Lesson video

Hello there, young historians.

I am Miss Krijnauw, and in this lesson we're setting off on an exciting adventure to learn about the Oba of Benin and the kingdom these monarchs ruled.

Get ready to uncover secrets, hear tales, and discover what the Benin Bronzes have to tell us about these kings.

This lesson is entitled "The Oba of Benin" and is part of a unit of lessons about non-European societies.

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to describe the role of the Oba and how this is represented in some of the Benin Bronzes, and it's my job to support you with the learning materials and resources.

Before we start this lesson, there are some keywords I would like to introduce you to.

These are words that you will encounter during the lesson.

You might want to take a note of them so that when you do see them in the lesson, you can refer back to your notes.

Here are the words.

Oba, divine, plaque.

So let's find out what these keywords mean.

Oba.

The Oba was the ruler of the Edo people in the Kingdom of Benin.

Divine.

To be divine is to be a god or like a god.

Plaque.

A plaque is a flat piece of metal, stone, or wood with writing or images on it that is fixed to a wall or surface.

You could pause the video here to make a note of these keywords and their meanings, and when you are ready to continue with the lesson, press play.

This lesson about the Oba of Benin has three learning cycles, and the first one is entitled Oba Ewuare.

Let's take a moment to study the timeline of the Kingdom of Benin.

The Kingdom of Benin started around the 11th century CE, which means that it began to exist approximately 1000 years ago.

However, the exact date of when the kingdom started is difficult to pinpoint because historical records of that time period are scarce and imprecise.

The capital of the kingdom, Benin City, is believed to have been founded in the late 12th century around the 1180s.

The Kingdom of Benin started to expand and grow more powerful through trade.

That is because the people of Benin were good at making arts, and crafts, and other goods which they traded with nearby kingdoms and far away places, and helped them grow richer.

The kingdom reached its peak in the 15th century under the rule of Oba Ewuare.

He lived from 1440 and died in 1473.

The Kingdom of Benin came to an end in 1897 when British forces invaded the city.

This was known as the Benin Expedition.

During the expedition, Benin City was destroyed and the reigning Oba was overthrown.

The British Empire took over the Kingdom of Benin.

Even though the kingdom doesn't exist anymore, its history is still very important.

It helps us understand how societies in Africa developed over time.

In addition, the art and culture from the Kingdom of Benin is still admired and studied by people around the world.

The Kingdom of Benin was ruled by an Oba.

This was the title given to the traditional ruler and king of the Kingdom of Benin.

The Obas were part of a royal dynasty, which means that when the Oba died, his son or a member of the same family became the next Oba.

In that way, the title of Oba was passed down from one king to the next within the same family over many years.

Let's check for understanding of what we have just learned.

The Obas followed a dynastic rule.

This means that A, the leaders were elected, which means they were chosen by voting, or B, the strongest person in the kingdom became the ruler, or C, the title was passed down from one family member to the next over many years.

Pause the video here.

When you are ready for the answer, press play.

Dynastic rule means that the title was passed down from one family to the next over many years.

Well done if you got that right.

While most of the Obas were male, there were some exceptions where women ruled too.

These female rulers were called Queen Mothers.

For example, when a young king wasn't old enough to rule by himself, a Queen Mother would step in to help him.

She would act as a regent, which means she would make decisions on his behalf until he was old enough to rule on his own.

The Queen Mothers were respected for their wisdom, leadership, and the ability to keep talks between different groups of people peaceful.

Let's check our understanding.

Say whether the following statement is true or false.

The Oba were exclusively male.

Pause the video here, and when you're ready for the answer, press play.

That statement is of course false.

Now justify your answer to your learning partner.

In other words, give a reason why this statement is false.

Pause the video here, and when you are ready to reflect on the answer, press play.

A justification that you could have given your learning partner is there were some exceptions where women ruled too.

When a young king wasn't old enough to rule by himself, a Queen Mother would step into help him.

Well done if your justification was similar to this one.

