THE MILITARY SYSTEM OF BENIN KINGDOM, c.1440 - 1897

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when the seat of monarchy emerged in Benin. The idea of centralised political organisationwhich evolved in response to local politics, was a contributory factor to the emergence of thestate.It is useful at this point to explain the concept of ‘state’ and ‘society’ as these twoterms have been used frequently in this study. While doing this, attempt has been made toexplain state-society relations. On this ground, the relations between military system and thestate and military system and society is further elucidated. The understanding of the conceptof the state usually refers to the modern state which originated in Europe in the fifteenthcentury, and by the end of the eighteenth century had evolved into a nation-state, and whichdiffused all over the world in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. There are varioustheories of the state, 9 and the common characteristics of the state that have been identified are:organised form of decision-making and governance; sovereign or supreme authority; clearlydefined boundaries; clearly defined population; and security for the society. Thesecharacteristics tend to justify the argument that the state is the political organisation of asociety.From the studies presented and discussed at the Fourth International African Seminarin Dakar, Senegal in 1961, the criteria to be taken in defining a state system were identified.Careful distinctions were made between state systems in general, divine kingship, andkingship by divine right. The Seminar defined state system “as a political structure in whichthere is differentiated status between rulers and the ruled.” 10 This state system is founded notonly on relations of kinship but also on a territorial basis. The most important index is thepresence of political offices, that is, of persons invested with roles which include secularauthority over others in given territorial aggregations for which there are effective sanctionsfor disobedience. 11 Such political offices must furthermore be coordinated hierarchically. Itwas also pointed out that a state may merge through a process of internal developmentwhereby one of its corporate groups succeeds in imposing itself on others. 129 For general discussions of the theories, see J. Haas, 1982, The Evolution of the Prehistoric State. New YorkUniversity Press; R. Cohen and E. L. Service (eds.), 1978, Origins of the State: The Anthropology of PoliticalEvolution. Philadelphia: Institute for the Study of Human Issues; Elman R. Service, 1975, Origins of the Stateand Civilisation: The Process of Cultural Evolution. New York: Norton; Robert L. Carneiro, 1970, “A Theory ofthe Origin of the State.” Science, 169 pp.733-738; Morton H. Fried, 1967, The Evolution of Political Society: AnEssay in Political Anthropology. New York: Random House.10 J. Vansina, R. Mauny and L.V. Thomas (eds.) 1964, The Historian in Tropical Africa (Studies Presented andDiscussed at the Fourth International African Seminar at the University of Dakar, Senegal 1961). London:Oxford University Press, 1964, p.87.11 ibid.12 ibid., p.89.4
Nonetheless, writers are still interested in asking questions concerning the formationand development of the state system in Africa. At a conference held in Nairobi, Kenya inSeptember 1979 on the theme “State Formation in Eastern Africa in the Eighteenth andNineteenth Centuries,” each author was confronted with the problem of defining the term‘state’ in the course of writing his contribution. 13 A consensus on the definition of the stateproved elusive as a uniformly acceptable definition of the state could not be arrived at. Theproceedings of the conference suggests that the authors were aware of the on-going interest inthe theoretical side of the ‘state’ and the ‘state formation’ debate. In this case, the concept ofthe ‘state’ was defined from different perspectives, according to the orientation of thecontributors.An example of the concept of the state given by William Zartman, is of relevance tothis present research. According to him, “a state is the authoritative political institution that issovereign over a recognised territory.” 14 This definition focuses on three functions: the stateas the sovereign authority - the accepted source of identity and the arena of politics; the stateas an institution - and therefore a tangible organisation of decision-making and an intangiblesymbol of identity; and the state as the security guarantor for a populated territory. 15 Theargument advanced here is simply to demonstrate that because these functions are sointertwined, it becomes difficult to perform them separately. As Zartman points out, “collapsemeans that the basic functions of the state are no longer performed, as analysed in varioustheories of the state.” 16 This means that in precolonial Africa, the factors which contributed tostate collapse were also crucial in the understanding and interpretation of the emergence ororigins of the state.From the characteristics of the state, it is reasonable to advance the argument that thekingdom of Benin was a state. First of all, various political institutions at the central and locallevels were established for decision-making and governance, with supreme authority in theinstitution of monarchy. Second, the boundaries of the kingdom were fixed. Thirdly, withinthe territory, the population was clearly defined, belonging to the core Edo group known asthe people of Benin, with the same language of the kwa sub-group of the Niger-Congolanguage group. Finally, at the level of the political organisation of the Benin society, itqualifies as a state.13 Ahmed Idha Salim (ed.) 1985, State Formation in East Africa. New York: St. Martin’s Press, p.1.14 I William Zartman, 1995, “Introduction: Posing the Problem of State Collapse” In: I. William Zartman (ed.)Collapsed States: The Disintegration and Restoration of Legitimate Authority. Boulder, Colorado and London:Lynne Rienner Publishers, Inc., p.5.15 ibid.16 ibid.5
Page 1 and 2: THE MILITARY SYSTEM OF BENIN KINGDO
Page 3 and 4: DECLARATIONI, Osarhieme Benson Osad
Page 5 and 6: DEDICATIONTo my childrenOsayomwanbo
Page 7 and 8: 3.7 Intelligence and Logistics .. .
