Ehenneden
{{Short description|Ogiso of Igodomigodo (c. 1095 – c. 1110)}}
{{good article}}
{{Use Nigerian English|date=February 2025}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{Infobox royalty
| name = Ehenneden
| title = 26th {{lang|bin|Ogiso}},
| titletext = Monarch of the Kingdom of Igodomigodo
| image =
| caption =
| succession = {{lang|bin|Ogiso}} of Igodomigodo
| reign = {{c.|1095|1110}}
| predecessor = Uwa
| successor = Ohuede
| birth_name = Egiebo
| birth_date = 11th century
| birth_place = Igodomigodo
| death_date = {{c.|1110}}
| death_place = Igodomigodo
| issue = One son (died in infancy)
| dynasty = Oriagba dynasty
| father = Uwa
}}
Ehenneden, also spelled Hennenden, (born Egiebo, reigned {{c.|1095|1110}}) was the twenty-sixth {{lang|bin|Ogiso}} (king) of Igodomigodo, the early state that preceded the Benin Empire. His reign is documented as having involved economic expansion, administrative restructuring, and increased activity among guilds and artisans. Ehenneden strengthened the role of royal guilds in weaving, carving, and trade, which contributed to production and commerce. He also reorganised the {{lang|bin|Edionnisen}} ("Great Nobles"), granting them the authority to appoint sub-chiefs, oversee regional courts, and construct noble residences, actions that contributed to the governance structure. Following his death without a direct heir, succession disputes arose; ultimately, the {{lang|bin|Edionnisen}} selected Ohuede, a distant royal relative, as his successor, thereby marking the end of the Oriagba dynasty.
Early life and ascension
Ehenneden was born as Egiebo, the only recorded son of {{lang|bin|Ogiso}} (King) Uwa of Igodomigodo (present-day Benin Kingdom).{{sfn|Ọmọregie|1997|p=65}}{{efn|The Kingdom of Benin no longer exists as a governing entity, but the Oba of Benin still rules a tribal kingdom and holds an advisory role in the government of Benin City, Nigeria.{{sfn|Parks|2023}}}} He was raised in a society where trade, craftsmanship, and territorial expansion played significant roles in governance.{{sfn|Ọmọregie|1997|pp=65–66}} Egiebo spent his early years learning weaving techniques for raffia and cotton.{{sfn|Ọmọregie|1997|p=65}} His familiarity with these crafts influenced his later policies in supporting craftsmen and guild workers.{{sfn|Ọmọregie|1997|pp=65–66}} Upon the death of {{lang|bin|Ogiso}} Uwa in 1095 AD, Egiebo ascended the throne as Ehenneden.{{sfn|Ọmọregie|1997|p=65}} His coronation continued the primogeniture system introduced by {{lang|bin|Ogiso}} Oriagba more than forty years before Ehenneden's ascension.{{sfn|Ọmọregie|1997|pp=3–4}} By this time, the kingdom had developed extensive trade routes connecting it with Dahomey, Ghana, and the Niger basin.{{sfn|Ọmọregie|1997|p=66}} Unlike his father, who faced opposition from nobles, Ehenneden inherited a relatively stable kingdom.{{sfn|Egharevba|1968|p=2}}
His early policies emphasised economic development.{{sfn|Ọmọregie|1997|p=66}} He expanded royal patronage for guilds by reorganising and enlarging those of weavers and carvers, increasing artisan participation, while also fostering trade growth at Ogiso market (modern-day Agbado market){{efn|Agbado market is situated in Aviama, a traditional village in the center of Benin City close to Ramat Park.}} and promoting the wider use of cowries as currency.{{sfn|Ọmọregie|1997|pp=65–66}} This facilitated broader engagement in woodworking, farming, hunting, and trading.{{sfn|Ọmọregie|1997|p=66}} Ehenneden also initiated architectural reforms, focusing on the royal palace and noble residences.{{sfn|Ọmọregie|1997|p=66}} He introduced red-mud wall polishing techniques and established a rotational system where women regularly scrubbed and polished the palace walls.{{sfn|Ọmọregie|1997|p=66}} He also promoted corrugated wall designs to distinguish the royal residence and the homes of accredited chiefs.{{sfn|Aiguobarueghian|2020|pp=395–396}}{{sfn|Ọmọregie|1997|p=66}}
