Kingdom of Dahomey

Kingdom of Dahomey, west African state (17th-19th century) in what is now the southern part of Benin; its capital was Abomey. Founded in the early 17th century and named Allada by kings of Yoruba origin, it gradually extended its domination over most of the region. King Agaja, who in the early 18th century trained a corps of women soldiers, seized control of Allada and the coastal town of Whydah (Ouidah) and became a major supplier of slaves to European traders. After Agaja's death, Dahomey was eclipsed for a time by the neighbouring Yoruba kingdom of Oyo, but its power was revived by King Gézo (reigned 1818-1858), who extended its frontiers northwards. French trading forts were established in the 18th and 19th centuries. The last king, Béhanzin (reigned (1889-1894), tried to resist the French settlements, but was defeated (1892) and exiled to Martinique. Dahomey became a French protectorate in 1892 and a colony in 1904. The name Dahomey was retained by the country after independence in 1960, but changed to Benin in 1975.