Editing King of Dahomey

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{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2024}}
[[File:Afrička kraljevska tkanina naroda Fon (Benin).jpg|thumb|300px|Tapestry depicting several kings of Dahomey and their regnal years.]]
The '''King of Dahomey''' (''Ahosu'' in the [[Fon language]]) was the ruler of [[Dahomey]], a [[West Africa]]n [[List of kingdoms in Africa throughout history|kingdom]] in the southern part of present-day [[Benin]], which lasted from 1600 until 1900 when the [[French Third Republic]] abolished the political authority of the Kingdom. The rulers served a prominent position in Fon ancestor worship leading the [[Annual Customs of Dahomey|Annual Customs]] and this important position caused the French to bring back the exiled king of Dahomey for ceremonial purposes in 1910. Since 2000, there have been rival claimants as king and there has so far been no political solution.<ref name=Araujo>{{cite book| last = Araujo| first = Ana Lucia| title = Public Memory of Slavery: Victims and Perpetrators in the South Atlantic| year = 2010| publisher = Cambria Press| location = Amherst, NY| isbn = 978-1-60497-714-1 }}</ref>  The Palace and seat of government were in the town of [[Abomey]].  Early historiography of the King of Dahomey presented them as [[Absolute monarchy|absolute rulers]] who formally owned all property and people of the kingdom.  However, recent histories have emphasized that there was significant political contestation limiting the power of the king<ref name=Yoder>{{cite journal|last=Yoder|first=John C.|title=Fly and Elephant Parties: Political Polarization in Dahomey, 1840-1870|journal=The Journal of African History|year=1974|volume=15|issue=3|pages=417–432|doi=10.1017/s0021853700013566}}</ref> and that there was a female ruler of Dahomey, [[Hangbe]], who was largely written out of early histories.<ref name=Alpern>{{cite journal|last=Alpern|first=Stanley B.|title=On the Origins of the Amazons of Dahomey|journal=History in Africa|year=1998|volume=25|pages=9–25|doi=10.2307/3172178}}</ref>

==The first king==
Multiple lists of the kings of Dahomey have been put together and many of them start at different points for the first King of Dahomey. In various sources, [[Do-Aklin]], [[Dakodonu]], or [[Houegbadja]] are all considered the first king of Dahomey.  Oral tradition contends that Do-Aklin moved from [[Allada]] to the Abomey plateau, Dakodonu created the first settlement and founded the kingdom (but is often considered a "mere chief"), and Houegbadja who settled the kingdom, built the palace and created much of the structure is often considered the first king of Dahomey.<ref name=Bay-1998 /> Oral tradition contends that the kings were all of the ''Aladaxonou'' dynasty, a name claiming descent from the city of [[Allada]] which Dahomey conquered in the 1700s.  Historians largely believe now that this connection was created to legitimate rule over the city of Allada and that connections to the royal family in Allada were likely of a limited nature.<ref name=Bay-1998 />  In oral tradition of most accounts, Houegbadja is considered the first king and recognition of him happened first in the [[Annual Customs of Dahomey]].<ref name=Bay-1998 />

==List of kings==

(Dates in italics indicate ''de facto'' continuation of office)