Governance and economic policies
Ogiso Ehenneden reorganised the guild system, ensuring increased royal support for blacksmiths, weavers, traders, and farmers to boost economic production.{{sfn|Ọmọregie|1997|p=65}} Luxury trade items, such as rare beads, were introduced through long-distance commerce.{{sfn|Ọmọregie|1997|p=66}} Ehenneden expanded the role of the {{lang|bin|Edionnisen}} ("Great Nobles"), granting them authority to appoint sub-chiefs, construct palaces, and establish local law courts.{{sfn|Aiguobarueghian|2020|pp=395–396}}{{sfn|Ọmọregie|1997|p=66}} This decentralised governance approach reduced administrative burdens while maintaining noble allegiance to the monarchy.{{sfn|Egharevba|1968|p=2}}{{sfn|Ọmọregie|1997|p=66}} Unlike some of his predecessors, Ehenneden's reign was largely peaceful. Political stability encouraged trade and migration, contributing to population growth.{{sfn|Egharevba|1968|p=2}}{{sfn|Aiguobarueghian|2020|pp=395–396}} The rise of artisans and merchants strengthened the kingdom's economic foundation.{{sfn|Ọmọregie|1997|p=66}}
Death and succession crisis
Ogiso Ehenneden's only son died in infancy, and his death in 1110 challenged the primogeniture system, restoring the {{lang|bin|Edionnisen}}'s authority to select a successor.{{sfn|Ọmọregie|1997|pp=67–68}} The primogeniture law dictated that in the absence of a direct heir, the next-of-kin should ascend the throne.{{sfn|Ọmọregie|1997|p=3}} However, debates arose over whether eligibility was determined by direct lineage or noble status.{{sfn|Ọmọregie|1997|p=68}} With no surviving siblings, the {{lang|bin|Edionnisen}} traced the succession line to Ehenneden's great-uncle, Oboite of Ihinmwirin, a younger brother of {{lang|bin|Ogiso}} Odoligie, selecting Oboite's only surviving son, Ohuede, aged 56, as Ehenneden's successor.{{sfn|Ọmọregie|1997|pp=68, 70}} Ehenneden's death ended the Oriagba dynasty, leading to the rise of the Ohuede dynasty.{{sfn|Ọmọregie|1997|pp=68, 75}}
Notes
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References
= Citations =
{{reflist}}
= Works cited =
- {{cite journal | last=Aiguobarueghian | first=Victor Osahon | title=Evolution of Political Structure in Benin Kingdom from Pre-Dynastic Period to the End of Interregnum |journal=Port Harcourt Journal of History and Diplomatic Studies | publisher=Department of History & Diplomatic Studies, Ignatius Ajuru University of Education | date=March 2020 |volume=7 |issue=1 | issn=2736-0660}}
- {{cite book | last=Ọmọregie | first=Osarẹn Solomon Boniface | title=Great Benin: The age of Ogiso Reform ({{c.|1050|1130}}) | date=1997 | publisher=Neraso Publishers | isbn=978-2734-47-0 |oclc=634055155}}
- {{cite book |last=Egharevba |first=Jacob |author-link=Jacob Egharevba |title=A Short History of Benin |date=1968 |publisher=C.M.S. Press |isbn=9789781212390}}
- {{cite encyclopedia |last=Parks |first=Clint |date=2023-10-19 |title=The Kingdom of Benin |url=https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/kingdom-benin/ |encyclopedia=National Geographic Society |location= |publisher= |access-date=2025-02-16 |issn=0027-9358}}
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{{s-hou|Ogiso of Igodomigodo||Unknown||1110}}
{{s-reg|}}
{{s-break}}
{{S-bef|before= Uwa}}
{{s-ttl
| title = Ogiso of Igodomigodo
| years = {{c.|1095|1110}}
}}
{{s-aft
| after = Ohuede
}}
{{s-end}}
Category:People from Benin City
Category:11th-century Nigerian people