Page 9 and 10: MAPS, CHARTS AND FIGURES1. Map 1: B
Page 11 and 12: Hamburg for the grants for final wr
Page 13 and 14: CHAPTER ONE________________________
Page 15: points: First, although much is kno
Page 19 and 20: formation, also attempted to interp
Page 21 and 22: second factor was the penetration o
Page 23 and 24: though not necessarily the most imp
Page 25 and 26: theory held by the historian, has d
Page 27 and 28: forward in the 1950s and 1960s dwin
Page 29 and 30: esearch on the more remote Ogiso pe
Page 31 and 32: concern and activity that dominated
Page 33 and 34: surrounding villages. Attempts at t
Page 35 and 36: institutions, organisation and reso
Page 37 and 38: First, that every military system h
Page 39 and 40: elationship between warfare and the
Page 41 and 42: in part from colonial experience, a
Page 43 and 44: Notwithstanding the methodological
Page 45 and 46: The indigenous knowledge system of
Page 47 and 48: traditionsl has been the need to mo
Page 49 and 50: Udo. This Portuguese military assis
Page 51 and 52: The evidence were weighed and the o
Page 53 and 54: historians cannot even begin their
Page 55 and 56: founding of social and political in
Page 57 and 58: have been reconsidered in this chap
Page 59 and 60: dynamics of state formation process
Page 61 and 62: Not much is known of the pre-Ogiso
Page 63 and 64: knowledge based on oral traditions,
Page 65 and 66: egan call the area Ubini. 15 A Beni
Page 67 and 68:
fourth, an Ile-Ife origin of the pr
Page 69 and 70:
integration of the large political
Page 71 and 72:
their religion, history, government
Page 73 and 74:
This is not to deny the fact that t
Page 75 and 76:
principles to which political power
Page 77 and 78:
Development of Politico-Military Id
Page 79 and 80:
millennium with the integration of
Page 81 and 82:
forbidden by Ere’ and at once, pe
Page 83 and 84:
the other hand, the Edionnisen led
Page 85 and 86:
Among the writers who have studied
Page 87 and 88:
with their ‘village sovereignty
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as its rise. With the restoration o
Page 91 and 92:
The evidence from Benin military hi
Page 93 and 94:
CHAPTER THREE______________________
Page 95 and 96:
he was bound to take the advice of
Page 97 and 98:
The re-organisation of the structur
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domestic economy, in wars of conque
Page 101 and 102:
Ryder argues that the “upheaval b
Page 103 and 104:
continued with the policy of consol
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leadership in Benin was determined
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Oba. 57 Although ties existed betwe
Page 109 and 110:
their role, the military establishm
Page 111 and 112:
At the end of the sixteenth century
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1440 when the state was reorganised
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withdrawing occasionally from state
Page 117 and 118:
Command Structure of Benin Army, 14
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federation of villages organised th
Page 121 and 122:
state. The weapons produced enabled
Page 123 and 124:
Figure 2: The Queen Mother (Iyoba)
Page 125 and 126:
Figure 4: A Benin warrior with Flin
Page 127 and 128:
The weapons of war and the methods
Page 129 and 130:
what to do. Although the conditions
Page 131 and 132:
logistics had a function to perform
Page 133 and 134:
task.” 145 Third, confronted with
Page 135 and 136:
In a work published in 1668, Olfert
Page 137 and 138:
CHAPTER FOUR_______________________
Page 139 and 140:
period has been examined within the
Page 141 and 142:
Warfare, Warriors and the Slave Tra
Page 143 and 144:
abandonment of Oyo claims in the ar
Page 145 and 146:
during this period is strong eviden
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whose head was sent to the Oba of B
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In an era in which the ruling class
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In the first half of the seventeent
