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War · 1726–1748

Oyo’s wars on Dahomey

Oyo’s cavalry invaded Dahomey in 1726, defeated King Agaja and burned Abomey, then came back in 1728, 1729 and 1730 until Agaja agreed to pay a yearly tribute.

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Overview

Oyo’s cavalry invaded Dahomey in 1726, defeated King Agaja and burned Abomey, then came back in 1728, 1729 and 1730 until Agaja agreed to pay a yearly tribute. When Tegbesu haggled over it, Oyo invaded again in 1748 and forced a higher tribute, which Dahomey paid until 1823.[1],[2],[3]High confidence

Who took part

  • Oyo Empire· Attacked
  • Kingdom of Dahomey· Defended

What happened

  1. 1726 · Abomey (Dahomey)

    Abomey burned

    The first invasion defeats Agaja’s army and burns his capital.

  2. 1730 · Abomey (Dahomey)

    Tribute agreed

    After invasions in 1728, 1729 and 1730, Agaja agrees to a yearly tribute of people, guns, cloth and cowries.

  3. 1748 · Abomey (Dahomey)

    A higher tribute

    Oyo invades again and Tegbesu flees, then agrees a higher tribute. It is paid until 1823.

Kingdoms involved

Sources

Every claim carries a confidence level: high (well attested), medium (one source or approximate) or disputed (sources disagree).

  1. Wikipedia contributors. Agaja (cited elsewhere, not yet checked directly)
  2. Law, Robin. (1977). The Oyo Empire, c. 1600 – c. 1836: A West African Imperialism in the Era of the Atlantic Slave Trade. Clarendon Press, Oxford (cited elsewhere, not yet checked directly)
  3. Akinjogbin, I. A. (1967). Dahomey and Its Neighbours, 1708–1818. Cambridge University Press (cited elsewhere, not yet checked directly)
  4. HistoNaija owner. (2026). Owner's notes on the reach of Igala, Benin, Oyo and Aro, the British conquests, and migrations (hintsPrompts/doc1.md)