Oduwa
| Oduwa | |
|---|---|
| 28th Ogiso, Monarch of Igodomigodo | |
| Ogiso of Igodomigodo | |
| Reign | c. 1112 – c. 1119 |
| Coronation | c. 1112 |
| Predecessor | Ohuede |
| Successor | Obioye |
| Born | Idugioduwa |
| Died | c. 1119 |
| Spouse |
|
| Issue |
|
| Dynasty | Ohuede dynasty |
| Father | Ohuede |
Oduwa (born Idugioduwa; reigned c. 1112 – c. 1119) was the twenty-eighth ogiso (king) of Igodomigodo, a kingdom that eventually became part of the Benin Empire. He was the seventh son of Ogiso Ohuede and succeeded his father after a brief, contested succession.
Oduwa's reign saw growth in the kingdom's artisanal and commercial activity: he reinforced and expanded agrarian–craft policies (notably the Ugbo Owinna or 'guildworkers' farms'), supported craft specialisms and market networks centred on the chief marketplace Ekiogiso (later Agbado), and maintained royal ceremonial practices associated with these sectors.
He introduced measures that increased the circulation of cowries as currency; some accounts associate this with later inflation. Around 1117 AD, he undertook a pilgrimage to Uhe (Ife), bringing an offering of cowries (five ebigho) following oracle warnings. Toward the end of his reign, the kingdom experienced famine and price instability. Late in his reign, a palace succession dispute (the Uwazota episode) was reported, alongside indications of reduced royal authority during the famine. He died around 1119 AD and was succeeded by his son, Obioye.
Early life and ascension
[edit]Oduwa, originally named Idugioduwa, was the seventh son of Ogiso Ohuede, who ruled as the twenty-seventh king of Igodomigodo (modern-day Benin Kingdom).[a] Oduwa's six older brothers, each born to different mothers, did not survive to adulthood, leading to his mother being suspected and accused of witchcraft. As a result, she was exiled from the royal household and died soon afterwards, leaving Idugioduwa to grow up away from the palace.[2] He was sent to live with his uncle, Igbinidu of Ugboha, an ironworker and artisan who had arrived in the city during the reign of Ogiso Oriagba (c. 1050 – c. 1070 AD).[2] Under his uncle's guidance, Idugioduwa became skilled in metalwork, particularly brass crafting and iron smelting, both crucial industries in Igodomigodo's economy.[3]
Reign
[edit]Governance and administrative reforms
[edit]
During Oduwa's reign, reforms from the Oriagba era were continued and expanded, along with agricultural support policies from the period of Ohuede.[4] Connections between urban craft industries and agricultural production were strengthened, including the continuation of the Ugbo Owinna ('guildworkers' farms') system. In this arrangement, village heads allocated farmland to artisans, allowing guild members to grow their own food and store surplus in barns.[5] Artisans based in the city for royal service could cultivate designated village plots and, in return, provide goods to farming communities — creating a reciprocal exchange between craft production and agriculture.[4]
Artisans, referred to as Owinna, worked across a range of specialisations — including Owinna-eme ('ironworkers', who also undertook some brass work), Owinna-erhan ('woodworkers'), Igbesanmwan ('carvers'), Owinna-ido ('weavers'), and Esohian ('leatherworkers'). Their products moved through regional market networks to the main commercial hub at Ekiogiso (later called Agbado).[6][b] Other trades included pottery, mud-sculpting, and construction, producing both functional and ceremonial items.[7] Carvers made items such as ukhurhe ('staves'), sceptres, asa ('shields'), eghaha ('lintel beams'), ekhu ('doors'), erhe ('stools'), uyengbe ('trays'), and akon-eni ('elephant tusks') for shrines and trade.[6] Weavers used cotton, raffia, and reeds to produce fabrics, ebo ('bags'), and mats. Leatherworkers made items including drums and ekpoki ('leather caskets').[8] Beadmakers utilised materials such as camwood and local nuts, and cowries were used for jewellery and decorative objects.[8]
Economic growth and trade policies
[edit]During this period, commerce and craft production expanded. Markets increased in number, trade routes developed further, and goods ranging from artisanal products to agricultural produce circulated through an exchange network focused on Ekiogiso.[7] Cowries were widely used as currency, and among the elite they were sometimes incorporated into clothing and jewellery.[9]
