Savalou

Savalou is a city located in the Collines Department of Benin. The commune covers an area of 2,674 square kilometres and as of 2012 had a population of 35,433 people. It is the birthplace of Olympic Beninese hurdler Odile Ahouanwanou.

Savalou, like many areas of Benin, is home to a constituent monarchy.

Demographics
According to the 2013 census, the town had 38,162 inhabitants and the commune had 144,549 inhabitants.

The population of Savalou is mostly made up of the Mahi and Ifè people. The Fon, Aja, Fulani, and Batammariba also live in the area. The main ethnic groups in the area are the Adja-Tado (made up of the Fon and Mahi), which make up 58% of the population, and Yoruba, which make up 32% of the population.

The main languages spoken in Savalou are French, Mahi, and Ifè.

Kingdom of Savalou (1557–1894)
Savalou was historically the center of the Kingdom of Savalou, located in the western half of the Collines Department in modern-day Benin. The kingdom was founded in the sixteenth century by Soha Gbaguidi I.

Formation of the kingdom
The founder of the kingdom, Soha Gbaguidi (born Agba Rhako), became village chief of Damè when the former chief, Ligbo, died. Ligbo was Rhako's grandfather, as his father, who had fled his home village on the shores of Lake Ahémé after killing his brother, married Ligbo's daughter. After Ligbo's death, it was decided that whoever could succeed at taming a buffalo and riding it would become his successor. Rhako succeeded, becoming village chief, and was awarded the nickname 'Soha' (one who tamed the buffalo).

Soon, Rhako and his subordinates moved to the village of Houawé near Bohicon. He waged wars with the inhabitants of the region and eventually imposed his authority on them, mainly on the Yoruba, who nicknamed him 'Oba-Guidi' (true chief). This nickname would eventually transform into Gbaguidi over time. Rhako maintained good relations with another nearby chief, Do-Aklin, but after he died, his sons Gangni-Hessou and Dako-Donou were unable to tolerate Rhako's growing influence. Eventually, Dako-Donou forcefully subjugated all the chiefdoms in the region, including Rhako's.

Rhako, not wanting to resist Dako-Donou, migrated north with his subjects to the Honhoungo region, near the large Yoruba village of Tchébélou. Rhako soon conquered this village by tying burning straw to the feet of pigeons, who would land on the straw roofs of the village huts. Afterwards, he offered the chief of Tchébélou the help of his men to rebuild his village. He accepted and organized a banquet of gratitude to launch the reconstruction work. However, when the banquet ended, Rhako and his men surprise-massacred the population of Tchébélou and founded the village of Savalou on top of it to be the capital of his future kingdom.

Rhako subjugated the nearby localities of Doïssa, Ouèssè, Koutago, and Zounzonkanmè and founded the Kingdom of Savalou.

Vassal of Abomey
Though the kingdom enjoyed relative peace soon after its foundation, it suffered repeated attacks from the Kingdom of Abomey to the south. Savalou was able to resist them for over a century, but gradually became vassalized by Abomey in the middle of the 18th century after the capture of Gbowèlè in the kingdom's south.

After this, the rulers of Savalou were required to attend important events at the court of Abomey and kings of Savalou had to be approved by Kings of Abomey. The first instance of this was when King Tchaou Aditi Gbaguidi II, the second king and fifth ruler of Savalou, was deposed in favor of Baglo Gbaguidi III.

French rule
Savalou was dependent on Abomey until Abomey's capture in December 1892 by the French general Alfred Dodds and his troops. On January 30, 1894, the seventh king of Savalou, Gbaguidi VIII, signed a treaty with Dodds to be put under protectorate status.

List of Kings of Savalou
In total, four regents and seven kings have succeeded Soha Gbaguidi I on the throne of Savalou until the kingdom was placed under French protectorate status in 1894, during the reign of Gbaguidi VIII.