1 00:00:00,280 --> 00:00:04,680 Speaker 1: Welcome to Noble Blood, a production of iHeartRadio and Grimm 2 00:00:04,680 --> 00:00:12,319 Speaker 1: and Mild from Aaron Mankie. Listener discretion advised. The late 3 00:00:12,400 --> 00:00:17,240 Speaker 1: afternoon sun was beating down on Admiral Sir Harry Rawson's 4 00:00:17,239 --> 00:00:21,040 Speaker 1: back as he ambled through the African city of Edo 5 00:00:21,320 --> 00:00:26,720 Speaker 1: on February eighteenth, eighteen ninety seven. Even though he carefully 6 00:00:26,920 --> 00:00:31,280 Speaker 1: scanned each street and clocked every window he walked past, 7 00:00:31,880 --> 00:00:35,920 Speaker 1: he was almost relaxed. The tension he had been holding 8 00:00:36,000 --> 00:00:41,280 Speaker 1: in his body mere hours before had largely dissipated. After 9 00:00:41,479 --> 00:00:46,200 Speaker 1: five days of moving through dense forest and facing gorilla 10 00:00:46,280 --> 00:00:51,480 Speaker 1: attacks from Eto's soldiers. It was a relief, no a triumph, 11 00:00:51,920 --> 00:00:56,800 Speaker 1: to be strolling the streets the Kingdom of Benin's king 12 00:00:57,000 --> 00:01:00,600 Speaker 1: or Oba, and everyone else in the Kingdom of Benin's 13 00:01:00,600 --> 00:01:06,120 Speaker 1: capital city had fled. That was an unfortunate outcome of 14 00:01:06,200 --> 00:01:11,240 Speaker 1: the attack, as Admiral Rawson and his British forces had 15 00:01:11,319 --> 00:01:16,000 Speaker 1: hoped to capture the Oba. The campaign was known as 16 00:01:16,080 --> 00:01:20,880 Speaker 1: the quote punitive expedition. After all, in the minds of 17 00:01:20,959 --> 00:01:26,080 Speaker 1: the British people, the Edo people, especially their Oba, needed 18 00:01:26,080 --> 00:01:32,280 Speaker 1: to pay for killing British soldiers earlier that year. But regardless, 19 00:01:32,360 --> 00:01:36,679 Speaker 1: the British had the city now. The British forces hadn't 20 00:01:36,720 --> 00:01:40,800 Speaker 1: even known the exact location of Edo, and yet here 21 00:01:40,959 --> 00:01:46,279 Speaker 1: they were. Admiral Rawson chalked that up to British superiority. 22 00:01:47,960 --> 00:01:52,040 Speaker 1: As the British force of twelve hundred people continued to 23 00:01:52,160 --> 00:01:56,520 Speaker 1: explore the abandoned city, they took it upon themselves to 24 00:01:56,600 --> 00:02:01,920 Speaker 1: inspect the larger buildings, including the Soba's Palace and the 25 00:02:02,000 --> 00:02:07,520 Speaker 1: religious spaces. As Admiral Rawson and his men explored the palace, 26 00:02:08,120 --> 00:02:12,760 Speaker 1: they first came upon stores of what they initially deemed 27 00:02:12,880 --> 00:02:18,639 Speaker 1: quote cheap rubbish, but in sorting through the piles, they 28 00:02:18,720 --> 00:02:24,919 Speaker 1: found quote several hundred unique bronze plaques of really superb 29 00:02:25,040 --> 00:02:32,440 Speaker 1: casting castings of wonderful delicacy of detail, some magnificently carved tusks, 30 00:02:32,480 --> 00:02:37,520 Speaker 1: and bronze groups of idols. In the buildings clearly meant 31 00:02:37,560 --> 00:02:43,680 Speaker 1: for religious ceremonies. They also found quote handsomely carved ivory 32 00:02:43,800 --> 00:02:48,680 Speaker 1: tusks placed on the top of very antique bronze heads. 33 00:02:49,800 --> 00:02:53,640 Speaker 1: The precious items were swiftly collected and packed up to 34 00:02:53,720 --> 00:02:57,040 Speaker 1: be taken out of the Kingdom of Benin and transported 35 00:02:57,160 --> 00:03:01,000 Speaker 1: to London for sale. Something had to pay for the 36 00:03:01,040 --> 00:03:06,760 Speaker 1: expensive expedition might as well be these. Once they were 37 00:03:06,800 --> 00:03:11,640 Speaker 1: done exploring the royal residences and the religious buildings, the 38 00:03:11,680 --> 00:03:16,760 Speaker 1: British started destroying the city. On one hand, this was personal, 39 00:03:17,120 --> 00:03:20,520 Speaker 1: the Edo had killed British soldiers and now they were 40 00:03:20,560 --> 00:03:24,400 Speaker 1: facing the mighty wrath of the British Empire. But on 41 00:03:24,440 --> 00:03:28,200 Speaker 1: the other hand, this was standard practice for the British 42 00:03:28,240 --> 00:03:33,959 Speaker 1: in Africa, a scorched earth policy adhering to this maximum 43 00:03:34,040 --> 00:03:38,160 Speaker 1: quite literally. After demolishing parts of the palace and some 44 00:03:38,320 --> 00:03:44,000 Speaker 1: religious buildings, the British set the city ablaze. Admiral Rawson 45 00:03:44,240 --> 00:03:47,560 Speaker 1: basked in the glow of the fire rolling through Edo 46 00:03:48,160 --> 00:03:51,920 Speaker 1: he had more than accomplished his mission. He left behind 47 00:03:51,960 --> 00:03:56,000 Speaker 1: a few soldiers to hold the conquered territory until the 48 00:03:56,000 --> 00:04:00,400 Speaker 1: British could return and fortify their new stronghold, and with 49 00:04:00,480 --> 00:04:05,880 Speaker 1: the smoke emanating from still smoldering ruins, the admiral set 50 00:04:05,960 --> 00:04:11,040 Speaker 1: off back to London. Just four days after they had arrived. 51 00:04:11,440 --> 00:04:15,320 Speaker 1: The British had toppled the King of Benin, destroyed the 52 00:04:15,400 --> 00:04:21,160 Speaker 1: capital city, and looted the kingdom's most precious religious masterpieces. 