Benin Studies Newsletters
The ancient Benin empire is renown as one of the earliest states systems established in the forest region of West Africa. The conquest of the kingdom by the British in 1897 led to the looting and sale of its precious Art works (especially the Cire Perdue Bronze and Ivory pieces) to major, museums and private collectors in the Western world. These drew attention to the high level of cultural achievements of the empire which earned her fame and attracted a lot of scholarly publications.Slot. 1. No.1 January - April, 1996.Read more...
Benin studies as the study of the culture, history, language and people who were part and parcel of the Benin Empire has come a long way starting with the early European visitors' accounts. The conquest, looting and dispersal of Benin artworks gave great impetus to the further study of Benin as they provided material evidence for the study of the culture and history. Jacob U Egharevba's classic: Ekhere vb Itan Edo (1934) later translated as: A Short History of Benin (1936) complimented the Artworks by exposing the historical consciousness of the Edo people and their meticulousness in its preservation. VOL. 6, N0. 1, 2005.Read more...
The interview granted your paper by the Emeritus Prof J.F.Ade-Ajayi of the University of Ibadan on the Yoruba origin controversy and his views are most disappointing and most unbecoming of an emeritus professor of his calibre. To say the least, it lacked the objectivity, professionalism and decorum which you expected him to bring to the issue. He allowed his ethnic bias and accompanying anger to take the better part of him and it could be seen that he only just managed to restrain himself from resorting to insults and abuse. But the harsh tone of his language were suggestive enough of his disrespect for the Omo n' Oba n'Edo, Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Erediauwa who is his elder and a royal father. As a leading light of African history and culture, i started to wonder what kind of African history he was teaching his students and the kind of example he giving to us younger historians who are expected to look up to him.Read more...
Family estate (Igiogbe ) in Benin society was usually an all male affair. Landed properties were rarely owned by women, since they lived with their husbands or parents. A woman's estate consisted of her clothes, bodily ornaments, cooking utensils, few domestic animals one or two fruit trees, in case of women of noble parentage some slaves. When a woman died, her properties were inherited by her daughters except for the fruit trees & slaves which could be shared with her sons. But with colonialism and accompanying capitalism, the privilege of divorce was extended parentage. BENIN STUDIES NEWSLETTER-Vol. 4 No. 2 MAY-AUGUST, 1999.Read more...