Person

Ghezo

r. 1818–1858 · 19th century · Also known as Gezo

Ghezo was king of Dahomey, in present-day Benin, from 1818 to 1858. He came to power in a coup against his brother Adandozan, ended Dahomey's tribute to the Oyo Empire in 1823 and expanded the army, including the corps of women soldiers. Dahomey's economy depended heavily on the slave trade, and under British pressure he began to promote palm oil exports.

Ghezo
Image: Forbes, Frederick E. · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 2 profiles

Oyo EmpireMilitaryKingdom of DahomeyMilitary, Governance, Decline, Summary

Mentioned in 1 state history

Kingdom of Dahomey

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Ghezo. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/ghezo
MLA
“Ghezo.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/ghezo. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Ghezo.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/ghezo.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Ghezo’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/ghezo (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