Britain Burned and Destroyed the Kingdom of Benin in 1897 — Then Looted Thousands of Its Treasures

Tue, 25 Aug 2026 03:24:12 +0200

In 1897, Britain sent over 1,200 soldiers to destroy the Kingdom of Benin — one of the most advanced civilizations in pre-colonial Africa. They burned the capital to the ground, exiled the king, and looted an estimated 10,000 priceless artifacts including the world-famous Benin Bronzes. These weren't just works of art. They were the memory system of an entire civilization — court records, royal genealogies, and sacred ceremonial objects cast in bronze by master craftsmen whose guild had been perfecting their techniques for over 500 years.

Today, more than 900 of these stolen treasures sit in the British Museum alone. Thousands more are scattered across institutions in Germany, the United States, the Netherlands, and beyond. The British Museum still refuses to return a single piece, citing a 1963 law — while Germany, the Smithsonian, and dozens of other institutions have already begun sending them home.

This is the full story of how a kingdom that rivaled European capitals in size and sophistication was deliberately destroyed, its treasures stolen at gunpoint, and how the fight to bring them home is still being waged today.

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