The 1892 Treaty between Britain and the Kingdom of Benin: From Diplomatic Negotiation to Military Confrontation

Abstract

In 1892, the King of Benin (the Oba) was forced to sign a treaty with Britain. It appeared on the surface to be an agreement of trade and friendship, but in reality, it was a colonial tool to impose British influence on the kingdom. Its terms were formulated in a way that carried a lot of fraud and pressure, restricting the Oba’s sovereignty and opening the way for British dominance over foreign trade, which the Beninese elite later rejected. As the Oba continued to protect the kingdom’s traditions and impose restrictions on the entry of European traders, Britain began looking for a pretext for direct military intervention. The opportunity came on January 4, 1897, when the British Consul, James Phillips, advanced a mission to the capital without the Oba’s permission. The Beninese authorities considered it a challenge to their sovereignty, and an ambush was set up for the mission, in which Phillips and most of his men were killed, in what later became known as the Benin Massacre. Britain exploited this incident to justify a massive punitive campaign. On February 9, 1897, a British force of more than 1,500 soldiers equipped with… With modern weapons, what became known historically as the Agben War began. On February 18, 1897, Benin City fell after short but violent battles. The royal palaces and temples were set on fire, and thousands of famous pieces of art, now known as the Benin Bronzes, were looted. Thus, the treaty ended the Kingdom of Benin, making it part of the British colony in Niger.