Ghezo

**Ghezo**, wanda kuma aka rubuta **Gezo**, shi ne Sarkin Dahomey ( Jamhuriyar Benin ta yau) daga 1818 zuwa 1858. Ghezo ya maye gurbin ɗan'uwansa Adandozan (wanda ya yi mulki daga 1797 zuwa 1818) a matsayin sarki ta hanyar juyin mulki tare da taimakon ɗan kasuwan bawa na Brazil Francisco Félix de Sousa . Ya yi sarauta a kan masarautar a lokacin tashin hankali, wanda Birtaniyya ta rufe tashar jiragen ruwa na Dahomey don dakatar da cinikin bayi na Atlantic .

Ghezo ya kawo karshen matsayin Dahomey ga Daular Oyo. Bayan haka, ya magance babbar rashin amincewar cikin gida, da kuma matsin lamba daga Daular Burtaniya, don kawo karshen cinikin bayi. Ya yi alkawarin kawo karshen cinikin bayi a shekara ta 1852, amma ya ci gaba da kokarin bayi a shekara de 1857. An kashe Ghezo a shekara ta 1858, kuma dansa Glele ya zama sabon sarki.

## Samun iko

Ghezo ɗa ne da aka haifa da sunan Gakpe ga Sarki Agonglo kuma ƙaramin ɗan'uwa ne ga Adandozan . Lokacin da Agonglo ya mutu, akwai gwagwarmayar maye tsakanin 'ya'yansa maza kafin a naɗa Adandozan. Wata al'adar baki wacce ta samo asali a lokacin mulkin Ghezo, don kawar da Adandozan daga tarihin hukuma, ta ce an kira Adandozan ne kawai mai mulki kuma ya ki ya sauka ga Ghezo lokacin da ya tsufa. Masana tarihi suna shakkar wannan.

Bayani game da shekarun karshe na gwamnatin Adandozan yana da iyaka sosai, yana ba da ɗan fahimta game da halin da ake ciki wanda ya haifar da mulkin Ghezo. Abin da aka sani shi ne cewa a kusa da 1818, Adandozan ya ɗaure Francisco Félix na Sousa, mai iko dan kasuwar bayi na Afirka da Brazil, lokacin da ya bukaci a biya kuɗin da aka ba Adandozan. Tare da taimakon, an ruwaito, na Nicola d'Olveira, ɗan matar Afro-Dutch na Agonglo, de Sousa ya tsere daga ɗaurin kurkuku kuma ya koma Grand-Popo.

Yayinda yake gudun hijira, de Sousa ya aika da kyauta da kuɗi ga Ghezo wanda Ghezo ya yi amfani da shi don kafa goyon baya ga ƙalubalen kursiyin. A cikin Al'adun shekara-shekara na 1818, an ce Ghezo ya bayyana yana riƙe da drum din yaƙi a fadar. Bayan ganin wannan, *Migan* da *Mehu* (firayim ministoci) sun cire takalma na sarauta daga Adandozan kuma sun kira Ghezo sarki. Wataƙila gwagwarmayar farko ta fi tashin hankali fiye da yadda wannan labarin ya fada.

A cewar wasu fassarori, ba a kira Ghezo mai mulki a wannan lokacin ba, amma a maimakon haka an kira shi mai mulki har sai dan Adandozan Dakpo ya isa ya yi mulki. Labarin ya ce wannan fahimtar ta kasance har zuwa 1838, lokacin da Ghezo ya kira ɗansa, sarki na gaba Glele, a matsayin yarima. A wannan lokacin Dakpo da Adandozan sun jagoranci ɗan gajeren gwagwarmaya a cikin fadar. Yaƙin ya haifar da wuta wanda ya ƙone wani ɓangare na fadar kuma ya kashe Dakpo, ya sa Ghezo ya zama sarki na Dahomey.

