Edo, a people living in the Mid-West and Western states of Nigeria. Population, including allied tribes (Esa, Kukuruku, Sobo, Urhobo), about 2.1 million (1967 estimate). The Bini language is assigned to the Kwa subgroup of the Guiñean language group. Some of the Bini profess Islam, others Christianity, and local traditional beliefs are also preserved. Agriculture is the principal occupation (cassava, taro, rice). Crafts have undergone extensive development. The Benin state flourished among the Bini from the 12th to the 19th centuries, with its peak from the 13th to 15th centuries (according to other sources, the 15th to 17th centuries).