Bondarenko Dmitri M. Homoarchy

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The structure of the Eghaevbo N’Ogbe reproduced the Binis’ agegrade
system as it was divided into three groups (otu-eguae): Iwebo (elder),
Iweguae (middle), and Ibiwe (younger) (for detail see: Bradbury 1957: 37–38;
Picton 1997: 23–24). Not by chance the names of the three groups and of the
age-grades were similar: otu-eguae and otu respectively. To be correct, palace
chiefs formed the core of each of these groups as some other administrators
were their members either (Roese 1988: 55–61, 68; 1993; Eweka, E. B. 1992:
47–80, 214; Picton 1997: 22–23). There also was internal gradation in each of
the groups: into two more and three less highly ranked subgroups of palace
chiefs (Bradbury 1957: 37–39).
Members of each of the otu-eguae had a specific set of duties to
perform for the supreme ruler. Speaking generally, the Eghaevbo N’Ogbe were
administrators, generals, priests, masters of ceremonies (Egharevba 1956: 28;
Dike 1959: 13; Bradbury 1969: 22; Nevadomsky and Inneh 1984: 48–50).
Besides membership in the royal council, they had another common duty: to
control the activities of palace craft unions (Eweka, E. B. 1992: 53–57, 69–77,
79–80; Agbontaen 1995: 119–123). The Obas’ deputies in the annexed lands
(the Onotueyevbo) were also responsible at them, first of all for regularity and
totality of the tribute they had to pay to the Benin supreme ruler (Roese 1993:
437).
The kingmakers were really pushed to the background but eventually
those were not the Obas but the palace chiefs who came to the fore. No doubt,
supreme rulers could find some possibilities for maneuvering among the palace
chiefs’ associations trying to push them against each other. However, the
measure of the Eghaevbo N’Ogbe members’ corporativity was high enough and
their common importance as of a titled chiefs category was great. In particular,
Agbontaen (1995: 119) writes about the palace chiefs: “On the political plane,
these were the channels through which palace functions were differentiated.
They were avenues for channeling competitions among the groups, and
indirectly enabling the Oba to maintain stability and political balance between
competing groups” of administrators. The Eghaevbo N’Ogbe acquired their
might due not only to their official titles and rights but also, maybe even first of
all, owe to their physical proximity to the supreme ruler. One of their main
tasks was to serve mediators between the Oba and the people (Agbontaen
1995), for the prohibition to communicate with his subjects freely seems to be
among the supreme ruler’s taboos already at least in the beginning of the 17 th
century. Hence, the palace chiefs could rather easily “regulate” the information
flows to and from the palace in their own interests. From the European written
sources of the 17 th – 19 th centuries one can see that these chiefs really did it, and
also see what a considerable might the Eghaevbo N’Ogbe under the leadership
of Uwangue concentrated in their hands that time (Nyendael 1705: 435;
Smith, W. 1744: 228–230; Roth 1968/1903: 92; Anonymous 1969/1652: 309;
Ryder 1969: 103; Hнjar 1972/1654: 248–249; Dapper 1975/1668: 503; Dantzig