53 00:04:21,880 --> 00:04:25,480 Speaker 1: As they marched back through the forest. They carried with 54 00:04:25,600 --> 00:04:30,680 Speaker 1: them what would become some of the most controversial artifacts 55 00:04:31,000 --> 00:04:35,800 Speaker 1: of the twenty first century, artifacts that still remain in 56 00:04:35,839 --> 00:04:41,440 Speaker 1: the British Museum today, the Benin Bronzes. I'm Danish sports 57 00:04:41,880 --> 00:04:48,560 Speaker 1: and this is noble blood. The Benen Bronzes might be 58 00:04:48,680 --> 00:04:52,040 Speaker 1: familiar to some of you already. They are some of 59 00:04:52,080 --> 00:04:56,440 Speaker 1: the world's most talked about artifacts, and for good reason. 60 00:04:57,040 --> 00:05:00,719 Speaker 1: These pieces of art, which include items cast in bronze 61 00:05:00,800 --> 00:05:05,520 Speaker 1: and brass as well as ivory carvings, are as of 62 00:05:05,560 --> 00:05:11,640 Speaker 1: this episode scattered across the world in private collections and museums, 63 00:05:11,640 --> 00:05:17,279 Speaker 1: including most notably the British Museum. Nigeria, the modern state 64 00:05:17,400 --> 00:05:21,760 Speaker 1: which encompasses the Kingdom of Edo, has been working diligently 65 00:05:21,880 --> 00:05:25,640 Speaker 1: to try to get these pieces back for almost a century. 66 00:05:26,200 --> 00:05:29,800 Speaker 1: But while some of the bronzes have been returned, most 67 00:05:30,040 --> 00:05:34,000 Speaker 1: known Benin Bronzes still reside in the hands of others. 68 00:05:35,279 --> 00:05:40,080 Speaker 1: These pieces have made incredible journeys from their creation to 69 00:05:40,200 --> 00:05:43,320 Speaker 1: their use by the Kingdom of Edo as ceremonial and 70 00:05:43,440 --> 00:05:47,880 Speaker 1: religious objects, to their seizure as looted items, to their 71 00:05:47,920 --> 00:05:53,520 Speaker 1: status as hotly contested artifacts across the Globe today will 72 00:05:53,680 --> 00:05:58,159 Speaker 1: trace that story, and that begins in the back alleys 73 00:05:58,320 --> 00:06:03,359 Speaker 1: of Benin City. Benin City or Edo, was the capital 74 00:06:03,440 --> 00:06:06,760 Speaker 1: of the Kingdom of Benin, not to be confused with 75 00:06:06,880 --> 00:06:11,200 Speaker 1: the modern nation of Benin. The Kingdom of Benin ruled 76 00:06:11,240 --> 00:06:15,279 Speaker 1: over a portion of the Niger River delta from around 77 00:06:15,680 --> 00:06:19,720 Speaker 1: eleven eighty a d. To eighteen ninety seven a d. 78 00:06:20,520 --> 00:06:24,279 Speaker 1: The kingdom, also known as the Kingdom of Edo, began 79 00:06:24,480 --> 00:06:29,760 Speaker 1: as a city state and relied on simple tributary relationships. 80 00:06:30,200 --> 00:06:34,960 Speaker 1: The Oba or king would offer military protection in exchange 81 00:06:35,120 --> 00:06:40,240 Speaker 1: for tributes. As a reference point, their system was strikingly 82 00:06:40,320 --> 00:06:46,480 Speaker 1: similar to European fiefdom. The kingdom started developing into a 83 00:06:46,680 --> 00:06:53,200 Speaker 1: highly centralized empire in the fourteenth century. With this centralization 84 00:06:53,360 --> 00:06:58,799 Speaker 1: of power under way, Oba Aguolo was able to create guilds, 85 00:06:58,839 --> 00:07:03,719 Speaker 1: including those fours metal workers and brass casters, which still 86 00:07:03,760 --> 00:07:07,760 Speaker 1: to this day have their headquarters and workshops located in 87 00:07:07,880 --> 00:07:11,640 Speaker 1: a back alley in Edo. But we can point to 88 00:07:11,720 --> 00:07:16,400 Speaker 1: this fifteenth century creation of guilds as a turning point 89 00:07:16,480 --> 00:07:21,280 Speaker 1: in the development of Edo art. The artisans of Edo 90 00:07:21,360 --> 00:07:25,280 Speaker 1: would make pieces of art out of brass, bronze, ivory, 91 00:07:25,400 --> 00:07:29,800 Speaker 1: and coral works of art which are collectively known as 92 00:07:29,840 --> 00:07:34,040 Speaker 1: the Benin Bronzes. The Moniker the Benin Bronzes is a 93 00:07:34,080 --> 00:07:37,920 Speaker 1: bit deceiving, however, the name is used to refer to 94 00:07:38,000 --> 00:07:42,720 Speaker 1: these sculptures and reliefs made from the thirteenth century onward 95 00:07:42,920 --> 00:07:46,920 Speaker 1: in the Kingdom of Benin. Regardless of what material the 96 00:07:47,000 --> 00:07:50,720 Speaker 1: works are made out of. The pieces that are categorized 97 00:07:50,760 --> 00:07:57,440 Speaker 1: as Benin Bronzes are incredibly diverse. There are some exaggerated faces, 98 00:07:57,480 --> 00:08:02,520 Speaker 1: some individuals, and some scenes groups together, the works depict 99 00:08:02,680 --> 00:08:07,960 Speaker 1: court life, military victories, and important trade relationships, the story 100 00:08:08,080 --> 00:08:12,000 Speaker 1: of a people's history told through art. If you've never 101 00:08:12,040 --> 00:08:14,760 Speaker 1: seen them, I urge you to look up the Benien 102 00:08:14,840 --> 00:08:18,520 Speaker 1: Bronzes to get a sense of the artistic style and 103 00:08:18,640 --> 00:08:26,239 Speaker 1: their conventions. Fundamentally, Edo art was meant for the court, 104 00:08:26,720 --> 00:08:31,960 