Ohuede

Ohuede (c. 1054 – c. 1112) was a ruler of Igodomigodo (the pre-imperial Kingdom of Benin) who served briefly as the twenty-seventh Ogiso ('King') following his selection by the Edionnisen ('Great Nobles') around 1110 AD. His reign emphasised agricultural stability and support for domestic craftsmen, establishing plots known as Ugbo Owinna ('guildworkers' farms') to provide land for guild members. He sought to reduce future succession disputes by reaffirming the kingdom's primogeniture rule. Ohuede also proposed extending succession rules to allow female inheritance in exceptional circumstances, a controversial measure that met resistance from the Senior Nobles. Ohuede died around 1112 AD after a reign of about two years; his only surviving son, Idugioduwa, succeeded him as Ogiso Oduwa (c. 1112 – c. 1119).

Ohuede was born around 1054^[a] in Ihinmwirin, a region within Igodomigodo (modern-day Benin Kingdom).^[b][1] He was chosen by the Edionnisen after they traced the line of succession back to Oboite of Ihinmwirin; Oboite is recorded as "Oriagba's son, and younger brother of Ogiso Odoligie", and Ogiso Ehenneden died without a surviving son or brother.^[3] At 56 years old, Ohuede was a Senior Noble in the Royal Council representing Ihinmwirin,^[1] and his advanced age, noble status, and ancestral link to Ogiso Oriagba all contributed to his selection—though questions persisted regarding the legitimacy of his claim.^[4] Ohuede declined to associate his reign with the broader Oriagba lineage, preferring instead to distinguish his rule from that of earlier relatives within the kinship group. His decision to promote his personal name as the foundation of a new house eventually led to the recognition of what became known as the Ohuede dynasty.^[5]

The Ughoron ('men of heaven's gate'),^[6] royal bards of the kingdom, recorded his ascension with the following verse:^[5]

Ohuede inherited his seat on the Royal Council from his father, Oboite, but seldom participated in council business except when he had matters to present. The Ughoron described him as Owere eguae ne o mai ren ogiso — "a Senior Noble who could not act the king".^[7] He was primarily associated with farming and personal leisure, often retreating to his estate and noted for the habitual use of a long pipe tended by an attendant. As Ogiso, he emphasised agricultural stability and the support of domestic industry: his principal concern was keeping the royal granaries full, and he ordered the Enigie and Edionwere to set aside plots for craftsmen and guild members to cultivate. These plots became known as Ugbo Owinna ('guildworkers' farms'), which guildspeople harvested for their barns at year's end.^[8] During his short reign, he also sought to reduce future succession disputes by reaffirming the primogeniture (hereditary) rule.^[9]

A notable but controversial proposal during his reign was the extension of primogeniture laws to allow female succession in the absence of a male heir. Although Ohuede himself had a son—Oduwa—he introduced the idea as a safeguard against future succession crises, recalling the political uncertainty caused by Ogiso Ehenneden's death without an heir. Had Ehenneden lacked a male sibling like Oboite (Ohuede's father), the realm might have been forced to adopt either a rotational system—favourable to the Senior Nobles—or nominate a female relative, which would have provoked deeper controversy. Despite the pragmatic intent, the proposal was poorly received by the Senior Nobles, who viewed female succession as premature and incompatible with the kingdom's patriarchal traditions. The resistance to female rule persisted, as later seen when Oba Ewuare's attempt to name his daughter, Edeleyo, as successor met similar rejection.^[10]

Ohuede died c. 1112, about two years after his accession. His death coincided with divisions among the Senior Nobles and the continued enforcement of primogeniture by the Edionnisen; in the aftermath, they consolidated authority and restated measures relating to the monarchy. His seventh and only surviving son, Idugioduwa, succeeded him as Ogiso Oduwa (c. 1112–1119). According to traditional accounts, the other six sons had died before Ohuede attained the rank of Senior Noble; an oracle consultation attributed these deaths to Idugioduwa's mother, who was expelled from the household on allegations of witchcraft and died shortly thereafter, with some sources stating she may have been killed by a co‑wife. Idugioduwa was thereafter raised by his uncle Igbinidu, an ironsmith in Ugboha, a city within the kingdom.^[11]

Osarẹn Ọmọregie views Ohuede's tenure as a transitional phase in the Ogiso monarchy, particularly for its influence on debates surrounding succession law.^[10] The Ohuede dynasty was the shortest-lived Ogiso lineage, lasting only two decades before the transition to the Eweka dynasty.^[4]

• Ọmọregie, Osarẹn Solomon Boniface (1997a). Great Benin: The Age of Ogiso Reform (1050-1130 AD). Neraso Publishers. ISBN 978-2734-47-0. OCLC 634055155.
• Parks, Clint (19 October 2023). "The Kingdom of Benin". National Geographic Society. ISSN 0027-9358. Retrieved 16 February 2025.
• Abalogu, Uchegbulam N.; Ashiwaju, Garba; Amadi-Tshiwala, Regina (1981). Oral Poetry in Nigeria. ISBN 978-978-173-009-2.

• Ọmọregie, Osarẹn Solomon Boniface (1997b). Great Benin: The Age of Ikaladerhan (1130–1200 AD). Neraso Publishers. pp. 13–14. ISBN 978-978-2734-35-8.