Dahomey

Dahomey or Dahomey was a West African kingdom that existed for about 260 years at the coast of the Bight of Benin.

In 1960, by reference to the ancient kingdom of Dahomey modern state, whose territory covered in part with the territory of the old kingdom, in the northern parts but far out enough about it. 1975 this country was renamed the People's Republic of Benin ( Republic of Benin since 1990 ).

Location

The Kingdom of Dahomey bordered to the end of the 19th century the eastern side of the land of the Yoruba and handed in the west to Volta. Thus, it covered an area that extended over a length of almost 300 km from the present-day Western Nigeria to present-day Ghana. In the north, extending from the coast about 150 km to the north, roughly to the northern boundary of the present-day Benin Collines department. Capital and center of the kingdom was the city today located in Benin Abomey.

History

The Kingdom of Dahomey was founded in the 17th century and lasted until the late 19th century, when it later became part of French West Africa was captured by French troops from Senegal and.

The origins of Dahomey are traceable, which headed inland and settled among the Fon resident up to a group of Adja from the coastal kingdom of Allada. From about 1650, the immigrants dominated the tribes of the Fon and the Wegbaja and raised a of their number to the king. Its capital Abomey was Houegbadja and his successors the center of a centralized state with a deeply rooted king's cult with sacred character. There were also human sacrifices to the ancestors of the royal family. All land belonged directly to the respective king, who raised taxes on all crops.

Economically benefited the kings of Dahomey but most of the slave trade on the coasts. When the kings then had a strategy of expansion, they are already used guns and other firearms which they had acquired through the slave trade to America with the Europeans. Under King Agadja ( reigned 1708-1732 ) conquered it Allada, descended from the ruling families and thus were given direct access to the coast and to berths European slave traders. The neighboring kingdom of Oyo, Dahomey main competitor in the slave trade, but could not be captured. Rather, it succeeded in Oyo in 1730 to make Dahomey tribute.

In spite of the obligation to pay tribute Dahomey retained its independence and continued to expand through trade in slaves and later palm oil from plantations. Furthermore, the king retained the monopoly on all the land and all trade.

From the 17th to the late 19th century Dahomey had women regiments in the army.

On September 10, 1885 Portugal joined in the hinterland of São João Baptista d' Ajuda an agreement with the Kingdom of Dahomey, by which Portugal took over early 1886 the protectorate over the entire coast. However, in 1892 Dahomey fell to France. French troops, mostly of African origin, Dahomey conquered definitively 1892-1894.

Culture

The official language of the kingdom was Fon.

The Royal Palaces of Abomey were included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1985.