Brass plaque depicting the entrance to the royal palace of Edo, Nigeria, 16th–17th century.
The Edo Kingdom, also known as the Benin Kingdom or Great Benin, was a powerful West African state centered in present-day southern Nigeria. It flourished between the 13th and 19th centuries, with its capital in Benin City. The kingdom was ruled by the Oba (king), a divine figure and political leader who presided over a highly organized society.
The Edo Kingdom is renowned for its sophisticated art, particularly the Benin Bronzes, intricate brass, bronze, and ivory sculptures that depicted royal and cultural life. These artworks demonstrate the kingdom's advanced metallurgy and artistic craftsmanship.
The kingdom maintained extensive trade networks with other African states and European powers like the Portuguese and Dutch, exchanging goods such as ivory, textiles, and pepper for firearms and other commodities.
The Edo Kingdom's decline began in the late 19th century due to British colonial pressures, culminating in the 1897 British punitive expedition, during which the city was looted, and the Oba was exiled. Despite this, the kingdom's cultural legacy remains influential in modern Nigeria, particularly among the Edo people.
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