THE ROLE OF THE MONARCHY IN FOSTERING DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS BETWEEN AGBOR AND BENIN

Abstract

This paper reviews the social psychology of the inter-group relations that exist between the people of Agbor and Benin; it focuses on how the interactions between these people have affected their way of life and beliefs. Today, it is difficult to distinguish among these different people’s cultures, languages, and the names they bear. Inter-group relations between various indigenous clans in pre-colonial Nigeria have received less attention from historians and others, thus, helping to perpetuate the erroneous notion that Africans before the coming of the Europeans were isolated from one other and unable to form complex relationships and governments. These racist views have been upheld by the European community in an attempt to justify their actions on the continent and in Nigeria in particular. The Truth is, even before the coming of the Europeans, Africans were in contact with one another, they interacted through diverse means like trade, wars, and inter-marriages among others. The paper will therefore attempt to establish that the people of Agbor and Benin have had a long period of cooperation among themselves, thanks to the roles that the kings played. It will also explain some of the conflicts that threatened to tear these groups apart. It would show the various ways that these groups showed solidarity with one another in the area of attending festivals, burial ceremonies, marriages, and others. This study will achieve its objectives using the qualitative research method to analyze the available data while relying on the use of primary and secondary sources to provide the necessary information. The paper concludes that the kings played major roles in maintaining the peace and harmony that both kingdoms continue to enjoy.