28 Dec Benin Expedition of 1897
Posted at 08:51h
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The Benin Expedition of 1897 was a punitive expedition by a British force led by Admiral Sir Harry Rawson (9–18 February 1897). The expedition saw widespread destruction and pillage of the Benin kingdom by British forces. Along with other monuments and palaces, the Royal Palace was burned and destroyed. Its shrines and associated compounds were looted by British forces, and thousands of objects of ceremonial and ritual value were taken to the UK as official ‘spoils of war’ or distributed among members of the expedition according to their rank.*