The Sacking of Benin

In 1892 British captain Gallway secured the signature of the Oba of Benin on a treaty

that opened up the Benin River and Benin territories to free trade and gave the British

permission to operate under British law rather than under Bini laws when in Benin and

its territories. The Oba a Benin did not fully understand what he was signing as he had

to rely on interpreters in British employ. Despite this treaty the Oba would continued to

exert his monopoly on the trade in Benin and would from time to time close off the flow

of goods. Following you will read a series of excerpts from documents regarding British

goals in Benin.

Consul-General Macdonald concerning Benin and trade:

“trade, commerce and civilization, however, are paralyzed by the form of fetish

government which unfortunately prevails throughout the kingdom. . . I hope before

long to be able to put a stop to this state of affairs and I look upon the treaty so ably

effected by Captain Gallwey as the first step towards carrying out this much to be

desired end.”

1. According to Macdonald what is the main problem with the government of

Benin? What does he hope to accomplish due to Gallwey’s treaty?

In November of 1896 British officials were becoming increasingly concerned with the

actions of the Oba. Acting Consul-General Phillips reported:

“The Oba has permanently placed a ju-ju on Kernels the most profitable product of the

country. . . he has closed the markets and he has only occasionally consented to open

them on receipt of presents from Jekri Chiefs. In the same year the Oba had

contemptuously rejected presents worth £40 from Itsekiri middlemen as being too small.

He received the presents only when they were doubled. The Oba also refused to start a

rubber industry even on receipt of a £30 present, and could also have extracted 1,000

corrugated iron sheets from the Itsekiri as a condition for re-opening trade if the Consul-

General had not intervened.”

1. Why are British officials frustrated with the Oba?

2. Why might the Oba be demanding these taxes (presents)?

As the British Protectorate Government in West African began commercially penetrating

the interior of Nigeria Benin continued to resist. The Oba opposed further British

encroachments into his territory and on his trade monopoly despite the “treaty” of 1892.

In 1896 British official Sir Ralph Moor stated:

“[I]n Benin and Warri districts all development except of existing trade is completely

prevented by the attitude of the king of Benin, who still declines to receive government

officers or to allow them to enter his country in any direction peaceably. He punishes

severely those of his people who even in outlying districts venture to receive them and

arbitrarily stops trade from time to time without assigning any reason. At the present

time trade had absolutely been stopped in Benin by his orders. . . Without giving up

his evil practices the king knows that he cannot admit the government to his country. . .

I now conclude that if the efforts now being made continue unsuccessful until the next

dry season, an expeditionary [fighting] force should be sent about January of February

to remove the king and his jujumen from the country.”

1. What does Moor see as the main problem with the King of Benin?

2. What does he think the British should do if they cannot convince the king to

bend to British rule?

James R. Phillips took over as Commissioner and Counsel-General of the Niger Coast

Protectorate in late 1896. He saw the situation in Benin district as dire and in immediate

need of military intervention to stop the actions of the Oba. He wrote:

“I am certain that there is only one remedy, that is to depose [overthrow] the king of

Benin from his stool. I am convinced from information which leaves no room for doubt

as well as from experience of native character, that pacific means are now quite useless,

and the time has come to remove the obstruction. I therefore, ask his Lordship’s

permission to visit Benin City in February next to depose [overthrow] and remove the

king of Benin and to establish a native council in his place and take such further steps

for the opening up of the country as the occasion may require.”

1. What does Phillips think the British need to do in Benin and why?

In January of 1897 Phillips set out on a mission to supposedly peacefully try to bring the

Oba around to the British point-of-view on “free trade” in the Benin district. Many

historians think that he was really on a reconnaissance survey to gather information to

later be used when force was applied. Whatever the purpose of Phillips’ mission it

would end in what the British termed a “massacre” of “innocents.” Phillips would setout

unarmed and ill prepared. In November of 1896 he wrote:

“there is nothing in the shape of a standing army. . . and the inhabitants appear to be

if not a peace loving at any rate a most unwarlike people whose only exploits during

many generations had been an occasional quarrel with their neighbors about trade or

slave raiding and it appears at lest improbable that they have any arms to speak of

except the usual number of trade guns. . . When Captain Gallwey visited the city the

only canon he saw were half a dozen old Portuguese guns. They were lying on the

grass un-mounted.”

