₦airaland Forum

Reflect7:
I've so had it up to here with this primitive mentality you people display here.

I am not from Benin for starters.

You have assumed I am from there simply because I am writing about its history.

I mean, your mentality is so low and wretched.

YES, THERE ARE, AND WILL ALWAYS BE 'detribalised' Nigerians like myself who have no problem with writing glowingly about other ethnic groups and regions apart from our own.

We are not all selfish, disgusting ethnic bigots and chauvinists.

I wrote earlier that Benin City was ''essentially'' the capital of southern Nigeria.

Not 'officially', but 'essentially', meaning 'for all intents and purposes'.

And it is not even closely debatable, as Benin City was the biggest and most famous city by an absolute mile in the entire region.

Like I said. This thread is for enlightened people and those willing to learn their precolonial history as Nigerians/Africans.

It is not for ethnic bigots.

If you are here for superiority contests of Igbo versus Edo versus Yoruba etc, kindly get lost.

Reflect7:
This alone is the start of your miseducation.

This statement is symptomatic of how DISGRACEFULLY IGNORANT you and so many Nigerians are about your history.

Are you aware that the entire southern and northern Nigeria was a vast textile manufacturing hub before the whites invaded?

And that the colonialists destroyed the industry so we could buy textiles from Europe instead?

Are you aware that We exported soap to Europe before colonisation, because THEY had no soap industry?

Are you aware that Italy had to BAN imported Nigerian SOAP in the 1800s in order to protect the young Italian soap manufacturing industry?

Are you aware that BENIN CITY had street lights and underground drainage a full 300 years before London?

Are you aware that the Benin Empire exchanged ambassadors with Portugal as early as the late 1490s?

Are you aware that in BENIN today sits the largest structure ever constructed by man, the Benin Earthworks and Military Ramparts?

Described by the Guinness Book of Records as "the world's largest earthworks carried out prior to the mechanical era"?

According to estimates by the New Scientist’s Fred Pearce, Benin City’s walls were at one point “four times longer than the Great Wall of China, and consumed a hundred times more material than the Great Pyramid of Cheops”.

Pearce writes that these walls “extended for some 16,000 km in all, in a mosaic of more than 500 interconnected settlement boundaries. They covered 6,500 sq km and were all dug by the Edo people … They took an estimated 150 million hours to construct, and are perhaps the largest single archaeological phenomenon on the planet”.

https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2016/mar/18/story-of-cities-5-benin-city-edo-nigeria-mighty-medieval-capital-lost-without-trace

Are you aware that BENIN CITY, which was essentially the capital of ancient southern Nigeria, was described by European visitors from the 1500s as one of the most beautiful cities in the entire world?

A city where crime was non-existent, and people saw no need to build front doors to their houses?

''Indeed, they classified Benin City as one of the most beautiful and best planned cities in the world.

In 1691, the Portuguese ship captain Lourenco Pinto observed: “Great Benin, where the king resides, is larger than Lisbon; all the streets run straight and as far as the eye can see. The houses are large, especially that of the king, which is richly decorated and has fine columns. The city is wealthy and industrious. It is so well governed that theft is unknown and the people live in such security that they have no doors to their houses.”

In contrast, London at the same time is described by Bruce Holsinger, professor of English at the University of Virginia, as being a city of “thievery, prostitution, murder, bribery and a thriving black market made the medieval city ripe for exploitation by those with a skill for the quick blade or picking a pocket”.

https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2016/mar/18/story-of-cities-5-benin-city-edo-nigeria-mighty-medieval-capital-lost-without-trace

You see, until you NIGERIANS are mentally decolonised and RECONNECTED WITH YOUR HISTORY, and remember who you really are, rather than who the colonialists told you you were, you will continue to wallow in ignorance, self hate, pessimism, racial inferiority complex, and moral debasement.

Reflect7:
All quotes made here are well sourced and referenced to respected historical sources.

None of the above is a subject of historical dispute, except in your own head.

Feel free to manufacture your own history.

Reflect7:
The UK Guardian newspaper, ie your former colonial 'master', is relating to you the truth about your history, which he hid from you before, after destroying your education system, and installing his own, which taught you you were with Tarzan in the jungle.

He's telling you the real truth now, so shut up, read, and learn.

https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2016/mar/18/story-of-cities-5-benin-city-edo-nigeria-mighty-medieval-capital-lost-without-trace

Reflect7:
The Benin City we are discussing was invaded, attacked, burnt down and looted by the British in 1897.

Blackdeewhy:
Lots of things are wrong with our history. Part of it is spellings of name. Yoruba alphabet does not have sh Rather S

Reflect7:
All quotes made here are well sourced and referenced to respected historical sources.