Speaker 1: and it served two purposes. First, these sculptures and engravings 105 00:08:32,160 --> 00:08:36,680 Speaker 1: were meant to record history. For the Edo people, history 106 00:08:36,920 --> 00:08:40,400 Speaker 1: was an oral tradition, but they used these pieces of 107 00:08:40,559 --> 00:08:45,760 Speaker 1: art to supplement their stories. For example, some images represented 108 00:08:45,840 --> 00:08:50,040 Speaker 1: battles in their successful conquest of their neighbors, while other 109 00:08:50,120 --> 00:08:55,000 Speaker 1: sculptures preserved the likenesses of important rulers and members of 110 00:08:55,040 --> 00:08:58,680 Speaker 1: the nobility. Wrapped Up in that purpose were of course, 111 00:08:58,760 --> 00:09:05,200 Speaker 1: political motivations. Politicians, kings, and noblemen trying to make themselves 112 00:09:05,240 --> 00:09:10,680 Speaker 1: seem more important Obas would commission pieces that depicted them 113 00:09:11,120 --> 00:09:15,160 Speaker 1: in a positive light. Not to get meta, being that 114 00:09:15,240 --> 00:09:18,720 Speaker 1: this is a history podcast, but what is chosen to 115 00:09:18,760 --> 00:09:23,000 Speaker 1: be remembered as history is never objective. The Obas, the 116 00:09:23,080 --> 00:09:26,760 Speaker 1: kings of the Kingdom of Edo knew that and certainly 117 00:09:26,960 --> 00:09:32,160 Speaker 1: used that to their advantage. The bronzes also served as 118 00:09:32,360 --> 00:09:36,320 Speaker 1: religious objects central to the beliefs of the Edo people. 119 00:09:36,920 --> 00:09:41,720 Speaker 1: The Edo religion involved belief in an invisible, supernatural world 120 00:09:42,080 --> 00:09:47,400 Speaker 1: full of gods and spirits. In addition to traditional ancestor veneration, 121 00:09:48,320 --> 00:09:53,400 Speaker 1: one important aspect of their religion was divine kingship, which 122 00:09:53,440 --> 00:09:58,640 Speaker 1: combined their belief in spirits as well as ancestor worship. Obas, 123 00:09:58,800 --> 00:10:02,920 Speaker 1: both living and dead, were seen as holding the power 124 00:10:03,040 --> 00:10:07,679 Speaker 1: of life and death. Every new Oba, once the former 125 00:10:07,760 --> 00:10:11,640 Speaker 1: Oba his father had passed and he rose to the throne, 126 00:10:12,080 --> 00:10:16,160 Speaker 1: was tasked with putting together an altar for the recently 127 00:10:16,240 --> 00:10:20,920 Speaker 1: deceased king. On this altar would be carved ivory tusks 128 00:10:21,000 --> 00:10:26,000 Speaker 1: and brass heads cast to represent the former Oba or 129 00:10:26,040 --> 00:10:30,920 Speaker 1: the former queen the new Oba's mother. These altars also 130 00:10:31,040 --> 00:10:36,040 Speaker 1: included statues of leopards, as they were symbols associated with 131 00:10:36,240 --> 00:10:42,240 Speaker 1: kingship and power. The Obas of Benin did have substantial 132 00:10:42,400 --> 00:10:47,160 Speaker 1: power in the region. The kingdom began expanding in earnest 133 00:10:47,559 --> 00:10:52,080 Speaker 1: starting in the sixteenth century. What brought the kingdom more 134 00:10:52,200 --> 00:10:57,760 Speaker 1: power was their trade relationships with European countries like Portugal, 135 00:10:57,880 --> 00:11:02,760 Speaker 1: England and France. Their location on the Niger River delta 136 00:11:03,200 --> 00:11:07,679 Speaker 1: primed them to act as middlemen between European traders and 137 00:11:07,800 --> 00:11:12,480 Speaker 1: other African states further inland, especially with regards to the 138 00:11:12,640 --> 00:11:17,560 Speaker 1: slave trade. The Edo benefited greatly through the slave trade. 139 00:11:17,880 --> 00:11:21,319 Speaker 1: When the Edo would expand their kingdom and take prisoners 140 00:11:21,320 --> 00:11:24,800 Speaker 1: of war, they could turn around and sell those prisoners 141 00:11:25,160 --> 00:11:30,880 Speaker 1: to European traders. So military expeditions allowed the Edo not 142 00:11:30,960 --> 00:11:34,720 Speaker 1: only to expand their sphere of control, but also to 143 00:11:34,880 --> 00:11:39,920 Speaker 1: trade with the Europeans. In the seventeenth century, the Edo 144 00:11:39,960 --> 00:11:44,480 Speaker 1: Empire started to contract, having reached its largest in the 145 00:11:44,600 --> 00:11:48,200 Speaker 1: sixteenth century, when it extended from the coast of the 146 00:11:48,240 --> 00:11:52,320 Speaker 1: Bite of Benin almost to Acra in the west. The 147 00:11:52,400 --> 00:11:56,640 Speaker 1: kingdom recovered some of its previous power in the eighteenth century, 148 00:11:57,120 --> 00:12:01,800 Speaker 1: but declined somewhat again in the nineteenth All this being said, 149 00:12:02,240 --> 00:12:06,800 Speaker 1: by the nineteenth century, despite no longer being the powerhouse 150 00:12:06,920 --> 00:12:09,800 Speaker 1: it once had been, the Kingdom of Ito was still 151 00:12:10,000 --> 00:12:14,080 Speaker 1: powerful and controlled much, if not all, of the palm 152 00:12:14,160 --> 00:12:19,160 Speaker 1: oil trade through the Niger Delta. Unfortunately, it was their 153 00:12:19,240 --> 00:12:22,960 Speaker 1: control of those trade routes in the region that put 154 00:12:23,000 --> 00:12:26,840 Speaker 1: the kingdom at odds with the British. And when you 