Chapter 01 of 5
The Oba and the Edo
Discover the divine origins and golden age of the Benin Kingdom.
- Origin
The Land of the Edo
Long before colonial borders, the Edo people built a thriving civilization in the tropical forests of modern-day Nigeria.
- Sovereignty
The Divine Oba
At the heart of Benin was the Oba, a king believed to be a direct descendant of the gods, wielding absolute spiritual and political power.
- Governance
The Ogiso Era
Before the Obas, the 'Kings of the Sky' or Ogiso ruled, laying the foundation for a centralized and complex state.
17 more cards in this chapter
Could you answer this?
What was the primary purpose of the bronze plaques found in the Oba's palace?
Read the rest in Drift
Free · no account needed · Don't scroll. Drift.
👑 The Kingdom of Benin: The Stolen Bronzes
- 01The Oba and the EdoDiscover the divine origins and golden age of the Benin Kingdom.
- 02Mastery in MetalStep into the guild of royal casters and their lost-wax secrets.
- 03The Punitive ExpeditionThe 1897 British invasion that burned a capital to the ground.
- 04The Myth of Primitive ArtHow stolen artifacts were used to justify colonial narratives.
- 05The Long Walk HomeThe modern movement to return the Bronzes to their rightful soil.