The Iyoba of Benin is an important female titleholder in the chieftaincy system of the Kingdom of Benin, a Nigerian traditional state. She is otherwise known in English as the Queen Mother.
The Iyoba of Benin is an important female titleholder in the chieftaincy system of the Kingdom of Benin, a Nigerian traditional state. She is otherwise known in English as the Queen Mother.
When King Ozolua died in the fifteenth century, he left behind two sons to dispute the royal succession: Esigie controlled Benin City, the kingdom's metropolitan center, while his brother Arhuaran was based in Udo - an important provincial seat 20 miles away. Neither prince was prepared to yield to the other, partisans soon declared for one or the other, and Benin was plunged into a civil war shortly thereafter.
Seeing an opportunity to take advantage of the situation, the hitherto vassal Igala people declared their independence from Benin and seized a swath of territory to its north. In the span of a week, Esigie found himself confronted with what now seemed like the almost certain fragmentation of his father's kingdom.
His mother, Idia, is reputed to have stood behind him at this time. By serving as everything from his counsellor to his priestess, she rallied the Binis - including many that had previously supported Arhuaran - to Esigie's standard. After dealing decisively with her stepson, the royal pair turned their attention to the Igala rebels. Following a hard-fought campaign, Benin's supremacy was restored, and the victorious army - with Esigie and Idia at its head - returned to the capital in triumph.
In gratitude for his mother's efforts on his behalf, King Esigie created a new office - that of Iyoba - for her to occupy. Now ranking equal to the senior chiefs of the royal court, the Iyoba was also built her own palace in the town of Uselu, which was thereafter attached to her title as a perpetual fief. She was the first woman in the history of Benin to have such power. [1]
A presumptive Iyoba's principal function within the harem during her husband's lifetime was to give birth to and raise the crown prince that would eventually - all things being equal - succeed him as the Oba of Benin. Although this is no longer the case, she was also expected to have no children besides him.
Furthermore, in emulation of Idia's example, she was expected to be a powerful sorceress - and to use her knowledge of the mystic arts to the future king's advantage at all times.
Most of her ladies-in-waiting - a coterie of aristocratic girls that were expected to wait upon her while simultaneously learning about the inner workings of her office - would in turn eventually become members of her son's own harem (and thus potential Iyobas themselves). A comparatively small number would remain in her service for life as her titular wives, this being due to the fact that a person of her rank and position was traditionally expected to have a harem of their own.
Once invested shortly after the coronation of her son, the Iyoba decamped to Uselu, where she spent the remainder of her days. Although forbidden to ever see the Oba again, she was nevertheless expected to serve as his chief advisor, so palace messengers were almost constantly moving from Benin to Uselu, and from Uselu to Benin.
In times of war, the Iyoba was the only woman in the kingdom that was constitutionally empowered to participate. As a chief of high rank, she served as the commander of her own military regiment - the Queen's Own.
Following her death, an Iyoba became the patron goddess of her son the king. As part of her funerary ceremonies, he was expected to commission art that would decorate her personal altar in the shrine of the kings in the palace. The Iyobas were the only class of women that was honoured in the shrine. [2]
There is currently no living Iyoba. Be that as it may, Princess Eghiunwe Akenzua, the late mother of the incumbent Oba Ewuare II, was posthumously invested with the title by her son during his coronation in 2016.
Oba Ovonramwen Nogbaisi, also called Overami, was the thirty-fifth Ọba of the Kingdom of Benin reigning from c. 1888 AD – c. 1897 AD, up until the British punitive expedition.
Ewuare, originally known as Prince Ogun, was the twelfth Oba of the Benin Empire from 1440 until 1473. Ewuare became king in a violent coup against his brother Uwaifiokun which destroyed much of Benin City. After the war, Ewuare rebuilt much of the city of Benin, reformed political structures in the kingdom, greatly expanded the territory of the kingdom, and fostered the arts and festivals. He left a significant legacy in the Kingdom of Benin
Esigie, originally known as Osawe, was the son of Oba Ozolua, who reigned in the late 15th century, and his second wife, Queen Idia. He was the sixteenth Oba who ruled the medieval Benin Kingdom, now Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria from c. 1504 – c. 1550. Works of art commissioned by Esigie are held in prominent museums including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the British Museum.
Idia was the mother of Esigie, who reigned as Oba (king) of the Edo people from 1504 to 1550. Historians do know that Idia was alive during the Idah war because she played a role that led to a great Benin victory. It has been argued that Idia, therefore, was the true power behind the throne of her son. She played a significant role in the rise and reign of her son, being described as a great warrior who fought relentlessly before and during her son's reign as the Oba (king) of the Edo people. Queen Idia was instrumental in securing the title of Oba for her son Esigie following the death of his father Oba Ozolua. To that end, she raised an army to fight off his brother Arhuaran who was supposed to be the Oba by right and tradition but was subsequently defeated in battle. Esigie’s mother became the 17th Oba of Benin.
The Erelu Kuti of Lagos is the traditional aristocrat charged with the bearing of the ritual essence of Oloye Erelu Kuti I, an eighteenth-century Yoruba royal who aided in the consolidation of her homeland.
Oba means "ruler" in the Yoruba and Bini languages. Kings in Yorubaland, a region which is in the modern republics of Benin, Nigeria and Togo, make use of it as a pre-nominal honorific. Examples of Yoruba bearers include Oba Ogunwusi of Ile-Ife, Oba Aladelusi of Akure, and Oba Akiolu of Lagos. An example of a Bini bearer is Oba Ewuare II of Benin.