155 00:12:26,920 --> 00:12:31,160 Speaker 1: were at odds with the British Empire in the nineteenth century, 156 00:12:31,840 --> 00:12:34,800 Speaker 1: there was little that could be done to save you. 157 00:12:39,080 --> 00:12:43,000 Speaker 1: In the nineteenth century, European nations were coming up against 158 00:12:43,120 --> 00:12:48,520 Speaker 1: the economic necessities of the Industrial Revolution. In order for 159 00:12:48,679 --> 00:12:52,920 Speaker 1: their economies to continue growing and thereby allow their state 160 00:12:53,080 --> 00:12:58,720 Speaker 1: to become more powerful, countries like Great Britain, France, Germany, Belgium, Spain, 161 00:12:58,880 --> 00:13:03,680 Speaker 1: Portugal and Italy had to find new markets and new resources, 162 00:13:04,160 --> 00:13:07,400 Speaker 1: but they couldn't look to Europe for those as industrial 163 00:13:07,480 --> 00:13:12,520 Speaker 1: economies had already consumed the entire continent. So these European 164 00:13:12,600 --> 00:13:18,160 Speaker 1: governments looked to Africa. Obviously, this is an oversimplification, but 165 00:13:18,280 --> 00:13:22,599 Speaker 1: I think it's a helpful overview. Having colonized or established 166 00:13:22,720 --> 00:13:26,040 Speaker 1: strong trade monopolies in most of the rest of the world. 167 00:13:26,520 --> 00:13:32,040 Speaker 1: Europeans felt that Africa could satisfy their economic quote needs. 168 00:13:32,720 --> 00:13:37,480 Speaker 1: Many countries already had trade relationships with nations in Africa, 169 00:13:37,800 --> 00:13:43,600 Speaker 1: where they traded things like ivory, palm oil, and enslaved people. 170 00:13:44,240 --> 00:13:48,480 Speaker 1: European states had trade relationships with African states south of 171 00:13:48,520 --> 00:13:51,840 Speaker 1: the Sahara for hundreds of years, but in the eighteen 172 00:13:51,920 --> 00:13:57,200 Speaker 1: eighties the European outlook towards the entire African continent changed 173 00:13:57,600 --> 00:14:03,400 Speaker 1: as the European quote scramm for Africa ensued. In the 174 00:14:03,520 --> 00:14:08,679 Speaker 1: late nineteenth century, European countries had led colonial excursions into 175 00:14:08,880 --> 00:14:13,480 Speaker 1: various parts of Africa. For example, Britain assumed control over 176 00:14:13,640 --> 00:14:18,560 Speaker 1: Egypt and South Africa, while Belgium, or more specifically, King 177 00:14:18,720 --> 00:14:23,320 Speaker 1: Leopold of Belgium horrifically took over the Congo region of 178 00:14:23,360 --> 00:14:26,880 Speaker 1: the African interior, which we covered on this podcast a 179 00:14:26,880 --> 00:14:30,440 Speaker 1: while back in the episode The Red Paint on Leopold 180 00:14:30,480 --> 00:14:35,360 Speaker 1: the Second. But as each European country gained a foothold 181 00:14:35,720 --> 00:14:39,440 Speaker 1: in one part of the continent, the other European nations 182 00:14:39,480 --> 00:14:43,680 Speaker 1: grew all that more eager to establish their own colonies, 183 00:14:44,160 --> 00:14:48,200 Speaker 1: if for no other reason than preventing other countries from 184 00:14:48,240 --> 00:14:53,640 Speaker 1: becoming more powerful. As tensions arose, it soon became clear 185 00:14:53,720 --> 00:14:57,440 Speaker 1: that unless they did something, war would break out over 186 00:14:57,480 --> 00:15:01,200 Speaker 1: the issue. In eighteen eighty four and eighteen eighty five, 187 00:15:01,640 --> 00:15:05,440 Speaker 1: in order to avoid war in Europe, Attovon Bismarck of 188 00:15:05,520 --> 00:15:11,040 Speaker 1: Germany convened the Berlin Conference, where the seven major European 189 00:15:11,120 --> 00:15:20,000 Speaker 1: powers met to discuss quote the Africa problem. At this conference, 190 00:15:20,080 --> 00:15:24,600 Speaker 1: the representatives of the Western powers took a map and 191 00:15:24,840 --> 00:15:30,800 Speaker 1: divided up the African continent amongst themselves. Essentially, they decided 192 00:15:30,840 --> 00:15:34,960 Speaker 1: who was to pursue control over which specific portions of Africa, 193 00:15:35,560 --> 00:15:39,200 Speaker 1: with no regard for the nations and tribes and kingdoms 194 00:15:39,520 --> 00:15:44,320 Speaker 1: who already inhabited the land. As I said, European countries 195 00:15:44,360 --> 00:15:49,040 Speaker 1: had already begun to colonize Africa, but the Berlin Conference 196 00:15:49,320 --> 00:15:52,960 Speaker 1: formalized those efforts. I could go off on a tangent 197 00:15:53,120 --> 00:15:58,200 Speaker 1: to discuss the rationale that supported this incredibly racist entitlement 198 00:15:58,600 --> 00:16:02,280 Speaker 1: to the continent, But instead, I think, for the purposes 199 00:16:02,320 --> 00:16:06,280 Speaker 1: of this story, it'll be most illuminating to put Great 200 00:16:06,320 --> 00:16:10,640 Speaker 1: Britain and their colonial efforts specifically in modern day Nigeria 201 00:16:11,280 --> 00:16:15,880 Speaker 1: under a microscope, so to speak. After the Berlin Conference, 202 00:16:16,240 --> 00:16:19,240 Speaker 1: Great Britain walked away with a fair amount of the 203 00:16:19,360 --> 00:16:26,640 Speaker 1: European continent designated as theirs. Included in quote their territory 204 00:16:27,280 --> 00:16:30,680 