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Kingdom of Benin Arriọba Ẹ̀dó | |||||||||||
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1180–1897 | |||||||||||
Flag | |||||||||||
![]() The extent of Benin in 1625 | |||||||||||
Capital | Edo (now Benin City) | ||||||||||
Common languages | Edo, Yoruba and Igbo | ||||||||||
Religion | Edo Religion, Catholic Christianity | ||||||||||
Government | Monarchy | ||||||||||
Oba | |||||||||||
• 1180–1246 (first) | Eweka I[1] | ||||||||||
• 1888–1897 (last) | Ovonramwen | ||||||||||
History | |||||||||||
• Established | 1180 | ||||||||||
• Annexed by the United Kingdom | 1897 | ||||||||||
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Today part of | Nigeria |
The Kingdom of Benin,[2] also known as the Edo Kingdom or Benin Kingdom (Bini: Arriọba ẹdo), is a kingdom within what is now southern Nigeria.[3] It has no historical relation to the modern republic of Benin,[4] which was known as Dahomey from the 17th century until 1975. The Kingdom of Benin's capital was Edo, now known as Benin City in Edo State, Nigeria. The Benin Kingdom was "one of the oldest and most developed states in the coastal hinterland of West Africa". It grew out of the previous Edo Kingdom of Igodomigodo around the 11th century AD[5]. In the 15th century, the Benin Empire experienced a golden age under the reign of Ewuare the Great and experienced infanstructural, political and militarial reforms. He also had met the portuguese and established trade. His reign lasted from 1440-1473. In the 16th century, under the reign of Oba Esigie, trade with european nations (in particular the Portguese) was expanded. In 1640 after Oba Ohuan died without an heir. A civil war begun and led to the decline of the kingdom. It lasted until it was annexed by the British Empire in 1897.[6]
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