Isekiri foundation of Bini religion Abstract Definition of terms Comparison of Benin and Isekiri 1400-1900 Whether we go by intelligence reports, the reports of eye witnesses, the reports of early traders or the works of missionaries, Warri and Benin are by far the most documented towns or kingdoms in -what is now the south- south region of Nigeria. Since we are looking at the religious impact of Warri on Benin, it is necessary to do a comparative analysis of the two towns as far as written records will allow us. Both people – Bini and Isekiri started before the advent of the Europeans. Isekiri had pocket dynasties and monarchies in places like Okotomu now Ode-Isekiri, Ureju, Ugborodo, Inorin and so on (DSTO Pessu pg1-25). There was no united monarchy however. Bini could boast of more than ten kings in the dynasty that evolved from Ife and a new one in the person of Ewuare that just emerged prior to the visit of the Portuguese merchants. The Portuguese arrived a little earlier than the establishment of the present Isekiri dynasty (Egharevba 1948 pg 1-25; Moor 1936 pg1-10; Ogbobine 1976pg 1-10) . By going through the sources of the two most well recorded kingdoms in southern Nigeria, we must look at both the written sources and the oral tradition. Roth 1903 preface said that Benin was almost at the point of decay at its first discovery. Hear Roth “In January, 1471, some of the men employed by Gomez had reached Sa Jorge de Mina, and as on the fifth year of the contract, 1474, Ruy de Sequeira arrived at Cape Sa. Catherina, 2°3o' lat. S., the coast of Benin had therefore already been examined.