The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano published in 1789, describes his early life in the Great Kingdom
of Benin in the 1750s. Read extracts here: http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/ism/slavery/africa/olaudah_africa.aspx
·The Great Kingdom of Benin was the most formidable in West Africa
in terms of wealth and the king's power
·The king ruled with his council of Chiefs
·The land was very fertile
·The Kingdom of Benin was a nation of dancers, musicians and poets,
every occasion was celebrated by public dancing
·Their way of life was very plain and mainly agricultural
·They ate lots of spiced stews and vegetables and fruit
·They had numerous family
·Slaves were treated as part of the household
·Children were constantly kidnapped for slavery by mahogany- coloured foreigners
·Whole villages were burnt down in wars and captives sold into
slavery
·Most Slaves had never seen a whiteman or the sea until they were
taken to the coast for transportation in the ships.
However whilst his accounts of his village life were accurate, a
couple of points need further exploration with the evidence we now have.
Names in Africa help identify a person’s tribal original. The
names Olaudah
and Equiano are Igbo names not Edo names. The Igbos inhabit South-eastern
Nigeria whilst the Edos inhabit the South-south part of Nigeria around the
Delta. However historians trace some Igbo genealogy to their first king, Eze Chima,
a rebel prince who broke away from the Benin royal dynasty to set up his own
domain. Other scholars point out the
influences the Benin Kingdom has had on Igbo culture since their earliest settlements.
Anyhow from his accounts, we can place Olaudah in the Kingdom of Benin part of Igboland.
Another vital evidence for placing Olaudah
in Igboland, is his descriptions of the surrounding villages always at war,
burning down settlements and taking captives as slaves. We know from all
accounts that no neighbour dared attack Benin settlements for fear of the
reputation of its very skilled army. Perpetrators would be defeated and made to
pay tribute to the king. Benin soldiers were frequently asked to defend
neighbours against attacks from others.
A further evidence is that Olaudah described
in detail how children were constantly kidnapped
for slavery by mahogany- coloured foreigners. We know that this could not have
happened in the Kingdom of Benin because of the protective walls around the kingdom;
all foreigners had to be identified before stepping into the Kingdom. It was
for this reason that no Edo person was ever captured and sold into slavery
during that period. The king and his army defended the kingdom well from any
foreign attacks or threats such as slave capturers.
A fair
conclusion to reach is that Olaudah Equiano was from a part of Igboland related
to the Kingdom of Benin. He was therefore
from the Kingdom of Benin as he wrote.
Further
reading:
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