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Dahomey
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'''Dahomey''' was a kingdom in
Africa, situated in what is now the nation of
Benin. The kingdom was founded in the
seventeenth century and survived until the late
nineteenth century, when it was conquered by
French colonies French troops from
Senegal and incorporated into France's
West African
colonialism colonies.
The origins of Dahomey can be traced back to a group of
Aja people Aja from the coastal kingdom of
Allada who moved northwards and settled among the
Fon people of the interior. By about
1650, the Aja managed to dominate the Fon and
Wegbaja declared himself king of their joint territory. Based in his capital of
Agbome, Wegbaja and his successors succeeded in establishing a highly centralized state with a deep-rooted kingship
cult of sacrificial offerings, including human sacrifices, to the ancestors of the monarch. All land was owned directly by the king, who collected taxes from all crops that were produced.
Economically, however, Wegbaja and his successors profited mainly from the
slave trade and relations with slavers along the coast. As Dahomey's kings embarked on wars to expand their territory, they began using
rifles and other firearms traded with French and Spanish slave-traders for young men captured in battle, who fetched a very high price from the European slave-merchants. Under King
Agadja (ruled
1708-
1732) the kingdom conquered Allada, where the ruling family originated, thereby gaining direct contact with European slave traders on the coast. Nevertheless, Agadja was unable to defeat the neighbouring kingdom of
Oyo, Dahomey's chief rival in the slave trade, and in
1730, he became a tributary of
Oyo, though he still managed to maintain Dahomey's independence.
Even as a tributary state, Dahomey continued to expand and flourish because of the slave trade and later through the export of palm oil from large plantations that emerged. Because of the economic structure of the kingdom, the land belonged to the king, who had a virtual monopoly on all trade.
As one of West Africa's principal slave states, Dahomey became extremely unpopular with neighbouring peoples. Historian
Walter Rodney estimates that by c.1770, the King of Dahomey was earning an estimated £250,000 per year by selling captive African soldiers and even his own people to the European slave-traders. Most of this money was spent on British-made firearms (of very poor quality) and industrial-grade alcohol. Dahomey was finally conquered by France in
1892-
1894. Most of the troops that fought against Dahomey were native African, and it has been surmised by several historians that neighbouring tribes, particularly the
Yoruba, were only too happy to bring about the Kingdom's collapse in favour of liberal
France French rule.
In
1958, Dahomey became an autonomous republic, and from there, it would gain full independence in
1960. The Republic of Dahomey changed its name to Benin in
1975.
In
1971, American novelist
Frank Yerby published ''
The Man From Dahomey'', a historical novel set partially in Dahomey, which does a good job of unfolding Dahomean culture to the reader.
Kings of Dahomey
*
Gangnihessou ???? -
1620
*
Dakodonou,
1620-
1645
*
Houegbadja,
1645-
1685
*
Akaba,
1685-
1708
*
Agadja,
1708-
1732
*
Tegbessou,
1732-
1774
*
Kpengla,
1774-
1789
*
Agonglo,
1789-
1797
*
Adandozan,
1797-
1818
*
Ghezo,
1818-
1856
*
Glele,
1856-
1889
*
Behanzin,
1889-
1894
''See also:''
*
Rulers of the Fon state of Danhome
*
Dahomey Amazons
{{Former French colonies}}
Category:Dahomey
br:Dahomey
de:Dahomey (Königreich)
et:Dahomee
fa:داهومی
fr:Dahomey
is:Dahómey
he:דהומיי
hu:Dahomey
nl:Dahomey
ja:ダホメ王国
pl:Dahomej
pt:Daomé
ro:Dahomey
tl:Dahomey
Category:History of Benin
Category:Former French colonies
Category:Former countries in Africa
bg:КатегориÑ?:Дахомей
ca:Categoria:Dahomei
ko:분류:다호메니
zh:category:��美
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