Michael
Ediagbonya
Ekiti
State University, Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria
Abstract
The study
examined the Benin – Portuguese Relations: Ughoton as a Benin Port (1485 –
1506). It further examined the coming of the Portuguese through the Benin port,
Ughoton to Benin City. It also analyzed the articles of trade to Ughoton. It
accounted for the factors responsible for the decline of Portuguese trade in
Benin and Ughoton and the significance of the relationship to Benin and
Ughoton.
The study
relied on both oral interviews and documentary data. The oral data were based
on unstructured interviews with the Odionwere (Oldest man in Ughoton), Ohen
–Okun (The Chief Priest of Olokun temple) and other elders in Ughoton. The
documentary data were sourced from intelligence reports, divisional reports,
colonial letters, dispatches, government reports and correspondences. The data
were subjected to internal and external criticisms for authentication and then
to textual and contextual analyses.
The study
found that Prince Ekaladerhan, the only child of ogiso Owodo, the last Ogiso of
Ogiso dynasty was the founder of Ughoton in about the eleventh century. The
study also found that from the fifteenth century Ughoton was the port of Benin
kingdom during the period of Benin Portuguese trade relations. The study
demonstrated that this trade brought a lot of benefits to the people of
Ughoton, Benin kings and the Europeans. It was discovered that, the trade
declined due to bad climatic conditions, the Benin’s refusal to accept
Christianity fully and that the trade did not bring the expected returns.
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