Savi
Savi is a town in Benin that was the capital of the Kingdom of Whydah prior to its capture by the forces of Dahomey in 1727.
An account of the city was given by Robert Norris in 1789: "Sabee, at that period the metropolis of the kingdom, the residence of their monarch, and seat of their commerce, was more than four miles in circumference. The houses, constructed with mud walls, were roofed with thatch. The factory houses of the European traders were spacious and airy, distributed into convenient apartments, and surrounded on the outside with a large gallery opening into balconies. The town swarmed with people, insomuch, that it was impossible to pass through the streets without great difficulty. Markets were held every day, at which were exposed to sale all sorts of merchandizes, European and African, besides abundance of provisions of every kind."
There were British, French, Dutch and Portuguese factories in the city, adjacent to the Royal Palace. They were essentially involved in the slave trade.
* Norris, Robert (1789), Memoirs of the reign of Bossa Ahádee London: Printed for W. Lowndes.
* Ross, David. "Robert Norris, Agaja, and the Dahomean Conquest of Allada and Whydah" in History in Africa, 16 (1989), 311–324.
* Harms, Robert. The Diligent: A Journey through the Worlds of the Slave Trade. New York: Basic Books, 2002. p. 155-156.
An account of the city was given by Robert Norris in 1789: "Sabee, at that period the metropolis of the kingdom, the residence of their monarch, and seat of their commerce, was more than four miles in circumference. The houses, constructed with mud walls, were roofed with thatch. The factory houses of the European traders were spacious and airy, distributed into convenient apartments, and surrounded on the outside with a large gallery opening into balconies. The town swarmed with people, insomuch, that it was impossible to pass through the streets without great difficulty. Markets were held every day, at which were exposed to sale all sorts of merchandizes, European and African, besides abundance of provisions of every kind."
There were British, French, Dutch and Portuguese factories in the city, adjacent to the Royal Palace. They were essentially involved in the slave trade.
* Norris, Robert (1789), Memoirs of the reign of Bossa Ahádee London: Printed for W. Lowndes.
* Ross, David. "Robert Norris, Agaja, and the Dahomean Conquest of Allada and Whydah" in History in Africa, 16 (1989), 311–324.
* Harms, Robert. The Diligent: A Journey through the Worlds of the Slave Trade. New York: Basic Books, 2002. p. 155-156.
Map - Savi
Map
Country - Benin
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| Flag of Benin | |
From the 17th to the 19th century, political entities in the area included the Kingdom of Dahomey, the city-state of Porto-Novo, and other states to the north. This region was referred to as the Slave Coast from the early 17th century due to the high number of people who were sold and trafficked during the Atlantic slave trade to the New World. France took over the territory in 1894, incorporating it into French West Africa as French Dahomey. In 1960, Dahomey gained full independence from France. As a sovereign state, Benin has had democratic governments, military coups, and military governments. A self-described Marxist–Leninist state called the People's Republic of Benin existed between 1975 and 1990. In 1991, it was replaced by the multi-party Republic of Benin.
Currency / Language
| ISO | Currency | Symbol | Significant figures |
|---|---|---|---|
| XOF | West African CFA franc | Fr | 0 |
| ISO | Language |
|---|---|
| FR | French language |