Fon (people)
The Fon are an ethnic group in Benin , Togo , Gabon , Ghana and Nigeria . An estimated 1,706,000 Fon live in Benin, 55,000 in Togo, 18,000 in France, 14,000 in Gabon, and 11,000 in Ghana. Few Fon should also live in Nigeria.
They are said to have come from the area of Tado , a town in Togo , and founded Ardra . Fon conquered the city of Savalu the Mahi in the north . Many members of the local priestly caste were enslaved and ended up in America - as well as Cuba (see Arará Sabalú).
The Fon had a very centralized and hierarchical administrative organization, with a court, dignitaries, and an army that practically had a monopoly on the slave trade (hence the former name, Slave Coast ). Society was divided into four estates or classes . At the head were the nobles and priests . Their task was to ensure the continued existence of the empire. In second place were the common free people, especially farmers and craftsmen . They formed the middle class . Then came the descendants of slaves . These were not allowed to be sold or killed by their masters because they were born in the ruling country. The lowest class were the slaves, who had no rights. They mostly worked in the fields, but were sometimes also victims of royal rites .
history
The Fon Allada founded around 1440 and was the regent until around 1610. Before 1580 the Fon Sahé founded with the capital Ajudá ( Ouidah ) and around 1615 the kingdom of Dahomey with the capital Abomey . They provided the regent until around 1620. In all of these realms the Adja later provide the regent. However, disputes between the ethnic groups are not known per se. The wars were wars of the rulers, not of the people. Together we proudly look back on the history of Dahomey.
The empire was conquered by French troops from Senegal in 1894 and became part of French West Africa . With the death of the last king of Dahomey, Behanzin , a new social structure was introduced. What remains of the Fon legacy is a strictly hierarchical social structure and the great importance of funeral ceremonies. Around 2,000,000 people today belong to the ethnic group.
See also
Individual evidence
- ^ Melville J. Herskovits : Dahomey, an Ancient West African Kingdom. 2 volumes, JJ Augustin , New York 1938