Benin 9001897 ce this book covers the main historical aspects of benin kingdom from its early development through to its destruction in 1897. He proclaimed himself as the chief of state and dismissed the civilian government in 1965. Benins shore includes what used to be known as the slave coast, the. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of benin government 2020 information contained here.
The benin kingdom was one of the oldest and most highly developed states in the coastal hinterland of west africa, it was formed around. Legislative and presidential elections in 2015 and 2016, respectively, were peaceful and benefited from strong citizen participation and robust press freedom. The republic of benin gained full independence from france in august 1, 1960. Check out our country profile, full of essential information about benins geography, history, government, economy, population, culture, religion and languages. Benin was once called the dahomey it first acquired the name benin in 1975. List of books and articles about benin history online research. Benin government is growing fragile the new york times. This was made known in a news conference organized by the global book presentation committee, the obaewuare the second foundation in collaboration with the benin traditional council held at the. Benin history, language and culture world travel guide. Heavy rains flooded parts of west and central africa in the rainy season of 2010, and among the hardesthit countries was benin. The kingdom of benin was located near the southern coast of west africa in a region which is today southern nigeria the modern state of benin is further along the coast to the west and named after the bight of benin.
New book on benin kingdom, to retell history of benin people. Discover the fascinating history, language and culture of benin. Precolonial political administration of the benin empire. It was formed in june 1963 from benin and delta provinces of the western region, and its capital was benin city. As its oil boom ended, nigeria expelled 100,000 beninese migrant workers and closed the border with benin. The midwestern region was a division of nigeria from 1963 to 1991, formally known as bendel state from 1976. Learn about the ancient kingdom of benin, where was it a when did it begin. The kingdom of benins capital was edo, now known as benin city in edo state. Ihogbe, the worshippers and recorders of the departed. History of grandpopo wikibooks, open books for an open. It covers an area of 44,310 sqm and is home to about 11 million people. Nlphotos adobe stock getting to the royal palaces of abomey. Benin arose as a citystate in the late 1100s or 1200s and expanded into a larger kingdom or empire in the mid1400s.
He followed his first book with benin law and custom, published in 1934. An oba, or king, and his court have, from around 0 c. Some of the books on this list concern the old kingdom of benin, located in what is now southern nigeria, and others are set in the area of the unrelated current republic of benin, further to the east. The judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature.
History benin history timeline timeline of events of dahomey and benin. But perhaps to avoid inadequacies and controversy which the academics claim surround traditional history, we may like to hear what some modern historians have to say on this subject. Aug 01, 2017 in benin, private citizens are allowed to challenge the government through the constitutional court. Most of the people within the benin empire were edo, and they were ruled over by a monarch, who held the title of oba roughly equivalent to king. May 29, 2019 benins story mirrors many around the world, but its ending isor seemed to bemuch better. In the online market, various books are available those provide proper knowledge about.
Benin timeline covering an arranged chronological timetable of key events within a particular historical period by. The history was collected from the following authorities. At some point, the creator osanobua decided to populate the earth so he sent down his three sons whom he gave the choice of selecting one special gift each. Ife, which flourished between the 11th and 15th centuries, emerged as a major power in the forested areas west of the niger and south of edo pendant maskedo pendant mask of the queen. The republic of benin is a small west african country. Learn more about the history, geography, and culture of benin in this article. External affairs minister sushma swaraj confirmed late sunday that the tanker, marine express, went missing in the gulf of guinea. The south was occupied mainly by ewespeaking peoples, who traced their traditional origins to the town of tado in modern togo. The precolonial political administration of the benin empire, like that of the yoruba empire, was monarchical.
Benin officially called the republic of benin is a country in africa. The rise and fall of a mighty forest kingdom roese, peter m. San francisco, october 18, thewill efforts at retelling the benin history is gaining traction with a new book titled the benin monarchy. Later, allada became the capital of great ardra, a state whose kings ruled with the consent of. Traditional government in benin kingdom kingdom of benin.
Both countries populations are largely rural, but more densely concentrated along the coast. Colonized by france at the end of the 19th century and devastated by coups in the middle of the. History of the benin people the benin creation story. Book on benin monarchy, an anthology of benin history set.
Benin was the seat of one of the great medieval african kingdoms. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Historical dictionary of benin and millions of other books are available for. Business, international general interest government african art history art, african beninese history analysis printer friendly 24,822,156 articles and books. Jan 29, 2018 benin s government has also appointed several scholars, including yai, to ensure the accuracy and credibility of the exhibits in one of the museums, in the city of allada, about 20 miles from ouidah. Emily the main character is on a school trip with her classmates to the world museum. The kingdom of benin was also well known to european traders and merchants during the 16th and 17th centuries, when it became wealthy partly due to the slave trade. There are a lot of stories out there waiting for you to live them. The well know travel books just include benin as one of the many countries located in africa and contains tiny little writing and small black and white maps that are nearly impossible to see. His failure to secure any lucrative government position pushed him to trading. The library is located in the ouando neighbourhood of portonovo. The territory is a mix of rainforest, dry forest, and mangrove swamp. A vivid picture these men took part in the expedition made by the british in 1897.
