Why is Queen Idia so remarkable?

Oba Ozolua, was said to be one of the greatest

warrior-king’s of Benin. Ozolua was able to extend
the boundaries of Benin from the Niger River in the
east to Lagos in the west. Tradition calls him the
first ruler in West Africa to have had contact with
the Portuguese explorers who were then exploring
the western coast of sub-Saharan Africa.

The youngest son of another great Benin ruler,

Ewuare the Great, Ozolua became King in 1481 and
shortly after married Idia. Idia first entered the royal
household because Ozolua saw her dance, and after
the dance, he wanted to make Idia, his wife. Idia and Oba Ozolua were married
sometime before 1504, but historians are not certain about the exact date.

Idia then gave birth to a son who she named Esigie, but Esigie was never
destined to be king. Oba Ozolua already had two older sons who would be heirs
to the throne before Esigie. However when the sons were still young, the oldest
of the boys was badly injured and suffered difficulties that meant he could no
longer be Oba. This meant that Ozolua’s second born son, Arualan was now
heir to the throne.

Arhuaran was an intelligent child and as heir to the throne of Benin he was sent
at a young age to Portugal to receive training and education. Esigie stayed at
home and was educated by his mother, Idia. When Arhuaran came back from
Portugal, people in the palace could barely recognise him.

Meanwhile, Esigie, had grown to be a master of his father’s court. His speciality
in magic and potions and also his relationship with the royal guards and the
Oba’s army had made him popular among the people.

In 1504, Oba Ozolua died and a power struggle began between the two sons,
Esigie and Arhuaran. At the time of his father Oba Ozolua's death, Esigie
controlled Benin City and his brother Arhuaran controlled Udo, a town about 30
kilometres (20 miles) northwest of Benin City that was nearly its equal in size
and influence.

It is believed that Idia raised an army to fight off Esigie’s brother Arhuaran who
was supposed to be the Oba by right and tradition as the oldest son. Idia was a
fierce female warrior, something quite unusual in Benin society. Many people
within the society believed that she had spiritual powers, she was intelligent and
had knowledge of herbal medicines. Idia’s army was able to defeat that of
Arhuaran and her son Esigie became the 16th Oba of Benin.

Idia used her military generous again when the neighbouring Igala people sent
warriors across the Benue River to take control of Benin's northern territories.
With the support of his mother, Esigie conquered the Igala, re-establishing the
unity and military strength of the kingdom. His mother Idia received much of
the credit for these victories as her political counsel, together with her magical
powers and medicinal knowledge, were viewed as critical elements of Esigie's
success on the battlefield. 

To reward and honour her, Esigie created a new position within the royal court
called the iyoba, or queen mother, which gave her significant political
privileges, including a separate residence with its own staff. 

As mother of the king, Idia and later iyobas wielded considerable power. Queen
mothers were viewed as important to the protection and well-being of the oba
and, by extension, the kingdom. Within the court, the queen mother’s political
status was equal to that of a senior chief, and she enjoyed the powers that the
men at court had. The position of iyoba, first given to Idia, became a formally
recognised role of future Oba’s.

In order to honour his mother, Esigie had artworks created that still exist today.
Although images of women are rare in Benin's courtly tradition, the pendant
mask is believed to have been produced in the early sixteenth century for the
King or Oba Esigie, the king of Benin, to honor his mother, Idia. The oba may
have worn it on special occasions as a way to
commemorate and honnour his mother.

The mask is made of ivory and in Benin, ivory is

related to the color white, a symbol of purity that
is associated with Olokun, god of the sea. As the
source of extraordinary wealth and fertility,
Olokun is the spiritual counterpart of the oba and
so the material chosen for he mask is of
significance.