Benin City in the context of "Edo people"

The Kingdom of Benin or Empire of Benin, also known as Great Benin, is a traditional kingdom in southern Nigeria. It has no historical relation to the modern republic of Benin, which was known as Dahomey from the 17th century until 1975. The Kingdom of Benin's capital was Edo, now known as Benin City in Edo State, Nigeria. The Benin Kingdom was one of the oldest and most developed states in the coastal hinterland of West Africa. It grew out of the previous Edo Kingdom of Igodomigodo around the 11th century AD; it was annexed by the British Empire in 1897, but endured as a non-sovereign monarchy.

In the 15th and 16th centuries, the empire reached the height of its prosperity, expanding its territory, trading with European powers, and creating a remarkable artistic legacy in cast bronze, iron, brass, carved ivory, and other materials.

The Benin Moat (Edo: Iyanuwo), also known as the Benin City Iya, the Inner City Iya of Benin or the Wall of Benin, is a large earthwork within Benin City in Nigeria's Edo state, which formerly encircled the city at the time of the Benin Empire. It is the central part of a series of connected earthworks surrounding the city which are collectively known as the 'Benin City Walls', consisting of the massive Inner City earthwork and much smaller, though more extensive Outer City earthworks. Other earthworks are spread out across Edo State (known as the rural iya), and all of these earthworks are sometimes referred to collectively as 'the Walls of Benin'. All of these earthworks are known as Iya in the Edo language. With the exception of a small part of the Benin City Iya, these structures are not really 'walls' but rather linear earthworks, consisting of a ditch and earth rampart known as a 'dump rampart'. The Inner City Iya was built on a significantly larger scale with much taller ramparts and deeper ditches than any of the surrounding earthworks or other earthworks spread across the country, many of which are described as having a 'slight' and 'casual' profile. Most of these earthworks only served to delineate boundaries, whereas the Inner City Iya served a defensive purpose. Historical European accounts of the 'Benin Moat' or 'Benin City Wall' probably only refer to the Inner City Iya, though the accounts sometimes differ in their description of its structure. Several wooden entrance gates are said to have existed, but 19th century accounts make no mention of them and their remains have yet to be identified by archeological research. The Inner City Iya had a total length of approximately 12 kilometres (7.45 miles), though much of it has disappeared due to urban expansion and destruction in the modern era. The combined length of all of the earthworks across the entire country, including ditches and ramparts and boundary traces, has been estimated to be approximately 16,000 kilometres (9,900 mi), covering about 6,500 square kilometres (2,500 sq mi) of land, though little remains today. Whilst some sources have erroneously referred to these earthworks as comprising a single built structure, they actually consist of many different structures created at different times, some of which are connected and others which are not. These earthworks have deep historical roots, with evidence suggesting their existence before the establishment of the Oba monarchy. Construction may have begun as early as 800 AD, continuing up to the modern era. The Inner City Iya itself was built in c. 1460 AD. Its construction involved large-scale manual labour and the repurposing of earth from the outer ditch to build the inner rampart. It is estimated that a labour force of 5,000 men, working 10 hours a day, could have completed the work in 97 days, within the period of a single dry season.

Today, remnants of the Iya can still be found in Benin City, although urbanisation and land disputes pose challenges to their preservation. Recognised for their historical significance, the Benin Iya have been placed on a tentative list of Nigerian World Heritage Sites, though they have yet to be included in the official list by UNESCO. The Guinness Book of World Records describes 'The Linear Earthworks of Benin and Isha' as "the longest earthworks of the pre-mechanical era", though this refers to the estimated length of all the earthworks and boundary traces across the country combined and not specifically to the moat and rampart surrounding Benin City.

