The Kingdom of Dahomey was located in modern-day Benin Republic, West Africa
The Kingdom of Dahomey was a West African kingdom that existed from the early 17th century until the end of the 19th century. It was located in what is now modern-day Benin and was ruled by the Fon people.
The kingdom was known for its military might, particularly its all-female military unit known as the Dahomey Amazons or the Mino (meaning “our mothers” in Fon language).
The kingdom’s economy was largely based on the slave trade, with captives taken from neighboring tribes and sold to European traders. Despite this, the kingdom also had a rich cultural heritage, including a vibrant artistic tradition that included intricate bronze and ivory sculptures, as well as a complex religious system centered around the worship of ancestral spirits.
The Kingdom of Dahomey was eventually colonized by France in the late 19th century and became part of French West Africa.
The Dahomey Kingdom at its greatest extent