Speaker 1: was the land of the Niger Delta, where the Kingdom 205 00:16:30,680 --> 00:16:35,880 Speaker 1: of Edo already held power. The British already had an 206 00:16:36,040 --> 00:16:40,040 Speaker 1: established trade relationship with the Kingdom of Edo, which at 207 00:16:40,040 --> 00:16:43,080 Speaker 1: this point in time was almost entirely the trade of 208 00:16:43,200 --> 00:16:47,920 Speaker 1: palm oil, but had, as I mentioned previously, included human 209 00:16:48,000 --> 00:16:54,600 Speaker 1: trafficking for the Transatlantic slave trade and trade of ivory. Ultimately, 210 00:16:54,840 --> 00:16:59,080 Speaker 1: not much changed after the Berlin Conference in that particular region, 211 00:16:59,640 --> 00:17:03,560 Speaker 1: as the British and their company, the Niger Coast Protectorate, 212 00:17:04,000 --> 00:17:09,040 Speaker 1: were already heavily engaged in regional trade. The biggest change 213 00:17:09,080 --> 00:17:14,920 Speaker 1: was an increase in Britain's determination to take formal control. 214 00:17:15,040 --> 00:17:18,440 Speaker 1: The Kingdom of Itdo was one of the last independent 215 00:17:18,600 --> 00:17:22,800 Speaker 1: states in Africa, which posed a problem for the British. 216 00:17:23,359 --> 00:17:27,440 Speaker 1: The British had sent along many emissaries throughout the eighteen sixties, 217 00:17:27,600 --> 00:17:32,000 Speaker 1: eighteen seventies and eighteen eighties to try to convince the 218 00:17:32,040 --> 00:17:37,600 Speaker 1: Obas to become their protectorate, but the obas Oba Adolo 219 00:17:37,760 --> 00:17:43,600 Speaker 1: and then his son Oba Ovan Amarin had repeatedly refused that. 220 00:17:43,760 --> 00:17:48,080 Speaker 1: Being said, the Obas had signed trade treaties which the 221 00:17:48,160 --> 00:17:52,359 Speaker 1: British hoped they could leverage and turn into control of 222 00:17:52,400 --> 00:17:59,560 Speaker 1: the almost eight hundred year old kingdom seven centuries after 223 00:17:59,600 --> 00:18:03,280 Speaker 1: its found By the nineteenth century, Edo or Benin City 224 00:18:03,840 --> 00:18:09,199 Speaker 1: was a capital full of courthouses, mausoleums, religious compounds and palaces. 225 00:18:09,640 --> 00:18:14,480 Speaker 1: Not to mention people, the expansive metropolis bore evidence of 226 00:18:14,520 --> 00:18:19,120 Speaker 1: every era of royal power and type of religious observance. 227 00:18:19,880 --> 00:18:23,240 Speaker 1: I want to note here that much, if not all, 228 00:18:23,400 --> 00:18:25,960 Speaker 1: of what we know about the Kingdom of Benin in 229 00:18:26,000 --> 00:18:29,520 Speaker 1: the nineteenth century and the punitive expedition of a eighteen 230 00:18:29,640 --> 00:18:34,560 Speaker 1: ninety seven, comes from the British perspective, and almost all 231 00:18:34,640 --> 00:18:39,679 Speaker 1: of those records are tainted by racist and imperialist notions. 232 00:18:40,280 --> 00:18:44,520 Speaker 1: For example, many descriptions of the Kingdom of Edo describe 233 00:18:44,720 --> 00:18:50,560 Speaker 1: gratuitous descriptions of human sacrifice that the Edo supposedly practiced. 234 00:18:51,080 --> 00:18:55,600 Speaker 1: According to Admiral Rawson, the British commander at the opening 235 00:18:55,640 --> 00:18:59,840 Speaker 1: of this episode, the capital Edo stunk quote of human 236 00:19:00,160 --> 00:19:05,080 Speaker 1: blood sacrifices and corpses everywhere, with one area of the 237 00:19:05,119 --> 00:19:10,199 Speaker 1: city quote simply strewn with bodies in every stage of decomposition, 238 00:19:10,680 --> 00:19:15,439 Speaker 1: skulls and bones end quote. Rawson was not alone in 239 00:19:15,560 --> 00:19:19,960 Speaker 1: describing evidence of human sacrifice. It was pervasive in British 240 00:19:19,960 --> 00:19:24,000 Speaker 1: writings about the Kingdom of Edo. Now, I won't dispute 241 00:19:24,040 --> 00:19:28,720 Speaker 1: that the Edo practiced human sacrifice, but many historians assert 242 00:19:29,080 --> 00:19:33,240 Speaker 1: that the British over emphasized the practice in their writings 243 00:19:33,280 --> 00:19:38,879 Speaker 1: in order to provide justification for their colonial expeditions. In 244 00:19:38,960 --> 00:19:43,080 Speaker 1: the words of famous brit Rudyard Kipling, it was the 245 00:19:43,520 --> 00:19:49,040 Speaker 1: white man's burden to bring civility to Africa. Human sacrifice 246 00:19:49,359 --> 00:19:54,320 Speaker 1: sufficed as evidence that the Edo people were uncivilized and 247 00:19:54,440 --> 00:19:57,600 Speaker 1: needed to be ruled and shown the way of civilization 248 00:19:58,200 --> 00:20:02,080 Speaker 1: by the British Empire. We can even see evidence of 249 00:20:02,119 --> 00:20:06,320 Speaker 1: that British justification as well as its true desires to 250 00:20:06,400 --> 00:20:10,639 Speaker 1: control trade, in the comments of Ralph Moore, who was 251 00:20:10,760 --> 00:20:16,200 Speaker 1: acting consul of the Niger Coast Protectorate, concerning British incursions 252 00:20:16,600 --> 00:20:21,200 Speaker 1: on the Kingdom's sovereignty quote. The object of the expedition 253 00:20:21,560 --> 00:20:24,960 Speaker 1: was to open up that country for trade. The tyranny 254 00:20:25,040 --> 00:20:30,000 Speaker 1: and oppression