Benin ⓘ
this entity surface form: royal guild system of the Benin Kingdom
Bights of Benin and Biafra → borderCountryHistorical → Kingdom of Benin ⓘ
this entity surface form: Kingdom of Benin region
Oba of Lagos Palace → associatedWith → Kingdom of Benin ⓘ
this entity surface form: Benin Kingdom heritage
Oba of Benin → domain → Kingdom of Benin ⓘ
this entity surface form: Benin Kingdom
Oba of Benin → domain → Kingdom of Benin ⓘ
this entity surface form: Benin Empire
Oba of Benin → hasJurisdiction → Kingdom of Benin ⓘ
this entity surface form: Benin Kingdom traditional territory
Owo → sharesCulturalTraitsWith → Kingdom of Benin ⓘ
this entity surface form: Benin Kingdom
Edo → associatedWith → Kingdom of Benin ⓘ
this entity surface form: Benin Kingdom
Bini → associatedWith → Kingdom of Benin ⓘ
subject surface form: Bini people
Bini → politicalOrganization → Kingdom of Benin ⓘ
subject surface form: Bini people
Bini → historicalState → Kingdom of Benin ⓘ
subject surface form: Bini people
this entity surface form: Benin Empire
Bini → preColonialState → Kingdom of Benin ⓘ
subject surface form: Bini people
Edo language → primaryRegion → Kingdom of Benin ⓘ
this entity surface form: Benin Kingdom historical area
Oba Ewuare I → country → Kingdom of Benin ⓘ
Oba Ewuare I → associatedWith → Kingdom of Benin ⓘ
this entity surface form: Benin royal court
Oba Ozolua → country → Kingdom of Benin ⓘ
Oba Ozolua → royalHouse → Kingdom of Benin ⓘ
this entity surface form: Royal House of Benin
Oba Ozolua → deathPlace → Kingdom of Benin ⓘ
ivory carvers guild → locatedIn → Kingdom of Benin ⓘ
subject surface form: Ivory Carvers Guild
ivory carvers guild → country → Kingdom of Benin ⓘ
subject surface form: Ivory Carvers Guild
Benin City walls → associatedWith → Kingdom of Benin ⓘ
this entity surface form: Benin Kingdom
Benin City walls → constructedBy → Kingdom of Benin ⓘ
Benin moats → surrounds → Kingdom of Benin ⓘ
this entity surface form: historic Kingdom of Benin
Benin moats → constructedBy → Kingdom of Benin ⓘ
Benin Expedition of 1897 → hasBelligerent → Kingdom of Benin ⓘ
Benin Expedition of 1897 → location → Kingdom of Benin ⓘ
Benin Expedition of 1897 → relatedTo → Kingdom of Benin ⓘ
linked to Igodomigodo → precedes → Kingdom of Benin ⓘ
linked to Igodomigodo → culturalContinuityWith → Kingdom of Benin ⓘ
linked to Igodomigodo → successor → Kingdom of Benin ⓘ
this entity surface form: Benin Empire
Oba dynasty → country → Kingdom of Benin ⓘ
Oba dynasty → traditionalAuthority → Kingdom of Benin ⓘ
this entity surface form: Benin Kingdom