Oyo & Dahomey Flashcards
(6 cards)
How similar were Oyo and Dahomey in administration?
Oyo:
- semi-autonomous provinces, federal government
- Alafin’s power checked by Oyo Mesi and Ogboni
- provinces ruled by Ajeles - ensured loyalty in provincial towns
- ilari - civil servants, collected tribute
- Basorun - decides in Bere festival whether Alafin should live or die with parrot eggs
Dahomey:
- authoritarian centralisation, ruled from Abomey, Dada had absolute power
- Dada appointed all officials - no rival noble council
- Key officials: Migan (civil chief), Mehu (economic and religious official), and Yovogan (in charge of European trade)
- Kpojito - Queen mother - represented commoners
To what extent was the slave trade a positive influence on Oyo & Dahomey?
Oyo: decentralised & multipurpose
- war captives enslaved
- served in agriculture, palace work, or the military, and some could rise in rank, especially within the cavalry or bureaucracy.
- maintained interior trade networks e.g. kola nut transport.
- Oyo exported fewer slaves directly; its vassal states like Egbado and Ketu often handled coastal dealings.
Dahomey: centralised, ritualised, geared for export
- slave export economy, especially after conquest of Allada (1724) & Whydah (1727) - state monopolised slave trade - all exports passed through royal agents
- annual campaigns e.g. dry season raids generated captives
- slaves used for Annual Customs (human sacrifice)
To what extent were Oyo and Dahomey’s military structures similar?
Both relied on military expansion & slave raiding, but
- Oyo had an elite cavalry due to savannah geography & horse trade with Nupe and Hausaland - enabled conquest of Borgu and control over Ilorin until 1817 rebellion
- infantry supplemented cavalry
- army to expand & extract tribute from Egbado, Ketu, Popo
- Dahomey had an infantry based force, no cavalry due to forested terrain
- highly disciplined standing armies e.g. the Amazons
- army directly under Dada’s control - centralised
- campaigns were often slave-raiding expedition especially after 1727 Whydah conquest
How significant was foreign trade in the growth of Oyo and Dahomey?
Oyo: dual-trade model
- trans-Saharan trade - slaves for horses, kola nuts, salt
- Porto Novo (intermediary port) allowed indirect access to Atlantic trade without exposure to European influence
- benefited Alafin & provincial chefs, reinforced patronage networks for internal stability
Dahomey: specialised in Atlantic commerce especially after annexation of Whydah 1724
- Yovogan (chief European liason) & customs officials to regulate trade
- all slaves exported through royal agents - power centralised in Dada
- Annual Customs - massive gift-giving & human (slave) sacrifices, linking commerce with kingship & legitimacy
How was religion used to legitimise or constrain power in Oyo and Dahomey?
Oyo: decentralised religious authority
- Ogboni - secret society linked to Earth goddess, a check on Alafin & Oyo Mesi
- Sango cult - thunder god associated with royal power, ilari were initiated Sango priests - helped integrate loyal slaves
- Oyo Mesi (led by Basorun) could ritually depose the Alafin with support from Ifa (cult) divination
Dahomey: religious centralised around Dada (semi-divine spiritual leader)
- Annual Customs - human sacrifice to honour royal ancestors and appease gods - merged religion and monarchy
- Agaja centralised spiritual control - followers of vodun spirits structured into local groups led by paired male-female vodunun, reducing fragmentaion
- followers of rival cults e.g. Sagbata persecuted, sold into slavery
- Tegbesu founded Tohosu cult (royal vodun), promoted divining vodun - religious legitimacy
- vodun chapter houses financially dependent on palace via land grants
- Kpojiti (QM) was chief priestess of vodun cult, performed rituals that legitimised Dada, oversaw Annual Customs
Why did Oyo and Dahomey decline by the 19th century?
Oyo:
- Ilorin (key military outpost) rebellion (1817-1835) Afonja allies with Fulani jihadists - loss of northern provinces & crippled cavalry-based military strength
- Ajele (royal provincial administrators) abuse led to revolts by tributary states e.g. Egba & Ijebu
- Basorun Gaha rules as regent, chooses weak Alafins
- Are Ona Kakamfo (head of provincial army) starts rebelling
Dahomey:
- abolition of Atlantic slave trade - damaged economic foundation
- over-centralised economy lacked flexibility to pivot to legitimate commerce e.g. palm oil
- by late 1800s vulnerable to French conquest