of its rulers, prevent any civilizing influences extending 255 00:20:30,040 --> 00:20:34,320 Speaker 1: into it, and render life and property so insecure as 256 00:20:34,400 --> 00:20:39,520 Speaker 1: to prevent nearly all trade end quote. Obviously, then the 257 00:20:39,560 --> 00:20:43,080 Speaker 1: only conclusion you can draw from that is they need 258 00:20:43,119 --> 00:20:49,320 Speaker 1: to colonize. The British clearly had the supposed moral rationale 259 00:20:49,720 --> 00:20:53,919 Speaker 1: to support a military invasion of the Kingdom of Edo's territory, 260 00:20:54,480 --> 00:20:58,199 Speaker 1: and in eighteen ninety seven they were finally given the 261 00:20:58,240 --> 00:21:02,760 Speaker 1: opportunity to act on them desires, setting into motion the 262 00:21:02,880 --> 00:21:06,600 Speaker 1: chain of events which would ultimately bring about the looting 263 00:21:06,720 --> 00:21:13,920 Speaker 1: of the Benin Bronzes. The British had hoped to use 264 00:21:13,960 --> 00:21:17,159 Speaker 1: military force to topple the Oba and the Kingdom of 265 00:21:17,160 --> 00:21:21,160 Speaker 1: Benin for some time, but they had always refrained for 266 00:21:21,280 --> 00:21:25,640 Speaker 1: one reason or another. It was a tenacious acting Consul 267 00:21:25,800 --> 00:21:30,960 Speaker 1: General of the Niger Coast Protectorate named James Robert Phillips 268 00:21:31,280 --> 00:21:36,040 Speaker 1: who defied orders and in January eighteen ninety seven headed 269 00:21:36,200 --> 00:21:40,479 Speaker 1: towards Edo to begin efforts to topple the Oba Oba 270 00:21:40,640 --> 00:21:45,439 Speaker 1: Ovan Ramwin. As Phillips and his crew trekked through the 271 00:21:45,520 --> 00:21:48,879 Speaker 1: forest towards Edo, they sent add a message to the 272 00:21:48,920 --> 00:21:52,159 Speaker 1: Oba that they wished to discuss trade and peace in 273 00:21:52,200 --> 00:21:55,760 Speaker 1: the region. In reality, they hoped to take the capital 274 00:21:55,840 --> 00:21:59,800 Speaker 1: by force and either force the Oba into submission or 275 00:22:00,280 --> 00:22:04,320 Speaker 1: to capture him. The Oba sent soldiers with a message 276 00:22:04,359 --> 00:22:08,080 Speaker 1: for Phillips to halt. The Obo was unable to welcome 277 00:22:08,200 --> 00:22:11,320 Speaker 1: any guests at that time, as it was the Igy 278 00:22:11,359 --> 00:22:15,680 Speaker 1: festival and he had ceremonial duties to attend to. Further, 279 00:22:15,840 --> 00:22:19,359 Speaker 1: if Phillips wanted to enter the capital later, he would 280 00:22:19,359 --> 00:22:23,159 Speaker 1: have to come alone, attended only by a local chief. 281 00:22:23,840 --> 00:22:28,879 Speaker 1: Phillips refused to heed that request and the multiple reiterations 282 00:22:28,880 --> 00:22:33,040 Speaker 1: of it that followed, and the expedition pressed on. On 283 00:22:33,119 --> 00:22:36,719 Speaker 1: January fourth, as Phillips and his men marched closer to 284 00:22:36,760 --> 00:22:41,680 Speaker 1: the capital, Edo's soldiers ambushed them. Without even emerging from 285 00:22:41,720 --> 00:22:45,800 Speaker 1: the foliage. Soldiers fired at the troop, killing all but 286 00:22:46,080 --> 00:22:50,480 Speaker 1: two members of the British expedition. This act, which could 287 00:22:50,480 --> 00:22:53,960 Speaker 1: be interpreted as an act of defense or an act 288 00:22:53,960 --> 00:22:58,159 Speaker 1: of aggression, gave the British the opportunity they needed to 289 00:22:58,320 --> 00:23:02,320 Speaker 1: invade the Kingdom of Edo and topple the Oba and 290 00:23:02,400 --> 00:23:07,640 Speaker 1: the kingdom once and for all. Immediately upon hearing of 291 00:23:07,680 --> 00:23:12,320 Speaker 1: the massacre, the British launched what they labeled a punitive expedition. 292 00:23:12,960 --> 00:23:16,800 Speaker 1: They assigned Admiral Sir Harry Rawson, who we met in 293 00:23:16,840 --> 00:23:20,520 Speaker 1: the beginning of the episode, to lead the charge. The 294 00:23:20,640 --> 00:23:25,719 Speaker 1: name Punitive Expedition reveals the sentiment behind raws and mission, 295 00:23:26,160 --> 00:23:30,280 Speaker 1: which was to take Benin city and, if possible, capture 296 00:23:30,359 --> 00:23:34,040 Speaker 1: the Oba. He assembled a force of about twelve hundred 297 00:23:34,080 --> 00:23:37,840 Speaker 1: men and on February ninth headed up the Niger River 298 00:23:37,960 --> 00:23:42,199 Speaker 1: and into the forest towards Edo. While they didn't know 299 00:23:42,320 --> 00:23:46,120 Speaker 1: exactly where they needed to head to get to the capitol, 300 00:23:46,640 --> 00:23:49,560 Speaker 1: as few British had ever made it to the city, 301 00:23:50,119 --> 00:23:54,679 Speaker 1: their determination wiped away any doubt in their minds. This 302 00:23:54,880 --> 00:23:59,760 Speaker 1: anchoring proved helpful as they faced attacks from Edo's soldiers 303 00:24:00,080 --> 00:24:03,359 Speaker 1: who were trying to protect their kingdom and their king 304 00:24:04,040 --> 00:24:08,320 Speaker 1: The Edo's soldiers stayed hidden in the trees, therefore able 305 00:24:08,400 --> 00:24:12,919 Speaker 1: to attack with the elements of surprise without revealing themselves 306 00:24:12,960 --> 00:24:17,480 Speaker 1: and opening themselves