Ohuan
Ohuan | |
---|---|
Oba of Benin | |
Oba of Benin | |
Reign | c. 1606 AD – c. 1641 AD |
Predecessor | Ehengbuda |
Successor | Ohenzae |
Born | Benin City |
Died | 1641 AD Benin City |
Burial | Benin City |
Issue | None |
Father | Ehengbuda |
Ohuan (also spelled Ouan), originally known as Prince Odogbo, was the nineteenth Oba of Benin who ruled from circa 1606 AD to 1641 AD. He was the only son of Ehengbuda, and he succeeded his father after his death. He is known for his unusual birth story, his rebellion against his Iyase Ogina, and his expansion of the Benin Kingdom through warfare. He died without an heir, leading to a succession crisis and a decline of the kingdom.
Early life and birth story
Odogbo was born as the only son of Ehengbuda, the eighteenth Oba of Benin, who reigned from 1578 AD to 1606 AD.[1] According to some oral traditions, he was born as a girl and only later became a man through medicine.[2] According to other sources, he was very handsome and girlish in appearance, so that people thought he was a girl.[1] In both versions, Odogbo had to publicly present himself naked after his transformation or after his father heard of the rumours, in order to prove his manhood.[2][1] Him and his naked attendants, who had their hair well cut and dressed, walked from Uselu to Benin City, and they were termed Ifieto (Hair curlers), which term exists to this day.[1] On big ceremonial occasions, the Ifieto can still be seen dancing and singing in front of the royal procession.[1]
Reign and achievements
Odogbo was placed on the throne of Benin with the title Ohuan, after his father's death in 1606 AD.[1] He ruled the people with fairness and competence, and founded many towns and villages.[3] He had the loyalty and esteem of his subjects throughout his long reign of thirty-three years.[3]
However, his reign was not without challenges. In the early years of his reign, the Iyase, named Ogina, rebelled against him.[1] The Iyase was the Commander-in-Chief of the army, and he had shown himself very unfriendly to the late Oba and had even committed adultery with one of his wives.[1] Ohuan retired to a village called Evbohuan for several months until he was powerful enough to attack and defeat Ogina, who was then banished to Okogo where later he died and was deified.[1][4] After the rebellion of Ogina, no other Iyase was installed by any Oba in the seventeenth century, as a political strategy to avoid any opposition from the military chief.[4]
Ohuan was also a skilled warrior and expanded the Benin Kingdom through conquest. He increased contact with the Portuguese Empire, and traded with them in ivory, pepper, and slaves.[5] He also patronised the arts and culture of Benin, and some of the cast brass plaques that adorned the royal palace were made during his reign.[5]
Death and succession
Ohuan died in 1641 AD, without an heir. He was later succeeded by Ohenzae.[5] His death created a difficult problem for the Edo people, as there was no brother or son to succeed him and keep the throne in the royal family.[5] As all branches of the royal family could equally claim a right to Ohuan's throne, corruption and internal disorder led to a decline of the kingdom.[5] The throne was rotated among six different candidates for six reigns, until civil war erupted in the last decade of the century.[6]
References
Citations
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Egharevba 1968, p. 33.
- ^ a b Forman, Forman & Dark 1960, p. 32.
- ^ a b Egharevba 1968, p. 34.
- ^ a b Osadolor 2001, p. 144–145.
- ^ a b c d e Duchâteau 1994, p. 20.
- ^ Osadolor 2001, p. 128.
Bibliography
- Egharevba, Jacob U. (1968). A Short History of Benin. Ibadan University Press. ISBN 978-978-121-239-0.
- Forman, W.; Forman, B.; Dark, P.J.C. (1960). Benin Art (in German). P. Hamlyn. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
- Osadolor, Osarhieme Benson (2001). The military system of Benin kingdom, c. 1440-1897=Das Militärsystem des Königreichs Benin, ca. 1440–1897 (Thesis). University of Hamburg. OCLC 248739742.
- Duchâteau, Armand (1994). Benin: Royal Art of Africa from the Museum Für Völkerkunde, Vienna. München New York: Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. ISBN 978-3-7913-1368-9. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
Ohuan Oba of Benin Born: Unknown Died: 1641 AD | ||
Regnal titles | ||
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Preceded by Ehengbuda | Oba of Benin 1606 AD – 1641 AD | Succeeded by Ohenzae (called Ahenzae by Jacob Egharevba) |
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- Eweka I (1200 AD – 1235 AD)
- Uwakhuahen (1235 AD – 1243 AD)
- Ehenmihen (1243 AD – 1255 AD)
- Ewedo (1255 AD – 1280 AD)
- Oguola (1280 AD – 1295 AD)
- Edoni (1295 AD – 1299 AD)
- Udagbedo (1299 AD – 1334 AD)
- Ohen (1334 AD – 1370 AD)
- Egbeka (1370 AD – 1400 AD)
- Orobiru (1400 AD – 1430 AD)
- Uwaifiokun (1430 AD – 1440 AD)
- Ewuare The Great (1440 AD – 1473 AD)
- Ezoti (Reigned for 14 days)
- Olua (1473 AD – 1480 AD)
- Ozolua (1483 AD – 1504 AD)
- Esigie (1504 AD – 1550 AD)
- Orhogbua (1550 AD – 1578 AD)
- Ehengbuda (1578 AD -1606 AD)
- Ohuan (1606 AD – 1641 AD)
- Ohenzae (1641 AD – 1661 AD)
- Akenzae (1661 AD – 1669 AD)
- Akengboi ( 1669 AD – 1675 AD)
- Ahenkpaye (1675 AD – 1684 AD)
- Akengbedo (1684 AD – 1689 AD)
- Oroghene (1689 AD – 1700 AD)
- Ewuakpe (1700 AD – 1712 AD)
- Ozuere (1712 AD – 1713 AD)
- Akenzua I (1713 AD – 1735 AD)
- Eresoyen (1735 AD – 1750 AD)
- Akengbuda (1750 AD – 1804 AD)
- Obanosa (1804 AD – 1816 AD)
- Ogbebo (1816 AD – 1816 AD) (Reigned for eight months)
- Osemwende (1816 AD – 1848 AD)
- Adolo (1848 AD – 1888 AD)
- Ovonramwen N'Ogbaise (1888 AD – 1914 AD)
- Eweka II (1914 AD – 1933 AD)
- Akenzua II (1933 AD – 1978 AD)
- Akenzua II (1933 AD – 1978 AD)
- Erediauwa (1978–2016)
- Ewuare II (2016 – present)