## Dokar

An bayyana mulkin Ghezo ta hanyar wasu muhimman nasarorin soja, rashin amincewa da gida, da kuma sauya tattalin arzikin cinikin bayi. Sau da yawa ana tunawa da mulkin Ghezo a matsayin daya daga cikin mafi muhimmanci dangane da sake fasalin da canji ga tsarin siyasa na masarautar (ko da yake wasu daga cikin wannan suna ba da sauye-sauyen da suka faru a ƙarƙashin Adandozan ga Ghezo a cikin ɓangaren share mulkin Adandozan). Baya ga nasarorin soja, rashin amincewa da gida, da cinikin bayi, an kuma yaba wa Ghezo da fadada zane-zane sosai da kuma ba da matsayi na sarauta ga masu sana'a da yawa don komawa babban birnin Abomey.

### Yaduwar Soja

Nasarar da ya fi samu a soja ita ce a kan Daular Oyo da ta ragu a 1823.  Tun daga shekara ta 1730, Dahomey ta ba da haraji na shekara-shekara ga daular Oyo kuma wasu daga cikin manufofin tattalin arziki da na soja sun kasance karkashin ikon Oyo. Koyaya, daular Oyo ta raunana sosai a cikin shekaru 30 da suka gabata kuma, tare da tashiwar jihadi na Islama zuwa arewa a cikin Khalifancin Sokoto, daular ba ta iya samun haraji daga Dahomey ba.

A farkon shekarun 1820, Ghezo ya ki biyan harajin shekara-shekara ga Oyo. Oyo da Dahomey sun yi yaƙi da ƙaramin yaƙi a farkon shekarun 1820. Rikicin ya karu a shekara ta 1823 lokacin da Oyo ya aika da jakada don neman haraji kuma Ghezo ya kashe shi. Oyo ta mayar da martani ta hanyar shirya rundunar da ta kunshi Mahi da sauran dakarun yankin don kai hari Dahomey. Ghezo ya kayar da wadannan dakarun a wani yaki kusa da Paouinnan . Daga nan sai Oyo ya aika da babbar runduna wacce ta kasance 4,000, gami da sojan doki, kuma suka kafa sansani kusa da ƙauyen Kpaloko. Ghezo ya kayar da wannan rundunar ta hanyar shirya wani hari na dare wanda ya haifar da mutuwar shugaban Oyo, Ajanaku, kuma ya sa sojojin Oyo su koma baya.

Kodayake nasarorin da aka samu a kan Oyo suna da mahimmanci, wasu ayyukan soja a farkon shekarun mulkin Ghezo ba su da tasiri sosai. Ya sha wahala ga Mutanen Mahi a arewacin Dahomey kuma bai iya samun isasshen mutane don biyan bukatun bayi ba, wanda ya kai shi ga sayar da 'yan ƙasa na Dahomey, wani yanke shawara mara kyau.

Tare da ci gaba da rage ikon Oyo a yankin, Ghezo ya sami damar fadada soja a kan Mahi da mutanen Gbe zuwa kudu maso yammacin Dahomey bayan tsakiyar shekarun 1820. Bayan nasarori a waɗannan yankuna, Ghezo ya mayar da hankali ga ikon soja a yankin da ke tsakanin daular Oyo da Dahomey kuma ya kasance makasudin manyan hare-haren bayi. Bayan wasu gagarumin nasarori a wannan yanki ta Dahomey, an kafa birnin Abeokuta a matsayin mafaka mai aminci ga mutane su kasance 'yanci daga mamayar bayi a wuri mai sauƙin karewa. A cikin shekarun 1840, Abeokuta ya zama babban iko a yankin kuma yaƙe-yaƙe tsakanin Abeokuta da Dahomey sun zama na yau da kullun.

A cikin 1849-50, a karkashin jagorancin Gwamnan Burtaniya William Winniett, jami'in sojan ruwa na Burtaniya Frederick E. Forbes ya tafi tafi tafiye-tafiye biyu zuwa kotun Sarki Ghezo "a cikin ƙoƙari mara nasara don shawo kansa ya kawo karshen shiga cikin cinikin bayi".

