Dahomey reached the height of its power and prestige during the heyday of the atlantic slave trade in the. The focus is on links between powers of the dahomean monarchy and the local dynamics of kinship groups, religious institutions and village life. West africa was a zone where different cultural and commercial influences. Dahomey, a precolonial west african kingdom, is located in what is now southern benin. Oral sources on west african history in the eighteenth. Full text of dahomey an ancient west african kingdom. Often recruited as teenagers, the women soldiers lived in the royal palace, isolated from society. Karl polanyi dahomey and the slave trade an analysis of an archaic economy seattle 1966 akinjogbin dahomey and its neighbours 17081818 london 1967 see fortes and evans. The ancient kingdom of dahomey, that had its capital in abomey, established its power, and its expansion, on a permanent state of war that allowed it to capture prisoners belonging to other ethnic groups to be resold as slaves in return of arms and goods. Wonders of the african world episodes slave kingdoms.
Not only were the s of dahomey fiercely independent and strong but much of the warfare conducted by. Did you know that afro combs were used in ancient african civilizations. Oyo empire, yoruba state north of lagos, in presentday southwestern nigeria, that dominated, during its apogee 16501750, most of the states between the volta river in the west and the niger river in the east. The dahomey were a warring nation who actively participated in the slave trade, turning it to their advantage as they captured and sold their enemies. The amazons of dahomey and the nature of war by robert b. By far, some of the most popular claims that continue to endure, is the notion that the vodoun originated in either haiti, nigeria or in the former dahomean, west african kingdom now known since 1975 as benin. The women soldiers of dahomey elite troops of women soldiers, probably established in the early eighteenth century, contributed to the military power of the kingdom of dahomey in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. History of the kingdom of dahomey and kings of dahomey. The kingdom became a major regional power in the 1720s when it conquered the coastal kingdoms of allada and whydah. According to tradition, at the beginning of the 17th century three brothers vied for the kingdom of allada, which, like neighbouring whydah now ouidah, had grown rich on the slave trade. The kingdom of dahomey rose to power on the slave coast of west africa during the tumultuous atlantic era 16th19th centuries ce. A german book published in 1598, vera descriptio regni africani, describes an african royal court whose palace guard consisted of women, and similar royal formations. Oyo empire historical kingdom in western africa britannica. The kingdom of dahomey the history of the dahomey kingdom is indeed a long and venerable one.
There were at least a few contemporary examples of successful warrior queens, the bestknown of whom was probably nzinga of. Lost kingdoms of africa 4 of 4 west africa youtube. Dahomey, an ancient west african kingdom herskovits, melville j on. Dahomeys female troops were not the only martial women of their time. This article examines the role of royal architectural design in strategies to promote political order in the kingdom of dahomey, a major west african state which emerged in the era of the transatlantic slave trade. Many seekers after visiting their local diviners, when troubled by a spirit, will proclaim that their roots reading indicates that they are vodou.
On the african role in the transatlantic slave trade in. The aims of the emerging state were directly antagonistic to the traditional selfsufficient ways of life practiced by the collectivities. This book discusses the history of the ancient west african kingdom of dahomey from its origin on the plateau of abomey to its territorial expansion down to the coast. This book dovetails neatly with both africanamerican and womens studies. To be supplied and extends from the atlantic coast inland up to about latitude 7 6. Situated in western africa, the fon kingdom of dahomey or abomey in its earliest years was formed by a mixture of various local ethnic groups on the abomey plain. The ewe speaking people of west africa inhabit the areas between the river volta in modern ghana and the river mono on the western borders of the ancient kingdom of benin dahomey see map 1.
Edgerton, the international journal of african historical studies 33, no. As oyos wealth increased, so did its leaders political options. The kingdom of dahomey africas great civilizations. Pdf amazons of black sparta download full pdf book. Kingdom of dahomey definition of kingdom of dahomey by. The warrior women of dahomey, an ancient kingdom in west africa and presentday benin, first came to the attention of european travelers in the latter half of the sixteenth century. Oyo subjugated the kingdom of dahomey in the west in two phases 172430, 173848 and traded with european merchants on the coast through the port of ajase now portonovo. Ancient kingdoms of west africa download ebook pdf, epub. The kingdom of dahomey was an african kingdom that existed from about 1600 until 1904.
