• Source: Ohen

Ohen was the eighth Oba (monarch) of the Benin Kingdom, who ruled from c. 1334 AD – c. 1370 AD. He was the son and successor of Oba Oguola, who had conquered the Ekiti and Akure kingdoms and built the first moat around Benin City. He expanded the Benin Empire to the west and east, and increased its control over several tributary states. He also interacted with the Portuguese and the English, and received gifts such as a telescope from them.




Early life and reign


Oba Ohen was the third son of Oba Oguola, who had conquered the Ekiti and Akure kingdoms and built the first moat around Benin City. He succeeded his elder brother Oba Udagbedo, who had died without a male heir. He extended the Benin Empire to the west, reaching as far as Dahomey (present-day Benin Republic), and to the east, reaching as far as the Niger Delta. He also consolidated his authority over the Yoruba kingdoms of Owo, Ondo, and Ijebu.
Oba Ohen was also the first Oba to establish diplomatic relations with the European powers, especially the Portuguese and the English. He sent ambassadors to Lisbon and London, and received envoys and traders from both countries. He also received gifts and curiosities from the Europeans, such as a telescope, which he used to observe the stars and the moon. He was interested in the European culture and technology, and encouraged the exchange of knowledge and commerce with them.




Secret affair and paralysis


Oba Ohen had a secret affair with a woman named Elere, who lived in Ute village, across the Ikpoba River. Elere was a descendant of the Ogiamiẹn family, the original rulers of Benin City, who had been displaced by the Eweka dynasty. The marriage between the Oba and the Ogiamiẹn family was forbidden by the treaty that had ended the conflict between them. Oba Ohen, however, loved Elere and wanted to marry her. He sent her gifts and visited her at night, disguised as a commoner. He also made her promises, depending on their marriage.
Oba Ohen's secret visits aroused the suspicion of his courtiers and chiefs, who wanted to expose his affair and his breach of the treaty. They discovered his route and planted a malicious medicine under the bridge that he crossed to reach Ute. The medicine was called ẹrọ, and it caused paralysis to anyone who stepped over it. Oba Ohen unknowingly stepped over the medicine and was affected by it. However, the effects of the medicine were delayed and could be neutralised by crossing it again. The chiefs also used another medicine called aban, which made Oba Ohen oversleep at Elere's house and be discovered by her father, who was a powerful native doctor.
Oba Ohen was in a dilemma, as he could not return to his palace without revealing his identity and his violation of the treaty. He devised a plan to disguise himself and Elere as masqueraders, and to dance to the palace with the help of some loyal pages. He used the materials from Elere's house to improvise the costumes and masks, and joined the Ekoko n'Ute masquerade, which was a traditional dance of the Ute people. He asked to perform for the Oba, hoping to deceive his enemies and to enter the palace unnoticed. The plan succeeded, and Oba Ohen and Elere entered the palace, where they changed their clothes and masks with some substitutes. Oba Ohen then emerged to watch the performance, while Elere passed into the harem. Elere later bore a son named Ogun, who would become Oba Ewuare, a notable king of Benin.
After some time, the medicine that had been planted under the bridge took effect, and Oba Ohen became paralysed in his legs. He tried to conceal his infirmity from his chiefs and subjects, as a blemished divine king would have been rejected and killed or exiled. He ordered his attendants to carry him to the council chamber before the arrival of the chiefs, and to take him away after their departure. He also sought various cures for his condition, such as using crocodile heads as a symbol of protection, and founding a major Olokun shrine at Urhonigbe, where he hoped to receive healing from the water deity.




Death and legacy


Oba Ohen's paralysis was eventually discovered by his Iyasẹ (prime minister), Emuze, who was curious about the Oba's unusual behaviour. He hid behind a door in the council chamber and saw the Oba being carried by his attendants. Oba Ohen was furious when he found out, and ordered Emuze to be killed on the spot. This angered the other chiefs and the people, who rose to arms to avenge the death of their leader. They plotted to kill Oba Ohen by digging a deep hole under his throne, and covering it with a thin layer of cloth. When Oba Ohen sat on his throne, he fell into the hole, and the chiefs and the people stoned him to death with knobs of chalk, saying "Ohen mi orhue", 'Ohen, have chalk', which was an insult to his divine status. Oba Ohen died after a reign of about 36 years, leaving four sons: Egbeka, Orobiru, Ogun, and Uwaifiokun.
Oba Ohen was the father of Oba Ewuare, who became a notable king of Benin. Oba Ewuare was the son of Elere, Oba Ohen's secret lover from the Ogiamiẹn family. He had to overcome many obstacles and challenges before he could claim his throne, as his elder brothers and his enemies tried to prevent him from ruling. He eventually defeated his rivals and became Oba, initiating a period of prosperity and culture in Benin.
Oba Ohen was commemorated by the fish-legged Olokun-like figures that are common in Benin art, symbolising his paralysis and his connection to the water deity. His secret affair and his paralysis were also related to some symbols and rituals in Benin culture, such as the crocodile heads, the Ekoko n'Ute masquerade, and the annual gesture of asking "Where is the Iyasẹ?" by the chiefs. His death by stoning with chalk was also remembered by the Benin people as a tragic and shameful event, and an adage was coined to describe it: "Curiosity killed Ohen's Prime Minister, and wickedness killed Ohen himself."




References






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Further reading


BRADBURY, R. E. (2020-05-10). Benin Studies. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-138-49211-0.

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