Dahomey was the name of a country in west Africa now called the Republic of Benin. Benin (bə'nɪn officially the Republic of Benin, and also known as Benin Republic, is a country in Western Africa. The Kingdom of Dahomey was a powerful west African state founded in the seventeenth century which survived until 1894. As a means of recording the passage of Time, the 17th Century was that Century which lasted from 1601 - 1700 in the Gregorian calendar From 1894 until 1960 Dahomey was a part of French West Africa. French West Africa ( Afrique occidentale française, AOF) was a Federation of eight French colonial territories in Africa: The independent Republic of Dahomey existed from 1960-1975. In 1975, the country was re-named Benin after the Bight of Benin (not the unrelated historical Kingdom of Benin) since "Benin", unlike "Dahomey", was deemed politically neutral for all ethnic groups in the state. Benin (bə'nɪn officially the Republic of Benin, and also known as Benin Republic, is a country in Western Africa. The Bight of Benin is a bight (a type of bay on the western African coast that extends eastward for about 400 miles (640 km from Cape St The Benin Empire or Edo Empire (1440-1897 was a large pre-colonial African state of modern Nigeria.

History

The origins of Dahomey can be traced back to a group of Aja from the coastal kingdom of Allada who moved northward and settled among the Fon people of the interior. The Aja are a group of people native to south-western Benin and south-eastern Togo Allada is a town located in the Atlantique Department of Benin. This is an article about the Fon people for the article about the Fon chieftains of Cameroon see Fon (Cameroon. By about 1650, the Aja managed to dominate the Fon, and Wegbaja declared himself king of their joint territory. Aho Houegbadja was the third King of Dahomey. He succeeded his uncle Dakodonou, and ruled from 1645 to 1685 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. Abomey is a town in Benin, formerly the capital of the ancient kingdom of Dahomey. This article does not discuss "cult" in the original sense of "veneration" or "religious practice" for that usage see Cult (religious practice These included an emphasis on human sacrifices in large numbers, to the ancestors of the monarch. Human sacrifices were not only made in time of war, pestilence, calamity, and on the death of kings and chiefs, they were also made regularly in the Annual Customs, believed to supply deceased kings with a fresh group of servants. Every year in the Kingdom of Dahomey, a huge festival in honor of the ancestors was organized called the annual "customs". Four thousand Whydahs, for example, were sacrificed when Dahomey conquered Whydah in 1727. Five hundred were sacrificed for Adanzu II in 1791. The sacrifices for Gezo went on for days. Human sacrifice was usually done by beheading, except in the case of the king's wives, who were buried alive. 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. The history of slavery uncovers many different forms of human exploitation across many cultures throughout history 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. A rifle is a Firearm designed to be fired from the shoulder with a barrel that has a helical groove or pattern of grooves ("rifling" cut into the barrel walls Under King Agadja (ruled 1708-1732), the kingdom conquered Allada, where the ruling family originated. Dossou Agadja was the third King of Dahomey. He succeeded Houessou Akaba, and ruled from 1708 to 1740 Year 1708 ( MDCCVIII) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Year 1732 ( MDCCXXXII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a They thus gained 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. The Oyo Empire (c 1400 - 1835 was a West African empire of what is today western Nigeria. By 1730, he became a tributary of Oyo. Year 1730 ( MDCCXXX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a This means that Dahomey had to pay a yearly duty of heavy taxes, but otherwise remained mostly independent.

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. The kings of Dahomey sold their war captives into transatlantic slavery, rather than killing them in the Annual Customs. Every year in the Kingdom of Dahomey, a huge festival in honor of the ancestors was organized called the annual "customs". Historian Walter Rodney estimates that by c. Walter Rodney ( March 23, 1942 &ndash June 13, 1980) was a prominent Guyanese historian and political figure 1770, the King of Dahomey was earning an estimated £250,000 per year by selling captive Africans to the European slave traders. He spent most of the money on British-made firearms (of poor quality) and industrial-grade alcohol.

Colonial history

During the 19th century, European nations established colonies in Africa to better control resources and expand their economic influence. France conquered Dahomey during the Second Franco-Dahomean War (1892-1894) and established colonial government there. The Second Franco-Dahomean War, which raged from 1892 to 1894, was a major conflict between the French Third Republic, led by General Alfred-Amédée Year 1892 ( MDCCCXCII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year Year 1894 ( MDCCCXCIV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Most of the troops who fought against Dahomey were native African. Several historians have surmised that neighbouring tribes, particularly the Yoruba, were only too happy to bring about the Dahomey kingdom's collapse in favour of liberal French rule. The Yoruba (Yo•row•ba ( Yorùbá in Yoruba Orthography) are one of the largest ethno-linguistic or Ethnic groups in West Africa This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics.

Under French rule, Dahomey became one of the départements of France. In the Terminology of Political geography and Historiography a National department (département departamento is an administrative The educated class learned French and the language became widely used. This area is still part of French-speaking Africa.

Independence

In 1958, Dahomey became an autonomous republic; it gained full independence in 1960. Year 1958 ( MCMLVIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1960 ( MCMLX) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Republic of Dahomey changed its name to Benin in 1975. Year 1975 ( MCMLXXV) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

In 1971, American novelist Frank Yerby published The Man From Dahomey, a historical novel set partially in Dahomey, which successfully unfolds Dahomean culture. Year 1971 ( MCMLXXI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1971 Gregorian calendar. Frank Garvin Yerby ( –) was an African American historical novelist.

References and notes

1. A. B. Ellis, The Ewe-Speaking Peoples of the Slave Coast of West Africa, Benin Press, 1965, pp. 177-238.

See also

• Rulers of the Fon state of Danhome
• Dahomey Amazons
• Dahomey mythology
• Vodou
• First Franco-Dahomean War
• Second Franco-Dahomean War