LEGENDS OF THE ALL FEMALE EWE WARRIORS
(DAHOMEY AMAZONS)
The Agoji warrior women commonly referred to as the Dahomey Amazons, a name they got from the French while fighting in the kingdom of Dahomey, were front-line army troops in the kingdom of Dahomey, an empire in West Africa that existed from 1625 to 1894. Its remnants lie in modern day Benin. Whether fighting neighbouring tribes or fighting against European soldiers, the Agoji were known for their ruthlessness and fearlessness.
In the 1700s, the Dahomey Kingdom became a major regional power when it conquered the costal kingdoms of Allada and Whyda, local coastal cities located in the Atlantique department of Benin which were also major slave trading areas. Having taken control in these cities, Dahomey became a major center in the Atlantic Slave Trade until 1852 when the British imposed a naval blocked to stop the trade.
The exact period when the Agoji/Dahomey Amazons army was formed is unknown although some historians attribute it to the 18thcentury. The warriors are however said to have been originally formed by King Houegbadja, who was the third king of Dahomey and ruled from 1645-1685. The Agoji warriors are said to have been made up of hunters known as the ‘gbeto’ and were later comprised of slaves from conquests in neighbouring villages.
During King Houegbadja’s son’s rule, who reigned from 1708 to 1732, the Agoji warriors were established as bodyguards armed with muskets used as Militia to conquer neighbouring kingdoms. Later, in the 1800s, more soldiers were recruited from foreign captive.
Girls as young as 8 years old were also recruited and given weapons, while others became soldiers at their own accord.
The women were not allowed to take part in any form of family life and were known to marry the King in a vow of celibacy.They enjoyed certain privileges such as residing in the kings’ palace and were allowed to smoke and drink which the men were not allowed to do. They were instructed to train intensively often in hand to hand combat amongst themselves and learnt survival skills as discipline was constantly encouraged. Their disregard and tolerance for pain and death was tested as part of their initiation process.
Despite the intensive training they underwent as soldiers, for many women, this was an opportunity to attain positions of command, influence and other prominent roles. Most of them could even become wealthy as single independent women
By the mid-19th century, there were about 1,000 and 6,000 warrior women who were huntresses, riflewomen, reapers, archers and gunners. The Kingdom was always at war with its neighbours. The Agoji women fought in numerous slave raids as prisoners were required for the slave trade
In the latter half of the 19th century, European intrusion into West Africa gained pace. King Behanzin who was considered the 11th and last king of the Dahomey began fighting the French forces in the first war, known as the Franco-Dahomean war. Many Agoji women took part in the battle and defended themselves using hand to hand combat. Despite the European praises, the Agoji warriors were defeated with many of them being gunned down.
During the Second Franco-Dahomean war, Agoji were being assigned to mainly target French soldiers.The war lasted seven weeks and was fought even more ruthlessly than the first one.The French however prevailed after 23 separate battles, but only after bringing in the Foreign Legion, armed with machine guns.The defeat led to the end of the Dahomean kingdom.
The kingdom became a French protectorate after the troops were dispersed. Oral tradition notes that some surviving Agoji pledged their service to protect the predecessor of King Behanzin by falsely appearing as his wives. Some of the women married and had children. The last survivor of the of the Agoji women is said to have been a woman named Nawi.In 1978, a Beninese historian interviewed the woman who claimed to have fought the French. Nawi died in 1979 aged over 100 years.
By all accounts, the Agoji warriors remain the only documented front-line female soldiers in modern warfare history.
In 2015, YZ who is a known French artist in Senegal started a campaign to pay tribute to the female warriors. She paints and prints posters of the warriors she found in local archives of the warriors women
The Agoji women of Dahomey were also represented in the 1987 film Cobra Verde as well as the Marvel comic Black Panther. The fierce Dora Milage of Wakanda portrayed a modern day representation of the warrior women.
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