One of the most important Obas of the Kingdom of Benin was Oba Ewuare.

He ruled from 1440 to 1473 when the kingdom reached its peak.

Under his leadership, the Kingdom of Benin expanded its territory through military campaigns and battles.

Oba Ewuare's armies were victorious in many battles, allowing the kingdom to conquer new territories and become bigger.

He also used his influence to create diplomatic alliances, which means that he managed to create friendships between the Kingdom of Benin and other countries and kingdoms. Oba Ewuare is known for fortifying the city by constructing massive walls around it to protect it from external threats and invasion.

These walls also symbolised the kingdom's strength and power.

Let's take a moment to consolidate our learning.

Why was Oba Ewuare considered to be a great leader? Choose three correct answers.

A, he expanded the kingdom's territory, B, he allowed his mother to rule in his place, C, he fortified Benin City, D, he created friendships with other kingdoms. Pause the video here, and when you have chosen three correct answers, press play.

And the three correct answers are he expanded the kingdom's territory, he fortified Benin City, and he created friendships with other kingdoms. If you got those three answers correct, well done.

We have now come to the first learning task of this lesson.

It says complete the following sentences.

The kingdom of Benin started mm.

The kingdom was ruled by an Oba, which means mm.

One of the most important Obas of the kingdom was mm.

Under his leadership, the kingdom expanded mm.

Oba Ewuare is known for mm.

Pause the video here to give yourself enough time to complete the sentences, and when you are done, you can reflect on your answers by pressing play.

Let's reflect on the answers.

You could have completed the sentences like this.

The Kingdom of Benin started approximately 1000 years ago, around the 1000s CE.

The kingdom was ruled by an Oba, which means ruler and king of the Kingdom of Benin.

One of the most important Obas of the kingdom was Oba Ewuare.

Under his leadership, the kingdom expanded its territory by winning battles and making alliances.

Oba Ewuare is also known for fortifying the city with massive walls.

Well done if your answers were similar to these.

We have now come to the second learning cycle of this lesson and it is entitled the divine Oba.

The Oba was very respected among the people of Benin.

He was regarded as divine, like a god, as it was thought that he had a special connection to the gods.

Let's check for understanding.

The Oba was regarded as divine.

That statement of course is true, but let's justify why we say it is true.

In other words, let's give a reason for our answer.

Is it because A, he was very charming and he dressed well, or B, it was thought that he had a connection to the gods? Which justification do you think is correct? And it is B.

He is divine because it was thought that he had a connection to the gods.

Well done if you got that correct.

The Oba's divinity, or god-like status, was shown through rituals and ceremonies where people would perform special dances, songs, and prayers to honour the Oba.

They believed that by performing the ceremonies and rituals, they were keeping the Oba's connection to the divine strong.

The Oba's divinity was believed to set him apart from ordinary people, and suggesting otherwise could be seen as disrespectful.

If people said that the Oba engaged in ordinary human activities, such as eating, sleeping, or washing, they were punished by severe consequences, including death.

The Oba was often said to have magical or supernatural powers, which added to his authority and respect within the kingdom.

Let's consolidate our learning.

Match the statements in column A to column B.

Column A statements are: rituals and ceremonies like songs, dances and prayers, suggesting the Oba did ordinary human tasks, having magical or supernatural powers.

The statements in column B are: added to his respect and authority, kept the Oba's connection to the gods strong, punishable by severe consequences including death.

Pause the video here, and once you have matched the statements, press play to check your answers.

Let's find out how the statements in column A match with those in column B.

Rituals and ceremonies like songs, dances, and prayers match with kept the Oba's connection to the gods strong.

Suggesting the Oba did ordinary tasks was punishable by severe consequences, including death.

And having magical supernatural powers added to his respect and authority.

Well done if you matched all of those correctly.

And here we are at the second learning task of this lesson.

Which of the following statements are true and which are false? The Oba was a magical god.

Rituals and ceremonies were held for the Oba.