In the fifth year of his reign, Ogiso Oduwa undertook a pilgrimage to Uhe ("Ife") to pay homage to Oghene, the ruling authority of Uhe. Unlike previous rulers, who traditionally carried three ebigho ("large strings of 200,000 cowries each"), Oduwa brought five. He planned to spend one ebigho on the journey to Uhe, another on the return, and deposit the remaining three at Oghene's shrine—an offering meant to symbolise the peak of his kingdom's prosperity.[9] This display of wealth was influenced by prophetic warnings from oracles, who cautioned that Oghene's discontent—lingering since the rule of Ogiso Uwa[c] over the mistreatment of Ovio,[d]—would manifest as famine. Oduwa sought to appease Oghene and delay the foretold disaster through an offering.[9] However, despite his efforts, the famine was not averted.[10]
Death and succession
[edit]In the final year of Oduwa's reign, his health had significantly worsened amidst economic turmoil caused by a famine that began toward the end of his rule, resulting in food shortages, hyperinflation, and the collapse of trade networks.[8]
The Uwazota episode became a defining event during Oduwa's reign, coinciding with the kingdom's famine. Concerned about the continuity of his dynasty, he sought divine intervention to ensure the birth of another heir.[10] An oracle at Uhe advised him to make a sacred offering to Olode, the goddess of the harem, including an unbroken ehiendo ("alligator pepper") seed in the ritual. The wife who consumed the seed whole was prophesied to bear him a son. Oduwa's chief wife, Esagho, manipulated the ceremony to exclude the least-favoured wife, Arukho, by sending her on an errand. Nevertheless, the sacred seed ended up in Arukho's meal despite Esagho's schemes.[11]
After the ritual, all of Oduwa's wives became pregnant, but tradition required them to return to their family homes for childbirth. With no surviving relatives, Arukho wandered into the forest and gave birth to a son at a remote farmstead.[11] In contrast, the other wives, according to legend, bore monstrous offspring, ranging from a lizard to a monkey. Determined to maintain her status, Esagho stole Arukho's child and replaced him with a palm frond, presenting the stolen baby as her own upon Oduwa's return. The boy was named Uwazota, and for over a year, the deception remained hidden, until the truth was revealed when Oduwa fell gravely ill.[12] The oracle proclaimed that Oduwa's survival depended on identifying Uwazota's true mother. A "mother's dish test" was conducted, requiring each wife to prepare a meal to see which one Uwazota would instinctively choose. The child ignored all other dishes and crawled towards Arukho's food, confirming her as his mother. Esagho, now exposed, was sentenced to execution by royal decree from Oduwa.[12]
Oduwa lived for another twenty months after Uwazota's birth before succumbing to his illness. Unlike previous kings, he spent his final days in isolation, accompanied only by Arukho. His eldest son from another wife, Obioye, returned from Ihinmwirin to witness his father's last moments.[e] By the time of Oduwa's death in 1119, famine had severely affected the kingdom, disrupting trade, depleting food supplies, and weakening royal authority.[14] Unlike previous Ogisos, who were buried with grandeur, Oduwa's passing was marked by hardship, with the Ughoron ("men of heaven's gate"), the royal bards, lamenting that Oduwa, who had ascended the throne in Owe-egie ("royal steps"), left it in Owe-ogue ("pauper's steps").[15] Although Uwazota was recognised as Oduwa's legitimate son, the Edionisen ('Great Nobles') and Senior Nobles decided to crown Obioye, believing that he possessed more experience and stability to rule during the kingdom's crisis.[15]
Notes
[edit]- ^ The Kingdom of Benin no longer exists as a governing entity, but the Oba of Benin still rules a tribal kingdom and holds an advisory role in the government of Benin City, Nigeria.[1]
- ^ Agbado market is situated in Aviama, a traditional village in the center of Benin City close to Ramat Park.
- ^ Uwa (died c. 1095) was the twenty-fifth ogiso (king) of Igodomigodo
- ^ Ovio of Okhorho was an Esuekhen ("Trader's guard") and a nobleman with significant influence in the kingdom
- ^ Obioye was living with his uncle at Ihinmwirin because his mother and Idugioduwa ended their marriage before his coronation as Ogiso.[13]
References
[edit]Citations
[edit]- ^ Parks 2023.
- ^ a b Ọmọregie 1997, p. 76.
- ^ Ọmọregie 1997, pp. 76–77.
- ^ a b Ọmọregie 1997, p. 77.
- ^ Ọmọregie 1997, pp. 77–78.
- ^ a b Ọmọregie 1997, pp. 78–79.
- ^ a b Ọmọregie 1997, p. 78.
- ^ a b c Ọmọregie 1997, p. 79.
- ^ a b c Ọmọregie 1997, p. 80.
- ^ a b Ọmọregie 1997, p. 81.
- ^ a b Ọmọregie 1997, p. 82.
- ^ a b Ọmọregie 1997, p. 83.
- ^ Ọmọregie 1997, pp. 81, 84.
- ^ Ọmọregie 1997, p. 84.
- ^ a b Ọmọregie 1997, p. 85.
Works cited
[edit]- Ọmọregie, Osarẹn Solomon Boniface (1997). Great Benin: The age of Ogiso Reform (1050–1130 AD). Neraso Publishers. ISBN 978-2734-47-0. OCLC 634055155.
- Parks, Clint (19 October 2023). "The Kingdom of Benin". National Geographic Society. ISSN 0027-9358. Retrieved 16 February 2025.