History of Benin

Discussion Board Forum 8
Rhonda Ray

HIWD 320 Africa

Liberty University in Lynchburg VA

Historical era/Early Modern era- Established 40 BC - First ruled by Ogiso

- Annexed by the United Kingdom(Britain) 1897

- 1625 90,000 km² area (34,749 sq mi)

Spread over n area of 1,650 square miles, the Republic of Benin lies on the west coast of Africa and is sandwiched between Burkina Faso, Niger, Nigeria, and Togo. The country has a 77-mile coastline¹. Its topography varies from low-lying area in the coastal region to wooded savannahs to hilly regions in the northwest.  The weather in Benin is mainly hot and humid, with a dry season that lasts from December to March. During this time, the harmattan winds blow across the country, and temperatures range between 72F° and 95F°.²  Long showers of rain happen between March and July while the short rains happen from around mid-September to mid-November. The rain is seldom evenly distributed, with the country’s southwest experiencing less rain and hence is less fertile.

Benin is a democratic republic run by a president who is both the head of state and the head of government. Whereas the president is elected by a majority vote, it is up to the head of state to appoint judges under the advice of the national assembly. 

Patrice Talon - President of The People's Republic of Benin

Alternatively, members of the national assembly are elected through a ‘closed-list proportional representation system. Politically, the country employs a multi-party system with a president elected every five years. The country is governed by a constitution adopted in 1990, after a lack of funding and support from the now-defunct Soviet Union. Administratively speaking, the country is divided into twelve departments which are further divided into 77 communes. Each department has a capital city.³ The country’s administrative capital is Porto Novo, originally a slave port, while the largest city is Cotonou. There are approximately 42 ethnic groups in Benin, including the Yoruba, Dendi, Bariba, Fula, Betammaribe, Somba, and the Fon.⁴  However, due to its placement, people from neighboring countries often migrate to Benin.  The majority of the population lives in the south. Benin’s national language is French, although different ethnicities speak different dialects. As of 2017, the people of Benin numbered above 11 million. ⁵

Statue of Béhanzin in Abomey

The People's Republic of Benin has a rich history. It was once called the Kingdom of Abomey. Sometime in the 17th century, the King of Alladah was murdered, and his three sons set out to build their empires. It was from this dissolution that the Kingdom of Dahomey was born, growing geographically to cover the area that is known today as the Republic of Benin. The kingdom managed to command large tracts of land by defeating neighboring tribes and taking over their land. The Kingdom of Dahomey was uniquely positioned to be an influence on the trans-Atlantic slave trade. Consequently, the kingdom made contacts with missionaries and traders from Europe as early as the 16th century. Both France and Portugal showed interest in the region and established ports in the area in the early 1700s. Even as the British claimed their stake in the region, it is the French who succeeded in establishing a commanding presence in Dahomey. Successive Dahomey kings realized the monetary value in selling off their conquered enemies as slaves, and this became a major source of profit for the kingdom.

Although Dahomey was originally known for the slave trade.⁶  Benin now trades mainly in horticultural produce. The big export earners in Benin are cotton, maize, peanuts, yam, pineapple, cashews, palm oil, and coffee.⁷ This produce is mainly sent to Portugal and the United States. Gold, chromite, iron ore, and ilmenite are also found in the country. However, the mineral is not mined commercially. Most of Benin’s imports originate from France since it is an erstwhile French colony.⁸ Also, Benin is a member of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). It is also a member state of the African Union and 54 other international organizations, including African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP), International Labor Organization (ILO), Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), and the World Trade Organization (WTO).⁹ Because of its geographic position and relatively peaceful atmosphere, Benin is of strategic importance to France, the United States, and the United Nations. The country is often called upon to play a supporting role in peace mediations and operations in the region.¹⁰

Trade was the initial reason for contact between the Kingdom of Dahomey and Europeans, missionaries were sent here to spread Christianity. 

Missionary efforts to convert Africans 

Almost immediately after the first contact was established, Catholic Spanish Capucin made contact with the kingdom.¹¹ Unlike other communities in the region that took to religion immediately for practical purposes, the people of Dahomey were more skeptical. 

 The relationship between successive Dahomey kings and missionaries varied from hate to apprehension. King Ghezo (1818-1858) went so far as to allow a priest to be stationed in the kingdom, although he was not able to do much by way of changing the minds of the community about their religious practices.¹² In contrast, the ruling monarch in 1890 got the nuns and priests within the kingdom detained.¹³ However, when the French took over, they opened up the country to French Catholic missionaries. So great and aggressive was their hold that the Catholic Church has the most substantial following in Benin to date. Other religions, like Voodoo or other local religions in a bid to blend cultural and religious ideals.

