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. Dahomey, an ancient west african kingdom 1967 edition. After this account, demonstrating how powerful the dahomean army was compared to. An ancient west african kingdom, volume 1 melville jean herskovits snippet view 1938 melville jean herskovits, frances shapiro herskovits snippet view 1938. 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. 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. This site is like a library, use search box in the widget to get ebook that you want. 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. Dahomey, an ancient west african kingdom by melville j. 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. During the 1720s, the kingdom of allada and the kingdom of whydah came under dahomey. The state was granted autonomy as the republic of dahomey in 1958, followed by full independence in 1960. The history of the dahomey kingdom is indeed a long and venerable one. An evil west african king and the atlantic slave trade.
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. Agadjassuccessors all extended the boundaries ofthe kingdom. Click download or read online button to get ancient kingdoms of west africa book now. 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. In the 17th century, polities across this region maintained. This book focuses on the fonspeaking people of west africa historically associated with the emergence and expansion of the dahomey kingdom. Dahomey, kingdom in western africa that flourished in the 18th and 19th centuries in the region that is now southern benin. 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. For a more recent work reproducing this picture of a high degree of effective centralization, cf. Kingdom of dahomey synonyms, kingdom of dahomey pronunciation, kingdom of dahomey translation, english dictionary definition of kingdom of 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. The kingdom of dahomey 73 made the kingdom sfortune and enabled the dahomean army to become one ofthe most feared in west mrica. Under king agaja17161740 the kingdom of dahomey was expanded. The kingdom became a major regional power in the 1720s when it conquered the coastal kingdoms of allada and whydah. Lombard, jacques, the kingdom of dahomey, in forde, daryll and kaberry, p. The unesco series on women in african history, produced by the knowledge. Meet the most feared women in history messy nessy chic. 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. Oral sources on west african history in the eighteenth. 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.
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. Herskovits, 1967, northwestern university press edition, in english. 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. The aims of the emerging state were directly antagonistic to the traditional selfsufficient ways of life practiced by the collectivities.
The kingdom of dahomey the history of the dahomey kingdom is indeed a long and venerable one. Download west african kingdoms ebook pdf or read online books in pdf, epub. With control over these key coastal cities, dahomey became a major center in. Lost kingdoms of africa 4 of 4 west africa youtube. 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. European visitors to that area of west africa from the 17th to the early part of this century. Dahomey, an ancient west african kingdom herskovits, melville j on. 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. We have attempted to establish that the indigenous west african polity, dahomey, was a society in transition from kin to civil structure.
Dahomey had a unique form of west african vodun that linked together. Full text of dahomey an ancient west african kingdom see other formats. Kingdom of dahomey definition of kingdom of dahomey by. 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. Many seekers after visiting their local diviners, when troubled by a spirit, will proclaim that their roots reading indicates that they are vodou. The focus is on links between powers of the dahomean monarchy and the local dynamics of kinship groups, religious institutions and village life. Not only were the s of dahomey fiercely independent and strong but much of the warfare conducted by. Dahomey reached the height of its power and prestige during the heyday of the atlantic slave trade in the. The kingdom of dahomey africas great civilizations pbs. To be supplied and extends from the atlantic coast inland up to about latitude 7 6. Pdf amazons of black sparta download full pdf book. This investigation resulted in the monograph dahomey. In 1818 gezo, the king who was to become the most revered in dahomean history, came to the throne. Wonders of the african world episodes slave kingdoms.
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. Often recruited as teenagers, the women soldiers lived in the royal palace, isolated from society. The kingdom of dahomey rose to power on the slave coast of west africa during the tumultuous atlantic era 16th19th centuries ce. The kingdom of dahomey africas great civilizations.
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. The kingdom of dahomey was an african kingdom that existed from about 1600 until 1904. Hence, it was necessarily a society divided against itself, a society in conflict. Did you know that afro combs were used in ancient african civilizations. 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. The amazons of dahomey and the nature of war by robert b. On the african role in the transatlantic slave trade in. Vansina 1962 discusses the classification of subsaharan african kingdoms, mostly of central, south and east africa, with some additional data on west african sahelian kingdoms distinguishing five types, by decreasing centralization of power.
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. West africa was a zone where different cultural and commercial influences. Ancient kingdoms of west africa download ebook pdf, epub. Dahomey developed on the abomey plateau amongst the fon people in the early 17th century and became a. Download pdf west african kingdoms free online new. History of the kingdom of dahomey and kings of dahomey.
This book dovetails neatly with both africanamerican and womens studies. 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. This is a short history of africa excluding egypt, ethiopia and dutch and british south africa, which are the subjects of separate histories. There were at least a few contemporary examples of successful warrior queens, the bestknown of whom was probably nzinga of. Once dubbed a small black sparta, residents of dahomey shared with the spartans an intense militarism and sense of. Oral sources on west african history in the eighteenth century case study from the kingdom of dahomey in benin. 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. The only thoroughly documented amazons in world history are the women warriors of dahomey, an eighteenth and nineteenthcentury western african kingdom. 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.
Dahomeys female troops were not the only martial women of their time. 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 melville jean. Dahomey, a precolonial west african kingdom, is located in what is now southern benin. Dahomey is a west african nation between togo west and nigeria east. Dahomeys women warriors history smithsonian magazine. Edgerton, the international journal of african historical studies 33, no. Dahomey, an ancient west african kingdom 2 vols, new york, 1938. 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. Oyo empire historical kingdom in western africa britannica. Full text of dahomey an ancient west african kingdom. The history of the kingdom of dahomey black history 365.
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