Esigie (also spelt Oseigie), originally known as Osawe, was the son of Oba

Ozolua Ozolua, originally known as Prince Okpame, was the fifteenth Oba of the Kingdom of Benin who reigned from . He greatly expanded the Kingdom through warfare and increased contact with the Portuguese Empire, and was later called , meaning Ozolua t ...

, who reigned in the late 15th century, and his second wife,

Queen Idia Idia was the mother of Esigie, who reigned as Oba (king) of the Edo people from 1504 to 1550. Life Historians are uncertain as regards her period of life; they do know that Idia was alive during the Idah war (1515 – 1516) because she played ...

. He was the sixteenth Oba who ruled the medieval

Benin Kingdom The Kingdom 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 c ...

, now

Benin City Benin City serves as the Capital city, capital and largest Metropolitan area, metropolitan centre of Edo State, situated in Nigeria, southern Nigeria. It ranks as the List of Nigerian cities by population, fourth-most populous city in Niger ...

Edo State Edo State, Edo, officially known as Edo State, is a States of Nigeria, state in the South South, South-South Geopolitical zones of Nigeria, geopolitical zone of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. As of 2024, the state was ranked as the List of Ni ...

Nigeria Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It covers an area of . With Demographics of Nigeria, ...

from . Works of art commissioned by Esigie are held in prominent museums including the

Metropolitan Museum of Art The Metropolitan Museum of Art, colloquially referred to as the Met, is an Encyclopedic museum, encyclopedic art museum in New York City. By floor area, it is the List of largest museums, third-largest museum in the world and the List of larg ...

and the

British Museum The British Museum is a Museum, public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is the largest in the world. It documents the story of human cu ...

. After Ozolua's death, Esigie controlled

, while his brother Arhuaran controlled Udo, a town about northwest of

, that was nearly its equal in size and influence. Following a bitter power struggle with Arhuaran, and with major assistance and support from his mother Idia, Esigie gathered the Benin army at Unuame on the river Osse and from there launched an attack and overthrew Arhuanran. Esigie became Oba of Benin and would later fend off an attack from the

Igala people The Igala people are a ''West African'' ethnolinguistic group native to the region immediately south of the confluence of the Niger River, Niger and Benue River, Benue Rivers in Middle Belt, central Nigeria. The area inhabited primarily by the ...

. Esigie started a tradition in Benin by abolishment of the killing of the king's mother, giving Idia the title of

Iyoba The Iyoba of Benin is an important female titleholder in the chieftaincy system of the Kingdom of Benin, a Nigerian traditional state. She is otherwise known in English as the Queen Mother. History When King Ozolua died in the fifteenth centu ...

(or ''Queen Mother''), and providing the Eguae-Iyoba (Palace of the Queen Mother) in lower

Uselu Uselu is a densely populated neighborhood of Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria. It is the headquarters of Egor local government area. Uselu is the site of the traditional grounds of the Edaiken N'Uselu (Duke of Uselu) palace as well as the palace of ...

for her use. Idia was responsible for many cultural innovations that still hold strong in Benin's cultural history; she notably dressed as a man marched alongside her son and led Benin to victory in the Idah battle of 1515. When Idia died, her protege and Esigie's wife Elaba would go to support the Oba until his death .

Impact

Oba Esigie established diplomatic relations with European countries, particularly Portugal, in the early 16th century. He welcomed Portuguese ambassadors and Christian missionaries, fostering a peaceful relationship that benefited both nations. He also engaged in trade with European nations, exchanging goods like ivory, pepper, and slaves for firearms, horses, and other commodities.

Military campaigns and conquests

Oba Esigie expanded Benin's territories through successful military campaigns, notably defeating the

Igala Igala or IGALA may refer to: * IGALA, the International Gender and Language Association, an interdisciplinary academic organization * Igala Kingdom, a pre-colonial West African state * Igala language, a Volta–Niger language * Igala people ...

in the north in 1516 without relying on Portuguese arms. He also conquered the kingdoms of Eko and Ijebu, incorporating them into the Benin Empire.

Administration and reforms

Oba Esigie implemented several administrative reforms, including the creation of a centralized government and a new system of taxation. He also reformed the Benin army, introducing new military tactics and weapons, such as firearms, which were acquired through trade with European nations.

Cultural achievements

Oba Esigie was a patron of the

arts The arts or creative arts are a vast range of human practices involving creativity, creative expression, storytelling, and cultural participation. The arts encompass diverse and plural modes of thought, deeds, and existence in an extensive ...

, and his court attracted many artists, musicians, and poets. He encouraged the development of Benin art, architecture, and literature, and his reign is often referred to as the "

Golden Age The term Golden Age comes from Greek mythology, particularly the ''Works and Days'' of Hesiod, and is part of the description of temporal decline of the state of peoples through five Ages of Man, Ages, Gold being the first and the one during wh ...

" of Benin culture

Religion and spirituality

Oba Esigie was a devout follower of the traditional Benin religion, which emphasized the worship of ancestors and the gods of nature. He also tolerated the presence of Christian missionaries in his kingdom, and allowed them to build churches and proselytize.

Legacy

Oba Esigie's legacy is still celebrated in Benin City. He is remembered as a great

military leader Military ranks is a system of hierarchical relationships within armed forces, police, intelligence agencies, paramilitary groups, and other institutions organized along military lines, such as youth groups, chivalric orders, religious orders, an ...

, a wise administrator, and a patron of the arts. His reign marked the beginning of Benin's rise as a major power in West Africa, and his cultural achievements continue to inspire artists and scholars around the world.

References

External links

50 Great Africans - Oba Esigie & Oba Ewuare
Accessed 10 January 2007

Accessed 10 January 2007 {{Obas of Benin 16th-century monarchs in Africa Obas of Benin 16th-century Nigerian people People from Benin City