Benin, kingdom of

Benin, kingdom of
One of the principal historic kingdoms (12th–19th century) of the western African forest region.

Founded by the Edo people, the kingdom was centred on present-day Benin City in southern Nigeria.With the accession of Ewuare the Great in the mid 15th century, the Benin kingdom was vastly expanded, including the founding of the city of Lagos. The Portuguese first visited Benin in the late 15th century, and, for a time, Benin traded ivory, palm oil, pepper, and slaves with Portuguese and Dutch traders. Benin stopped trading slaves with Europeans in the 18th century and focused attention on dependent regions around it. Succession struggles in the 18th and 19th centuries put a series of weaker kings on the throne. After the British attacked and burned Benin City in 1897, the kingdom was incorporated into British Nigeria.

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • Benin — /be neen /, n. 1. Formerly, Dahomey. a republic in W Africa: formerly part of French West Africa; gained independence in 1960. 3,197,000; 44,290 sq. mi. (114,711 sq. km). Cap.: Porto Novo. 2. Bight of, a bay in N Gulf of Guinea in W Africa. 3. a… …   Universalium

  • Benin Empire — Infobox Former Country native name = conventional long name = Benin Empire common name = Benin Empire continent = Africa region = West Africa country = era = Early Modern Period status = status text = empire = government type = Monarchy year… …   Wikipedia

  • Benin Expedition of 1897 — The Punitive Expedition of 1897 was a military excursion by a British force of 1,200 under Admiral Sir Harry Rawson that captured, burned, and looted the city of Benin, bringing to an end the West African Kingdom of Benin. During the conquering… …   Wikipedia

  • Benin City — Infobox Settlement official name =Benin City other name = native name = nickname = settlement type = motto = imagesize = 300px image caption = flag size = image seal size = image shield = shield size = image blank emblem = blank emblem type =… …   Wikipedia

  • kingdom — /king deuhm/, n. 1. a state or government having a king or queen as its head. 2. anything conceived as constituting a realm or sphere of independent action or control: the kingdom of thought. 3. a realm or province of nature, esp. one of the… …   Universalium

  • Kingdom of Nri — Anieze Nrị ← 948–1911 …   Wikipedia

  • Benin — • Vicariate Apostolic on the coast of Benin Catholic Encyclopedia. Kevin Knight. 2006. Benin     Benin     † …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • Benin (disambiguation) — Benin can mean:*Kingdom of Benin mdash; a historical state in Western Africa *two West African Republics: **Benin mdash; a modern country, the former colony Dahomey **the short lived Republic of Benin, in present Nigeria, in September 1967 *Benin …   Wikipedia

  • Benin — [be nēn′, benin′] 1. former native kingdom (fl. 14th 17th cent.) in W Africa, including what came to be known as the Slave Coast 2. country in WC Africa, on the Bight of Benin: formerly a French territory, it became independent in 1960: 43,484 sq …   English World dictionary

  • Benin — former W.African kingdom, from the Bini people, whose name is perhaps related to Arabic bani sons. Though now the people is associated with Nigeria, the name was taken 1974 by the former nation of Dahomey …   Etymology dictionary

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