The Egba-Dahomey War, also known as the Abeokuta-Dahomey War was a series of mid 19th century military engagements between the Egba people of Yorubaland with their capital at Abeokuta and the Fon Kingdom of Dahomey with its capital at Abomey. It was part of the series of conflicts that characterized Yorubaland and the surrounding region following the fall of the Oyo Empire in 1836. During the course of the war, Dahomey launched two separate full-scale direct invasions of Abeokuta itself, both of which ended in failure and led to the weakening of Dahomey, its decline as a regional power, and its eventual colonization by the French.
General background
The Oyo Empire, the most significant regional power in the area, had begun declining since the late 1700s following the death of Bashorun Gaha the tyrannical prime minister of the empire who had caused the forceful abdication and subsequent ritual suicide of four Alaafins in quick succession. Gaha himself was eventually captured and killed during the reign of Abiodun (Adegorolu) by Kakanfo Oyabi. However, his legacy of disrespect and disregard for the most revered office in the land had dealt a serious blow to the prestige of the Alaafin across the empire.
In the meantime, the Empire had reached its apogee, stretching north across the Niger basin; taking in large portions of the Nupe to the northeast and Borgu kingdoms to the northwest. Towards the southwest and west by the sea coast was the constituent vassal kingdom of Dahomey.
Following the death of Gaha, the military prowess and internal cohesion of the empire began to suffer. First to declare independence were the southern Borgu kingdoms in 1783 during Abiodun's reign. However, they continued to pay tributes to the empire until the year 1818. Following the Borgus to rebel were the Nupes in 1791 during the reign of Awole. The empire's losses continued to mount with the Egbas themselves revolting massively and declaring their autonomy in 1796. The disintegration in the state of affairs took a sudden turn for the worse after Awole's order for an attack against the Ife market town of Apomu led to further depreciation in the prestige of the Alaafin's position and plunged the Yoruba country into a state of civil war (Owu–Ife war). Afonja the Aare Ona kakanfo declared independence from the empire from his base at Ilorin, building a mostly Muslim and multi-ethnic fighting force menacing the northern territories. Cohesion faltered further, and the empire's various army officers began to create "little kingdoms" for themselves.
Eventually, the Dahomeans under Ahosu (king) Ghezo broke away from the depleted Oyo Empire under Alaafin Majotu in 1823 at the height of the Owu–Ife war and the troubles of Ilorin rebellion which had left the empire's western garrisons thinly manned, ending its nearly 95 years long (since 1730) vassal kingdom status.
Origins and prelude
Following the Egba declaration of independence, and the destruction of many of their towns and villages, they founded the city state of Abeokuta (: under the rock/stone) in 1830 close to the banks of the lower Ogun River on the site of what was then a small farmstead near a large protective boulder and rock shelter called Oke Olumo in a migration led by Balogun Shodeke of Iporo. The new city developed a confederacy with place-name reduplications of the different former Egba towns, villages and origins of the founder groups which populated them, such was the case for Igbore, Itoku, Ake, Owu, Igbehin and Ikija. The population of Abeokuta began to grow rapidly, by 1842, it had swollen to an estimated 45,000 people, and by 1851, it had reached between 50,000 and 60,000, some visitors estimating it to be as high as 100,000 inhabitants.
The rise of Abeokuta It wasn't long after its foundation before Abeokuta had to fight several battles all through the 1830s for its own survival against long-time traditional enemies who wanted it destroyed. Under the command of Balogun Shodeke, Ilorin was defeated and turned back. Next came the combined forces of Ijebu and Ota who were also beaten at the Owiwi War. The army of Ibadan was equally repulsed at the Arakanga War in their unsuccessful quest to vanquish the city. News of these successes in war traveled far and wide including to Dahomey, whose king then sought an alliance with the new city-state, but the Egbas came to be just as hated as much as they were feared.
The status of Abeokuta as a rising power continued to grow through the 1840s, and it soon began to pursue its own regional economic and political interests such as the quest for a southern coastal port and an independent trading corridor. Although reports on the level of Abeokuta's own involvement in slave dealing before this period are mixed and sometimes conflicting, all commercial activity conducted in and by the city was fully legal by the mid-1840s. The city had now become a safe haven for all the surrounding populations from the slave trade and had also become the center of missionary activity and the legitimate commodity trade (such as palm oil and cotton) in the region. The competing ideologies, regional interests/ambitions and economic activities of the Egba kingdom of Abeokuta and that of Dahomey were bound to clash eventually.
Dahomey's resolution Dahomey's Elephant Party faction, comprising the crown, the wealthiest Creole traders such as the de Souza family, and the highest male military officials were advocates in favour of continuing the long established practice of capturing, trading and exporting slaves and thus wanted Abeokuta, the kingdom's natural rising rival and city of refuge destroyed. Beecroft mentions that the main theme of amazon songs at the Hwetanu (annual custom ceremony) of 1850 was for the king to allow them to go attack Abeokuta. "All the 'petty nations' in the region had been conquered"— they sang; "Only two 'Great nations' remained." "It was impossible for two rams to feed out of the same stall, their horns must get entangled". "So Dahomey and Abeokuta could not co-exist".
