Q&A

Allegra Otsaye Ayida discusses the history of the West African kingdom and the return of its stolen art

What were the major events that led to the British colonisation of the Kingdom of Benin?

From the 13th century, the obas ruled the Benin Kingdom for six centuries as the central authority. During this time Benin enjoyed a marginal European presence. This situation in later centuries proved unacceptable to the British as their influence in the area was expanding. The 1880s were a transformative period for African-European relations with the onset of European imperialism. Additionally, there was a shift in the power balance with Africa becoming more dependent on Western technology and global trade. In November 1896, Acting Consul General James Phillips asked for permission from the Foreign Office to depose the oba and open up the Benin Kingdom for trade. He sent a messenger to the oba, but the oba declined this visit as he was in a customary remembrance period for his late father. Phillips decided to force an audience with the oba, but was killed on his way to Benin from the coast. This sparked the punitive expedition of February 1897 that would ransack and destroy centuries of the kingdom’s history.