31:
108:, is reputed to have stood behind him at this time. By serving as everything from his counsellor to his priestess, she rallied the Binis - including many that had previously supported Arhuaran - to Esigie's standard. After dealing decisively with her stepson, the royal pair turned their attention to the Igala rebels. Following a hard-fought campaign, Benin's supremacy was restored, and the victorious army - with Esigie and Idia at its head - returned to the capital in triumph.
165:
Once invested shortly after the coronation of her son, the Iyoba decamped to Uselu, where she spent the remainder of her days. Although forbidden to ever see the Oba again, she was nevertheless expected to serve as his chief advisor, so palace messengers were almost constantly moving from Benin to
157:
girls that were expected to wait upon her while simultaneously learning about the inner workings of her office - would in turn eventually become members of her son's own harem (and thus potential Iyobas themselves). A comparatively small number would remain in her service for life as her titular
93:, the kingdom's metropolitan center, while his brother Arhuaran was based in Udo - an important provincial seat 20 miles away. Neither prince was prepared to yield to the other, partisans soon declared for one or the other, and Benin was plunged into a civil war shortly thereafter.
100:
declared their independence from Benin and seized a swath of territory to its north. In the span of a week, Esigie found himself confronted with what now seemed like the almost certain fragmentation of his father's kingdom.
169:
In times of war, the Iyoba was the only woman in the kingdom that was constitutionally empowered to participate. As a chief of high rank, she served as the commander of her own military regiment - the
146:
Furthermore, in emulation of Idia's example, she was expected to be a powerful sorceress - and to use her knowledge of the mystic arts to the future king's advantage at all times.
184:
that would decorate her personal altar in the shrine of the kings in the palace. The Iyobas were the only class of women that was honoured in the shrine.
115:- for her to occupy. Now ranking equal to the senior chiefs of the royal court, the Iyoba was also built her own palace in the town of
308:
162:, this being due to the fact that a person of her rank and position was traditionally expected to have a harem of their own.
192:
There is currently no living Iyoba. Be that as it may, Princess
Eghiunwe Akenzua, the late mother of the incumbent Oba
313:
318:
303:
293:
215:
111:
In gratitude for his mother's efforts on his behalf, King Esigie created a new office - that of
30:
70:
143:. Although this is no longer the case, she was also expected to have no children besides him.
298:
150:
17:
54:
8:
262:
236:
85:
died in the fifteenth century, he left behind two sons to dispute the royal succession:
180:
of her son the king. As part of her funerary ceremonies, he was expected to commission
35:
196:, was posthumously invested with the title by her son during his coronation in 2016.
116:
62:
66:
58:
177:
96:
Seeing an opportunity to take advantage of the situation, the hitherto vassal
287:
39:
154:
140:
136:
97:
205:
90:
123:. She was the first woman in the history of Benin to have such power.
263:"Women Leaders in African History: Idia, first Queen Mother of Benin"
237:"Women Leaders in African History: Idia, first Queen Mother of Benin"
193:
181:
139:
that would eventually - all things being equal - succeed him as the
210:
135:
during her husband's lifetime was to give birth to and raise the
86:
82:
132:
50:
119:, which was thereafter attached to her title as a perpetual
120:
105:
131:
A presumptive Iyoba's principal function within the
285:
176:Following her death, an Iyoba became the
29:
14:
286:
260:
234:
24:
25:
330:
166:Uselu, and from Uselu to Benin.
309:African traditional governments
254:
228:
13:
1:
221:
187:
65:. She is otherwise known in
7:
199:
10:
335:
76:
63:Nigerian traditional state
126:
261:Bortolot, Alexander I.
235:Bortolot, Alexander I.
216:Queen mothers in Africa
49:is an important female
42:
33:
314:African noble titles
27:Benin's Queen Mother
267:Columbia University
241:Columbia University
55:chieftaincy system
43:
36:ivory pendant mask
151:ladies-in-waiting
16:(Redirected from
326:
319:Kingdom of Benin
304:Women in Nigeria
278:
277:
275:
273:
258:
252:
251:
249:
247:
232:
59:Kingdom of Benin
21:
334:
333:
329:
328:
327:
325:
324:
323:
294:African royalty
284:
283:
282:
281:
271:
269:
259:
255:
245:
243:
233:
229:
224:
202:
190:
153:- a coterie of
129:
79:
28:
23:
22:
15:
12:
11:
5:
332:
322:
321:
316:
311:
306:
301:
296:
280:
279:
253:
226:
225:
223:
220:
219:
218:
213:
208:
201:
198:
189:
186:
178:patron goddess
128:
125:
78:
75:
47:Iyoba of Benin
26:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
331:
320:
317:
315:
312:
310:
307:
305:
302:
300:
297:
295:
292:
291:
289:
268:
264:
257:
242:
238:
231:
227:
217:
214:
212:
209:
207:
204:
203:
197:
195:
185:
183:
179:
174:
172:
167:
163:
161:
156:
152:
147:
144:
142:
138:
134:
124:
122:
118:
114:
109:
107:
102:
99:
94:
92:
88:
84:
74:
72:
68:
64:
60:
56:
52:
48:
41:
40:Idia of Benin
37:
32:
19:
299:Noble titles
270:. Retrieved
266:
256:
244:. Retrieved
240:
230:
191:
175:
170:
168:
164:
159:
155:aristocratic
149:Most of her
148:
145:
141:Oba of Benin
137:crown prince
130:
112:
110:
104:His mother,
103:
98:Igala people
95:
80:
71:Queen Mother
46:
44:
171:Queen's Own
89:controlled
51:titleholder
288:Categories
222:References
206:Erelu Kuti
91:Benin City
81:When King
272:April 17,
246:April 17,
194:Ewuare II
188:Incumbent
200:See also
211:Iyalode
77:History
69:as the
67:English
57:of the
53:in the
127:Duties
87:Esigie
83:Ozolua
160:wives
133:harem
117:Uselu
113:Iyoba
18:Iyoba
274:2020
248:2020
121:fief
106:Idia
61:, a
45:The
182:art
38:of
34:An
290::
265:.
239:.
173:.
73:.
276:.
250:.
20:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