A shekara ta 1851, Ghezo ya shirya hari kai tsaye a birnin Abeokuta, amma bai yi nasara ba. Ghezo ya dakatar da manyan ayyukan soja lokacin da ya kawo karshen cinikin bayi (1852). Koyaya, a shekara ta 1858, wata ƙungiya mai ra'ayin mazan jiya ta matsa wa Ghezo don sake fara manyan ayyukan soja tare da kai hari kan Abeokuta. Yana yiwuwa cewa wannan sabuntawar yaƙi tsakanin jihohin biyu ya haifar da mutuwar Ghezo, tare da wasu asusun da ke nuna cewa Abeokuta ya biya don kisan Ghezo (wasu asusun ba su yarda ba). 

An yaba wa Ghezo tare da kafa Mino a matsayin ainihin rundunar yaƙi. Kodayake mace mai tsaron sarki ta wanzu ga sarakuna da yawa, ana cewa Ghezo sau da yawa a matsayin sarki wanda ya canza su zuwa rundunar yaƙi. Masanin tarihi Edna Bay ya yi jayayya cewa wannan na iya zama sakamakon buƙatar samun goyon bayan mata masu tsaron fadar bayan sun yi tsayayya da juyin mulkin Ghezo a kan Adandozan. Ghezo ya yi wannan ta hanyar ɗaga matsayin masu tsaron mata, yana ba su kayan aiki, yana ba musu ƙarin makamai, da kuma sanya su wani muhimmin bangare na manufofin yaƙi.

## Rashin amincewar cikin gida
Rashin amincewar cikin gida ya kasance babbar matsala a tsawon mulkin Ghezo tare da runduna daban-daban da ke adawa da mulkinsa.  Da farko dai bayan juyin mulkin da aka yi wa Adandozan, Ghezo ya samu goyon baya daga wasu mutane daban-daban da suka taimaka wajen kawo shi kan karagar mulki.  Ko da yake da farko ya gabatar da kansa a matsayin wanda zai iya mayar da ayyukan soja ga Dahomey, wanda ya ce Adandozan ya kasa yi, asarar farko a mulkinsa ga Mahi ya sa shi rashin farin ciki.  Har ma an ruwaito cewa a cikin 1825, ya yi tayin mayar da Adandozan kan karagar mulki amma Adandozan ya ki, yana fatan za a yi boren jama'a ga Ghezo.

Don tabbatar da goyon bayan mutane daban-daban, Ghezo ya ba da dama daga cikinsu mukamai masu mahimmanci.  Don samun goyon bayan sauran sarakuna, ya nada biyu daga cikin 'yan'uwansa a matsayin * Migan * da * Mehu * kuma ya canza su zuwa matsayin gado wanda za su iya ba da 'ya'yansu.  son). A matsayin alama na yajin aiki ga gadon Adandozan, Ghezo ya nada Agontime nasa *[[Kpojito]] * (ko sarauniya-uwa, matsayi mai mahimmanci a cikin Masarautar Dahomey).  Agontime ta kasance matar Agonglo, wani lokaci tana da'awar ita ce mahaifiyar Ghezo, wanda aka sayar da shi bauta a lokacin da Adandozan ya hau kan mulki saboda ta goyi bayan kishiya ga karagar mulki. In São Luís, a jihar Maranhão , Maranhão , [Minas] da Minas [Minsa], da ta samu (da) da Cause of Minas.  muhimmin haikali wanda ya samo asali Tambor de Mina, Addinin Afro-Brazil, wanda ya kafa ƙungiyar magabatan gidan sarauta (voduns).

