Kingdom of Dahomey
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King Behanzin
Abomey, Kingdom of Dahomey
Archival Overview
Eleventh King of the Kingdom of Dahomey, celebrated as the 'Shark King' (Kondo), who commanded his legendary 4,000-strong all-female warrior battalions (the Dahomey Amazons / Mino) in fierce defense against French colonial conquest.
Biographical Record
King Behanzin (c. 1845–1906) succeeded his father Glele in 1889. Taking the royal motto 'The shark that defies the authorities', Behanzin refused French territorial claims to the coastal port of Cotonou. Equipped with Krupp artillery and Winchester rifles, Behanzin commanded an army including the elite 'Mino' (Dahomey Amazons).
In two brutal Franco-Dahomean Wars (1890 and 1892–1894), Behanzin's female and male warriors fought French Foreign Legion regiments in ferocious hand-to-hand bayonet combat. Burning his sacred capital of Abomey rather than surrender it intact to General Alfred Dodds, Behanzin waged guerrilla warfare before his capture and exile to Martinique and Algeria.
Key Life Milestones
First Franco-Dahomean War at Dogba
Inflicted heavy casualties on French expeditionary forces, asserting Dahomey's sovereignty over Cotonou.
The Burning of Abomey and Final Defiance
Burned his ancestral royal city before retreating into the sacred forests to continue resistance.
Memorial Guestbook & Tributes
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Final Resting Place
Perpetual MemorialAbomey, Benin