{"id":22361,"date":"2019-06-08T20:54:37","date_gmt":"2019-06-08T20:54:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/?p=22361"},"modified":"2019-06-08T20:54:37","modified_gmt":"2019-06-08T20:54:37","slug":"benin-kingdom-oldest-surviving-monarchy-on-earth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/?p=22361","title":{"rendered":"BENIN KINGDOM: OLDEST SURVIVING MONARCHY ON EARTH"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><code><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.alternativeadvert.com\/show.php?z=30&amp;pl=18893&amp;ad_type=81&amp;rl=1800\" width=\"336\" height=\"280\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/code><\/p>\n<div dir=\"auto\">Do you know that the Oldest Surviving Kingdom in the World is Great Benin Kingdom and is 2054 years Old? This piece reveals 30 amazing facts you never knew about the Great Benin Kingdom<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">The Great Benin Kingdom is probably Nigeria\u2019s greatest empire. The Ogiso dynasty lasted for about 854 years plus an interregnum of 285 years between the reign of Ogiso Orire and Ogiso Odia, there was an interregnum of 70 years between Ogiso Owodo and Oba Oranmiyan plus 845 years of Oba ruler-ship till date.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">Below are 30 amazing facts about the Great Benin Kingdom:<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">1.The First Storey Building in Nigeria was built at Ughoton by the Dutch in the year 1718, and it was called \u201cThe Factory\u201d. The said building was destroyed by the British during the war against the Benins in 1897. The site of the building is still intact.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">2. The Oldest Church in West-Africa was established in Great Benin Empire by the Earliest Portuguese missionaries in the 16th Century which is today known as the Holy Aruosa (Benin National Church). Pope Pius XII visited Benin and handed the church to the Oba of Benin, Oba Oreoghene in 1692AD.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">3. The first Known Embassy Established in Nigeria was in Benin during the reign of Oba Esigie in the 16th century.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">4. The Oldest known letter written in Nigeria was by Duarte Pires instructed by Oba Esigie which was addressed to King John II, on the 20th October, 1516AD. The second oldest letter was written by Anthonio Domingo (Great-grand Son of Oba Olua) to the Pope to seek for missionary assistance in order to spread Christianity in Benin Empire in 1652AD.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">5. Oba Orhogbua founded Lagos and planted a dukedom, the Obaship of Lagos (Eko).<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">6. Oldest ever recorded market in Africa is Ogiso (Agbado) Market dated 60BCE.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">7. The first ever recorded bank (Owigho) in present day West-Africa was built in Benin kingdom by Oba Eresoyen, construction started in the year 1740AD and was completed in the year 1743AD.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">8. Queen Idia (Oba Esigie mother) is the first Oba\u2019s mother to be alive to see her son becoming an Oba. That\u2019s because traditionally previous Crown prince mothers were killed before their Sons ascend the throne.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">9. Ga tribe of present day Ghana migrated from Benin during Oba Udagbedo&#8217;s reign (1299-1334)<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">10. Oduduwa was the exiled crowned prince from Benin known as Ekaladerhan, which is being purported as the progenitor of the Yoruba race.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">11. The monarch of Warri kingdom is an off shoot of the royal house of Benin kingdom founded by prince Iginuwa the Son of Oba Olua in the 15th century.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">12. The Osemawe of Ondo was corrupted from Osemwughe, the Benin warrior who deserted Udo town, when there was war between Benin City and Udo town.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">13. The word Ondo was corrupted from the town \u201cEmwan N\u2019Udo\u201d (people of Udo town)<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">14. The world most famous mask Queen Idia mask was the face of FESTAC 77\u2019 held in Lagos.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">15. The word Benin was corrupted from Ubini by the Portuguese explorer meaning \u201ca place of heavenly pageantry and prosperity\u201d<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">\ufffc<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.alternativeadvert.com\/show.php?z=30&amp;pl=18893&amp;ad_type=81&amp;rl=1800\" width=\"336\" height=\"280\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<div dir=\"auto\">16. Oba Esigie is the first King in Africa to be baptized in the year 1504AD in Benin.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">17. The King of Benin can in a single day make 20,000 men ready for war, and, if need be, 180, 000, and because of this he has great influence among all the surrounding peoples\u2019 \u2026 His authority stretches over many cities, towns and villages. There is no King thereabouts who, in the possession of so many beautiful cities and towns, in his capital \u2013 Olfert Dapper, description of Africa, 1668.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">18. According to the Guinness Book of Records (1974 edition) described the walls of Benin City and its surrounding kingdom as the world\u2019s largest earthworks carried out prior to the mechanical era.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">19. According to estimates by the New Scientists Fred pearce, Benin City\u2019s walls were at one point \u201cfour times longer than the great wall of China, and consumed a hundred times more material than the Great Pyramid of Cheops\u201d<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">20. Benin City is surrounded by massive walls dug by Oba Oguola in 13th century and Oba Ewuare I in the 15th century.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">21. Great Wall of Benin extended for some 16,000km in all, in a mosaic of more than 500 interconnected settlement boundaries. They covered 6, 500sq km and were all dug by the Edo people.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">22. The Great wall of Benin took an estimated 150million hours of digging to construct, and are perhaps the largest single archaeological phenomenon on the planet.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">\ufffc<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">The Great Wall of Benin<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">23. Benin City is the first City to have a semblance of street lighting in the world.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">24. The Portuguese were the people who called our land \u201cGreat City of Benin\u201d because they were astonished with what they saw that the Edo people achieved centuries before any major cities in the world.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">25. 1n 1691, the Portuguese ship captain Lourenco Pinto observed: \u201cGreat Benin, where the king resides, is larger than Lisbon; all the streets run straight and as far as the eyes can see.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">26. The Binis are the best bronze casters (Igun \u2013 eronmwon) in the world.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">27. Two kings were installed without a crown &#8211; Ogiso Igodo (40BC-16AD) and Oba Oranmiyan (Odolorre) 1170-1200AD.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">28. Great Benin is known as the cradle of Black civilization and the centre of the world (Edorisiagbon).<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">29. The Binis were the first to use sophisticated weapons (guns) to fight a war (Idah war) in the present day Nigeria in about 501 years ago (August, 1516), the war was led by Oba Esigie mother (Queen Idia). Supported by some Portuguese mercenaries.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">30. All Obas in Lagos (Eko) were buried in their ancestral home (Benin City) until late 19th century. To lend credence to that, Oba Osemwende in 1834 instructed Idewu Ojulari, the Oba of Lagos to zegbele (kill himself). The\u00a0 instruction was, expectedly, complied with. The Lagos Oba complied by taking poison.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">Source: Institute For Benin Studies<\/div>\n<p><code><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.alternativeadvert.com\/show.php?z=30&amp;pl=18893&amp;ad_type=81&amp;rl=1800\" width=\"336\" height=\"280\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/code><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Do you know that the Oldest Surviving Kingdom in the World is Great Benin Kingdom and is 2054 years Old? This piece reveals 30 amazing facts you never knew about the Great Benin Kingdom The Great Benin Kingdom is probably Nigeria\u2019s greatest empire. The Ogiso dynasty lasted for about 854 years plus an interregnum of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":22363,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"spay_email":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false},"categories":[2],"tags":[1352,5484],"class_list":["post-22361","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-state","tag-benin-kingdom","tag-ogiso-dynasty"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/benin.jpg","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4oswh-5OF","_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22361","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=22361"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22361\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":22364,"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22361\/revisions\/22364"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/22363"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=22361"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=22361"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=22361"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}