According to tradition, at the beginning of the 17th century three brothers vied for the kingdom of allada, which, like neighbouring whydah now ouidah, had grown rich on the. The history of the kingdom of dahomey spans 300 years from around 1600 until 1904 with the rise of the kingdom of dahomey as a major power on the atlantic coast of modernday benin until french conquest. Dahomey developed on the abomey plateau amongst the fon people in the early 17th century and became a. In 1818 gezo, the king who was to become the most revered in dahomean history, came to the throne. With control over these key coastal cities, dahomey became a major center in. European figures gb6 acquisition gbadu given gives glele gods hand head held herisse human indicated initiation killed king king of dahomey kings kingdom legba lisa living magic male manner mawii mawu mawulisa minona monarch mother native novitiates official. In the 17th century, polities across this region maintained. The state was granted autonomy as the republic of dahomey in 1958, followed by full independence in 1960. The tribal kingdom of dahomey in west africa was ended by french colonial occupation in 1894, after they took control during the dahomey war of 18921894.
The bibliography in robert histoire du dahomey paris 1962 lists about 250 items see melville herskovits dahomey an ancient west african kingdom evanston 2nd ed. For a more recent work reproducing this picture of a high degree of effective centralization, cf. Art historian gus caselyhayford explores the history of the lost kingdoms of west africa, with particular attention to the 16thcentury bronzes from the kingdom of benin. In the spring of 1863, the british explorer richard burton arrived in the west african coastal nation of dahomey on a mission for the british government, trying to make peace with the dahomey people. The tribal groups, possibly forced to move due to the slave trade, coalesced around a highly centralised, strict military culture which was aimed at securing and eventually. Under king agaja17161740 the kingdom of dahomey was expanded. It lies on the gulf of new guinea and contains a coastline that turns into forest, swamps, and highlands in the northern parts of the country. Dahomey an ancient west african kingdom internet archive. During the 1720s, the kingdom of allada and the kingdom of whydah came under dahomey. This site is like a library, use search box in the widget to get ebook that you want.
The history of the kingdom of dahomey black history 365. Dahomey, kingdom in western africa that flourished in the 18th and 19th centuries in the region that is now southern benin. Dahomeys women warriors history smithsonian magazine. Download pdf west african kingdoms free online new. This book focuses on the fonspeaking people of west africa historically associated with the emergence and expansion of the dahomey kingdom. Once dubbed a small black sparta, residents of dahomey shared with the spartans an intense militarism and sense of. Lombard, jacques, the kingdom of dahomey, in forde, daryll and kaberry, p. The ancestors of the fon, a west african people related to the yoruba, migrated southward from the niger river in about the thirteenth century, settling in the southern regions of what are today benin and togo. The kingdom of dahomey 73 made the kingdomsfortune and enabled the dahomean army to become one ofthe most feared in west mrica. Dahomey, an ancient west african kingdom 1967 edition. The unesco series on women in african history, produced by the knowledge. Agadjassuccessors all extended the boundaries ofthe kingdom. Full text of dahomey an ancient west african kingdom see other formats.
Dahomey, an ancient west african kingdom 2 vols, new york, 1938. Meet the most feared women in history messy nessy chic. Dahomey, an ancient west african kingdom by melville j. Dahomey had a unique form of west african vodun that linked together. Some of the history of these countries, however, is naturally mentioned in this history of the rest of africa but is kept to the minimum needed to make the rest comprehensible. Click download or read online button to get ancient kingdoms of west africa book now. An evil west african king and the atlantic slave trade.
We have attempted to establish that the indigenous west african polity, dahomey, was a society in transition from kin to civil structure. The kingdom of dahomey 73 made the kingdom sfortune and enabled the dahomean army to become one ofthe most feared in west mrica. The kingdom of dahomey africas great civilizations pbs. The history of the dahomey kingdom is indeed a long and venerable one.
The only thoroughly documented amazons in world history are the women warriors of dahomey, an eighteenth and nineteenthcentury western african kingdom. This is a short history of africa excluding egypt, ethiopia and dutch and british south africa, which are the subjects of separate histories. Dahomey, an ancient west african kingdom melville jean. This gave dahomey direct access to the coast where they could profit from the slave trade directly and aquire firearms for further expansion and conquest. An ancient west african kingdom, volume 1 melville jean herskovits snippet view 1938 melville jean herskovits, frances shapiro herskovits snippet view 1938. After this account, demonstrating how powerful the dahomean army was compared to. This investigation resulted in the monograph dahomey. Kingdom of dahomey synonyms, kingdom of dahomey pronunciation, kingdom of dahomey translation, english dictionary definition of kingdom of dahomey. Download west african kingdoms ebook pdf or read online books in pdf, epub. Oral sources on west african history in the eighteenth century case study from the kingdom of dahomey in benin. European visitors to that area of west africa from the 17th to the early part of this century. Hence, it was necessarily a society divided against itself, a society in conflict. Dahomey is a west african nation between togo west and nigeria east.