07/29/2023
One of the greatest reigning obas(kings) of the Benin empire of all time is definitely Ewuare(Eh woo ah reh/Eh wah yeh), whose name meant,..."it is cool,"....or "trouble has ceased,"......hinting that in essence he had a peaceable countenance. Yet, when his ambitions were ignited, he was in no way passive. His birth name was Ogun, and the son of Oba Orobiru. His rule began as such, him and his younger brother Uwaifiokun were some how banished from the capital. As a result, the kingdom's throne remained vacant for months. Ogun sent his younger brother inquiring unto the elders if they would like him to return or not. Uwaifiokun lied to them saying, he had not seen Ogun since they all departed from the city, afterwards convincing him to make him Oba, therefore usurping what was rightfully his brother's place. Apparently, Ogun discovered this, and during an annual ceremonial performance, murdered his brothet under the guise of night. Regardless of this bloody path to the throne Ewuare proved to be one of the most insightful, passionate rulers, of great vision. Ewuare was a most effective and powerful military commander. He had troops in the depths of Yorubaland extending north and Igboland deep in the east, conquering more than 200 towns exacting tribute continually from them. He had such a memorable "impact,"....until the Ekiti branch of the Yoruba would say,..."the oba of benin wages war on earth below and the god Ogbomodu wages war in heaven." The nearby Igbos, labeled Benin as "Idu ala Eze" in their native tongue,...."land of the powerful oba." From the wealth Ewuare accumulated through tribute, Ewuare enlarged the boundaries of the capital greatly. Throughout this process he built multiple new roads and thoroughfares. Ewuare was over all responsible for innermost and greatest of walls in height and greatest of ditches in depth that were created around the city. A midst of all of this immense construction, he had the most potent charms created and buried at the nin