1. What does this reveal about the possible aims of Phillips’ mission?

2. What assumptions did Phillips make about the Bini people?

Next you will read news reports from before, during and after the British Punitive

expedition. Make sure that you think about the point-of-view of each piece and answer

all the questions to the best of your ability.

1. Why did Moffat and Smith travel to Benin?

2. How does Burton describe what he, and what later Moffat and Smith, saw upon

their arrival at Benin? Why might he have described this?

1. How is the British expedition of January 1897 described?

2. What does the report think may have happened on this expedition?

1. What happened to most members of the British expedition? How do the British

feel about this?

2. Why is another expedition being formed by the British? What do they hope to

accomplish?

1. Why might the incident in Benin be referred to as a “massacre”?

2. What role will Boisragon play in the future expedition to Benin?

3. What is the goal of this new expedition?

4. What is meant by: “. . . neighboring tribes have done homage to the British

flag while it is waving in Benin City”?

5. What hardships might the members of the expedition be expected to face and

overcome in their quest for Benin City?

6. Why might the article refer to “cannibalism”?

1. Why might the headline of this article refer to the “unarmed” expedition and its

members were “ambushed” and killed in a “savage” country? To whom might

this article be appealing and for what action might it be trying to build support?

2. According to this article what was the goal of the “peaceful” expedition into

Benin?

3. How is the attitude of the Bini King toward the British described?

4. What did the King of Benin do after the “massacre”? Why might this upset the

British?

5. Why might a “punitive” type expedition have occurred even if the first expedition

had not been attacked and its members killed? How were the actions of the Bini

king hurting British colonial goals?

6. Why might the British want to annex Benin into their West African possessions?

1. How are the British and the Bini described in this article? Whose point of view is

this? How might this be different if had been told by the Oba?

2. According to this article why would a “British Commercial” administration be

better for the people of Benin and the people of surrounding areas?

1. How was the Punitive Expedition successful?

2. According to this article why does Benin City deserve the name “City of Blood”?

Why might this description be highlighted in this article?

3. How many casualties did the European forces suffer?

4. How is Benin and the power of the Oba described in this article?

1. What have the British captured from Benin?

2. What does this reveal about the purpose and end result of the expedition?

1. What happened to the Oba’s Palace? What might this reveal about the purpose

of the British expedition?

1. What do the British forces accomplish in their pursuit of the Bini King? Why is

this important for British colonial power?

1. When and how did the Oba surrender?

2. Why did the British not let the Oba surrender privately?

Above text: Lagos, West Coast of Africa. Sept. 15 -- The trial of the King of Benin and

his chiefs who surrendered on Aug. 5 to the British authorities, and are charged with

having collaborated in the massacre of an unarmed British expedition under British

Consul Philips, is proceeding at Benin City.

Three of the chiefs have already been convicted. Two of them were shot, and

their bodies were displayed hanging in the streets for twenty-four hours. The third of

these three chiefs committed suicide.

1. Why might the trial of the king and his chiefs be held in Benin?

2. Why might the British have displayed the bodies of the Bini chiefs?

The above trial resulted in the exile of the Oba and in the complete annexation of Benin

by the British. Below is a Picture of the exiled Oba. After reading these documents

please briefly explain what you think of British actions in Benin. This may be a

brainstorm. You may do this with your partner or separately and then compare notes.

As you brainstorm think: What was fair or unfair about the way the British treated the

Bini people and Bini royalty? How might these actions have been viewed by Okonkwo in

Things Fall Apart? Remember think carefully, you will later use this brainstorm to help

write your opinion article.

The Sacking of Benin

Documents

Transcript of The Sacking of Benin