Government ministers, including president kerekou, fell over each other to greet pope john paul ii during. There is a lot of traditional history at both the benin and lagos ends relating to the origin of what is now lagos, its ruler and its connection with benin. If thats not enough, click over to our collection of world maps and flags. Benin, formerly known as dahomey, is one of africas most stable democracies. When european merchant ships began to visit west africa from the 15th century onwards, benin came to control the trade between the inland peoples and the europeans on the coast. In the south, according to oral tradition, a group of aja migrated 12th or th cent.
Benin republic of benin country profile west africa. Revealing benin is a transformative largescale investment programme. The social history of a west african slaving port 1727. The national library of benin is the legal deposit library for benin. However, by the 15th century, a single ruler, known as the oba, had asserted control. The territory became a french colony in 1872 and achieved independence on 1 august 1960, as the republic of benin. A succession of military governments ended in 1972 with the rise to power of mathieu kerekou and the establishment of a. Infoplease has everything you need to know about benin. The kingdom of benin, located in the southern forests of west africa modern nigeria and formed by the edo people, flourished from the th to 19th century ce. Start by marking a short history of benin as want to. These were brought to the benin empire by european traders, and were usually exchanged for slaves. In 1963, the first president of benin, hubert maga, was disposed by general christophe soglo in an army coupe. The history of benin is a succession of several kingdoms, it was the seat of dahomey, one of the great medieval african kingdoms.
Beautiful history of benin for all citizens of benin. Discover more about investing in benin, the opportunities presented by the programme, and how to get in touch with the bodies responsible for its implementation. Jan 05, 2019 the basreliefs were used to record the history and religious rites of the kingdom, as the dahomey culture was an oral one and there were no written records. National economy, ethnic relations and history, religion, ethnic cultural differences, government and leadership. On june 22, 1894, the territory was named by decree the colony of dahomey and its dependences and was granted autonomy which it retained until october 18, 1904 when it became part of. Togo is only slightly behind with a growth rate of 2. Edo pendant mask edo pendant mask of the queen mother iyoba, ivory, from the court of benin, nigeria, 16th century. It is a country with a rich history, culture, art and numerous other considerable things. Score a books total score is based on multiple factors, including the number of people who have voted for it and how highly those voters ranked the book. Benin, one of the principal historic kingdoms of the western african forest region fl. Benin is a tiny country in west african region bordered with nigeria, little is known about this country, its history, culture, people, and tradition, here you have the entire history of republic of benin, starting from the first day of.
The politics of benin take place in the framework of a presidential representative democratic republic, wherein the president of benin is both head of state and head of government, and of a multiparty system. The history of grandpopo relates to the mono river estuary of the bight of benin and its surrounding areas. Fiction and nonfiction books set completely or at least partially in benin. Aug 08, 2017 the metal required for the production of the benin bronzes was acquired in a form known as manilla. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about benin government 2020 should be addressed to the cia or the source cited on each page. By the end of the 1980s, benins economy was near collapse. List of books and articles about benin history online. Discover librarianselected research resources on benin history from the questia online library, including fulltext online books, academic journals, magazines. Just to be clear, heres a breakdown of what is where. Complete history and culture of benin republic, gove. Later, allada became the capital of great ardra, a state whose kings ruled with the consent of the elders of the people. The highest court in the country is the supreme court which was designed to check the on the powers of the executive, and also acts in a consultative role.
The benin bronzes is the name given to a group of artifacts produced by the benin empire, which occupied the area which is today nigeria. There is not much real information available in book form about benin. The national emblem shall be a tricolored flag of green, yellow and red. It is entirely separate from the republic of benin, which was then known as dahomey. The book employs rich oral traditions to reconstruct the history of benin. Benin kingdom is a government of its own with it articulate machineries of the administration by convention which cannot be influence by outside forces. Most of the people within the benin empire were edo. Present day benin was the site of dahomey, a prominent west african kingdom that rose in the 15th century. Historical dictionary of benin historical dictionaries. Based on 45 major projects across 9 key sectors, the programme will sustainably revitalise the countrys economy. The app cover whole benin history from kingdom of dahomey to the republic of benin. Samuel decalo is professor of political science at the university of natal, durban. Below are the history books and their links to amazon b a sed on accounts of true events, the story of the benin expedition combat is told through the eyes of a britishs officers young valet.
The capital, also called benin, was the hub of a trade network exclusively controlled by the king or oba and which included relations with portuguese traders who sought gold and slaves. In the precolonial period, the territory comprised a multiplicity of independent states, differing in language and culture. Popular books on benin best book recommendations, best. They really dont show or explain the real background of the country or how it operates today. English books, mathematics books or history books from the tool bar at the top of the link page.
