The imperial expansion of Benin in the late 16th and early 17th centuries brought vast territories and peoples under its control. The newly emerging Awori-dominated community, which was located along the Lagos lagoon, was one of such communities. The control of the Benin Kingdom over the Lagos community became very strong from the early 17th century onwards. According to Agiri and Barnes (1996), quoting a Dutch visitor to Lagos during the period, Bini military men were stationed at Lagos and they sent reports of developments there to the rulers of Benin on a weekly basis. In the course of the 17th century, the small Awori community of Lagos expanded tremendously as a result of its strategic location close to the meeting point between the Lagoon and the Atlantic, which made it possible for her to engage in very lucrative trade with Europeans. This expansion compelled the people to develop a more elaborate political institution. The imperial domination of Benin over Lagos during this period was to have tremendous influence on the monarchical government which emerged in the latter. Thus, Olofin and Asipa, who had strong links with Benin, played a great role in the establishment of the traditional institution of Lagos in the early period. The influence of the monarch back in Benin

on the nearly-evolving monarchy in Lagos was very prominent also. The result of all these was that a striking similarity between the traditional political institutions in Lagos and Benin became evident. However, after the reign of Akenzua I in Benin in the second half of the 18th century, the influence of Benin over areas that were formerly under its control waned considerably. This continued throughout the 19th century up to the time of the British attack and “massacre” of Benin in February 1897. As Egharevba (1934) has pointed out, a vacuum was created in the political institution of Benin from 1897 to 1914, and even after the installation of Eweka II, things were never the same again as British imperial control had become established not only in Benin but in the whole of southern Nigeria at this time. This seriously altered the pattern of the relationship between Benin and areas that it once controlled which included Lagos. In spite of this, the features of Bini traditional political structure are still very evident in Lagos, as revealed during the installation of Oba Akiolu II in Lagos in August 2003. The task of this paper is to examine the origin, nature and changing pattern of the relationship between the traditional political institutions of Benin and Lagos since the 17th century.