Kingdom of Benin

Summary

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You're Dead to Me – Kingdom of Benin

Podcast: You're Dead to Me (BBC Radio 4)
Host: Greg Jenner
Episode Date: December 25, 2025
Guests: Malian Reese (Comedian), John-Luke Roberts (Performer as Oba), Script support by Dr. Emma Nagus
Duration of History Content: 01:12–14:31

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Episode Overview

This episode of "You're Dead to Me" dives into the fascinating, complex, and sometimes misunderstood history of the Kingdom of Benin. With trademark comedic banter and expert storytelling, host Greg Jenner and guests unravel the rise, golden age, and dramatic fall of one of West Africa’s most remarkable empires. The episode explores its origins, rulers, social structures, famed art (the Benin Bronzes), interactions with Europeans, the horror of enslavement, and ultimate colonial conquest—with plenty of facts, fun, and witty analogies along the way.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Origins of Benin (01:12–02:47)

• Geography & People:
  The Kingdom of Benin was established in what is now Southern Nigeria, with its capital city called Edo.

  • "The capital city was once known as Edo, which also refers to both the people and the language." (Greg Jenner, 01:24)

• Early Society:
  Before Benin became a kingdom, people lived in rainforest communities ruled by ‘Ogisos’—‘rulers of the sky.’

  • "Cool name." (Greg Jenner, 01:35)

• Comedic Aside:
  Mock banter about ruling the clouds, including the one that “looks like a mongoose.”

  • "Especially that cloud that looks like a mongoose." (Oba, 02:17)

2. The Founding Love Story and the Rise of the Oba (02:47–03:40)

• Legend of Benin’s Founding:
  Oral history says chaos led the Ogisos to seek help; a neighboring king sent his son, Oramen, who married locally, fathering Iweka—the first Oba of Benin.
  • "It was Iweka who became the first ruler of Benin. The Ogisos were gone and this new line of rulers were called the Obaz." (Greg Jenner, 03:21)

3. The Golden Age, Oba Power, and Social Structure (03:40–06:56)

• Oba Eware’s Rule (~1440):

  • Major reforms: rebuilding Benin City, strengthening the army, expanding territory, divine rulership.
    • "'But also us Obahs are kinda gods now. So let's back chat or I'll smite you.'" (Oba, 03:54)

• Veneration of the Oba:
  Emphasis on approaching on knees, massive royal court, rituals.

  • "Imagine how hard it would have been to bring him food." (Greg Jenner, 04:08)

• Rich Pantheon:
  Multiple gods for creation, waterfalls, war, and more.

  • "We're not sure why the names all begin with oh yeah." (Oba, 04:37)

• Expansion and Dynasties:
  Successive Obas conquer neighbors, win battles (e.g., Oba Ozolwa: 200 victories), and expand borders.

  • "The empire has never been bigger." (Malian Reese, 05:01)

• Queen Mothers (Iyobas) and Royal Women:

  • Obas had hundreds to thousands of wives.
  • The queen mother, Iyoba Idia, aided in military campaigns, honored with art and her own palace.
    • "Now that is how to treat your mum." (Greg Jenner, 05:51)

• Guilds and Professions:
  Besides agriculture, hundreds served the Oba; specialized guilds for doctors, drummers, dancers, acrobats, and, critically, soldiers and craftspeople.

4. Encounters With Europe and the Benin Bronzes (06:56–09:16)

• First Contact:

  • 1486: Portuguese arrived, bringing gifts (guns and coconuts) to Oba Ozolwa.
    • "Sounds to me like his plan was to open a coconut shire." (Greg Jenner, 07:01)

• English Arrivals and Hardship:

  • 1553: English sailors face deadly yellow fever and malaria; several failed attempts before successful contact.
    • "Most of the crew did die in the exact same way the second time." (Greg Jenner, 07:48)

• Trade and Artistic Flourishing:

  • Trade included ivory, pepper, metalwork; explosion of intricate art—especially the Benin Bronzes (mostly brass).
    • "Lots of these incredible bronzes were paid for by...which often meant that the bronzes celebrated me, the Oba." (Greg Jenner, 08:46)

• Art Control & Secrecy:

  • Bronze craftsmanship was a state secret; artists worked in guilds, only serving the Oba. Outsiders found making art risked execution.
    • "Imagine if independent art was still illegal now. They'd have to arrest everyone on Etsy." (Greg Jenner, 09:01)

5. The Impact of the Slave Trade (09:16–10:08)

• Expansion of Slavery:
  Enslavement existed pre-Europeans, but intensified through European involvement and trade.