None of the above is a subject of historical dispute, except in your own head.

Feel free to manufacture your own history.

Reflect7:
The Benin City we are discussing was invaded, attacked, burnt down and looted by the British in 1897.

Reflect7:
I've so had it up to here with this primitive mentality you people display here.

I am not from Benin for starters.

You have assumed I am from there simply because I am writing about its history.

I mean, your mentality is so low and wretched.

YES, THERE ARE, AND WILL ALWAYS BE 'detribalised' Nigerians like myself who have no problem with writing glowingly about other ethnic groups and regions apart from our own.

We are not all selfish, disgusting ethnic bigots and chauvinists.

I wrote earlier that Benin City was ''essentially'' the capital of southern Nigeria.

Not 'officially', but 'essentially', meaning 'for all intents and purposes'.

And it is not even closely debatable, as Benin City was the biggest and most famous city by an absolute mile in the entire region.

Like I said. This thread is for enlightened people and those willing to learn their precolonial history as Nigerians/Africans.

It is not for ethnic bigots.

If you are here for superiority contests of Igbo versus Edo versus Yoruba etc, kindly get lost.

VEHINTOLAR:
Look at this mumu ! Who cares even if you're from the outer space or some kind of alien from the Jupiter ? The point is made already; we are not buying your crap about Benin being "essentially" the capital of southern Nigeria at any point in the history ! We can see,very clearly, through your failed attempts at forcing this obvious fallacy down our throats. It is essentially,what some people will describe as " dead on arrival" crap !

One would've expected a supposedly refined mind to write glowingly and extensively about those beautiful African civilizations of old like the Nubia,Numidia,Egypt,Carthage,Songhai empire, Ashanti empire in Ghana,Oyo empire ( the only one south of Nigeria),kingdom of Kongo,the Garamantes,Benin kingdom,of course etc as a response to anybody who foolishly assumed that Africans would've been wearing leaves but for the Whites ! But here you're, trying so hard to force Benin being " essentially" the capital of southern Nigeria at a point in history down our throats ! You must be sick !

Since you claimed not to be a Bini,why don't you tell us something about your own tribe or are you a descendant of Bini slaves with no known enviable history to share ? I'm a proud Yoruba man whose forebears built a great empire,the old Oyo empire,that extended even beyond the shores of Nigeria to the parts of present day Benin republic, Togo and Ghana. Tell us about yourself and the history of your own tribe, if you have any,since you ain't a Bini ?

This is what we see when some ninnies dabble into a subject matter that's far beyond their elementary pedigree;ode, eru Bini l'asan !

Mtchew,ja d'anu !

Reflect7:
The Benin City we are discussing was invaded, attacked, burnt down and looted by the British in 1897.

BornRicch:
Yoruba and Igbo always have heart attack when it comes to history. Oyo or Oyo ile whatever you call it is not and will never be an empire. It existence is only on yoruba paper. Benin rule the whole southern Nigeria. Show me a map of any of your villages on pre colonial map. No let hate kill you there afonja man. Benin sold your lazy ancestors to Portuguese. Deal with it.

VEHINTOLAR:
Apparently, you're a kid who just finished sucking mama's breast and rushed out to yap nonsense about a discourse that's far beyond your intellectual capacity. Your mouth still reeks of that fresh milk from your mama's ! What is lacking in your miserable life is education and that's why you're displaying such high level of ignorance for every Dick and Harry to laugh over.

You need to learn a little. It's my hope that you can cope. You see,whatever civilization the Bini could lay claim on today actually came from the Yoruba people and that's traceable to Oranmiyan,a Yoruba Prince from Ile Ife. This is a fact and not some kind of fallacy.

The Ijaws are your neighbours in that region and this is what they said about Bini people as culled from the Vanguard Newspaper of 30th October, 2018 captioned - EDO : IJAW WON'T CEDE LAND,IDENTITY TO BINI. You may google it.
“They (Bini people) met Ijaw people at Gelegelegbene and begged for help to be ferried to the other side and out of magnanimity, we ferried them to where they are now. This is recorded in all the history books and it was affirmed by renowned Benin writers.

“However, there is a tendency that Benin migrants who escaped from Ile-Ife may have married Ijaw women from Gelegelegbene community and other Ijaw communities to have raised Benin kingdom as there is no historical record showing that the Yoruba fleeing migrants arrived in Gelegelegbene with a wife.

“What is expected, therefore, is that the Obaseki-led Edo State government should have direct dealings with Gelegelegbene, other Ijaw host communities and the various Ijaw monarchs where this seaport project is located.”

