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

for territorial expansion and to exercise a measure of physical control over their neighbours”74While the cause of war can be political, the ability to wage war rests on economicfoundations.Scholars studying the origins of armies in early African history are almost universallyagreed on two points. First, the organisation of the army was an aspect of the resourcemobilisation for warfare. Hence in the evolution of African armies, they were oftenreorganised, improved, enlarged and institutionalised to keep pace with other units orelements in the system. Second, where a society did not possess sufficient natural resourcesfor permanent self-sufficiency it usually attempted to gain them by territorial expansion.Those who subscribe to this view argue that the main end of economic policy was land.Although wars were caused by aspirations of the ruling classes or by the need of militarysecurity, most of them were closely connected with the desire for wealth and self-sufficiency.This policy was pursued by the kings of Benin in the creation of Benin Empire by forcefulterritorial expansion.To understand the basis of most historical hypotheses as it relates to military matters,it is also necessary to point out that in the theory and practice of war, the concept of warfarein its general meaning is usually a state of war, or campaign or being engaged in war. RobertSmith who has been engaged on research relating to warfare in precolonial West Africa pointsout that since war is taken to imply ´a state of open hostility between nations` it thereforeimplies that “skirmishes, battles, and even campaigns are not wars but incidents comprisedwithin a war.” 75 To declare war was taken to imply a state of hostility but in actual sense, itwas the exercise of force for the attainment of political objectives. The pursuit of politicalobjectives, albeit territorial expansion had often resulted in a conflict of great interests withother states and societies, resulting in the formal declaration of hostility. The Chinese sage,Sun Tzu has put it this way: “the art of war is of vital importance to the state. It is a matter oflife and death, a road either to safety or ruin.” 76 Similarly, Donald Kagan explains the trio ofmotives most illuminating in understanding the origins of war throughout history as honour,fear, and interest. 77While trying to place the understanding of war in the context of the usage of the wordin Benin, this thesis contributes to the study of warfare in precolonial Africa. In making thiscontribution, there is focus on the ‘gun-slave-cycle’ debate which attempts to assess the74 Robert S. Smith, 1976, Warfare and Diplomacy in Pre-Colonial Africa. London: Methuen and Co. Ltd., p.44.75 Ibid.,76 Sun Tzu Wu, 1944, The Art of War (translated by Lionel Giles). Harrisburg, p.40.77 Donald Kagan, 1995,On the Origins of War and the Preservation of Peace. New York: Doubleday, pp.8-11.26