kingdom · West Africa

Kingdom of Sabe

1500 CE – 1894 CE (approx.) · capital Save

Yoruba kingdom in central Benin, on the north-western edge of the Yoruba world, ruled by the Onisabe.

Origins

Known mainly from local tradition. Sabe, or Save, was founded by Yoruba-speakers who traced their kings to Ile-Ife, and took shape by the 16th century in the hilly country west of the Oyo lands.

Rule and society

The Onisabe ruled with town chiefs and religious societies. Sabe traded with the Oyo Empire, Borgu and the coast, and was exposed to raids from the Kingdom of Dahomey and the Bariba of Borgu. It was a small state that survived by shifting alliances.

Decline and legacy

Sabe came under French control after the conquest of Dahomey and was included in French Dahomey in 1894. The Onisabe remains a traditional ruler in the town of Save in Benin.

Few sources survive for this state; details are uncertain.

Lineage

Kingdom of SabeFrench Dahomey 1894 CE – 1958 CE

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

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