Writers 
To the east of Asante and west of Oyo was Dahomey. The state was founded by the Fon clan in the hinterland within an area which fell within the sphere of the Oyo Empire. Sango is believed to have conquered Popo at about the 4th century A.D. Since then, there had been considerable cultural contact between Dahomey and Oyo Yoruba.
Dahomey is believed to have been founded by migrants from Alladah, a state located towards the coast. At the zenith of its power, its population was about a quarter of a million covering an area of about 25 square miles. Located on a poor vegetational zone, it was not too suitable for agricultural practices. Thus, the rise of the kingdom would appear to have been due mainly to its participation in the slave trade. One of the greatest factors of Dahomey's rise and stability is Togbarigenu's idea of the nation.
Togbarigenu is generally regarded as the founder of the Dahomey state. He initiated and propagated the principle of 'democracy'. A state according to this ruler, is like a perforated pot to be used to fetch water for the sustenance of the people. Unless every member of the nation plugs a finger properly in a hole, the water would not stay. The result is a weakening of the entire state. Togbarigenu demonstrated this practically by presenting the "Monolithic pot" before his people. Hence, the Dahomeyians were known to be united in the attack of their enemies and the defence of their nation. Dahomey came into prominence under Agaja Trudo who carried out far reaching socio-political reforms which turned his land into a centralised autocratic state where all interests were centred around himself. He made an unsuccessful attempt to free Dahomey from Oyo's control between 1726 and 1730. Hence, Dahomey remained under Oyo imperial control until between 1818 and 1820 when King Gezo declared Dahomey's independence of Oyo.
In the 1720s, King Agaja, in an attempt to reach the coast, defeated the small coastal state of Whydah and Alada thereby becoming a dominant power among the various Aja states. From the capital Abomey, the king exported annually thousands of slaves, a trade which brought substantial revenue to the coffers of the government. Since the slave trade was an important source of revenue, Dahomey sustained a very powerful army with its amazons.
In order to derive maximum profit from European trade, all trade transactions to Dahomey received the approval of the King. He also selected his articles of trade before others. However, towards the close of the 18th century, Dahomey started to decline. The slaves from Oyo were diverted from Dahomey to other ports particularly Lagos and Badagry. Secondly, the demand for slaves to Europe declined due partly to wars in Europe in the last quarter of the 18th century and partly due to abolition of the trade and the activities of the British anti-slavery squadron in the first three decades of the 19th century. Dahomey also witnessed a period of instability until King Gezo seized power in the state in 1818. Gezo's attempt to regain the past glory of Dahomey involved him in a series of wars with Egba which only terminated in the 1850s. Dahomeyian soldiers were known to be ferocious, most especially the women who actually led most of the wars. They were known as Amazons. The story is told that at a point, many of the women cut off their breasts to disguise their sex.
