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

While this work attempts to interpret the Benin past through a frame of reference thatis influenced by military history, it is also a contribution to the intellectual debate on theemergence of the state in Africa. In this regard, it seeks to explain the military factor in thebuilding of state power, and the relationship between the structure of coercion anddevelopment. Although the structure of its central institutions and the balance betweencompeting groups is often the reason advanced in explaining the strength of the Beninkingdom, it is indeed remarkable that the state suffered no serious internal collapse and itsmilitary system succeeded in protecting the society from violence and conquest by herneighbours and other powers in the region. At this point, we ask two related questions: first,can this be interpreted to mean that the military system was effective? Second, at what pointin time did the system become effective in aiding its rise or in consolidating its militarypower? In an attempt to answer these questions, it is necessary to keep in view the propositionthat while it is more useful to explain the rise of Benin in terms of local politics, we cannotignore the interrelationship between power in social relationships and the conflict orintegrative process in the emergence of the state. This proposition is elaborated on a theory ofstate building which attempts to explain the development of Benin polity in different phasesof its history from the challenge of survival which confronted the kings of Benin, and whichin turn demanded more effective ways of mobilising and deploying its resources. Until 1897when Benin ceased to exist as an independent state, the development process was sustained bythe adaptation of the political system to institutional reforms, not least of which was theability of the Oba to confront challenges by balancing the competition for power, position andprestige.Research Questions and Working HypothesesThe fundamental research problem of this study centres on a number of questions: First, whatwere the factors which aided the process of the establishment and development of themilitary? Second, in what form and to what degree, if any, was the military system areflection of the relations between the state and society? Third, how relevant were theinstitutional structures and relationships of administration appropriate to or supportive of themilitary system? Fourth, why did Benin launch expansionist campaigns, and which groups inthe society depended on warfare? Finally, upon what economic foundation was the militarypower of Benin based? On the basis of these questions, the following working hypotheseshave been formulated.24