Purpose of the moat in Benin?

[olokun]

It seems very intriguing to me that this massive moat was built. What exactly was the purpose of this moat? What was it supposed to protect the people from? I would like to find out more about it. Any info appreciated.

[osagiator]

I think it was created to protect the Edo people from flooding. Benin was becoming uninhabitable due to the constant flooding that resulted in the loss of lives and property, so the people called on the then Oba for a lasting solution, which he provided. Mind you, the Benin people should be aware of this: covering up the moat in Benin will make them relive the ordeals of ancient Benin.

[olokun]

Thanks osagiator, this sheds some light on the issue for me.
What do you mean by covering up the moat?

[osagiator]

By covering up the moat I mean: people disposing of refuse in it, and digging back sand over it to enable them to build on it. These practices are gradually leading to the disappearance of the moats.

[omos]

I was told as a young boy that Aruanran "the giant", dug the moat to protect Benin from the numerous invaders.

[binibabe]

i am so out of the loop who is Aruanran?

[omos]

binibabe said:

i am so out of the loop who is Aruanran?

Binibabe, are you really a binibabe? You should do yourself a favour and learn more about your people.

[binibabe]

omos said:

binibabe said:

i am so out of the loop who is Aruanran?

Binibabe, are you really a binibabe? You should do yourself a favour and learn more about your people.

[AMOS OSAGIATOROBUDE]

owiolokun said:

It seems very intriguing to me that this massive moat was built. What exactly was the purpose of this moat? What was it supposed to protect the people from? I would like to find out more about it. Any info appreciated.

Thank you very much for your question.
During the reign of the obas of the 18th century there were two moats dug round the main Benin at that time the purpose was to protect Benin from external invasion. Therefore it was for the purpose of defence.

[olokun]

AMOS said:

owiolokun said:

It seems very intriguing to me that this massive moat was built. What exactly was the purpose of this moat? What was it supposed to protect the people from? I would like to find out more about it. Any info appreciated.

Thank you very much for your question.
During the reign of the obas of the 18th century there were two moats dug round the main Benin at that time the purpose was to protect Benin from external invasion. Therefore it was for the purpose of defence.

Great contribution! Welcome to the Edo people forum. Hope to hear more from you.

[omos]

It is unknown to many that the Benin moat remains the world's longest ancient earthwork at 10,000 miles and the most extensive at 24,000 square miles.

The Guinness Book of World Records describes the walls of Benin City as the world's second largest man-made structure after China's Great Wall, in terms of length, and the series of earthen ramparts as the most extensive earthwork in the world. The Guinness Book of Records carried an entry in the 1974 edition that described the city as: “The largest earthworks in the world carried out prior to the mechanical era.”
Defensive Fortification of Ancient Benin City

Edo, the people of Igodomigodo famously known for almost a millennium as Benin, had built a moat complex to protect themselves in the wars they fought. The defensive fortification of Benin City, the capital, consisted of ramparts and moats, call iya, enclosing a 4,000 square kilometer (2,485.5 miles) of community lands. In total, the Benin wall system encompasses over 10,000 kilometers (6213.7 miles) of earth boundaries. Patrick Darling, an archaeologist, estimates that the complex was built between 800 and 1000 up to the late fifteenth century (Keys 1994: 16).


Advantageously situated, the moats were duged in such a manner that earthen banks provided outer walls that complemented deep ditches. According to Graham Connah, the ditch formed an integral part of the intended barrier but was also a quarry for the material to construct the wall or bank (Keys 1994: 594). The ramparts range in size from shallow traces to the immense 20-meter-high (66 feet) around Benin City (Wesler 1998: 144).

During the second half of the 15th century, Oba Ewuare the Great ordered a moat to be dug in the heart of the city. The earthworks served as a bastion and also afforded control of access to the capital which had nine gates that were shut at night. Travel notes of European visitors also described the Benin walls (e.g. Pacheco Pereira 1956: 130-147; Dapper 1668). It was finalized around 1460, at that time being the world's largest earthwork.

The Great Benin Wall and Moat.
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The Benin are a peculiar people whose prowess in many things usually strikes the stranger with awe.One of such feats is the engineering skill and technology with which the Benins built their ancient moats and city walls which still survives till today.
There are conflicting statements on the purpose for which the walls were made.The walls are unusual,unlilke most other ancient city walls.The ancient city walls of Benin is unusual because of it's peculiar form.It was built by digging the earth from the ground and placing it on the surface along side the dug places.Thus the walls give a shape of ^ and another V turned down thus:- It's like a low mountain about 30 feet high,descending on the other side below the ground level and rising up again,to the ground level.
The one within the city which is now usually regarded as the first city walls is called Iya-Ero.This was built in the fifteenth century by Oba Ewuare.

Oba Ewuare built the city walls in the his reign because of the exodus of the Binis from the city owing to the strict law he enacted.The law was such that the Benins who could not keep to it and thus it was best to be freed from it.This law was enacted on the death of his two sons on the same day!

He promulgated a decree that all citizens should mourn with him by not washing for a certain period of three years and refraining from sex,for this period,during the mourning.This then caused the people to leave the city and although he revoked it,many had left and would not return.

Excerpts from The Benin legends by Aghama Omoruyi

THE GREAT BENIN WALL AND MOAT

The wall then had special gates which were watched by specially prepared rams.The following were the gates:-Okedo the one leading to Ikpoba river;Iya-Ero to lagos;Oliha's gate the one leading to Siloko;Ezomo the one leading to Ekenwan,the Osuan gate,-Airport Road,Ogiamien's gate to Sakponba and Ogiemwense to Okhoro.These gates were scrubbed during the approach of any special festival,by women.When scrubbed they became bright and slippery which made them impossible to walk through.

The gates in Ancient times had special charms buried in them against invaders,or bad spirits to protect the inhabitants.It is even said that there were certain mysterious chains buried with them which often show up at a certain time of each month.

In the past too,sacrifices used to be offered at the gates but the only surviving ceremony now is throwing of Ubi-palm torches which mark the end of Igue festival-the end of an Old year and beginning of a new one in the Benin traditional custom.

Excerpts from The Benin legends by Aghama Omoruyi

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