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king. 78 In spite of the problems b
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espects, which provided the basis f
Page 157 and 158:
Chief was Ogina during the reign of
Page 159 and 160:
The Osuma, who was fourth in the hi
Page 161 and 162:
long-range effect had been politica
Page 163 and 164:
One account claims that both Ehennu
Page 165 and 166:
Members of the War Council 1600-180
Page 167 and 168:
The Oba's Security Council1600-1800
Page 169 and 170:
at the end of the seventeenth centu
Page 171 and 172:
In establishing a new guild to atte
Page 173 and 174:
Figure 6: A Benin warrior in a war
Page 175 and 176:
Figure 8: Benin art work showing a
Page 177 and 178:
adhere to methods used in a past ca
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1800, and the military system was m
Page 181 and 182:
CHAPTER FIVEBENIN MILITARY SYSTEM D
Page 183 and 184:
two eldest sons of the assassinated
Page 185 and 186:
social structure of the Benin socie
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chiefs were apprehensive of the imp
Page 189 and 190:
series of revolts within the empire
Page 191 and 192:
eturn journey to Benin. They were c
Page 193 and 194:
chiefdoms in the north. During this
Page 195 and 196:
society. It may have responded firs
Page 197 and 198:
The Iyase of Benin, 1700-1897The Of
Page 199 and 200:
Benin Army in the Akure campaign; t
Page 201 and 202:
military leaders in Benin City. Thi
Page 203 and 204:
Benin War Council in the Nineteenth
Page 205 and 206:
Surveillance and CollaborationThe m
Page 207 and 208:
internal security are lacking due t
Page 209 and 210:
the nineteenth century in Yorubalan
Page 211 and 212:
The interest of the Oba in the mili
Page 213 and 214:
victory. This can be interpreted to
Page 215 and 216:
the nineteenth century, which final
Page 217 and 218:
In doing this, this chapter also di
Page 219 and 220:
Ovonramwen. 11 For the purpose of t
Page 221 and 222:
The contents of this treaty suggest
Page 223 and 224:
From the foregoing, Phillip’s dis
Page 225 and 226:
of kernels which were in demand in
Page 227 and 228:
seems to be that Phillips was going
Page 229 and 230:
not wait because he had so much wor
Page 231 and 232:
The nature and character of the Bri
Page 233 and 234:
of the command problem was such tha
Page 235 and 236:
ush.’ 82 On 18 February 1897, the
Page 237 and 238:
force that invaded Benin was not a
Page 239 and 240:
Guerrilla Warfare after the Fall of
Page 241 and 242:
British conquest and the establishm
Page 243 and 244:
The guerrilla war completely disrup
Page 245 and 246:
CHAPTER SEVEN______________________
Page 247 and 248:
eaching campaigns which extended vi
Page 249 and 250:
to the debate appears to be quite u
Page 251 and 252:
Benin. Over the centuries, Benin’
Page 253 and 254:
was not a mere figurehead but a pol
Page 255 and 256:
similar, the erudition of each writ
Page 257 and 258:
30052 Idanre District of Ondo Provi
Page 259 and 260:
Chief of Southern NigeriaTreaties:C
Page 261 and 262:
List of InformantsSerialNo.Name Occ
Page 263 and 264:
Ibadan, 1967.Awe, B. A.Babayemi, S.
Page 265 and 266:
Ijoma, J. O. “The History of the
Page 267 and 268:
Adegbola, E. A. A. (ed.) Traditiona
Page 269 and 270:
Ben-Amos, D.“Animals in Edo Visua
Page 271 and 272:
Bradbury, R. E.“Continuities and
Page 273 and 274:
African Journal of Archaeology 6, 1
Page 275 and 276:
Hopkins, A. G.“European Expansion
Page 277 and 278:
Law, R. C. C.Lloyd, P. C.Lloyd, P.
Page 279 and 280:
Kingdom of Benin,” Tribus 45, 199
Page 281 and 282:
Wescott, R. W.“Ancient Egypt and
Page 283 and 284:
Ben-Amos, Girshick P.The Art of Ben
Page 285 and 286:
Davidson, B.The lost Cities of Afri
Page 287 and 288:
Egharevba, J. U. Okha Edo. Lagos: C
Page 289 and 290:
Educational Books Nigeria Ltd., 198
Page 291 and 292:
Matthews, NoelMaurice, F.Morgan, Ga
Page 293 and 294:
Shinnie, M. Ancient African Kingdom
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THE MILITARY SYSTEM OF BENIN KINGDOM, c.1440 - 1897

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