Awka listen (Igbo: Ọka) is the capital city of Anambra State, Nigeria. The city was declared capital on 21 August 1991, on the creation of a new Anambra state and Enugu state by bifurcation of the old Anambra State. The city of Enugu remained the capital of Enugu State while Awka (an administrative center since pre-colonial times), became the capital of the new Anambra State. The city has an estimated population of 301,657 as of the 2006 Nigerian census. The both LGAs of Awka South and North had an estimated population of 430,200 in 2022. The city is located at 199.1 kilometres (123.7 mi), by road, directly north of Port Harcourt in the centre of the densely populated Igbo heartland in South-East Nigeria.

The West-East Federal highway links Lagos, Benin City, Asaba, Onitsha, and Enugu to Awka and several local roads link it to other important towns such as Oko, Ekwulobia, Agulu, Enugwu-Ukwu, Abagana and Nnewi.

Edo (Ẹ̀dó [ɛ̀.dó]; English: /ˈɛdoʊ/, locally: /ˈedo/), also known as Bini, is the language spoken by the Edo people in Edo State, Nigeria. It was the primary language of the Benin Empire and its predecessor, Igodomigodo. It is the majority language spoken in Edo State, particularly in Benin City, and the surrounding local governments and senatorial districts in the Southern parts of the State.

Edo is a state in Nigeria. Located in the South-South geopolitical zone of Nigeria. The state was ranked as the 8th most populous state (7,250,000) in Nigeria, in 2024. In 2021, the estimated state population is around 6,777,000. Edo State is the 21st largest state by landmass in Nigeria. The state's capital, Benin City, is the fourth largest city in Nigeria and the centre of the country's rubber industry. Created in 1991 from the former Bendel State, it is also known as the heartbeat of the nation. Edo State borders Kogi State to the north for 133 km and across the Niger River for 81 km to the northeast, Anambra State to the east for about four km across the Niger River, Delta State to the southeast and south for 350 km (218 miles), and Ondo State to the west.

The modern borders of Edo State encompass regions that were formerly the site of various empires and kingdoms of the second dynasty formed in the 11th century AD, the Benin Empire. The ancient city of Edo, the site of modern-day Benin City, was home to some of the largest earthworks in the world. In 1897, the British Empire conducted a punitive expedition and invasion of the region, destroying most of the ancient city of Edo and incorporating the territory into what would become the Southern Nigeria Protectorate.

The Ogiso were the earliest known ruling monarchy of the Edo kingdom of Igodomigodo, founded by Igodo, the first Ogiso. The monarchy began around 900 AD and lasted until the early 12th century when it was succeeded by the Oba monarchy. The Ogiso monarchy influenced the early sociopolitical structure of the region by introducing centralised governance and laying the foundations for the Benin Empire.

Throughout its existence, the Ogiso monarchy had thirty-one rulers and notable among them were Ogiso Igodo, the first ruler, and Ogiso Ere, who implemented several administrative and cultural reforms. This era saw the establishment of settlements, the integration of various chiefdoms, and the growth of proto-urban centers, with Udo and Benin City being prominent examples.

The Etsakọ people are the major ethnic group in the northern region of Edo State, Nigeria. They are historically linked to the ancient Benin Kingdom and are part of the Edo linguistic family. Administratively, they presently occupy three Local Government Areas of Edo State. These are: Etsako East, Etsako West and Etsako Central, with Agenebode, Auchi, and Fugar as their administrative headquarters respectively.

The Etsako, Owan, and Akoko-Edo people are often collectively referred to as the Afenmai people that are indigenous to Edo North senatorial district. Afenmai is a land of brave warriors, renown civil leaders, fearless and industrious men and women, occupying the sprawling hills and beautiful valleys of Northern Edo state. The people were derogatorily tagged Kukuruku people by the invading European colonialist, in memory of the rallying "battle cry" code-sound of the people during wars. The Afenmai people have closely-knitted linguistic, cultural and historical relationships. The local tradition of origin traces their migration from Benin, which many oral traditionalists attribute probably to have happened around the 14th century. It is believed their ancestors settled in south Ibie before groups started moving to populate the other area they occupied like the Weppa Wanno lands, Okpella land, Uzairue, etc.