  • "An awful practice which was already part of the social structure... Europeans came and made it even worse." (Greg Jenner, 09:25)

• Benin's Reputation Among Europeans:
  Accounts highlighted friendliness and honesty—contrasting with crime levels in European cities.

  • "The Europeans even said that theft wasn't really a problem when compared with European cities." (Greg Jenner, 09:44)

6. Sacrifice, Faith, and New Religions (10:08–11:23)

• Human Sacrifice:
  Differing accounts: sometimes actual servants, sometimes misinterpretations of criminal executions.

  • "After all, if you don't speak the Edo language... Both end up with a dead person at the end." (Greg Jenner, 10:27)

• Christianity’s Arrival:
  Early 16th century, Oba Esige’s son baptized, but traditional religion persisted.

  • "The presence of Catholicism did little to change the people of Benin's traditional religion." (Greg Jenner, 10:53)

• Europeans in Benin Art:
  Europeans depicted with “straight shoulder length hair, pointy noses and often carry guns. They kind of look like Lord Farquaad from Shrek.”

  • "Some of you may die, but it is a sacrifice I am willing to make." (Oba as Lord Farquaad, 11:17)

7. Decline and Colonial Conquest (11:23–13:27)

• Kingdom’s Decline:
  17th–18th centuries: internal strife, external pressures, waning power.
• British Invasion of 1897:
  • Preceded by tension and a punitive expedition led by James Robert Phillips, who was killed with his men.
    • "Dear Diary, planning to overthrow the Oba in Benin because I am very concerned about how they treat prisoners. Definitely not to get hold of all their valuable natural resources." (Oba, 12:07)
  • Retaliatory British force razed Benin City, looted its sacred art, exiled the Oba, and annexed Benin to the British Empire.
    • "But not before the invading soldiers had added pillaging to their crime roster, looting thousands of pieces of artwork from the palace and elsewhere in Benin's city, some of which were deeply sacred to the people of Benin." (Greg Jenner, 13:09)
  • Modern restitution attempts mentioned: efforts to return the Benin Bronzes to Nigeria.
    • "So maybe someday there will be a happier ending to the story." (Greg Jenner, 13:49)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Divine Kingship:
  "But also us Obahs are kinda gods now. So let's back chat or I'll smite you." – Oba (03:54)

• On Royal Motherhood:
  "Now that is how to treat your mum." – Greg Jenner (05:51)

• On Artistic Secrecy & Modern Comparison:
  "Imagine if independent art was still illegal now. They'd have to arrest everyone on Etsy." – Greg Jenner (09:01)

• On European Misunderstanding of Benin Customs:
  "After all, if you don't speak the Edo language... Both end up with a dead person at the end." – Greg Jenner (10:27)

• On European depictions in Benin Art:
  "They kind of look like Lord Farquaad from Shrek." – Greg Jenner (11:13)
  "Some of you may die, but it is a sacrifice I am willing to make." – Oba as Lord Farquaad (11:17)

• On Colonial Motivation Satire:
  "Dear Diary, today I oppressed a whole nation and nicked all their stuff. They were really grateful and said I was the best. Everybody clapped. The end." – Oba (02:47)
  "Dear Diary, planning to overthrow the Oba in Benin because I am very concerned about how they treat prisoners. Definitely not to get hold of all their valuable natural resources." – Oba (12:07)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• 01:12: Episode Intro, Kingdom context, origins
• 02:10–02:47: The Ogisos and Benin's founding myths
• 03:00–03:40: The first Oba, end of Ogiso dynasty
• 03:40–04:39: Oba Eware, divine monarchy, new powers
• 05:04–05:57: Empire’s zenith, royal families, Queen Idia
• 06:13: Court life, professions, military
• 06:56–07:48: First contact with Portuguese/English
• 08:22–09:16: The Benin Bronzes, art in guilds, secrecy
• 09:16–10:08: Slave trade dynamics
• 10:08–10:53: Human sacrifice and criminal executions
• 10:53–11:23: Christianity, persistence of tradition, European imagery
• 11:23–12:30: Decline, British interest
• 12:30–13:27: 1897 Punitive Expedition, Benin’s destruction
• 13:27–13:49: Modern restitution efforts
• 14:01–14:26: Short quiz recap

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Podcast Tone

This episode balances in-depth history with rapid-fire humor, satirical sketches, and playful dialogue, keeping difficult topics accessible without trivializing their seriousness.

