kingdom · West Africa

Kingdom of Bafut

1700 CE – 1907 CE (approx.) · capital Bafut

One of the largest kingdoms of the Cameroon Grassfields, whose Fon resisted German conquest and whose palace at Bafut is among the best preserved in the region.

Origins

Bafut was founded by groups said to have migrated from the Tikar area in the north-east, probably in the 18th century, and settled north of what is now Bamenda. Its rulers, the Fons, gradually conquered and absorbed neighbouring villages, building one of the larger chiefdoms of the Grassfields.

Rule and society

The Fon was a sacred king, supported by palace societies, notables and a regulatory society, the Kwifon, that enforced his decisions and ritual law. The royal compound with its shrine house, the Achum, was the political and religious centre. Bafut farmed, raised livestock and took part in trade in palm oil, kola and slaves across the Grassfields.

Decline and legacy

Fon Abumbi I fought German troops in 1901 and 1907 before submitting, and Bafut was absorbed into Kamerun. After 1916 it fell under British Cameroons. The Fon still reigns; Achirimbi II became widely known through Gerald Durrell's book The Bafut Beagles.

Connections (2)

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Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Kingdom of Bafut. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kingdom-of-bafut
MLA
“Kingdom of Bafut.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kingdom-of-bafut. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Kingdom of Bafut.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kingdom-of-bafut.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Kingdom of Bafut’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kingdom-of-bafut (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