 Beginning 1850, the Kingdom of Dahomey started to lose its status as a regional powerhouse. When the trans-Atlantic slave trade came to an end, so did the cordial relations between the French and the kingdom.¹⁴ Furthermore, the Benin Expedition and Massacre of 1897 further weakened the kingdom.¹⁵ The final blow was the Dahomey War, which lasted from 1892 to 1894, and was waged by the French to bring the kingdom under their control. Between 1894 and 1904, the kingdom was considered an autonomous state. Regardless, the last Dahomey king, who ruled between 1894 and 1898, was considered a French vassal. In 1904, Dahomey officially became part of French West Africa.¹⁶  In 1958, the Republic of Dahomey was granted autonomy which was followed by full independence in 1960.¹⁷  The period between 1960 and 1972 was marked by constant unrest punctuated by military coups, the most significant of which occurred in 1963. From November 1975 to 1990, Benin was under an authoritarian government that installed Marxist-Leninism as the official state philosophy.

In 1975, the Kingdom of Dahomey changed its name to Benin after the Bight of Benin. The name was meant to be inclusive and representative of all ethnicities found within the country. In 1990, the state philosophy was abolished, the one-party structure was chucked for a multi-party structure, and human rights were installed.¹⁸ 

¹"Facts About The Republic Of Benin: Official Document". 2017. Africa.Upenn.Edu. Accessed December 18. http://www.africa.upenn.edu/Country_Specific/benin_EDoc.html.

          ²"Facts About The Republic Of Benin: Official Document". 2017. Africa.Upenn.Edu. Accessed December 18. http://www.africa.upenn.edu/Country_Specific/benin_EDoc.html.

         ³"Benin: Administrative Division (Departments And Communes) - Population Statistics, Charts And Map". 2017. Citypopulation.De. Accessed December 18. https://www.citypopulation.de/php/benin-admin.php.

          ⁴"Benin's Population". 2017. Best-Country.Com. Accessed December 18. http://www.best-country.com/africa/benin/population.

          ⁵"Benin Population". 2017. Worldpopulationreview.Com. http://worldpopulationreview.com/countries/benin-population/.

          ⁶"Dahomey 1486 - 1960". 2017. Schudak.De. Accessed December 18. http://www.schudak.de/timelines/dahomey1486-1960.html.

          ⁷"OEC - Benin (BEN) Exports, Imports, And Trade Partners". 2017. Atlas.Media.Mit.Edu. Accessed December 18. https://atlas.media.mit.edu/en/profile/country/ben/.

         ⁸Ibid.

          ⁹"Benin: Government". 2017. Globaledge.Msu.Edu. Accessed December 18. https://globaledge.msu.edu/countries/benin/government.

        ¹⁰Ibid.

        ¹¹Jedin, H, and J Dolan. 1980. History Of The Church. Tunbridge Wells, Kent: Burns & Oates.

         ¹²"Freeman, Thomas Birch (1809-1890)". 2017. Bu.Edu. Accessed December 18. http://www.bu.edu/missiology/missionary-biography/e-f/freeman-thomas-birch-1809-1890/.

        ¹³Emmanuel, Ayandele. 1979. African Historical Studies. Taylor & Francis.

        ¹⁴Skelton, Geoffrey. 1998. "French Colonial Conquest Of Dahomey In 1892 | Historynet". Historynet. http://www.historynet.com/french-colonial-conquest-of-dahomey-in-1892.htm.

       ¹⁵Omipidan, Teslim. 2017. "Benin Massacre And Expedition Of 1897". Oldnaija. https://oldnaija.com/2017/03/17/benin-massacre-and-expedition-of-1897/.

       ¹⁶"Facts About The Republic Of Benin: Official Document". 2017. Africa.Upenn.Edu. Accessed December 18. http://www.africa.upenn.edu/Country_Specific/benin_EDoc.html.

       ¹⁷"Kingdoms Of West Africa - Dahomey / Benin". 2017. Historyfiles.Co.Uk. Accessed December 18. http://www.historyfiles.co.uk/KingListsAfrica/AfricaDahomey.htm.

       ¹⁸"Facts About The Republic Of Benin: Official Document". 2017. Africa.Upenn.Edu. Accessed December 18. http://www.africa.upenn.edu/Country_Specific/benin_EDoc.html.

Change - Borders, Politics, National

Discussion Board Forum 7

Rhonda Ray

HIWD 320 Africa

Liberty University in Lynchburg VA

The Kingdom of Dahomey was a regional powerhouse on the west coast of Africa under the rule of Chedingen, King Béhanzin of Dahomey.

