Latest / The Atlantic Slave Trade: Empire Built on Human Suffering — Fexingo History / The Slave Trade in the Bight of Benin: The Kingdom of Dahomey's War Economy
Transcript
- Lucas: So we've talked a lot about the coastal forts and the European trading companies, but I want to zoom in on one kingdom that was absolutely central to the slave trade in the Bight of Benin: Dahomey. By the 18th century, Dahomey had become a military machine built on captive-taking. Luna: We touched on Dahomey in the Agojie episode. But I'd love to go deeper into how the kingdom itself operated. Lucas: Right. So Dahomey started as a small Fon kingdom inland, around the Abomey plateau. Under King Agaja in the early 1700s, they conquered the coastal kingdom of Hueda, which gave them direct access to the European slave forts at Ouidah, which the Portuguese called São João Baptista de Ajudá. That changed everything. Lucas: Once they controlled the coast, Dahomey's kings reorganized the entire state around war and tribute. They didn't just raid for slaves—they created a systematic annual campaign season, usually during the dry months, to capture people from neighboring kingdoms. Luna: So it was a state-sponsored enterprise, not just random raids. Lucas: Exactly. The king was the ultimate authority, and he controlled the slave trade as a royal monopoly. All captives were brought to the capital, Abomey, where a portion was sacrificed during the Annual Customs ceremonies—the Grand Customs—and the rest were marched to Ouidah and sold to European traders. Luna: Those customs ceremonies—I've heard about them. They involved human sacrifice, didn't they? Lucas: Yes. And it's a difficult part of the history to sit with. The Annual Customs, or the 'Xwetanu,' were elaborate rituals meant to honor the king's ancestors and demonstrate power. Thousands of slaves were killed, sometimes over several days. The bloodshed was both religious and political—it showed the kingdom's wealth and dominance. Lucas: But it's not like Dahomey was some isolated barbaric state. They were deeply entangled with European trade. The kingdom imported massive amounts of firearms and gunpowder from the British, French, and Portuguese. In return, they exported slaves, which numbered in the tens of thousands per decade at the peak. Luna: So they were caught in that gun-slave cycle we've discussed before. Lucas: Precisely. The more guns they got, the more they could raid; the more they raided, the more slaves they captured; the more slaves they sold, the more guns they could buy. It was a vicious spiral. And Dahomey became very good at it. Under King Ghezo, who reigned from 1818 to 1858, the kingdom reached its peak power and wealth. Luna: Ghezo—we mentioned him in the Ouidah episode. He worked closely with the Brazilian slave trader Francisco Félix de Sousa. Lucas: Yes, de Sousa was a key figure. He was a Portuguese-Brazilian merchant based in Ouidah, and he became a close advisor to Ghezo. He even helped Ghezo overthrow his brother, King Adandozan, in a coup. In exchange, de Sousa got exclusive trading privileges and immense influence. Lucas: De Sousa was known as 'Chacha,' a title that became hereditary. He built a fortified compound in Ouidah and controlled much of the slave traffic there. At one point, he was reportedly the largest slave trader on the coast. Luna: So he was like a kingmaker in Dahomey politics. Lucas: Absolutely. And Ghezo relied on him not just for trade, but also for military advice. But Ghezo also faced pressure from the British to end the slave trade. Britain had abolished it in 1807 and was pressuring other nations to follow suit. Ghezo famously told a British envoy, 'The slave trade is the ruling principle of my people. It is the source of their glory and wealth.' Luna: That's a stark quote. Lucas: It shows how central the trade was to Dahomey's identity. Ghezo wasn't just being stubborn—he genuinely believed that without the slave trade, his kingdom would collapse. And he wasn't wrong. The entire economy depended on it. When Britain tried to pressure him to switch to palm oil, Ghezo resisted for years. Lucas: Eventually, under military threats and declining demand, Dahomey did begin exporting more palm oil, but the transition was slow. And even after the slave trade ended, the kingdom continued to practice human sacrifice and maintain its militaristic structure. Luna: What about the female warriors—the Agojie? How did they fit into this economy? Lucas: The Agojie were a key part of Dahomey's military might. They were elite soldiers, often recruited from the king's wives or from captives, and they were trained to be fierce fighters. They participated in raids and helped secure captives. Their existence also allowed Dahomey to field a large army without depleting the male population too much. Lucas: But they were also symbols of the king's power. Having an army of women was unique and intimidating. And it worked—Dahomey was able to dominate its neighbors like the Yoruba kingdoms and the Mahi people. Luna: So the Agojie were both practical and symbolic. Lucas: Exactly. Now, I want to emphasize that Dahomey was not a passive victim of European pressure. They were active participants, shaping the trade to their advantage. For example, they played European powers against each other, playing up competition to get better prices and more firearms. Lucas: They also controlled the flow of slaves from the interior. The kingdom served as a middleman, raiding further inland and then selling captives to the coast. That gave them a lot of leverage. Luna: It's complicated to think about African kingdoms as collaborators in the slave trade, but they had their own reasons. Lucas: Absolutely. And it's important to recognize that complexity without excusing the brutality. The slave trade devastated the region, leading to depopulation, political instability, and economic distortion. But it also made some African elites incredibly rich and powerful. Lucas: One more figure worth mentioning is the Yovogan, or the 'king's agent' in Ouidah. This was a Dahomey official who managed the king's trade with Europeans. He supervised the barracoons where slaves were held, collected taxes, and ensured the king got his share. Luna: So there was a whole bureaucracy around the trade. Lucas: Yes, very sophisticated. The Yovogan was one of the most powerful men in the kingdom, often a eunuch or a trusted royal. He lived in Ouidah and interacted daily with European captains and factors. It's a reminder that the slave trade wasn't just a series of chaotic raids—it was a structured business. Luna: And after the slave trade ended, what happened to Dahomey? Lucas: The kingdom survived for a while, but it became increasingly isolated. By the late 19th century, the French were expanding their colonial empire in West Africa. In 1892, the French invaded Dahomey, and after a brutal war that included battles against the Agojie, they conquered the kingdom and turned it into a colony. Lucas: The last king, Behanzin, was exiled to Martinique. So the kingdom that had built itself on the slave trade ultimately fell to European colonialism. It's a stark end to the story. Luna: It really is. Thanks for unpacking that, Lucas. There's so much more to Dahomey than just the warriors. Lucas: Absolutely. The kingdom's role in the slave trade is a crucial part of Atlantic history, and it's one we often gloss over in favor of European perspectives. But understanding Dahomey helps us see the full picture.