up to attack in return. Despite the 307 00:24:17,520 --> 00:24:21,480 Speaker 1: best defensive efforts of the Edo's soldiers, just over a 308 00:24:21,520 --> 00:24:26,560 Speaker 1: week after the British launched their Punitive expedition, they captured 309 00:24:26,680 --> 00:24:30,800 Speaker 1: the city by force. As I discussed in the opening 310 00:24:30,920 --> 00:24:35,119 Speaker 1: of the episode. Admiral Rawson and his men were able 311 00:24:35,160 --> 00:24:38,840 Speaker 1: to wander the city freely, as it had been abandoned 312 00:24:38,880 --> 00:24:42,360 Speaker 1: by the Oba, who would surrender himself to the British 313 00:24:42,520 --> 00:24:48,840 Speaker 1: later that year. Rawson's expedition's most important find was the 314 00:24:48,920 --> 00:24:54,760 Speaker 1: Benin Bronzes. The British had mixed reactions to the bronzes, 315 00:24:55,119 --> 00:24:59,080 Speaker 1: all of which, however, were tainted by their racist beliefs. 316 00:24:59,680 --> 00:25:03,600 Speaker 1: On one end of the spectrum, Officer Ralph Moore declared 317 00:25:03,800 --> 00:25:08,879 Speaker 1: they had been quote hideously constructed. Reginald Bacon, the most 318 00:25:08,960 --> 00:25:13,240 Speaker 1: complimentary of the bunch, wouldn't even attribute the brilliant and 319 00:25:13,320 --> 00:25:17,480 Speaker 1: talent of the artwork to the Edo people, instead suggesting 320 00:25:17,640 --> 00:25:22,200 Speaker 1: that the pieces were quote suggestive of almost Egyptian design 321 00:25:22,680 --> 00:25:27,959 Speaker 1: and of quote Chinese work. Regardless of the British opinions, 322 00:25:28,240 --> 00:25:32,679 Speaker 1: the British, ever, conscious of money, recognized the value in 323 00:25:32,720 --> 00:25:36,919 Speaker 1: these pieces of art and swiftly packed them up. The 324 00:25:37,040 --> 00:25:41,200 Speaker 1: bronzes were eventually brought to London, where forty per cent 325 00:25:41,320 --> 00:25:45,040 Speaker 1: of the looted art was accessioned by the British Museum. 326 00:25:45,400 --> 00:25:48,680 Speaker 1: Another chunk given to the soldiers of the expedition as 327 00:25:48,800 --> 00:25:53,280 Speaker 1: trophies and the rest were sold largely to museums around 328 00:25:53,320 --> 00:25:56,800 Speaker 1: the world and in the hands of others. Was where 329 00:25:56,840 --> 00:26:07,639 Speaker 1: the Benin Bronzes would remain for decades. The punitive expedition 330 00:26:07,800 --> 00:26:10,880 Speaker 1: ultimately brought about the end of the Kingdom of Edo 331 00:26:11,280 --> 00:26:14,879 Speaker 1: as the reigning power in the Niger Delta. After the 332 00:26:14,920 --> 00:26:18,240 Speaker 1: sack of Itedo or Benin City, the Kingdom of Benin 333 00:26:18,359 --> 00:26:23,119 Speaker 1: became absorbed into the British Colony of Nigeria. However, the 334 00:26:23,320 --> 00:26:27,280 Speaker 1: Edo people did not just disappear as the British assumed 335 00:26:27,320 --> 00:26:31,560 Speaker 1: control of their land, nor did the monarchy entirely dissolve. 336 00:26:32,200 --> 00:26:35,639 Speaker 1: In fact, the Kingdom of Edo still exists within the 337 00:26:35,760 --> 00:26:40,520 Speaker 1: Nigerian state and there is a currently reigning Oba. Youare 338 00:26:40,720 --> 00:26:45,000 Speaker 1: the second, the fortieth in an unbroken line of rulers. 339 00:26:45,800 --> 00:26:49,879 Speaker 1: Efforts in Nigeria to reclaim the bronzes began in the 340 00:26:50,000 --> 00:26:55,160 Speaker 1: nineteen thirties and really took hold after Nigerian independence from 341 00:26:55,200 --> 00:27:00,800 Speaker 1: Britain in nineteen sixty. It wasn't until twenty twenty one, 342 00:27:00,840 --> 00:27:03,639 Speaker 1: over one hundred years after the sack of Edo and 343 00:27:03,800 --> 00:27:09,439 Speaker 1: almost one hundred years after Nigerian's first started calling for repatriation, 344 00:27:10,080 --> 00:27:15,000 Speaker 1: that their efforts finally bore fruit when Jesus College, Cambridge 345 00:27:15,440 --> 00:27:19,840 Speaker 1: returned the first Benin bronze, a brass casting of a 346 00:27:19,960 --> 00:27:25,359 Speaker 1: cockrel to Nigeria. Hundreds of pieces have since been returned 347 00:27:25,440 --> 00:27:31,640 Speaker 1: to Nigeria or Nigerian ownership. I specified Nigerian ownership because 348 00:27:31,800 --> 00:27:36,760 Speaker 1: some pieces are still located in museums in for example, Germany, 349 00:27:37,160 --> 00:27:40,439 Speaker 1: but as opposed to being owned by that museum, they 350 00:27:40,480 --> 00:27:45,520 Speaker 1: are now there on loan. The question remains, however, who 351 00:27:45,600 --> 00:27:49,440 Speaker 1: in Nigeria should get ownership over the pieces of art. 352 00:27:50,080 --> 00:27:53,480 Speaker 1: Some argue that the Oba and royal family of the 353 00:27:53,560 --> 00:27:58,119 Speaker 1: Kingdom of Benin should have ownership over the pieces, after all, 354 00:27:58,119 --> 00:28:03,359 Speaker 1: these sculptures and reliefs were originally created as religious pieces 355 00:28:03,400 --> 00:28:07,520 Speaker 1: for use by the royal family. Others argue that the 356 00:28:07,640 --> 00:28:12,119 Speaker 1: Nigerian state should have ownership over the pieces, which should 357 00:28:12,160 --> 00:28:16,119 Speaker 1: be displayed in