Lokacin da kawo karshen cinikin bayi ya zama batu mai mahimmanci a cikin 1840s da 1850s, an sami ƙungiyoyi biyu daban-daban waɗanda masanin tarihi John C. Yoder ya kira * Giwa * da * Fly * jam'iyyun.Jarida ta Tarihin Afirka  bukatar kawo karshen cinikin bayi kuma manyan jami'ai da wakilan de Sousa sun goyi bayansu.  Bangaren Fly, sabanin haka, ya goyi bayan kawo karshen cinikin bayi da kuma biyan bukatun Birtaniyya. Kungiyar Fly ta kara karfi tare da shingen shingen jiragen ruwa na Burtaniya na 1852 kuma a karshe Ghezo ya amince da kawo karshen cinikin bayi;  duk da haka, ƙungiyar giwaye da muradin dangin de Souza sun kasance masu mahimmanci har tsawon mulkinsa. Tarihin Robin Law ya yi imanin cewa ƙwararrun ƙungiyoyin da Ghezo ya haɓaka a 1856 lokacin da ya rage cinikin bayi.   A waccan shekarar, wani bangare na sake dawo da cinikin bayi, wanda *Migan* da *Yovogan* (gwamnan Whydah) ke jagoranta, wanda ya tura Ghezo zuwa ga ci gaba da cinikin bayi a 1857.

Ɗaya daga cikin ƙarin hanyar da Ghezo ya ci gaba da tallafa wa cikin gida ita ce ta hanyar tsawaita zagayowar bikin a cikin 1850 tare da ƙari ga Annual Customs ciki har da bikin cinikin dabino, na bikin ƙarewa ga masarautar Oyo, da kuma wanda aka sadaukar da shi ga Ghezo da kansa (amma ga lokacin da ya kasance basarake).

## Cinikin Bayi

Lokacin da Sarki Ghezo ya hau karagar mulki a shekarar 1818, ya fuskanci manyan kalubale guda biyu nan take: Masarautar Dahomey tana cikin rikicin siyasa, kuma ba ta da kwanciyar tattalin arziki. Da fari, dole ne ya samu 'yancin kai ta fuskar siyasa ta hanyar kawar da ikon da daular Yarbawa ta Oyo ke da shi akan Dahomey tun daga shekarar 1748. Abu na biyu, yana bukatar farfado da tattalin arzikin Dahomey. Dukkanin wadannan manufofin guda biyu sun dogara ne akan kasuwancin bayi. Sarki Ghezo ya aiwatar da sabbin dabarun soja, wanda hakan ya basu damar fuskantar daular Oyo da karfi, wadda ita ma babbar abokiyar gasa ce a kasuwancin bayi. Haka kuma, ya kafa wasu ka’idoji dangane da yadda Dahomey ke shiga kasuwancin bayi. A karkashin mulkinsa, ba za a ci gaba da sayar da mutanen Dahomey ba, kamar yadda aka yi a zamanin dan uwansa Adandozan. Maimakon haka, Dahomey za ta mayar da hankali kan kama mutane daga yankunan abokan gaba da kuma sayar da su.

A yayin da bukatar bayi ta karu a Brazil a shekarar 1830, Birtaniya ta fara yakin kawar da kasuwancin bayi a Afirka. Gwamnatin Birtaniya ta fara matsin lamba sosai ga Sarki Ghezo a cikin shekarun 1840s domin ya dakatar da kasuwancin bayi a Dahomey. Sarki Ghezo ya amsa wannan roko da cewa ba zai iya dakatar da kasuwancin bayi ba saboda matsin lamba daga cikin gida. Ghezo ya kara da cewa:

Kasuwancin bayi shi ne ginshikin rayuwar mutanena. Shi ne tushen da kuma alfaharin dukiyarsu... uwa na lullubar jaririnta da wakar nasara akan abokin gaba da aka mayar da shi bawa.

Ya kuma bayyana wa Birtaniya cewa daukacin yankin ya dogara da kasuwancin bayi na tekun Atlantika wajen samun riba, don haka dakatar da shi cikin kwana daya zai kawo rugujewar masarautarsa tare da haddasa rudani. Sarki William Dappa Pepple na Bonny da Kosoko su ma sun dauki irin wannan matsayi game da rokon Birtaniya. Madadin haka, Sarki Ghezo ya ba da shawarar fadada kasuwancin man kwakwa, wanda, a cewar tarihici Augustus Adeyinka, hakan zai kai ga dakatar da kasuwancin bayi a hankali. Sai dai, samar da man kwakwa a Dahomey na dogara ne da bayi na cikin gida.