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Quick Quiz Recap (14:01–14:26)

• Q1: Kingdom of Benin is in which modern country?
  "Nigeria." – Malian Reese (14:01)
• Q2: Name for Benin's rulers?
  "Obas." – Oba (14:11)
• Q3: Famous artwork stolen in 1897?
  "Benin bronzes." – Malian Reese (14:24)

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Final Thoughts

This episode swiftly and smartly provides a complete introduction to the Kingdom of Benin’s rich history, debunks colonial myths, and spotlights ongoing issues of cultural restitution. It’s full of lively exchanges and clever asides, making it accessible both for newcomers to African history and those craving a deeper, more nuanced understanding.

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Transcript

[Oba (King of Benin)]

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[Greg Jenner]

Hello and welcome to Dead Funny History, the show that brings the past back to life, literally. I'm Greg Jenner. I'm a historian, and I want to tell you about something. Cool. Well, up to a point. The kingdom of Benin was a fascinating and powerful kingdom in what is now southern Nigeria in West Africa, and it stretched from the late 12th century all the way to the 19th century. The capital city was once known as Edo, which also refers to both the people and the language. Isn't Edo in Japan? Yeah, Edo's also the old name for Tokyo in Japan, but that's a totally different Edo. This Edo was on the west coast of Africa and today is still called the Edo State in Nigeria. And the modern capital of that state is Benin City. However, the kingdom of Benin had its origins in the 900s, when people were living in small rainforest communities with leaders called Ogy sos, which meant rulers of the sky. Cool name.

[Oba (King of Benin)]

See that up there? What?

[Malian Reese]

The clouds.

[Oba (King of Benin)]

I rule those.

[Malian Reese]

Nice. Even that cloud that looks like a mongoose.

[Oba (King of Benin)]

Especially that cloud that looks like a mongoose.

[Greg Jenner]

In the late 12th century, this system collapsed and was replaced with the Kingdom of Benin. Accounts vary as to how that happened, partly because a lot of what we know about the early days of Benin comes from oral history, meaning it's been passed down with spoken words. But written histories can sometimes be unreliable, too, especially when they're written by people who. Spoiler alert. Invade another civilization.

[Oba (King of Benin)]

Dear Diary, today I oppressed a whole nation and nicked all their stuff. They were really grateful and said I was the best. Everybody clapped. The end.

[Greg Jenner]

One account of how the kingdom of Benin began is with a love story. I mean, kinda a love story. The kingdom was in chaos, so the Ogisos asked a neighbouring king to help restore orders. This king sent his son, a prince called Oramen, who then had a kid with the daughter of a local chief. And their child was called Iweka. And it was Iweka who became the first ruler of Benin. The Ogisos were gone and this new line of rulers were called the Obaz. The kingdom of Benin continued to do well. And then around the year 1440, things got even better. There was an Oba called Eware and he got loads done.

[Oba (King of Benin)]

Iware's to do list. Rebuild Benin City and the royal palace.

[Malian Reese]

Check.

[Oba (King of Benin)]

Make my army really strong.

[Malian Reese]

Double check.

[Oba (King of Benin)]

Invade loads of our neighbours and appoint my own governors.

[Malian Reese]

Okay.

[Oba (King of Benin)]

But also us Obahs are kinda gods now. So let's back chat or I'll smite you.

[Malian Reese]

Right you are.

[Greg Jenner]

Yep. The Oba expected to be treated like a God. People had to approach him on their knees. Imagine how hard it would have been to bring him food.

[Malian Reese]

Your soup, Opa.

[Greg Jenner]

But the people of Benin worshipped lots of other gods too.

[Oba (King of Benin)]

A little bit of a Sinobua to create it all. A bit of our Lokun for waterfalls. A bit of our Vive to birth some life. A bit of our Gyuwu to end that life. A little bit of ago for medal and beef. Beef as in wars, not beef as in cows. An awful lot of Benin gods. There you go. We're not sure why the names all begin with oh yeah.

