Akaba of Dahomey - King of Dahomey

King of Dahomey

Oral tradition records that Akaba was the eldest born child of Houegbadja with a twin sister named Hangbe. In addition, Houegbadja also had a younger son named Dosu (the traditional name for the first male born after twins in Fon) who would later take the name Agaja. As the oldest son, Houegbadja named Akaba his heir before he died and Akaba assumed the throne in 1685 upon his father's deaths. In some versions, Akaba is the king who kills the chieftain Dan to establish the dominance of the Dahomey Kingdom over the Abomey plateau, rather than Houegbadja.

Akaba's administration continued military expansion off the Abomey plateau and increasing centralization of the kingdom over the region. Some of his most significant military activity was in the Ouémé River valley. During this campaign in around 1715-1716, Akaba died either of smallpox, poisoning, or in battle. Because his death was quite sudden, and his heir was still young, Edna Bay contends that his twin sister Hangbe became the regent until Agaja forcibly replaced her and the oldest son of Akaba, Agbo Sassa, to take over the throne.