The Ijaw till today still regard Bini as some kind of fleeing migrants from Ile Ife ! This ,truly substantiates the fact that some groups of Yoruba,at a time in history, arrived at a location known today as Benin city. The Ijaws have this record well documented in their archives. There were chaos and political instability in Benin as at the time Oranmiyan Omoluabi arrived there and that was why he named the land "Ile Ibinu" - land of vexation which later became "Ibini" and further corrupted by the Portuguese as Benin.

It was Oranmiyan that introduced the Yoruba traditional"Obaship" system to the people of Igodomigodo and that's why he was the first Oba of Benin. Oranmiyan was the founder and Progenitor of the Eweka dynasty, which is still ruling in Benin till today. What you had in Benin before the arrival of Oranmiyan was Ogiso dynasty. Words like Oba - King ,Omo Oba - Prince,Iya Oba - King's mother,Olori or Ayaoba - king's wife were never in your language to address such category of people before the arrival of Oranmiyan. All these are not Bini's words originally.

There are 201 Orisa - deities in Yoruba land and they're all being worshiped by the Oba of Benin,his chiefs and other traditionalists. None of these deities,e g Sango,Ogun,Obatala,
Osun,Ifa,Oya,Egungun etc,is indigenous to Bini people;they are all natives of Yoruba land. You may go and confirm that from your elders !

So,basically,what you see in Benin is Yoruba influence and same cannot be said of Bini in Yoruba land. Ile Ife is not far from Benin,about 210km - roughly 3.30hrs by road. A trip to that ancient city will open your eyes to some hidden truths about your true identity. Why was it ( and still is) a must for Oba of Benin to visit Ile Ife after coronation ? Did the present Oba not visit ile Ife shortly after his coronation ? Is there no such shrine as "Ori Oba Ado" in Ile Ife ? Even in contemporary Nigeria,are the Yoruba not far ahead of the Bini in all sphere of life ? The records are there for all to see.

So,what's all the noise about really ? Take a look at the picture below which was taken at the Buckingham palace. You can see that the colonists, who know our historical records more than any Nigerian alive, made that sitting arrangement for a purpose. Look at where Ooni was seated and compare same with the OmoN'Oba's position. You can ponder over it.

Yoruba people no even see una,so why the noise ?

SweetVibe:
You ended up disgracing yourself...shame

OfficialAPCNig:
You are just deceiving yourself with lies.

Bini rampart doesn't come anywhere near the great wall of China, unless you don't understand how to read numbers.

The great walls are older and bigger. So what makes Bini ramparts 4 times bigger than it?

OfficialAPCNig:
Historical source kee you there.

You guys keep repeating the same lies. Bini rampart was never anywhere near Great Walls of China.

Nri bronze is 200 years olders than Bini bronze and 100 years older than Ife..

Reflect7:
In what way?

You must be taken in by these ignorant school dropouts angry that it wasn't their ethnicity being credited with glory.

SweetVibe:
You talk too much

Reflect7:
Go and watch BB Naija. This is not for you.

Sicilyjoe:
Poster stop that nonsense, with out white u will be wearing leaves

export KO import ni, after all that u were ship like monkeys to overseas as a slave

mightyhaze:
And it took the white men to discover and put all these 'facts' to paper for us.


Why did we not discover them in their own country and put their acheivements on paper like they did for us..?



More like an adult legend hyping a little baby that just said 'dada' for the first time


The whites will praise your little acheivements... Don't let it get into that thick black skull

Imagine people that have developed sophisticated carbines,sailing ships, bicycles etc. People that have circumnavigated the world , fought several land and sea wars intra/intercontinental,several centuries before discovering you inside your dark forests,..hyping you that was still fighting wars with your bare hairy hands ,still moving with thick callused feet and in some cases,porterage for elites .. and u have the spunk to say they stole technologies from you..

Isobug:
Nonsense..... What he said is true



Did you manufacture the machine you used to produce the Textile then or did it fall from the sky?

system21:
That's really funny. Primitive British came all the way from London to invade and conquer almighty Benin kingdom within 6 hours

SarkinYarki:
Apart from.political sycophancy ,please name one thing you have ever created

mightyhaze:
And it took the white men to discover and put all these 'facts' to paper for us.


Why did we not discover them in their own country and put their acheivements on paper like they did for us..?



More like an adult legend hyping a little baby that just said 'dada' for the first time


The whites will praise your little acheivements... Don't let it get into that thick black skull

Imagine people that have developed sophisticated carbines,sailing ships, bicycles etc. People that have circumnavigated the world , fought several land and sea wars intra/intercontinental,several centuries before discovering you inside your dark forests,..hyping you that was still fighting wars with your bare hairy hands ,still moving with thick callused feet and in some cases,porterage for elites .. and u have the spunk to say they stole technologies from you..