Quick Facts
Dahomey
It was located on the western coast of Africa, between Togo and Nigeria.
The capital was Abomey. The kingdom existed from the early 1600s to 1904. In 1904 it formally became a colony of France. Dahomey is now modern day Benin. |
RecruitmentYoung women from Dahomey were recruited every three years to serve in the army.
Other potential recruits were captured during war or slave raids, then forced into the army. Captives who weren't recruited were either kept as slaves in the kingdom, sacrificed to appease the gods, or sold into the Atlantic Slave Trade. |
Daily LifeThe soldiers were fiercely loyal to their king and fellow sisters-in-arms.
They were actively training, demonstrating their skill in military drills, or waging war on neighboring villages. They routinely performed executions as part of their insensitivity training. Cowardice in battle led to executions at home. Although some women did successfully escape, most women that were caught, were executed to deter others from trying. |