Benin kingdom annexed to the Niger Coast Protectorate

The kingdom of Benin ceased to exist as an independent state in 1897 when it was annexed to the Niger Coast Protectorate, ending a dynasty whose monarchy traced its origins to around the 13th century with some thirty rulers. Before 1897, parts of a dead Oba's body had customarily been sent to Ife for burial, marking the ritual link with the Yoruba dynasty.