{| class="wikitable"
|- align=left
! Reign
! width=70px|Portrait
! King
! Notes
|- valign=top
|colspan="4"|'''Kingdom of Abomey'''
|- valign=top
|{{circa}} 1600|| ||'''[[Do-Aklin]]''' or '''Gangnihessou'''||Leader of Fon settlement on Abomey Plateau.  
|- valign=top
|{{circa}} 1625 to 1645|| ||'''[[Dakodonou]]''', <br>Ahosu||Founder of the Kingdom of Abomey and builder of the palace.  
|- valign=top
|colspan="4"|'''Kingdom of Dahomey'''
|- valign=top
|1645 to 1685||[[File:Houégbadja dessin de Cyr Raoul Sehou-houindo.jpg|70px]]||'''[[Houegbadja]]''', <br>Ahosu||In most accounts the first King of Dahomey.
|- valign=top
|1685 to 1716|| ||'''[[Akaba of Dahomey|Akaba]]''', <br>Ahosu||
|- valign=top
|1716 to 1718|| ||'''[[Hangbe]]''', <br>Regent||Hangbe was ruler of Dahomey for a short period of time between the death of Akaba and the rule of Agaja. Bay argues that there is clear evidence that suggests Hangbe did rule for a period, but it is unclear whether it was for three months or three years. She is not included in any lists of Kings of Dahomey.
|- valign=top
|1718 to 1740|| ||'''[[Agaja]]''', <br>Ahosu||
|- valign=top
|1740 to 1774|| ||'''[[Tegbesu]]''', <br>Ahosu||
|- valign=top
|1774 to 1789|| ||'''[[Kpengla]]''', <br>Ahosu||
|- valign=top
|1789 to 1797|| ||'''[[Agonglo]]''', <br>Ahosu||
|- valign=top
|1797 to 1818|| ||'''[[Adandozan]]''', <br>Regent||Excluded in some lists.
|- valign=top
|1818 to 1858||[[File:Ghezo King of Dahomey (cropped).jpg|70px]]||'''[[Ghezo]]''', <br>Ahosu||
|- valign=top
|1858 to 1889||[[File:Glele-Badohou (cropped).jpg|70px]]||'''[[Glele]]''', <br>Ahosu||
|- valign=top
|1889 to 1894||[[File:Behanzin-1895.jpg|70px]]||'''[[Béhanzin]]''', <br>Ahosu||Final independent King of Dahomey, reigned during the [[First Franco-Dahomean War]] (1890) and the [[Second Franco-Dahomean War]] (1892 to 1894).
|- valign=top
|1894 to ''1900''||[[File:Agoli-Agbo (cropped).jpg|70px]]||'''[[Agoli-agbo]]''', <br>Ahosu||Appointed to the position when the French conquered Abomey.
|- valign=top
|colspan="4"|'''Ceremonial rulers'''
|- valign=top
|''1900'' to 1940||[[File:Agoli-Agbo (cropped).jpg|70px]]||'''[[Agoli-agbo]]''', <br>Ahosu||In exile and reigned with French restrictions.
|- valign=top
|1940 to 1948|| ||'''[[Aidododo]]''', <br>Ahosu||
|- valign=top
|1948 to 1983|| ||'''[[Togni-Ahoussou]]''', <br>Ahosu||
|- valign=top
|1986 to 1989|| ||'''[[Joseph Langanfin]]''', <br>Ahosu||
|- valign=top
|30 September 1989 to July 2018|| ||'''[[Agoli Agbo Dedjalagni]]''', <br>Ahosu||Since 2000, Houédogni Béhanzin had made a rival claim to the position of king. Following the death of Agoli Agbo Dedjalagni, there was no titular King of Dahomey for 8 months.
|- valign=top
|22 January 2000 to 30 December 2012|| ||'''[[Houédogni Béhanzin]]''', <br>Ahosu||Rival to Agoli Agbo Dedjalagni for the position of king.
|- valign=top
|12 January 2019 to 17 December 2021||[[File:Dah Sagbadjou Glele.jpg|70px]]||'''[[Dah Sagbadjou Glele]]''', <br>Ahosu||Elected by Dahomeyan nobles.
|- valign=top
|22 January 2022 to present|| ||'''[[Georges Collinet Béhanzin]]'''||
|}
Sources:<ref name=Bay-1998>{{cite book| last = Bay| first = Edna| title = Wives of the Leopard: Gender, Politics, and Culture in the Kingdom of Dahomey| year = 1998| publisher = University of Virginia Press| isbn = 978-0-8139-1792-4 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Rulers of Benin|url=http://www.rulers.org/benitrad.html|publisher=Rulers.org|accessdate=2012-10-07}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=New monarch appointed to ancestral kingdom of Dahomey|url=https://www.modernghana.com/news/908952/new-monarch-appointed-to-ancestral-kingdom-of-dahomey.html|publisher=Modernghana.com}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[History of the Kingdom of Dahomey]]
* [[Royal Palaces of Abomey]]
* [[Benin]]
* [[Fon (people)|Fon]]
* [[Fon states]]
** [[Rulers of the Fon state of Alada|Rulers of the Fon state of Alada (Allada)]]
** [[Rulers of the Fon state of Savi Hweda]]
* [[Lists of office-holders]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Monarchs of Dahomey}}
{{Heads of state and government of Africa}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:King Of Dahomey}}
[[Category:Lists of monarchs in Africa|Dahomey]]
[[Category:Kingdom of Dahomey]]
[[Category:Kings of Dahomey]]