Biography
The fall of the kingdom of Dahomey
Beginning of reign
In 1875, Prince Ahokponu was appointed by his father, King Da-Da Glélé Kini-Kini , as heir to the kingdom under the name of Kondo.

In 1889, King Glé-Glé led raids against French concessions; he attacks Porto-Novo, which has since entered into an alliance with the French. Governor Jean-Marie Bayol was held in Abomey on November 21, 1889; Prince Kondo decides for his father the king, who has become incapable. He contested the treaty concluded on April 19, 1878, in particular the attribution of customs duties from Cotonou to France. The French delegation attends ceremonies involving more than two hundred human sacrifices and sees the king's slaves.

Prince Kondo is crowned King Béhanzin on January 6 , 1890, after the death of his father on December 28 , 1889, at the end of nearly forty years of reign, his half-brother Ahanhanzo, direct heir to the throne, having died mysteriously. His crowning achievement is notably marked by human sacrifices. Prince Kondo governs by choosing the name of Béhanzin (see emblems, infra). He is a forty-five-year-old king, who has been steeped in conflict since his childhood. The French troops nicknamed it "Bec en zinc".

On February 19, 1890, French troops landed in Cotonou. They are insufficient to contain the royal army; France procrastinates. Terrillon, military leader, and Bayol, governor, maintain a strong disagreement. The French forces are in check.

French victories
Jean-Marie Bayol is replaced by Noël Ballay . Colonel Alfred Dodds will replace Sébastien Terrillon.

King Béhanzin fought the French , themselves for a time in rivalry on the spot with the Germans and the Portuguese. The attacks are incessant. From February 23 to May 5, 1890, Béhanzin took French hostages, including Father Alexandre Dorgère , negotiator between him and the French authorities; he holds them in Abomey 1 . In March 1890, Béhanzin failed to retake Cotonou.

On April 18, 1890, Terrillon led a victorious battle at Atioupa (or Atchoupa). The rainy season, as well as diseases, freeze military operations until the fall.

Passing through Lagos, military reinforcements from Colonel Dodds arrived in Porto-Novo on August 5, 1890.

On October 3, 1890, France installed a protectorate on Dahomey. In return, it pays an annual pension of 20,000 francs to King Béhanzin 2 .


An excavation at the Behanzin Palace.
The allocation of customs duties to the king by the French maintains tensions 3 , 4 . This loss of income motivates the hostilities. Béhanzin prepared for war by obtaining a large supply of modern rifles and bullets, and even cannons, from the Germans, in exchange for slaves 5 also referred to as “workers” 6 . The king is particularly active to equip his troops of recent and powerful weapons 7 . He even enlisted the services of military advisers, Belgians and Germans.


Monument to the resistance of King Behanzin erected in Cana.
The skirmishes are incessant. On March 27, 1892, Fons troops, including the formidable Amazons of Dahomey attacked a French warship. The war against the French troops commanded by Colonel , soon to be General Alfred Dodds began in 1892 8 .

On September 19, 1892, the French were victorious at the Battle of Dogba.

On November 4, 1892, Alfred Dodds defeated King Béhanzin's army; the royal palace of Abomey is taken, set on fire by Béhanzin, who fled, without handing over arms to the French. The French discover the human skulls decorating the palace 9 . Béhanzin is a great lover of French wines [ref. necessary] : his cellar is the delight of the troops who occupy his palace 10 .

On November 6, 1892, after the fall of the holy royal city of Cana, Dodds received his general stars. In a December 1892 press release, Dodds praised Béhanzin's “courage and energy”.

On the run
A refugee in Atchérigbé, the deposed king Béhanzin organized a clever system of espionage and detection of French movements, which enabled him to constantly escape the expeditions launched in his search 6 .

Béhanzin's resistance would be supported by magical powers: he would have taken the Dahomey amulet, a betyl with great powers 11 . From August 30, 1893, A. Dodds returned and began a pursuit in the bush. Béhanzin's brother, Prince Goutchili is appointed king, at the request of the French, under the name of Agoli-Agbo . He reveals to the French the hiding place of Béhanzin 12 . The dissensions between the two branches of the royal family are useful to the French. Béhanzin constantly negotiates with the French, even sending an embassy to Paris, which will never be received at the Élysée.

But a part of the population does not support the king, in particular the mostly Nago slaves of the royal farms; smallpox and desertions reduce the royal forces 13 . French diplomacy isolates the king from all his supporters, especially in Europe. Tracked down, the king takes refuge in Akajakpa.

Surrender and capture

Behanzin at Goho Post.
The conflict ends onJanuary 15, 189414 , when King Béhanzin signs his surrender, after ritual ceremonies and a famous farewell speech 15 . He surrenders to Captain Privé, who leads him to General Dodds in Goho. The treaty of January 29, 1894 marks the end of the conflict; its article 6 prohibits the slave trade in Dahomey, as well as human sacrifices 16 .

Fallen, he submits of his own free will to the condition of being able to go to France to meet President Sadi Carnot , whom he considers to be the “King of the French”, in order to find an agreement concerning his country; he is captured and no meeting with the president is organized.

Driven from the Goho post in Cotonou, King Béhanzin experienced political exile; he will not come back to Dahomey.

hmmmmm

Strong African king's like Jaja, Mansa Musa, Sundiata Kieta.

This is the side of history I want to see. I want to see how strong African king's rebelled against the colonisers. Some history accounts make it seem like Africans immediately and obediently surrendered to the white man.

Hintona:
Strong African king's like Jaja, Mansa Musa, Sundiata Kieta.

This is the side of history I want to see. I want to see how strong African king's rebelled against the colonisers. Some history accounts make it seem like Africans immediately and obediently surrendered to the white man.

Strong African kings aren’t limited to those who fought Europeans in the 19th century though…as you rightly made examples of Musa and Sundjata Keita

Others like Shaka Zulu, Sunni Ali, Askia Mohammed, Changamire Dombo etc are very interesting too