[Greg Jenner]

There are a lot of vowels for Benin. Alphabeti spaghetti. You'd need a whole other tin of pasta hoops. After Oboeware, there was Oba Ozolwa.

[Malian Reese]

Believed to have won 200 battles. And Oba Osige expanded the country eastwards. It's becoming an empire.

[Greg Jenner]

Oba Ohabua.

[Malian Reese]

The empire has never been bigger.

[Greg Jenner]

And Ober ehing Buda stopped a load.

[Malian Reese]

Of rebellions by local chiefs, understandably upset about all that invading.

[Greg Jenner]

So by the end of the 16th century, the kingdom of Benin was really thriving. But what is an Oba without their hundreds of wives? Yup. Some reports say that Obas may have had between 600 and 4,000 wives. To get an idea of the scale, the singer Craig David met a girl on Monday and was her Boyfriend by Wednesday. To get close to number of spouses, he would have had to keep doing that for 77 years. Really makes you think. Queen mothers called an Iyobas were also pretty special. Queen Idia helped her son Oba Isije with his military campaigns. In return, he had sculptures made of her and gave her a palace. Now that is how to treat your mum. Yeah.

[Malian Reese]

Here's the palace my kids got me. What did you get for Mother's Day?

[Oba (King of Benin)]

Carnations and tofifi.

[Greg Jenner]

Again, the royal court was huge, with hundreds of workers. Court governor jobs were usually passed from father to son.

[Oba (King of Benin)]

He's got my eyes and he's got my stressful admin job when I die.

[Greg Jenner]

But there were other jobs too. People in smaller communities grew vegetables, but there were also guilds in the city for doctors, say ah. And drummers and musicians, dancers and acrobats. Yeah, everything you need to make a banging series of Benin's Got Talent. There were also lots of craftspeople. But a really important profession in Benin was the military. Benin soldiers would have had swords, spears, crossbows, and by the 17th century, guns. And now we've mentioned guns, we might as well talk about their first meeting with Hola.

[Oba (King of Benin)]

It's us, the Europeans.

[Greg Jenner]

The first recorded encounter between Benin and Europeans was in 1486, when a Portuguese emissary presented Oba Ozolwa with guns and coconuts. Sounds to me like his plan was to open a coconut shire. The best part of any summer fete.

[Oba (King of Benin)]

Well done, Obar. Now let's try wellywanging. First we'll have to invent the welly.

[Greg Jenner]

The English first arrived in Benin City in 1553, and most of the sailors got sick. Not like when you go to the all inclusive hotel in Benidorm and everyone gets a tummy ache. I'm talking deadly yellow fever and malaria. But the English persevered and sent another ship.

[Malian Reese]

Well, it's not like most of the crew will die in the exact same way a second time, is it?

[Greg Jenner]

Most of the crew did die in the exact same way the second time. Not another one. But they tried a third time. And this time they didn't all die in the exact same way. Contact with Europe created opportunities for trading goods which included ivory, pepper, cloths and metals. And around this time, there was a lot of incredible artwork being made in Benin. Everything from masks and jewelry to sculptures, much of which had religious significance. We now call these the Benin bronzes, though lots of it was actually made of brass. But Benin brass sounds like a marching band. Lots of these incredible bronzes were paid for by. Which often meant that the bronzes celebrated me, the Oba. And to make sure Benin bronze work stayed valuable, the way they made it was a closely guarded state secret. So the artists all worked in guilds. And if you wanted to get them to make you something, you had to ask. You guessed it.

[Oba (King of Benin)]

Me, the Oba.

[Greg Jenner]

Pretty intense. There were even some reports that bronze workers could be executed if they made pieces for someone else. Imagine if independent art was still illegal now. They'd have to arrest everyone on Etsy.

[Malian Reese]

You're nicked for making whimsical keychains of anime men with their tops off.

[Oba (King of Benin)]

I have no regrets.

[Greg Jenner]

But contact with Europe didn't only result in more art. It also resulted in the increase in the trading of enslaved people. An awful practice which was already part of the social structure of the kingdom of Benin before the European Europeans came and made it even worse. Yet despite the cruelty of this system, European visitors often remarked on the friendliness of the people they met.

[Malian Reese]

Someone said good morning. Turns out it wasn't a malaria induced hallucination. They were being nice.

