Agonglo
Encyclopedia
Agonglo was the eighth King of Dahomey
. He succeeded his father, Kpengla
, and ruled from 1789 to 1797.
Agonglo made several reforms which pleased his subjects: taxes were lowered, and a greater distribution of gifts was made during the annual customs
. He reformed the shape of the asen
, bringing the innovation of having the offering surface supported by ribs rather than a metal cone, typical of the earlier Allada
style altars. After the period of aggressive military expansion of his father, Agonglo consolidated the rule of the dynasty. Despite this, he was successful in the few battles he engaged in and his kingdom grew. His symbol is the pineapple
. Agonglo is also notable in being the first of the Dahomean kings to marry a European—one of his wives was Sophie, a Dutch metisse.
Agonglo was succeeded by his eldest son, Adandozan
.
Dahomey
Dahomey was a country in west Africa in what is now the Republic of Benin. The Kingdom of Dahomey was a powerful west African state that was founded in the seventeenth century and survived until 1894. From 1894 until 1960 Dahomey was a part of French West Africa. The independent Republic of Dahomey...
. He succeeded his father, Kpengla
Kpengla
Kpengla was the seventh King of Dahomey. He succeeded Tegbessou, and ruled from 1774 to 1789.Kpengla's reign increased the size of the kingdom. He killed the chief of the Popo people, Agbamou, thus extending the empire into what is currently Togo...
, and ruled from 1789 to 1797.
Agonglo made several reforms which pleased his subjects: taxes were lowered, and a greater distribution of gifts was made during the annual customs
The annual customs of Dahomey
Every year in the Kingdom of Dahomey, a huge festival in honor of the ancestors was organized called the annual "customs".In the customs, the king would assemble the entire court, foreign dignitaries, and the populace...
. He reformed the shape of the asen
Asen
Asen has several different meanings:* Asen dynasty, a dynasty which ruled the Second Bulgarian Empire between 1187 and 1280* ASEN - The Australian Student Environment Network...
, bringing the innovation of having the offering surface supported by ribs rather than a metal cone, typical of the earlier Allada
Allada
Allada is a town, arrondissement, and commune located in the Atlantique Department of Benin.Allada was the capital of the most powerful king in Ajaland before it fell to the armies of Dahomey....
style altars. After the period of aggressive military expansion of his father, Agonglo consolidated the rule of the dynasty. Despite this, he was successful in the few battles he engaged in and his kingdom grew. His symbol is the pineapple
Pineapple
Pineapple is the common name for a tropical plant and its edible fruit, which is actually a multiple fruit consisting of coalesced berries. It was given the name pineapple due to its resemblance to a pine cone. The pineapple is by far the most economically important plant in the Bromeliaceae...
. Agonglo is also notable in being the first of the Dahomean kings to marry a European—one of his wives was Sophie, a Dutch metisse.
Agonglo was succeeded by his eldest son, Adandozan
Adandozan
Adandozan was a King of Dahomey , technically the ninth, though he is not counted as one of the twelve kings. His name has largely been erased from the history of Abomey , and to this day is generally not spoken out loud in the city...
.