The Woman King or The King’s Women? Gender and Power in the Dahomey Kingdom

Depending on who you ask, the Agojie of the Kingdom of Dahomey were either a ruthless military force heavily involved in the slave trade which dominated the West African coast from the 16th to the 19th century, or fierce defenders of their King and nation from European incursions. But as I talked about in this interview, the reality is more complex.

In this episode which was recorded around the premiere of Viola Davis’ The Woman King, I’m joined by Rafeeat Aliyu, writer, documentary film maker and historian of women in African history and culture, to talk about women (the Agojie in particular), in the Kingdom of Dahomey.

Recommended Reading:

• More about the context for this discussion

• A Twitter Thread about the Agojie

• Excerpts and Commentary:

  • “Wives of the Leopard” by Edna Baya

  • “Mother is Gold, Father is Glass” by Lorelle Semle

Both these books explore the history and culture of the Kingdom of Dahomey, especially as concerns women.