Today, the Bini people can be found predominantly in Edo State of Nigeria. However, the history of the Bini people dates back to precolonial times and, of course, before the emergence of the Nigerian state.
Tradition of Origin
Like many people in the Nigerian society, the Bini people have several traditions of origin which have been handed down from one generation to the other.
One version Bini's tradition of origin traces the origin of the Bini people to the East. This version claims that the Bini people migrated southward from Egypt, settled down in Ile-Ife for a while, before continuing their journey to their present location. However, this version has become infamous because it supports the Hamitic hypothesis, a theory which traces every thing of value found in Africa to the Hamites, a branch of the Caucasian race.
Nevertheless, another version of Bini's tradition of origin claims that the people have always been in their present location since the beginning of time.
According to the Bini mythology, Bini was the youngest child of Osanobua (the High God). Bini and his brothers, who included the King of Ife, were sent to live in the world, which was by then empty. The children were asked by the High God to take whatever they needed along with them to the world. While his brothers chose wealth, fame, power, good health, etc, Bini chose an empty snail shell.
When they arrived in the world, they found that it was covered by water. While the brothers were clueless on what to do, Bini brought out his snail shell and poured its contents on the face of the waters. Immediately, sand emerged and spread to cover a large area of land. This was how Bini became powerful and a ruler over his brothers who regarded him as the owner of the land.
Early Contacts With Europeans
The Binis were one of the first people in West Africa to have contacts with the Europeans, precisely the Portuguese. For instance, a Portuguese explorer named Ruy De Sequeira visited Benin in 1472 during the reign of Oba Ewuare. Another Portuguese, Affonso De Aviero, visited Benin in 1484.
According to Ryder (1997), the Binis were also the first people in the West African coast who sent an ambassador to Portugal to represent the interests of the Oba (king) of Benin.
Political Organization in Precolonial Times
The Binis had developed sophisticated political system and social arrangements before the advent of the Europeans. In short, the political and social advancement of the Binis so impressed one of the Europeans who visited Benin in 1604 that he compared the city to one of the cities in Europe. He wrote:
The towns seems to be very great. When you enter into it, you go into a great broad street, not paved, which seems to be seven to eight times broader than the Warmoes Street in Amsterdam. (Hodgkin, 1975).
- The Oba (King)
The political system of the Bini people revolved around the Oba who is both the religious and political head of the kingdom. The authority of the Oba is divine and the succession to his throne is through primogeniture. The Oba has absolute power, although there exists a council of chiefs whose roles were advisory.
The Oba also has special kind of officials named the Uzama Nihiron who are heads of various villages and towns within the Benin kingdom. The succession of an Uzama chief was also through primogeniture.
- The Guild System
The guilds are professional groups to which the common people of Benin kingdom belong. There are a number of them such as those of the carvers, brass workers, blacksmiths, weavers, workers in ivory, iron, leather, doctors, butchers, etc.
Although today the guild system is not as strong as it used to be, in the precolonial era the guild provided for the daily needs of the Oba who was Lord of the land.
References
Egharevba, J. U. A Short History of Benin; Ibadan University Publishing Press.
Hodgkin, T. Nigerian Perspective, Oxford University Press.
Ryder, A.F.C. Benin and the Europeans 1485-1897.
Rodney, W. How Europe Underdeveloped Africa.
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