Civil War in the Kingdom of Benin, 1689-1721: Continuity or Political Change?

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Date
2001
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Cambridge University Press
Abstract
Using a combination of oral tradition and written documents, the authors show that Benin's civil war was a fundamental transformation of political structure, and not simply an isolated struggle. Before 1640, Benin was centrally governed by its king with the assistance of a royally appointed administration. Difficulties in succession, coupled with changing trading patterns, allowed the administration to gain some independence and then to challenge the kings, taking away some power. The civil war matched different levels of the administration and the kings against each other, and transformed Benin from a centrally governed to a more collectively governed kingdom.
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Keywords
civil war, precolonial history, Western Africa, Benin Kingdom, West Africa
Citation
Girshick, Paula Ben-Amos & John Thornton. "Civil War in the Kingdom of Benin, 1689-1721: Continuity or Political Change?" Journal of African History 42 (2001): 353-376.
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Article