Podcasts · The History of Nigeria: Kingdoms, Colonies, and Africa's Giant — Fexingo History
The Benin Expedition and the Looting of 1897
· 8:31 · S6 E273
Episode The Benin Expedition and the Looting of 1897
In 1897, a British punitive expedition marched into the Kingdom of Benin, toppling its ancient capital and scattering thousands of masterworks. This episode examines the military campaign led by General Robert Phayre and the subsequent destruction of Benin City’s sacred groves and palaces. We explore the role of Oba Ovonramwen Nguigi in resisting colonization and the complex diplomatic failures that preceded the invasion. The narrative focuses on the Igun Eronmwon guild of bronze casters whose centuries-old cire perdue techniques were left to ruin as the city burned. Luna and Lucas discuss how the looting of these artifacts dispersed them across museums in London, Berlin, Paris, and beyond, creating an ongoing controversy over restitution. Listeners will encounter specific details about the burning of the royal palace, the capture of the Oba, and the immediate cultural vacuum left in the wake of the expedition. This is not just a story of conquest but of the systematic dismantling of a sophisticated administrative and artistic center.
#BeninEmpire #Ovonramwen #BritishExpedition #BeninBronzes #IgunEronmwon #NigerianHistory #Colonialism #WestAfrica #ArtLooting #RestitutionDebate #ObaOfBenin #CirePerdue #EdoPeople #BeninCity #RobertPhayre #AfricanKingdoms #FexingoHistory #History
Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
Links in the notes 1
Transcript
Shows are listed from Apple Podcasts' charts and directory, and Podcast Index where it is used. Every show and episode belongs to its publisher and plays from the publisher's own feed; this site hosts none of them. Explicit shows are for adult profiles only, and children’s profiles hear only children’s shows. More about this list.