Dahomey

Dahomey refers to the historic West African kingdom centered on the city of Abomey in what is now Benin. The state existed from the early 17th century to the end of the 19th century and became a major regional power through military expansion, warfare, and involvement in the Atlantic slave trade. Its rulers governed with a centralized royal administration under a long line of kings; the kingdom's origins are traditionally traced to a Fon-speaking founder in the early 17th century. The early capital was at Abomey, where a royal palace complex symbolized the state.

During the 18th century the kingdom expanded under kings such as Agaja (r. 1708–1740), extending Dahomey's sphere of influence to the Atlantic coast and contesting neighboring powers, including the Oyo Empire. The military also employed the famed Dahomey Amazons, or Agojie, an all-female regimental force that played a key role in campaigns and diplomacy. The kingdom profited from regional trade and, controversially, from participation in the trans-Atlantic slave trade, exporting enslaved people through coastal ports like Ouidah (Whydah) in exchange for European goods.

In the 19th century, European pressure and military defeats contributed to Dahomey's decline. The last king, Béhanzin, resisted French forces until Dahomey fell to France in 1894 and was incorporated into French West Africa. The name Dahomey persisted in historical and colonial contexts; in 1975 the country was renamed Benin by its post-independence government, and the name Benin was reaffirmed in 1990. The Royal Palaces of Abomey are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.