Bondarenko Dmitri M. Homoarchy

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diplomatic and missionary) relations with the Europeans despite the Obas’
formal absolute monopoly on them (see, e.g., Ryder 1969; Salvadorini 1972;
Roese and Bondarenko 2003: 79–314). In the 19 th century even ritual regicides
of supreme rulers used to happen (Rowlands 1993) though in Benin a
legitimate (institutionalized) procedure of getting rid of an objectionable
sovereign has never been introduced (Bradbury 1964: 154).
Thus sacralization of the supreme ruler’s institution first consolidated
the Obas’ achievements in the struggle for profane power with the chiefs but
finally turned to the sovereigns the opposite side. Sacralization of the Oba
which had been increasing gradually since the Second dynasty’s consolidation
and reached the “peak of expediency” (from the supreme rulers interests’
viewpoint) under Ewuare, then revealed itself as the main mechanism of the
Obas’ deprivation from the levers of profane control by titled chiefs. So, the
period of true though always relative independence of the Obas from titled
chiefs lasted for about 350 years, i.e., half of seven centuries of the Second
dynasty history in the precolonial time. These three and a half centuries began
with the victory of Ewedo over the Uzama N’Ihinron in the mid-13 th century
and came to their end with the sovereign’s loss of the commander-in-chief
position on the brink of the 16 th and 17 th centuries.
This became possible due to the specifics of the Bini consciousness in
general and political consciousness in particular (see also the next section). In
their minds, the true ruler was not the one who holds real (in our rational
modern view) control levers but the one who was endowed with sacral power.
Benin commoners definitely saw sacral duties as most important and believed
that the Oba’s profane power was also increasing in the course of his further
sacralization, in the result of it (for detail see Bondarenko 2000e). Actually,
Obas, beginning with the first one, Eweka I, themselves did a lot to increase the
level of their sacralization, especially Oba Ewuare of the mid-15 th century. The
great contribution of this sovereign is remarkable: no doubt it was connected
with the increase during his reign of centripetal tendencies in Benin society,
consolidation of the royal power, coming to its end in general outline of the all-
Benin political institutions system formation, and sharp activization of
territorial expansion. These profound transformational processes needed an
ideological setting and further stimulation. Sacralization of the all-Benin power
in general and the institution of supreme ruler in particular could and did
become such an ideological pillar.
By no means did Obas become powerless after the profane power’s
passing to the chiefs: in the Benin society and culture context, sacral power was
a specific kind of real power which allowed to limit effectively behavioral
alternatives of the subjects (Bondarenko 1995a: 227–230). Although what was
sacralized was not a concrete Oba’s personality but the very power and
institution of the supreme ruler (Nkanta and Arinze n.d.: 5), 30 not only in the
Binis’ minds but objectively as well, by the vary fact of his presence on the