When the Portuguese landed on the west coast of Africa in 1480 they were stunned by what they found. Deep in the jungle, a place they expected nothing but tribal villages, they stumbled upon a network of towns and cities that led all the way to the Kingdom of Benin. Surrounded by high walls and boasting large buildings and a complex road system, this was, according to the Portuguese, one of the most beautiful and developed kingdoms in the world. Even the lavish palace that sat in the center of the city was illuminated by oil-fueled streetlights.
While this sounds like a description ripped from the pages of an adventure novel or the opening scene in a new Indiana Jones movie, this story is true and verifiable. The Portuguese captain who witnessed it with his own eyes wrote: “all the streets run straight and as far as the eye can see. The houses are large, especially that of the king, which is richly decorated and has fine columns. The city is wealthy and industrious.”
Unfortunately, the great city of Benin no longer exists. Historians have cited many reasons for its downfall: internal power struggles, worldwide geopolitical shifts, despicable colonial greed. All of these played a part. But what historians don’t dispute is that Benin days were numbered the moment it met Europeans.
After arriving in the kingdom, the Portuguese established relations immediately. Trading commenced soon after. Even during those early interactions, it is clear that Benin was weary of the seafaring white men. Trading was only permitted along the coastal regions and outsiders were rarely allowed to enter the city.
While Portugal would have preferred to keep their new trading partner a secret, word quickly spread about the prosperous African city. Soon other seaworthy nations arrived trying to get a slice of the action. The Dutch, the British and the Germans all came hoping to win favor and special trading rights. To their credit the Benin king and the city’s elders were stubbornly consistent, and all trading nations were treated equally.
For the most part this was a win-win situation. European vessels came loaded with brass, swords and armor and they departed with their cargo holds packed with ivory, peppers, and sometimes, gold.
By the seventeenth century, however, the Benin kingdom had been rocked by a quick succession of failed monarchs and bloody civil war. This was sparked, in part, by internal power grabs and disagreements about the kingdom’s involvement with the slave trade. Increased foreign interference didn’t help either. Suddenly and for the first time in its long history the kingdom of Benin was plunged into a period of uncertainty.
At the same time worldwide geopolitical tides were shifting. European powers with their military might and naval superiority were now establishing colonies in the Americas and Asia. Countries like France, Spain and Britain were no longer smudges on the world map, they were becoming imperial powers with territories across the globe.
In the 1800's these growing empires had become resource-hungry, and this hunger was exasperated by the birth of the Industrial Age. One place above all others had an abundance of cheap raw materials: Africa. France and Britain locked in imperial rivalry began acquiring vast regions of the continent. The days of signing inflexible trade agreements were long gone. It was much easier to colonize and reap the rewards. By 1880's Sierra Leone, Ghana and large parts of Nigeria were under direct British control. But the kingdom of Benin, with its proud traditions and tough defenses, remained independent.
This stance annoyed the British to no-end. In 1892 a member of the British vice counsel, Captain Gallwey, visited Benin with a set of demands. The king refused to relinquish.
Riling from this interaction Gallwey sent a formal request to London for military intervention. In those days it could take weeks or even months to get an official reply. In the meantime, Gallwey took the fateful decision to approach the king one more time. Before reaching the city limits, however, the King’s forces intercepted the delegation. In the incident that followed 7 men were killed, including Captain Gallwey.
The British retaliated mercilessly. A 1200-strong army descended upon the city. Within a couple of days Benin lost its independence, its sovereignty and the king was exiled. All art and valuables were pillaged and looted in what was called “punitive expedition”. Thousands of priceless ivory and bronze carving were shipped off to museums or sold to the highest bidder. But the most brutal and ruthless act performed by the British was burning the ancient kingdom to the ground.
Only legend now remains of the original city of Benin. The written accounts by the Portuguese or the folk tales that were passed from generation to generation. As for the art, most of it still sits in the British museum, ghosts of a forgotten kingdom.