Tegbessou
Encyclopedia
Tegbessou was the sixth King of Dahomey
. He succeeded Agadja
, and ruled from 1740 to 1774.
Tegbessou's reign was characterized by internal intrigues and a failed foreign policy; he killed many coup-plotters and political enemies, refused to pay tribute to the Yoruba
s, and lost many battles in the punitive raids that followed. His main symbol is a buffalo wearing a tunic. His other symbols are the blunderbuss, a weapon he gave his warriors—the first time in Dahomey
that the royal army had ready access to firearms—and a door decorated with three noseless heads, a reference to his victory over a rebellious tributary people, the Zou, whose corpses he mutilated.
"Proverb - 'Once a buffalo is dressed it is very difficult to undress him.' The buffalo is symbolic of the strength of the king. During the enthroning ceremony, Tegbessou's enemies put an herbal potion that would cause severe itching on the royal costume, so when he put it on he would have to remove it immediately. This would have led to an on-the-spot selection of a new king. Warned in time, Tegbessou took the necessary precautions and put the costume on, hence the dressed buffalo (buffalo wearing a tunic)." http://www.kidstoafrika.org/benin/tapestries
"In the early 18th century, Kings of Dahomey (known today as Benin
) became big players in the slave trade
, waging a bitter war on their neighbours, resulting in the capture of 10,000, including another important slave trader, the King of Whydah. King Tegbessou made £250,000 a year selling people into slavery in 1750." http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/africa/features/storyofafrica/9chapter2.shtml
Tegbessou was succeeded by Kpengla
.
Dahomey
Dahomey was a country in west Africa in what is now the Republic of Benin. The Kingdom of Dahomey was a powerful west African state that was founded in the seventeenth century and survived until 1894. From 1894 until 1960 Dahomey was a part of French West Africa. The independent Republic of Dahomey...
. He succeeded Agadja
Agadja
Dossou Agadja was the fifth King of Dahomey. He succeeded Houessou Akaba, and ruled from 1708 to 1740. Akaba's only son, Agbo Sassa, was only ten years old when Akaba died, so as Akaba's brother, Agadja took the throne to become the fifth king...
, and ruled from 1740 to 1774.
Tegbessou's reign was characterized by internal intrigues and a failed foreign policy; he killed many coup-plotters and political enemies, refused to pay tribute to the Yoruba
Yoruba people
The Yoruba people are one of the largest ethnic groups in West Africa. The majority of the Yoruba speak the Yoruba language...
s, and lost many battles in the punitive raids that followed. His main symbol is a buffalo wearing a tunic. His other symbols are the blunderbuss, a weapon he gave his warriors—the first time in Dahomey
Dahomey
Dahomey was a country in west Africa in what is now the Republic of Benin. The Kingdom of Dahomey was a powerful west African state that was founded in the seventeenth century and survived until 1894. From 1894 until 1960 Dahomey was a part of French West Africa. The independent Republic of Dahomey...
that the royal army had ready access to firearms—and a door decorated with three noseless heads, a reference to his victory over a rebellious tributary people, the Zou, whose corpses he mutilated.
"Proverb - 'Once a buffalo is dressed it is very difficult to undress him.' The buffalo is symbolic of the strength of the king. During the enthroning ceremony, Tegbessou's enemies put an herbal potion that would cause severe itching on the royal costume, so when he put it on he would have to remove it immediately. This would have led to an on-the-spot selection of a new king. Warned in time, Tegbessou took the necessary precautions and put the costume on, hence the dressed buffalo (buffalo wearing a tunic)." http://www.kidstoafrika.org/benin/tapestries
"In the early 18th century, Kings of Dahomey (known today as Benin
Benin
Benin , officially the Republic of Benin, is a country in West Africa. It borders Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east and Burkina Faso and Niger to the north. Its small southern coastline on the Bight of Benin is where a majority of the population is located...
) became big players in the slave trade
History of slavery
The history of slavery covers slave systems in historical perspective in which one human being is legally the property of another, can be bought or sold, is not allowed to escape and must work for the owner without any choice involved...
, waging a bitter war on their neighbours, resulting in the capture of 10,000, including another important slave trader, the King of Whydah. King Tegbessou made £250,000 a year selling people into slavery in 1750." http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/africa/features/storyofafrica/9chapter2.shtml
Tegbessou was succeeded by Kpengla
Kpengla
Kpengla was the seventh King of Dahomey. He succeeded Tegbessou, and ruled from 1774 to 1789.Kpengla's reign increased the size of the kingdom. He killed the chief of the Popo people, Agbamou, thus extending the empire into what is currently Togo...
.