Gocewar goyon bayan gida na Sarki Ghezo ya sauya, musamman bayan raguwar karfin Francisco Felix de Sousa da kuma mutuwarsa a shekarar 1849. Daga shekarar 1850, Sarki Ghezo ya kusa shiga yaki da Egbas na Abeokuta, sabon babban birnin Yarbawa da ya taso bayan rushewar Daular Oyo. Egbas, wadanda ba su shiga cinikin bayi ba, sun mayar da hankali wajen zama cibiyar kasuwancin man kwakwa ta yankin; matsayin da Sarki Ghezo ke bukata domin karkatar da Masarautar Dahomey daga cinikin bayi. Egbas sun samu rinjaye ta hanyar karbar Turawa, ciki har da mishanoni da ‘yan kasuwa, a Abeokuta. Wannan dabarar ta ba su damar samun sabbin bindigogi da makamai da Amazons na Dahomey ba su da su a lokacin. Cike da kishi da tsoron tasirin da Turawan Ingila ke dashi ga Egba, da kuma yadda suke karbar kayan alatu daga Birtaniya, Sarki Ghezo ya yanke shawarar daukar mataki. A wannan shekarar, ya shaida wa Konsul Beecroft da Kwamanda Forbes cewa yana shirin kai hari a Abeokuta, kuma idan Birtaniya ba ta taimaka wajen kawo karshen kasuwancin man kwakwa a Abeokuta ta hanyar kwashe babban birnin ba, Dahomey za ta dauki Birtaniya a matsayin abokiyar gaba. Matsalar wannan bukata kuwa ita ce Abeokuta da Badagry sun zama cibiyoyin mishanonin Birtaniya, wadanda ke kokarin "wayar da kan" mutanen Yarbawa. Saboda haka, Birtaniya ta mara wa Egba baya, lamarin da ya raunana ikon Sarki Ghezo da Masarautar Dahomey wajen cin moriyar kasuwancin man kwakwa kuma ya bar su ba da wata hanya ba don dakatar da cinikin bayi face rusa masarautar gaba daya.

Saboda rashin yawan soja da makamai, Sarki Ghezo ya hada kai da Sarki Kosoko, Oba na Legas. Sun tsara yadda Dahomey za ta kai hari a Abeokuta yayin da Legas za ta kai hari a Badagry lokaci guda. A watan Maris na shekarar 1851, aka aiwatar da wannan hari, sai dai Egba tare da goyon bayan Birtaniya suka yi nasara. Wannan hari ya zama sananne da suna Yakin Abeokuta. Bayan shan kaye da Dahomey ta yi a hannun Abeokuta, da kuma kakabawa da Birtaniya ta yi da takunkumin rufe tashoshin jiragen ruwa na Dahomey, Sarki Ghezo ya nemi gwamnatin Birtaniya tare da tayin kawo karshen cinikin bayi nan take idan Birtaniya za ta biya diyyar kudin da Dahomey ta rasa daga cinikin bayi, kamar yadda Birtaniya ta yi wa masu bayi a turakun Caribbean lokacin da suka saki bayi. Bayan da suka ki amincewa da tayinsa, Sarki Ghezo ya ci gaba da cinikin bayi, domin kasuwancin man kwakwa bai sake samun riba ba.

A watan Janairu na shekarar 1852, matsin lamba daga Birtaniya ya tilasta wa Ghezo sanya hannu kan wata yarjejeniya (tare da ‘yan majalisar *Migan* da *Mehu*) da Birtaniya. Yarjejeniyar ta tanadi cewa Ghezo zai kawo karshen cinikin bayi daga Dahomey. Birtaniya ta yi imanin cewa Ghezo bai aiwatar da wannan yarjejeniya ba, ko da yake shi yana ganin ya cika ta ta hanyar dakatar da cinikin bayi daga tashoshin Dahomey kodayake ya ci gaba da barin bayi su fita daga wasu tashoshi a fadin kasar.