Suggesting that the Oba was human was disrespectful.

Pause the video here, and when you are ready for the answers, press play.

Let's find out which statements are true and which are false.

The Oba was a magical god.

Oh, that's false.

Rituals and ceremonies were held for the Oba.

Oh, that one is true.

And suggesting that the Oba was human was disrespectful.

That is also true.

The second part of the learning task says correct the false statement, which was the Oba was a magical god.

Pause the video here, and once you have corrected that statement, press play.

Let's find out what the corrected statement could include.

The Oba was not a god, but people thought that he was divine and had a special connection to the gods.

Good work if your answer is similar to this one.

We have now come to the last learning cycle of this lesson, which is entitled a figure of great authority and power.

The Oba was highly respected and seen as a figure of great authority and power.

When people wanted to speak with the Oba, they had to approach him on their knees to show how much they respected his authority.

It was also important for people to remember not to look directly at the Oba without permission.

It was a sign of respect to keep their eyes down when near the Oba.

These rules helped to show just how powerful and respected the Oba was in the kingdom.

Now it is over to you.

Demonstrate or explain to your learning partner how to correctly approach the Oba.

Pause the video here, and when you are ready to reflect on your answer, press play.

So the correct way to approach the Oba was on your knees and avoiding eye contact.

Well done if you demonstrated or explained that correctly.

The Oba lived in a palace which was not just his home, but also the centre of government and religious activities in the kingdom.

In the palace, the Oba would have meetings with officials who helped him run the kingdom.

They would talk about important decisions and plans for the kingdom's future.

The palace was also where the Oba would lead religious ceremonies.

These ceremonies were important because they were a way for the Oba to connect with the gods and ask for their help in keeping the kingdom safe and prosperous.

People from all over the kingdom would come to the palace to take part in these ceremonies and show their respect to the Oba.

Let's take a moment to consolidate our learning.

Label the image of the palace with its three functions.

Pause the video here, and when you are ready for the answers, press play.

And the answers are the Oba's home, a place for meetings with helpers, and a place for religious ceremonies.

Well done.

The famous Benin Bronzes provide historical evidence about the culture, religious practises, and the governments of the kingdom.

These artefacts are bronze and brass plaques and statues that show various scenes of the Kingdom of Benin, including Obas meeting with their helpers and conducting religious rituals.

Many of the bronzes are housed in the British Museum.

We have now come to the third learning task of this lesson.

It says describe the role of the Oba in a short paragraph and explain how we know about the Oba.

Use these words and phrases to help you.

King, divine, a figure of great authority and power, palace, British Museum, plaques.

Pause the video here, and when you are ready for the answer, press play.

Let's reflect on the answer.

Your answer could have included the Oba was the traditional ruler and king of the Benin Kingdom.

He was regarded as divine, and rituals and ceremonies were performed to strengthen his connection with the gods.

He was a figure of great authority and power.

The correct way to approach the Oba was on your knees and avoiding eye contact.

The Oba lived in a palace, which was also the centre of government and religious activities in the kingdom.

The British Museum houses many brass plaques providing historical evidence about the role of the Obas.

Well done if your answer was similar to this, and a really big well done if you managed to use all the words and phrases highlighted in blue.

We have come to the end of this lesson about the Oba of Benin, but before we go, let's summarise what we have learned.

The Kingdom of Benin was ruled by Obas.

Under the rule of Oba Ewuare, which was from 1440 to 1473, the kingdom reached its peak.

The Oba was regarded as divine, and rituals and ceremonies were performed to strengthen his connection with the gods.

He was a figure of great authority and power.

The correct way to approach the Oba was on your knees and avoiding eye contact.

The Oba lived in a palace.

Palace was also the centre of government and religious activities in the kingdom.

The British Museum houses many brass plaques providing historical evidence about the role of the Obas.

Well done for all your hard work during this lesson.

I've really enjoyed supporting you in this learning journey, and I hope to see you again very soon.