10 Facts About Agonglo

Agonglo was a King of the Kingdom of Dahomey, in present-day Benin, from 1789 until 1797.

Agonglo took over from his father King Kpengla in 1789 and inherited many of the economic problems that developed during Kpengla's reign.

Agonglo was the oldest son of King Kpengla, who had ruled over a long-term economic crisis in Dahomey.

The selection of Agonglo resulted in such widespread opposition that the political functions of the kingdom largely halted for a year.

Agonglo then did a series of conciliatory moves to try to end the opposition: promised to give citizens back some rights, ended constraints on slave traders, reduced taxes, reassigned some of the aggressive tax collectors into the army, and recognized other powerful individuals.

However, while Agonglo was able to act independently, domestic dissent prevented him from directly challenging Oyo power.

Agonglo responded by sending three ambassadors to Maria I of Portugal to try to convince her to resume trade with Dahomey.

Agonglo accepted the missionaries and expressed a willingness to be converted which caused a significant uproar amongst different factions within the kingdom.

Agonglo did know about Catholicism, having married the former wife of the commander of the French fort in Whydah, a Dutch-African woman named Sophie who had introduced a Christian shrine into the pantheon of deities worshiped.

Regardless, the willingness for conversion resulted in Dogan, a brother of Agonglo, starting serious efforts to remove Agonglo from power.