Egharevba 18931981 was a bini historian and traditional chief whose writings specialized in the history of benin kingdom. Cotonou is the biggest city and seat of government of benin while portonovo is the second biggest city and capital of the country. Owing to the welcome given to the first edition in the vernacular of the short history, i have endeavoured in this english version to meet the needs of foreigners who do not understand the benin language, but are anxious to know its history. The benin creation story has it that the universe was covered with water and at the middle of the water there was a tree and on this tree there lived a bird called owonwon. In 1704, france received permission to erect a port at ouidah, and in 1752 the portuguese founded porto novo. Location benin is located in west africa and covers a land area of 112,622 sq. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading history and culture of benin republic. An anthology of benin history the benin red book, which is set to unravel and expose the best of benin by telling about its history, heritage, culture and developments. Benin sits just west of nigeria, and west of benin is togo. New delhi ap india has sought the help of the nigerian and benin navies to find an oil tanker that has gone missing with 22 indian crew members off benin s coast. The constitutional court allows private citizens to challenge the government. Benin is a tiny country in west african region bordered with nigeria, little is known about this country, its history, culture, people, and tradition, here you have the entire history of. The kingdom of benin, also known as the benin kingdom, was a precolonial kingdom in what is now southern nigeria.
Dec 17, 1989 but benin s brand of marxismleninism, while often repressive, had its accommodating side. History of the benin people in nigeria and the stories behind it. Fifteen years later, david returned to continue the work he started, and atacora essential was born. The three main kingdoms created by the fon were that of allada, founded in the 16th century, it was the most powerful kingdom in ajaland before it fell to the armies of dahomey abomey. Based on accounts of true events, the story of the benin expedition combat is told through the eyes of a britishs officers young valet. Aug 18, 2018 the precolonial benin kingdom or empire was located in what is today southern nigeria. Formed in the th century ce as a state proper, the. Learn more about the benin economy, including the population of benin, gdp, facts, trade, business, inflation and other data and analysis on its economy from the index of economic freedom.
The kingdom of benin, home of the edospeaking peoples, is located in the tropical rain forest region of what is now nigeria. From the 17th to the 19th century, the main political entities in the area were the kingdom of dahomey, along with the citystate of portonovo, and a large area with many different nations to the north. The oba a title used for the king of benin was the theoretical and political leader of the empire with absolute authority no one dares to challenge. A short history of benin 3rd edition by jacob egharevba. The benin bronzes consist of several thousand commemorative plaques and sculptures that were made of brass of. Benin history, language and culture history of benin. The image, which shows the coast of benin on 22 october 2010, uses a combination of infrared and visible light to increase the contrast between water and land. History of the benin people in nigeria and the stories.
History of grandpopo wikibooks, open books for an open world. The descendants of benins ruling dynasty still occupy the throne in benin city although the presentday oba has only an advisory role in government. Establishes the state and the sovereign, determines rights and duties of the individual, creates the branches of government, discusses treaties and international agreements, and allows for the revision of the constitution. Peace corps benin from 1992 to 1994, david goldman served as a peace corps volunteer in boukombe, benin. The royal palaces are in the town of abomey in the south of benin. History early history little is known about the history of n benin. Benin may be a very narrow and thin country but dont be fooled it has a long and crazy history behind its location. During the th century, the indigenous edo people were run by a group of local chieftains. Until the late 19th century, one of the major powers in west africa was the kingdom of benin, in what is now southwest nigeria. Below are the history books and their links to amazon.
First of all benin is located in west africa below the sahara line bordered by four other countries togo burkina faso, niger and nigeria with the gulf of guinea to the south. The text is filled with high quality glossy pictures of artefacts and objects from benin kingdom and is a good introduction to some of the key historical sources. Most citizens have used this to particularly in cases of discrimination at the workplace. Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. It is a complex monarchical system built on a solid foundation with perfect organizational structure. Life before benin is a tiny country in west african region bordered with nigeria, little is known about this country, its history, culture, people, and tradition, here you have the entire history of republic of benin, starting from the first day of. It exercises legislative power and oversight authority over government action. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the legislature. Tweet a book on the benin monarchy, an anthology of benin history is set to be launched on the twentieth october, 2018 in benin city. For getting complete knowledge about these things, the individuals are required to consider the way of books. This was a form of money in the shape of bracelets that were usually made either of bronze or of copper.
The present day grandpopo district extends to the west as a seariver lane to the togo border. The origin of benin and its early rulers kingdom of benin. It is not to be confused with benin, the postcolonial nation state. As a political unit, benin was created by the french colonial conquest at the end of the 19th century. Oct 27, 2018 beautiful history of benin for all citizens of benin. All individuals hear about the africa and benin its part.