The Kingdom of Benin, also known as the Edo Kingdom or Benin Kingdom, is a kingdom within what is now southern Nigeria. It has no historical relation to the modern republic of Benin, 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, and lasted until it was annexed by the British Empire in 1897.
The Bronze Head of Queen Idia is a commemorative bronze head from the medieval Kingdom of Benin in West Africa that probably represents Idia, mother of Oba Esigie, made during the early sixteenth century at the Benin court. Many Benin works of art entered the European art market after the Benin Expedition of 1897 – Four cast bronze heads of the queen are known and are currently in the collections of the British Museum in London, the World Museum in Liverpool, the Nigerian National Museum in Lagos, and the Ethnological Museum of Berlin.
The Benin ivory mask is a miniature sculptural portrait in ivory of Idia, the first Iyoba of the 16th century Benin Empire, taking the form of a traditional African mask. The masks were looted by the British from the palace of the Oba of Benin in the Benin Expedition of 1897.
Queen mother is a term used to describe certain female traditional rulers in African cultures. Though there is no general description of a "queen mother", as their roles have varied by society, political context, and culture, they generally play an important role in local government and "wield social power and influence."
Unuamen also spelt Unuame is an ancient village community by Ovia river in Ovia North-East Local Government Area of Edo State, Nigeria. Unuame is about 15 kilometres (9 mi) from Benin City and 20 kilometres (12 mi) from Benin Airport. Unuame is one of the ancestral homes of Oba Esigie's maternal grandfather and home town to some group of Binis. The people of Unuame have remained loyal to the monarch since the establishment of the ancient Kingdom of Benin. Being a part of the Kingdom of Benin, Unuame is at the heart of the tropical rainforest in the southern part of Nigeria, way to the west of the delta of the Niger River and inland from the coast.
Holy Aruosa Cathedral is a church located at Akpakpava in Benin City, Edo, Nigeria. It was founded by Oba Esigie and Portuguese missionaries. It is commonly called the church of the Oba of Benin and the elderly Binis. It is one of the oldest churches in Nigeria, which can be traced back to the coming of Portuguese. Just as every Abrahamic religion has a sacred book, Holy Arousa Catheral's holy book is known as the Book of Holy Aruosa which was written by the "wise men with dictate, teachings, and sayings of the ancient Benin kingdom."
Uselu is a densely-populated neighborhood of Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria. It is the headquarters of Egor local government area.
The Igala–Benin War was a short conflict between the Igala Kingdom and the Kingdom of Benin that happened from 1515 to 1516.
Akengbuda was the thirtieth Oba of Benin who reigned from c. 1750 AD – c. 1804 AD. He was the son and successor of Eresoyen, and the father of Obanosa. He is regarded as one of the most powerful and influential obas in the history of the Kingdom of Benin, as he expanded the kingdom's territory, improved its administration, and promoted its arts and culture. He also maintained a strong trade relationship with the Europeans, especially the Portuguese and the British, and acquired firearms and other goods from them. He was known for his military prowess, his diplomatic skills, and his patronage of arts and learning.
The Igbesanmwan is a hereditary guild of ivory carvers in the Benin Kingdom, a pre-colonial African state located in present-day Edo State, Nigeria. Members of the Igbesanmwan guild hold the responsibility of crafting ivory items, including masks, tusks, staffs, leopards, and various other symbols denoting royal authority and eminence, for the Oba (king) and the royal court. In addition to their ivory craftsmanship, the Igbesanmwan possess proficiency in working with a range of other materials, such as wood, brass, and coral. This guild is recognised as one of the most ancient and esteemed in Benin, with their artistic work being widely appreciated for its aesthetic appeal and technical mastery.
Ewedo, originally known as Prince Efabo, was the fourth Oba of the Kingdom of Benin who reigned from c. 1255 AD – c. 1280 AD. He was the only son and successor of Ehenmihen. He is credited with moving the seat of his government from Usama to the present palace site, introducing various gods and laws, and changing the name of the country from Ile or Ile-Ibinu to Ubini (Benin). He also reformed the political and administrative system of the kingdom, established a palace bureaucracy, and expanded the territory and influence of Benin.
Orhogbua was the seventeenth Oba of the Benin Kingdom who reigned around c. 1550 AD – c. 1578 AD. He was the son of Esigie and the grandson of Ozolua. Orhogbua was educated in a Portuguese colonial school and was baptised as a Catholic. He was able to communicate in Portuguese, both spoken and written. He established a military camp on Lagos Island, which served as a strategic location for empire expansion and trade control. He also introduced the use of native cooking salt in Benin.
Ehengbuda served as the eighteenth Oba of the Benin Empire, with a reign from c. 1578 AD – c. 1606 AD. Succeeding his father, Orhogbua, the first Oba to initiate contact with Europeans, Ehengbuda expanded the empire's territory westward and eastward, solidifying control over tributary states like the Oyo, Ekiti and Nupe. He also engaged in diplomacy and trade with the Portuguese and English, acquiring gifts such as a telescope. His death in a maritime storm while returning from a visit to his colony in Lagos marked the end of the era of warrior kings in Benin history, as the subsequent Obas delegated the command of the military to their chiefs.
Olua was the fourteenth Oba of Benin who reigned from c. 1473 AD – c. 1480 AD. He was the second child of Ewuare. Olua's reign is noted for his actions and the establishment of the Itsekiri kingdom through his son Iginuwa.