The Ahosi (Amazons) of Dahomey were a military corps of women appointed to serve in battles under the direction of the Fon king, who ruled over a nation that included much of present-day southern Togo and southern Benin. They emerged during the Eighteenth Century and were finally suppressed during the 1890s. The Amazons were chosen from among the nominal wives of the king, called “Ahosi.” Estimates of the number of women soldiers vary by account, yet some scholars believe the numbers ranged from several hundred to a few thousand women soldiers. The Fon women’s army had three main wings: the right wings, the left wings, and the elite center wing or Fanti. Each of these wings had five subgroups: the artillery women, the elephant huntresses, the musket-bearing frontline group, the razor women, and the archers. They served in battles in conjunction with male troops. These women soldiers had extensive training and drilling. The Eighteenth and Nineteenth Century Amazons used flintlock muskets. They also used cannon, and later modern artillery and machine guns. Subject to celibacy under pain of death, they could not marry once they became Amazons, nor could they have children. In addition to their military duties, the Amazons … Continue reading Ahosi (Amazons) of Dahomey (ca. 1700-1892)