[Greg Jenner]

Sounds a lot like what happens to Londoners when they visit somewhere that isn't London. The Europeans even said that theft wasn't really a problem when compared with European cities. So I think maybe we can argue that theft is something that the Brits brought with them.

[Oba (King of Benin)]

The empire spread, railway engineering, good manners and pilfering.

[Greg Jenner]

European accounts of life in Benin also described human sacrifice. Sometimes this was the sacrifice of servants to accompany their master in the afterlife. But there are also accounts where Europeans may have mistaken the execution of criminals for human sacrifice. After all, if you don't speak the Edo language, they do. Both end up with a dead person at the end.

[Oba (King of Benin)]

What are we watching? Where's the subtitles on this?

[Greg Jenner]

Another change with the presence of Europeans was religion. After meeting Portuguese missionaries, Oba Esige allowed his son to be baptized as a Christian in 1515.

[Oba (King of Benin)]

Hallelujah.

[Malian Reese]

Congrats on choosing the religion of peace. Now here are some guns.

[Greg Jenner]

Amen. But the presence of Catholicism did little to change the people of Benin's traditional religion.

[Oba (King of Benin)]

A little bit of Pope. Yes, that's our guy. A bit of transubstantiation. We don't know why Europeans even pop.

[Greg Jenner]

Up in some Benin artwork. They usually have straight shoulder length hair, pointy noses and often carry guns. They kind of look like Lord Farquaad from Shrek.

[Oba (King of Benin)]

Some of you may die, but it's a sacrifice I am willing to make.

[Greg Jenner]

And some of these Europeans acted Like Lord Farquhar, too. By the 17th and 18th centuries, the kingdom of Benin was in decline. And by the late 19th century, the British were less interested in trade and more interested in invading. By the late 19th century, Britain had colonized much of modern Nigeria, Ghana, the Gambia and Sierra Leone. But Benin remained independent. And so the Brits thought to themselves best put a stop to that. It started with an expedition in 1897 led by James Robert Phillips, who apparently had no dodgy reasons whatsoever for wanting to invade Benin.

[Oba (King of Benin)]

Dear Diary, planning to overthrow the Auba in Benin because I am very concerned about how they treat prisoners. Definitely not to get hold of all their valuable natural resources. They'll be really grateful and say I'm the best. Everyone will clap. The end.

[Greg Jenner]

Phillips set off with a small group of officers and traders. The Oba could tell this wasn't a friendly visit and killed several of the British men and a large number of local workers. The British government then responded in February 1897 by sending a large military force and destroying Benin City, even burning down lots of important buildings. But not before the invading soldiers had added pillaging to their crime roster, looting thousands of pieces of artwork from the palace and elsewhere in Benin's city, some of which were deeply sacred to the people of Benin. Having lost his house, his art and many of his people, the Oba was sent into exile and the kingdom of Benin was swallowed up by the British Empire. It wasn't until 1960 that Nigeria finally became independent from British rule, with Benin's old territory being Edo State. In that new country today there is an Oba who lives in Benin City. And lots of important work is being done around the world to get artifacts like the Benin bronzes back to their rightful home in Nigeria. So maybe someday there will be a happier ending to the story. So how much do you remember from today's speedy history lesson? Let's find out. Pencils at the ready. Question 1. The Kingdom of Benin was part of what modern day country?

[Malian Reese]

Nigeria.

[Greg Jenner]

Question 2. What was the name of the rulers in the kingdom of Benin?

[Oba (King of Benin)]

Bubas.

[Greg Jenner]

And question three. What is the name of the famous artwork stolen from Benin during its invasion by British. British soldiers in 1897.

[Malian Reese]

But in bronzes.

[Greg Jenner]

Well done. I hope you enjoyed your snappy history lesson. That's all for this series. Thanks for listening. Take care.

[Oba (King of Benin)]

Bye.

[Greg Jenner]

This was a BBC Studios audio production for Radio 4 Dead Funny History was written by Gabby Hutchison Crouch, athena Kublenu and Dr. Emma Nagus. The researcher was Dr. Emmy Rose Price Goodfellow. It was hosted by me, Greg Jenner and performed by Malian Reese and John Luke Roberts. The script consultant was Barnaby Phillips.

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[Oba (King of Benin)]

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[Greg Jenner]

Uh, limu is that guy with the binoculars watching us.

[Oba (King of Benin)]

Cut the camera. They see us.

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[Greg Jenner]

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