page_title: Fon people
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Fon people / History
caption_attribution_description: English: "Amazon King Apron" Population&#160;: Fon People. Dahomey (now Benin): West Africa Collector and collection: Jean Grand Collection Method: Military Shipping. Infantry lieutenant who participated in the first war of Dahomey in 1890 under the command of Colonel Archinard, against the kingdom Fon, the Béhanzin king. Two years later began the second war of Dahomey (1892-1894) which ended with the defeat of King Behanzin, the end of the Fon kingdom of Dahomey and its annexation by France. 'Analytical description' &#160;: Influence of France in the area of ​​West Africa since the mid 19th century, Dahomey (now Benin) is the seat of the kingdom Fon whose capital Abomey. The relationship gradually deteriorate over the following decades between France and the Kingdom of Abomey with backdrop of territorial struggles. From 1882 during the reign of King Glélé, conflicts are becoming more numerous. In 1890, war broke out between the kingdom of Dahomey and France, which wants to extend its long colonial empire in this area. The port of Cotonou is a major challenge of this first war that is taking place from 21 February to 4 October 1890. The kingdom Fon still carries on customary rights, while France considers under its control. On March 4, 1890 takes place the battle of Cotonou which involved the regiment of Amazons Béhanzin King (reigned from January 1890 to 1894). The fighter regiment called "Amazons" of the Kingdom of Dahomey was exclusively female and built his professional armies of the kingdom. Its creation dates back to the late 17th century. In his language, this regiment is called "Mino" which means "our mothers". According to sources, the king's army Béhanzin had between 4000 and 6000 women. The loincloth given by the Grand Museum of Toulouse in 1891 has certainly been taken at the end of this famous battle of Cotonou. We find on this loincloth several elements related to voodoo beliefs and practices of his (metallic elements, magic loads, ...). Materials: Cotton (textile), Shellfish, especially money cowry (Monetaria moneta), glass bead, Animal Material, Metal, Calabash. Size : 51 x 52 x 4 cm Français&#160;: "Tablier d'amazone du roi " Population&#160;: Peuple Fon. Dahomey (Bénin actuel)&#160;: Afrique de l'Ouest Collecteur et collection&#160;: Jean Grand Date de collecte&#160;: 1890 Méthode de collecte&#160;: Expédition militaire. Lieutenant d'infanterie ayant participé à la première guerre du Dahomey de 1890 sous le commandement du colonel Archinard contre le royaume fon du roi Béhanzin . Deux ans plus tard débute la seconde guerre du Dahomey (1892-1894) qui se solde par la défaite du roi Béhanzin, la fin du royaume Fon du Dahomey et son annexion par la France. Description analytique : Zone d'influence de la France en Afrique de l'Ouest depuis le milieu du 19° siècle, le Dahomey (Bénin actuel) est le siège du royaume Fon qui a pour capitale Abomey. Les relations se dégradent progressivement au cours des décénnies suivantes entre la France et le Royaume d'Abomey avec pour toile de fond des luttes de territoires. A partir de 1882, sous le règne du roi Glélé, les conflits sont de plus en plus nombreux. En 1890, la guerre éclate entre le royaume du Dahomey et la France qui désire depuis longtemps étendre son empire colonial à cette zone. Le port de Cotonou est un enjeu important de cette première guerre qui se déroule du 21 février au 4 octobre 1890. Le royaume Fon y exerce encore ses droits coutumiers, tandis que la France le considère sous son contrôle. Le 4 mars 1890 a lieu la bataille de Cotonou à laquelle participe le régiment des amazones du roi Béhanzin (règne de janvier 1890 à 1894). Le régiment combattant dit "des Amazones" du Royaume du Dahomey était exclusivement composé de femmes fon et intégré aux armées professionnelles du royaume. Sa création remonte à la fin du 17° siècle. En langue fon, ce régiment est appelé "Mino" ce qui signifie "nos mères". Selon les sources, l'armée du roi Béhanzin comptait entre 4000 et 6000 femmes. Le pagne donné par Grand au muséum de Toulouse en 1891 a très certainement été prélevé à l'issue de cette fameuse bataille de Cotonou. On retrouve sur ce pagne plusieurs éléments liées aux croyances et pratiques vaudou des fon (éléments métalliques, charges magiques,...). Matériaux&#160;: Coton (textile), Coquillages dont Cauris (Monetaria moneta), Perle de verre, Matière animale, Métal, Calebasse. Taille: 51 x 52 x 4 cm Muséum de Toulouse &#160;&#160;Native nameMuséum de ToulouseLocationToulouse , FranceCoordinates43°&#160;35′&#160;38″&#160;N, 1°&#160;26′&#160;57″&#160;E &#160;Established1796&#58; &#32;established&#160;; 1865&#58; &#32;opened to publicWeb pagewww.museum.toulouse.frAuthority control : Q422 VIAF:&#8201;131004808 ISNI:&#8201;0000 0001 2158 3469 SUDOC:&#8201;028667107 BNF:&#8201;120455376 Museofile:&#8201;M7013 institution QS:P195,Q422 MHNT ETH.AC.559
context_page_description: The Fon people, also called Fon nu, Agadja or Dahomey, are a major African ethnic and linguistic group. They are the largest ethnic group in Benin found particularly in its south region; they are also found in southwest Nigeria and Togo. Their total population is estimated to be about 3,500,000 people, and they speak the Fon language, a member of the Gbe languages.
  The history of the Fon people is linked to the Dahomey kingdom, a well-organized kingdom by the 17th century but one that shared more ancient roots with the Aja people. The Fon people traditionally were a culture of an oral tradition and had a well-developed polytheistic religious system. They were noted by early 19th-century European traders for their N'Nonmiton practice or Dahomey Amazons – which empowered their women to serve in the military, who decades later fought the French colonial forces in 1890.
  Most Fon today live in villages and small towns in mud houses with corrugated iron gable roofs. Cities built by the Fon include Abomey, the historical capital city of Dahomey on what was historically referred to by Europeans as the Slave Coast. These cities became major commercial centres for the slave trade.
context_section_description: While references and documented history about the Fon people are scant before the 17th century, there are abundant documents on them from the 17th century, particularly written by European travelers and traders to West African coasts. These memoirs mention Ouidah or Abomey. Among the most circulated texts are those of Archibald Dalzel, a slave trader who in 1793 wrote the legends, history and slave trading practices of the Fon people in a book titled the History of Dahomey. Modern era scholars have questioned the objectivity and accuracy of Dalzel, and to what extent his pioneering book on Fon people was a polemic or dispassionate scholarship.
  In the 19th century and early 20th century, as the French presence increased and then the colonial period began in the Benin and nearby regions, more history and novels with references to the Fon people appeared, such as those by Édouard Foà, N. Savariau, Le Herisse and M.J. Herskovits' anthropological study on Fon people published in 1938.
  These histories suggest that Fon people's kingdom of Dahomey expanded in early 18th century, particularly during King Agaja's rule through the 1740s, reaching the Atlantic coast from their inland capital of Abomey. During this period, 200 years after Portugal had already settled in the Kongo people lands on the Atlantic coast of Central Africa in the 16th century, there were numerous plantations in the Caribbean and Atlantic coastline of South America, which had already created a booming demand for slaves from the European traders. The expanded territory of the Dahomey kingdom was well positioned to supply this transatlantic trade and the 18th and 19th century history of the Fon people is generally presented within this context.
caption: "Amazon King Apron", Dahomey : the nineteenth century
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