museums like the new Edo Museum of 358 00:28:16,200 --> 00:28:21,720 Speaker 1: West African Art. Unfortunately, this debate over ownership has created 359 00:28:21,920 --> 00:28:26,560 Speaker 1: tension within Nigeria over the objects and has slowed down 360 00:28:26,600 --> 00:28:31,320 Speaker 1: the repatriation process. But the Nigerian government and the Nigerian 361 00:28:31,400 --> 00:28:36,080 Speaker 1: people continue to advocate to bring home the beautiful objects 362 00:28:36,160 --> 00:28:40,480 Speaker 1: known as the Benin Bronzes. Only time will tell when 363 00:28:40,760 --> 00:28:44,000 Speaker 1: or if they will ever be fully returned to Edo. 364 00:28:51,200 --> 00:28:54,480 Speaker 1: That's the story of the Benin Bronzes. But keep listening 365 00:28:54,520 --> 00:28:58,640 Speaker 1: after a brief sponsor break to hear about a fascinating 366 00:28:58,720 --> 00:29:11,360 Speaker 1: discovery about where the material for the bronzes actually came from. Earlier, 367 00:29:11,440 --> 00:29:14,600 Speaker 1: I touched briefly on how the Kingdom of Edo benefited 368 00:29:14,640 --> 00:29:18,760 Speaker 1: from the slave trade with Europeans. As the Edo conquered 369 00:29:18,880 --> 00:29:22,360 Speaker 1: more territory, they would sell their prisoners of war from 370 00:29:22,400 --> 00:29:26,680 Speaker 1: those battles to first the Portuguese and later the British. 371 00:29:27,320 --> 00:29:30,840 Speaker 1: We know how important these trade relationships were to the 372 00:29:31,000 --> 00:29:36,040 Speaker 1: Edo because they made reliefs that featured Portuguese traders. As 373 00:29:36,080 --> 00:29:40,080 Speaker 1: I discussed, the bronzes chronicled the history of the Edo 374 00:29:40,160 --> 00:29:44,920 Speaker 1: people in addition to acting as religious objects. Clearly, the 375 00:29:45,080 --> 00:29:49,200 Speaker 1: Portuguese were important enough to the Edo's history that they 376 00:29:49,240 --> 00:29:54,160 Speaker 1: felt compelled to preserve their image. But the connection between 377 00:29:54,240 --> 00:29:58,880 Speaker 1: the Benin Bronzes and the Portuguese slave trade goes deeper 378 00:29:58,880 --> 00:30:04,600 Speaker 1: than just some de pictions of Europeans. Scientists and archaeologists 379 00:30:05,000 --> 00:30:08,600 Speaker 1: have been working for decades to determine the source of 380 00:30:08,680 --> 00:30:12,280 Speaker 1: the brass used in the metal pieces of the Benine 381 00:30:12,280 --> 00:30:16,360 Speaker 1: bronzes as a reminder, the bronzes were not actually made 382 00:30:16,440 --> 00:30:19,840 Speaker 1: of bronze, or not all of them. Brass is an 383 00:30:19,840 --> 00:30:24,280 Speaker 1: alloy mainly composed of zinc and copper, but also includes 384 00:30:24,360 --> 00:30:28,920 Speaker 1: other elements for our purposes, the most important of these 385 00:30:28,960 --> 00:30:34,080 Speaker 1: additional metals is lead. By studying the lead isotopes in 386 00:30:34,120 --> 00:30:39,760 Speaker 1: the pieces, scholars can determine the origins of the brass. Now, 387 00:30:39,800 --> 00:30:43,600 Speaker 1: it's long been suspected that the brass for the Benin 388 00:30:43,720 --> 00:30:49,320 Speaker 1: bronzes came from manilas, or brass rings that the Portuguese 389 00:30:49,560 --> 00:30:55,240 Speaker 1: used as currency when trading enslaved peoples with West African tribes. 390 00:30:55,800 --> 00:30:59,920 Speaker 1: So scholars put that hypothesis to the test and compare 391 00:31:00,000 --> 00:31:03,840 Speaker 1: aired the composition of the bronzes to the composition of 392 00:31:03,960 --> 00:31:08,920 Speaker 1: manilas recovered from five shipwrecks and three land sites in 393 00:31:09,000 --> 00:31:12,920 Speaker 1: West Africa, Western Europe, and off the east coast of 394 00:31:12,960 --> 00:31:17,200 Speaker 1: the United States. And as it turns out, the bronzes 395 00:31:17,320 --> 00:31:22,719 Speaker 1: were indeed made of metal from the manilas, specifically early 396 00:31:22,960 --> 00:31:27,560 Speaker 1: versions of the rings called taquis. So, in another meta 397 00:31:27,720 --> 00:31:33,040 Speaker 1: moment in this episode, the reliefs depicting Portuguese traders were 398 00:31:33,080 --> 00:31:36,440 Speaker 1: made out of the very metal that the Itedo received 399 00:31:36,640 --> 00:31:49,280 Speaker 1: through trade from the Portuguese. Noble Blood is a production 400 00:31:49,520 --> 00:31:54,280 Speaker 1: of iHeartRadio and Grimm and Mild from Aaron Menkey. Noble 401 00:31:54,280 --> 00:31:58,680 Speaker 1: Blood is hosted by me Danish Forts, with additional writing 402 00:31:58,760 --> 00:32:04,920 Speaker 1: and researching by Hannah Johnston, Hannah Zewick, Courtney Sender, Julia Milani, 403 00:32:05,040 --> 00:32:09,000 Speaker 1: and Armand Cassam. The show is edited and produced by 404 00:32:09,080 --> 00:32:14,520 Speaker 1: Noemi Griffin and rema Il Kaali, with supervising producer Josh 405 00:32:14,600 --> 00:32:19,600 Speaker 1: Thain and executive producers Aaron Mankey, Alex Williams and Matt Frederick. 406 00:32:20,160 --> 00:32:26,360 Speaker 1: Four more podcasts from iHeartRadio. Visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, 407 00:32:26,480 --> 00:33:08,240 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.