Dahomey existed from around 1600 to 1895 when French troops defeated Béhanzin, and the kingdom was taken over by the French colonialists. The fall of the empire affected its cultural practices as well as its political and national practices. The present-day Benin was part of the larger Dahomey kingdom. Benin achieved its independence on August 1, 1960. It has undergone a lot of political changes and organizations after French colonization, and this has positively and negatively affected the people as they struggle to conform to the existing cultural boundaries.

Since the attainment of freedom, borders in Benin have been a frequent source of disputes and conflicts with the neighboring countries. The Dahomey Kingdom flourished because it was open as the king conquered many of the coastal regions. The once dominant kingdom had an organized domestic economy that depended on slave labor, invasion and international trade with Europe. The government was controlled by a mighty king who empowered his people economically. Since independence, the modern day Benin struggles to adopt policies that will bring the people together. The people of Benin have been forced to conform to the existing cultural boundaries through interventions from the African Union.

The existing cultural boundaries affected the national and cultural identity of the former kingdom. Benin combines three regions, which had different ethnic and political organizations before the French colonials rule. The people of Benin have learned to live together and embrace each other’s cultural heritage. Various ethnic groups such as the Yoruba, Aja, and the Gbe people live in the coastline. The inland regions are occupied by a mass of tribal - ethnic organizations such as the Mahi, Kabye, Bariba, and the Gedevi people (Guezo, 2008). 

 Historically, the inland ethnic groups had major conflicts with the coastal ethnic groups.  The changes have impacted the stability of Benin. . Traditionally, in Dahomey kingdom, young boys were taught the act of war by veteran soldiers. The domain also relied on a highly trained female elite military. In the current day Benin, soldiers are picked through a recruitment process and later taught in military camps. While Dahomey was depended on invasion and slave trade, the present day Benin is highly depended on agriculture.

The changes have impacted the stability of Benin. Benin has a stable political system. It is a form of democratic republic democratic republic led by a head of the state - President. The president is the head of the government in a multi-party system state. The country has managed to resolve its border conflicts after the adoption of the 1990 Constitution that addressed border issues. The judiciary, executive, and the legislature play integral roles in the running of the state. The current system of government has enabled the people of Benin to embrace their neighbors and live peacefully. Cross-border trade and business activities are exercised on a daily basis without conflicts (Ofili et al., 2003).

The Kingdom of Dahomey is still celebrated as an important administration that defined the culture, religion, and heritage of the people of Benin. The political disagreements that were present in the 1960s and 1970s have been resolved through a constitution that embraces all the ethnic groups.  Benin plays a significant role in strengthening other nations in Africa by advising them on how they can solve border conflicts and regional wars.

References

Guezo, A. (2008). From Dahomey to Benin: Exorcising the Ghosts of Memory in a West African State1. Society, State, and Identity in African History, 367.

Ofili, A. N., Ugwu, E. N., Ziregbe, A., Richards, R., & Salami, S. (2003). Knowledge of Disease Notification among Doctors in Government Hospitals in Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria. Public Health, 117(3), 214-217.

Missionaries in Benin

Discussion Board Forum 6

Rhonda Ray

HIWD 320 Africa

Liberty University in Lynchburg VA

Missionary activities in Africa began in the late 15th century following the successful exploratory missions sponsored by Prince Henry (”the Navigator”) of Portugal. 

A few Portuguese missionaries visited the courts of the Oba to convert Africans to Christianity, but the Portuguese soon abandoned their idea of conversion because their efforts did not boil over well with the indigenous populace.

Missionaries had 2 concerns: first to encourage Africans to abandon the inhuman trade in slaves, and to teach natives the noble ways of life.

The reports of European travelers reinforced the myth of a Dark Continent and an uncivilized and secular people.  The missionary agenda was to convert Africans to Christianity through the medium of education with the Bible and it was an overriding index of success for the missionaries.

                             

A group of European Christian missionaries in Benin pose with students in Porto-Novo, Benin. This illustration is from the History of the Catholic Missions (1882). 

The Kingdom of Dahomey (Benin) was large, prosperous, and well organized. Before the penetration of western religions, there were two main religions practiced in the kingdom both of which centered around the King (Forde & Kaberry, 1976). 

Christianity reached the Kingdom a few decades after the formation of the Kingdom in the 1600’s by way of Spanish Capucin from the Catholic Faith (Jedin, Dolan & Müller, 1981). Unlike other kingdoms in West Africa, the Dahomey regarded the missionaries with suspicion and had several run-ins with them (Ayandele, 1979). Whereas the Methodist missionary Thomas Freeman met with King Ghezo (1818-1858), severally and recorded that the Kingdom would be open to missionaries; King Ghezo did, in fact, have a lot of contempt for the missionaries. Although Thomas Freeman had a priest stationed at Ouidah that was unable to dissuade the people to stop slave trade or turn away from traditional religions ("Freeman, Thomas Birch (1809-1890)", n.d.). In 1890, the ruling monarch had nuns and priests captured and detained (Ayandele, 1979). While in 1797, king Angonglo was killed by the women in his court for accepting Christianity as taught him by Portuguese missionaries (Ayandele, 1979).

