city state · West Africa
Bonny Kingdom
Origins
Bonny, called Ibani by its people, was founded by Ijaw migrants on an island near the mouth of the Bonny river, traditionally in the 15th century. By the 17th century it was dealing with Portuguese, Dutch and English ships, buying captives from the Igbo hinterland through networks such as the Aro Confederacy.
Rule and society
The Amanyanabo ruled with the heads of trading houses, which absorbed slaves and could be led by able former slaves. The Pepple dynasty, founded by Perekule in the 18th century, presided over a huge slave trade and then a shift to palm oil after abolition. The British consul deposed King William Dappa Pepple in 1854.
Decline and legacy
In 1869 the former slave and house head Jaja left Bonny to found the Kingdom of Opobo, taking much of its trade. Bonny signed a British protection treaty in 1884 and became part of the Oil Rivers Protectorate. It is now a key oil and gas terminal.
On the connections map
Open the full map →Connections (2)
- Kingdom of Opobo split from Bonny Kingdom1870 CE
- Bonny Kingdom was a protectorate of Oil Rivers Protectorate1884 CE – 1893 CE
Cite this page
- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). Bonny Kingdom. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/bonny-kingdom
- MLA
- “Bonny Kingdom.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/bonny-kingdom. Accessed .
- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “Bonny Kingdom.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/bonny-kingdom.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Bonny Kingdom’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/bonny-kingdom (Accessed: ).
Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