In 1849–50, under the direction of British Governor William Winniett, British naval officer Frederick E. Forbes went on two missions to the court of King Ghezo in an unsuccessful attempt to convince him to end involvement in the slave trade. Starting from about the fifth decade of the nineteenth century until practically the close of it, Dahomey tried repeatedly but unsuccessfully to annihilate the Egba kingdom.
Beginning of hostilities Antebellum The Dahomeyans moved first. The first victims of their ire was the Yoruba commercial city of Atakpame to their west in modern day Togo, after which they turned towards the petty Yoruba kingdoms to their east. In the mid 1830's the Egbado village of Refurefu was sacked and destroyed.
The Egbas on their own part were pressing southwards towards the coast to secure their economic and military interests in the interior. They took over the Awori towns of Ota in 1835 and 1842 (in order to open a direct link with the port of Badagry), and then Ado in 1844, where they would encounter the Dahomeans.
First military confrontation (The battle of Imojolu) The Egba and Dahomey engaged in their first open military combat in early 1844 when their forces came into contact and clashed in the village of Imojolu, near the Awori town of Ado-Odo. According to the Dahomeans, the causus belli for their involvement was that Ado was in a territory belonging to Porto-Novo and was therefore a legitimate part of Dahomean territory. The Egbas however considered the territory of Ado and the Egbado area as home turf and saw the Dahomey presence there as an encroachment. Moreover, Shodeke had died in 1842, and the Dahomeans upon hearing this had decided to attack the Egbas at Ado, an act they considered treacherous.
The battle between the two sides resulted in an Egba victory. The Dahomean force was led by king Ghezo himself and at the end, many officers were lost. The throne (royal stool), royal umbrella (described as the war standard of the army), war totems/charms and other royal paraphernalia of Dahomey were also captured by the triumphant Egba forces and Ghezo himself only narrowly escaped capture. This encounter confirmed the rising profile of Abeokuta to the dahomeans and sowed the seeds for further hostile clashes between the two ascending and ambitious states. According to captain Forbe's 1851 account, Abeokuta also destroyed an Amazon regiment in 1848, although the exact details were not explicit.
Ahosu Ghezo then joined forces and hatched a plan with his "fellow slaver" and ally, Oba Kosoko of Lagos. The details of their military stratagem was for Dahomey to attack Abeokuta while Lagos would attack Badagry simultaneously In March 1851.
First battle of Abeokuta (1st Egba – Dahomey war) Around mid February 1851, Dahomey's forces set out to invade Abeokuta. The Dahomey army consisted of around 16,000 male troops and between 2,500 and 5,000 Amazons according to R. F. Burton who was in Agbome (Abomey). On the first of March, the Fon Dahomeans reached the Yoruba town of Ishaga west of Abeokuta. Oba koko (Ashade Okogan), the king of Ishaga pretended to co-operate with the Dahomeans, but secretly sent word forward to the Egba informing them of the approaching invaders.
Oba Koko of Ishaga also fed them wrong intelligence which made the invading column cross the Ogun River at a deeper area dampening some of the gunpowder, attack the city at midday rather than before dawn (supposedly because the Egba men would either be taking a siesta or away working at the farms), and launch their attack of the city from the southwestern or Aro gate, a section of the city walls which was in very good condition instead of the northwestern gate which had been left in a dilapidated state. The Fon followed the Oba's counsel to the very letter, even though they had gotten more accurate information from at least one other spy(ies) who had successfully scouted Abeokuta before hand.
Around noon on the third of March, the Dahomeans struck. Immediately the Egbas sensed the Dahomean approach, the battle cry; Elélè m'élè! ( Each person to his cutlass!) was called by the women, and the wall and gates were manned by the Ologun. Armed men marched out of the Badagry facing gate in three parties; one stayed near the wall, another group under Ogunbona crossed the river near the wall and the third proceeded half a mile to the ford on the Badagry road.
The heavy Dahomey squadron split in two units, one approached the ford and the other, led by Ghezo charged at Ogunbona's unit which retreated towards the river, requesting the wall division to cover their crossing. Ogunbona then rallied and the battle began. The unit at the ford also retreated, closely pressed by the Dahomeans and some deserted, but the majority held their ground. The walls and gates were heavily defended with swords and guns, cutting down the enemy at the entrance. The battle then came to a lull on both sides interrupted by periods of sharp skirmishing. Shokenu the commander-in chief then led an outflanking movement which demoralized the besiegers, while Akati endeavoured in vain to rally the cracked regiment, which led to his demise. His now leaderless army then broke into a retreat.