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DAHOMEAN WARRIOR KING
(Cast In Bronze)
The Dahomean Empire
The great African Kingdom of Dahomey, source of origin of today's nation of Benin, is the ancestral homeland of many African Americans. This mighty West African kingdom flourished from the end of the 16th century into the 19th century. It was a powerful warrior empire, with majestic, thriving cities, impressive schools of learning and rich cultural traditions. It's people were known around the world for their great artistry and craftsmanship, (particularly bronze casting), as well for as their courage, skill and power in battle. The Kingdom of Dahomey became wealthy through conquest and international trade, including, (like some other African peoples), sale of human beings, usually enemies captured in battle. The story of the destruction of the Dahomean Empire is a story of the great power of gunpowder, as well as a story of racism, conquest, terrorism and tragedy. As The New York Times reported on March 29, 2006 on page G1, "(I)n 1897, British troops, in a punishing mood, stripped clean the ivories and bronzes from the altars and palaces of the West African kingdom of Benin, (Benin was the capital of Dahomey), and sent those exquisite objects home . . . ." Untold numbers of captured Dahomeans, from warriors, merchants and artists to members of the royal family, were brought to the shores of the Americas in barbaric bondage. Fortunately, the great enduring spirit of the Dahomean Empire lives on, in part, in West Africa, and in the Americas through its descendants, including great scholars, artists, business people, professionals, craftsmen, athletes and others, who are scattered across the Americas to this day.
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