Raguwar cinikin bayi ta kawo wasu sauye-sauye a shekarun karshe na mulkin Ghezo. Ya rage yawan yaki da kamun bayi a masarautar sosai, kuma a shekarar 1853 ya shaida wa Birtaniya cewa ya rage yawan hadayar mutane a lokacin bikin shekara-shekara na Dahomey (mai yiyuwa ya daina yanka fursunonin yaki gaba daya, sai dai wadanda aka same su da laifi ne kadai). Sai dai a cikin shekarar 1857 da 1858, Ghezo ya canza ra’ayi gaba daya inda ya nuna husuma ga Birtaniya; ya farfado da cinikin bayi ta tashar Whydah, sannan a 1858, Dahomey ta sake kai hari a Abeokuta. Wannan shawarar kai hari da farko Sarki Ghezo ya hana ta, amma matsin lamba daga cikin gida ya sa aka aiwatar da harin.

## Mutuwa da gado
Cikakken bayanin mutuwar Ghezo ya bambanta dangane da tushen tarihi.  An yi iƙirarin cewa akwai wani annabci da aka yi a farkon shekarun 1850 cewa idan Ghezo ya kai hari birnin Ekpo da ke ƙarƙashin Abeokuta, zai mutu sakamakon haka.  Wannan na iya bayyana irin tsayin daka da ya yi a yakin da aka yi musu a shekara ta 1858[6].  Ko da kuwa, ya mutu ba da daɗewa ba bayan yaƙin neman zaɓe a 1859. An ba da shawarar dalilai daban-daban na mutuwa, ciki har da guba da limaman Dahomey suka yi bacin rai a ƙarshen sadaukarwar ɗan adam, ƙumburi, ko mutuwa a yaƙi. Sai dai mai yiyuwa ne wani maharbi da makiyansa suka hayar daga Abeokuta ya kashe shi.

A cikin shekaru na ƙarshe na rayuwarsa, magajinsa Glele ya zama shugaban ƙungiyar da ke son dawo da cinikin bayi.  Glele shi ne magaji na hukuma, amma ba shi ne ɗan fari ba; an ƙalubalanci shi a ƙoƙarinsa na yin mulki amma ƙungiyar masu ra'ayin mazan jiya sun goyi bayansa[1].  Yawancin gyare-gyaren da Ghezo ya yi, Glele ya raunana shi, wanda ya fara cinikin bayi, yaƙe-yaƙe, da sadaukarwar ɗan adam zuwa wani lokaci.

## A cikin shahararrun al'adu
An nuna Ghezo a cikin littafin labari na Flash don 'Yanci!  George MacDonald Fraser, da kuma a cikin littafin Frank Yerby na 1971, The Dahomean.  An kuma ambace shi a cikin littafin tarihin Segu na Maryse Condé, wanda ya lura da annabcin cewa zai mutu da ƙananan yara.  An ambaci Sarki Gezo a cikin littafin Anni Domingo na 2021 Breaking the Maafa Chain, wanda Sojojin ruwa na Masarautar suka ceci wani matashin bawa daga sadaukarwa a masarautarsa.  A cikin fim ɗin Band of Angels na 1957, tsohon ɗan kasuwa Hamish Bond (Clark Gable) ya ba da labaru game da cin zarafin Ghezo, yana nufin tushen cinikin bayi a Dahomey.

A yau, wani babban sansanin sojojin kasar Benin da ke Cotonou yana sunan 'Camp Ghezo' bayan tsohon sarki.

Jarumi John Boyega ya nuna wani almara na Ghezo a cikin 2022 na tarihin tarihin Amurka The Woman King.

## Manazarta