20:
97:, 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.
154:
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
146:
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
82:, 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.
89:
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.
158:
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
135:
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.
173:
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.
297:
104:- 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
151:, this being due to the fact that a person of her rank and position was traditionally expected to have a harem of their own.
302:
181:
There is currently no living Iyoba. Be that as it may, Princess
Eghiunwe Akenzua, the late mother of the incumbent Oba
19:
307:
292:
282:
204:
59:
287:
43:
24:
100:
In gratitude for his mother's efforts on his behalf, King Esigie created a new office - that of
139:
132:. Although this is no longer the case, she was also expected to have no children besides him.
105:
51:
55:
47:
251:
225:
74:
died in the fifteenth century, he left behind two sons to dispute the royal succession:
169:
of her son the king. As part of her funerary ceremonies, he was expected to commission
166:
276:
185:, was posthumously invested with the title by her son during his coronation in 2016.
28:
143:
129:
125:
86:
194:
85:
Seeing an opportunity to take advantage of the situation, the hitherto vassal
79:
182:
170:
199:
112:. She was the first woman in the history of Benin to have such power.
252:"Women Leaders in African History: Idia, first Queen Mother of Benin"
226:"Women Leaders in African History: Idia, first Queen Mother of Benin"
75:
71:
128:
that would eventually - all things being equal - succeed him as the
121:
39:
18:
124:
during her husband's lifetime was to give birth to and raise the
109:
94:
108:, which was thereafter attached to her title as a perpetual
120:
A presumptive Iyoba's principal function within the
8:
165:Following her death, an Iyoba became the
216:
7:
14:
155:Uselu, and from Uselu to Benin.
298:African traditional governments
1:
54:. She is otherwise known in
324:
52:Nigerian traditional state
250:Bortolot, Alexander I.
224:Bortolot, Alexander I.
205:Queen mothers in Africa
38:is an important female
31:
22:
303:African noble titles
16:Benin's Queen Mother
256:Columbia University
230:Columbia University
44:chieftaincy system
32:
25:ivory pendant mask
140:ladies-in-waiting
315:
308:Kingdom of Benin
293:Women in Nigeria
267:
266:
264:
262:
247:
241:
240:
238:
236:
221:
48:Kingdom of Benin
323:
322:
318:
317:
316:
314:
313:
312:
283:African royalty
273:
272:
271:
270:
260:
258:
249:
248:
244:
234:
232:
223:
222:
218:
213:
191:
179:
142:- a coterie of
118:
68:
17:
12:
11:
5:
321:
319:
311:
310:
305:
300:
295:
290:
285:
275:
274:
269:
268:
242:
215:
214:
212:
209:
208:
207:
202:
197:
190:
187:
178:
175:
167:patron goddess
117:
114:
67:
64:
36:Iyoba of Benin
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
320:
309:
306:
304:
301:
299:
296:
294:
291:
289:
286:
284:
281:
280:
278:
257:
253:
246:
243:
231:
227:
220:
217:
210:
206:
203:
201:
198:
196:
193:
192:
188:
186:
184:
176:
174:
172:
168:
163:
161:
156:
152:
150:
145:
141:
136:
133:
131:
127:
123:
115:
113:
111:
107:
103:
98:
96:
91:
88:
83:
81:
77:
73:
65:
63:
61:
57:
53:
49:
45:
41:
37:
30:
29:Idia of Benin
26:
21:
288:Noble titles
259:. Retrieved
255:
245:
233:. Retrieved
229:
219:
180:
164:
159:
157:
153:
148:
144:aristocratic
138:Most of her
137:
134:
130:Oba of Benin
126:crown prince
119:
101:
99:
93:His mother,
92:
87:Igala people
84:
69:
60:Queen Mother
35:
33:
160:Queen's Own
78:controlled
40:titleholder
277:Categories
211:References
195:Erelu Kuti
80:Benin City
70:When King
261:April 17,
235:April 17,
183:Ewuare II
177:Incumbent
189:See also
200:Iyalode
66:History
58:as the
56:English
46:of the
42:in the
116:Duties
76:Esigie
72:Ozolua
149:wives
122:harem
106:Uselu
102:Iyoba
263:2020
237:2020
110:fief
95:Idia
50:, a
34:The
171:art
27:of
23:An
279::
254:.
228:.
162:.
62:.
265:.
239:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
