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. Dahomey, kingdom in western africa that flourished in the 18th and 19th centuries in the region that is now southern benin. View notes dahomey kingdom from afamast 1121 at ohio state university. The kingdom became a major regional power in the 1720s when it conquered the coastal kingdoms of allada and whydah.
Kodi archive and support file community software vintage software apk msdos cdrom software cdrom software library console living room software sites tucows software library shareware cdroms software capsules compilation cdrom images zx spectrum doom level cd. Founded in the early seventeenth century, the kingdom of dahomey began to spread from the city of abomey during the reign of king houegbadja 16451685, known as the third king of dahomey. Dahomey reached the height of its power and prestige during the heyday of the atlantic slave trade in the. Cooperation year between dahomey and nigeria 1975 world savings day 1974 albert schweitzer 1975 international womens year 1975 dahomey 35fr 65fr 100fr 200 fr50 150fr map of dahomey. By archibald dalzel, formerly governor at whydah, and now at capecoastcastle. The inevitable starting point is their traditional accounts. The dahomey benin embayment is part of a system of west african pericratonic margin sag basin14, covering much of the continental margin of the gulf of guinea, extending from voltadelta in ghana on the west to the okitipupa ridge in nigeria on the east figure 1. The palace sculptures of abomey combines lavish color photographs of the basreliefs with a lively history of the dahomey kingdom, complemented by period drawings, rare historical photographs, and colorful textile art. The women soldiers of dahomey elite troops of women soldiers contributed to the military power of the kingdom of dahomey in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The rise of the kingdom of dahomey coincided with the growth of the slave trade in the area, and consequently has often served as a case study of the impact of the slave trade upon african societies. The focus is on links between powers of the dahomean monarchy and the local dynamics of kinship groups, religious institutions and village life. Dahomey s female troops were not the only martial women of their time. Meet the most feared women in history messy nessy chic.
The kingdom of benin, also known as the benin kingdom, was a precolonial kingdom in what is now southern nigeria. With control over these key coastal cities, dahomey became a major center in the. Dahomey reached the height of its power and prestige during the heyday of the atlantic slave trade in. Download free adobe acrobat reader dc software for your windows, mac os and android devices to view, print, and comment on pdf documents. Media in category dahomey the following 84 files are in this category, out of 84 total.
And when you want to do more, subscribe to acrobat pro. Within this region, the kingdom of as the th century, dispersed from the urban dahomey emerged in the 18th century as a centers ileife, oyo, and later ketu in. People for dahomey entertainment limited 09822169 more for dahomey entertainment limited 09822169. He was able to interview agbidinoukoun and other informants without the always risky mediation of an interpreter. 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. The king, surrounded by a magnificent retinue, was the unchallenged pinnacle of a rigidly stratified. This is known because the priesthood in these countries uses technical words which are. They have, it appears, while searching for their new interpretations, lost sight of their source material.
This civil power, lacking the means of really efficient exploitation, in the absence of a crystallized class system, of a mature internal structure. The kingdom of dahomey was an african kingdom that existed from about 1600 until 1904. The kingdom of benins capital was edo, now known as benin city in edo state. Kingdoms of west africa dahomey benin the history files. Dahomey, then, is a type of early or protostate, in the service of the slave trade, organized by military conquest from without, and the civil power was essentially a tributary mechanism. View pdf registered office address changed from 3 dahomey road london sw16 6nb united kingdom to 6 clairview road london sw16 6tu on 1 november 2017 link opens in a. Gezo liberated dahomey from its subjection to oyo by defeating the latter in 1823. Often recruited as teenagers, the women soldiers lived in the royal palace, isolated from society. General information in 1989, the north mississippi refuges complex. Dahomey kingdom dahomey kingdom kingdom of dahomey. On the origins of the amazons of dahomey history in. This gave dahomey direct access to the coast where they could profit from the slave trade directly and.
Bay emory university, atlanta the kpojito, the female reignmate to the king of dahomey, is said by twentiethcentury dahomeans to. Dahomey emerged in the 18th century as a primary example of the centralized state in. Fon allfemale military regiment of the kingdom of dahomey in the presentday republic of benin. Thriving on the sale of slaves to the europeans, the kingdom of dahomey prospered and acquired new provinces under kings tegbesu 173274, kpengla 177489, and agonglo 178997. Protecting their king on the bloodiest of battlefields, they emerged as an elite fighting force in the kingdom of dahomey in, the presentday republic of benin. After king adandozan 17971818 was overthrown by the great gezu 181858, dahomey reached the high point of its power and fame. They were so named by western observers and historians due to their similarity to the mythical amazons of ancient anatolia and the black sea. Dahomey, a precolonial west african kingdom, is located in what is now southern benin. King houegbadja, whose motto was making dahomey ever greater, succeeded in imposing his authority on. During the 1720s, the kingdom of allada and the kingdom of whydah came under dahomey. 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. Dahomean attempts at expansion eastward, however, brought it up against the powerful state of abeokuta also in nigeria. After spending one night in cotonou, the capital of benin, i decided that it was best to press on towards nigeria.
The dahomey amazons or mino, which means our mothers, were a fon allfemale military regiment of the kingdom of dahomey in the presentday republic of benin which lasted until the end of the 19th century. The national library of australias copies direct service lets you purchase higher quality, larger sized photocopies or electronic copies of newspapers pages clicking on the order now button below will open the ordering form in a new window which will allow you to enter the details of your request. Files are available under licenses specified on their description page. The king of dahomey ahosu in the fon language was the ruler of the kingdom of dahomey, in the southern part of presentday benin, which lasted from 1600 until 1900 when the french abolished the political authority of the kingdom. The dahomey kingdom, which was then part of the oyo. The history of dahomy, an inland kingdom of africa. The kingdom was a form of absolute monarchy unique in africa. Combining data both from historical sources and contemporary ethnographic accounts. For hundreds of years, the kingdoms of benin, dahomey, kongo, oyo and songhay produced exquisite works of art illustrated manuscripts, sculptures and. Pdf the kingdom of dahomey rose to power on the slave coast of west africa during the tumultuous atlantic era 16th19th centuries ce. There were at least a few contemporary examples of successful warrior queens, the. Archaeology and political order on the bight of benin.
Described as untouchable, sworn in as virgins, swift decapitation was their trademark. Only with adobe acrobat reader you can view, sign, collect and track feedback, and share pdfs for free. It is not to be confused with benin, the postcolonial nation state. Founded in the early seventeenth century, the kingdom of dahomey began to spread from the city of abomey during the reign of king houegbadja 16451685. Saburi biobaku director of the yoruba historical research schzme, nigeria the history of the indigenous peoples of west africa is ripe for intensive research. Dahomeys women warriors history smithsonian magazine. Dahomey, liberates kingdom from oyo domination, pro motes palmoil processing as an economic alternative to the slave trade. It was the kingdom of the fon people, one of the groups which formed the modern benin state. Under king agaja17161740 the kingdom of dahomey was expanded.
1288 19 953 884 1388 952 1584 345 1256 74 620 619 208 1536 182 1616 101 121 775 662 24 936 211 79 761 616 589 945 15