CHARACTER SHEET

KINGDOM OF BENIN

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DESCRIPTION

OBJECTS

TRADE

ATTACK

DEFENCE

WEALTH

INFLUENCE

The walls around Benin City stretched a huge distance, about 16,000 kilometres, and were about 150 feet tall on average. According to the 1974 edition of the Guinness Book of Records, the Walls of Benin were the “world’s largest earthworks carried out prior to the mechanical era.”

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Photo - The Lovepost, https://www.thelovepost.global/decolonise-your-mind/poems/lost-rise-and-fall-nigerias-most-powerful-kingdom

Photo - Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Benin

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By growing the power of the military and then expanding the size of the kingdom, Benin became strong enough to establish worldwide trade links, exchanging local African cloths and gold for foreign objects from Europe and Asia such as brass. Unlike many weaker kingdoms in Africa during the 15th and 16th centuries, Benin had grown powerful enough to resist the demands of European enslavers, who wanted to take more from the kingdom than the Oba would allow.

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KINGDOM OF BENIN

Photo - The Lovepost, https://www.thelovepost.global/decolonise-your-mind/poems/lost-rise-and-fall-nigerias-most-powerful-kingdom

Photo - Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Benin

RULERS

OBJECTS

5284

HP

OBJECTS

TRADE

DESCRIPTION

ATTACK

DEFENCE

WEALTH

NFLUENCE

Brass and coral became two important representations of royal power. Surprisingly, despite being known as the "Benin Bronzes", these objects are actually made out of brass! The "Bronzes" were created by melting down Portuguese arm bracelets and reusing the brass. Also, coral from as far away as the Mediterranean was worn around the necks of the nobility, representing how much of the kingdom's power came from long-distance trade. Access to both brass and coral was very strictly controlled by the Oba, meaning the rulers gained significant wealth and power themselves!

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KINGDOM OF BENIN

Photo - The Lovepost, https://www.thelovepost.global/decolonise-your-mind/poems/lost-rise-and-fall-nigerias-most-powerful-kingdom

Photo - Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Benin

RULERS

OBJECTS

5284