  

When the French conquered the kingdom, French Catholic missionaries from the Society of African Missions were given priority resulting in the rapid spread of Catholicism. Through Thomas Freeman, the Methodist church also made significant in-roads.

The church with the largest following in Benin (the former Kingdom of Dahomey) today is the Catholic church. There has been significant penetration by various Pentecostal churches that have gained a lot of traction in Africa and are of appeal because of their stance on Voodoo (which is one of the national religions)

References:

1Forde, C., & Kaberry, P. (1976). West African Kingdoms In The Nineteenth Century. London: Published for the International African Institute by Oxford University Press.

First Contact

Discussion Board Forum 5

Rhonda Ray

HIWD 320 Africa

Liberty University in Lynchburg VA



Most of the West African coast was explored between 1415 to the 1600s.  175,000 slaves were taken to Europe and the Americans during this period and with the involvement of the Dutch and English, the slave trade grew exponentially.

Mino Amazons of Dahomey 1890

The Kingdom of Dahomey was one of the most powerful and influential kingdoms in West Africa. Known for their fearless warriors, and their female amazon fighters, the kingdom expanded its territory mainly through wars and aggression. Dahomey was borne out of the Kingdom of Alladah in the 17th century when the king was murdered, and his sons set out to build their empires. The Kingdom of Dahomey commanded a lot of geographical space which meant they had sustained interactions with traders and explorers from Europe.

Before the formation of Dahomey, the Kingdom of Benin had begun trading with Portugal in the late 15th century; this trade was sealed with a treaty signed in 1472 ("Dahomey 1486 - 1960"). The trade of goods turned into slave trade in the early 16th century.¹

The Kingdom of Dahomey was known for selling its war captives into slavery which was a significant income earner for the kingdom. Alternatively, the British and the Portugese, who engaged actively in the transatlantic slave trade, benefited majorly from the relationship with the Dahomey Kingdom. 

Europeans explored the country with the aim of gaining benefits from the natural resources, labor and to spread Christianity. European countries quickly developed mercantile ties with indigenous powers and built factories along the coast.  Imports from other countries included cloths, iron, copper, cowry shells, beads, mechanical toys, alcohol and jewelry.  In exchange for their wares, Europeans returned with textiles, carvings, spices, ivory, gum and African slaves.

Portugal dominated world trade between the 15th & 16th century.  They hoped to control trade by converting the kingdom to Christianity.  They shared their beliefs of magic, the supernatural and medicine for illnesses with African societies.  Trade was encourgaged with the growth of brass casting.  Even though West Africans invented smelting, they could not produce enough metal to supply the casting industry.  The Portuguese started trading brass and copper of pepper, cloth, ivory and slaves.  

The money and influence that the kingdom gained from the slave trade helped it establish dominance over its neighbours and helped them define their borders and territories.  One of the reasons why the king of Dahomey conquered neighboring countries  was to control their trade with Europe.  The profit would be profitable for his court and government.

In the 19th century, the kingdom began a strategic relationship with France with a commercial treaty. The slave trade had come to an end, and the Dahomey Kingdom and king had lost its significance in the eyes of its European allies. In the subsequent years, Portugal, Britain, and France fought over territory within the kingdom, primarily by the coast, in order to control shipping ports. These bold moves on its territory were not taken kindly by the sovereign of the Dahomey Kingdom at the time (Skelton).  In 1904, Dahomey became part of the French West Africa, after strategic invasions and annexations bringing to an end a mutually beneficial relationship and ushering in the age of the colonizer ("Dahomey 1486 - 1960").²

For most kingdoms in West Africa, interaction with foreigners was fueled by the Transatlantic Slave Trade.  After the slave traded ended the kingdom ceased to be used to the colonials powers and were quickly annexed, divided or overrun in a bid to control their geographical territories. 

Queen Elizabeth meeting Chief S. O. Alonge in 1956

Sources:

¹Dahomey 1486 - 1960." Schudak.De, www.schudak.de/timelines/dahomey1486-1960.html. Assessed 9 November 2017.

²Skelton, Geoffrey. "French Colonial Conquest of Dahomey in 1892." Historynet, 2006, www.historynet.com/french-colonial-conquest-of-dahomey-in-1892.htm. Assessed 29 November 2017.