Page "History of Africa" Paragraph 52

The Kwa Niger – Congo speaking Edo people.

By the mid-15th century, the Benin Empire was engaged in political expansion and consolidation.

Under Oba ( king ) Ewuare ( c. 1450 – 1480 CE ), the state was organized for conquest.

He solidified central authority and initiated 30 years of war with his neighbors.

At his death, the Benin Empire extended to Dahomey in the west, to the Niger Delta in the east, along the west African coast, and to the Yoruba towns in the north.