List of Figures

Introduction

The Palace’s Plan, Fabric and Function

Chapter Outlines

Methodology and Acknowledgments

Chapter 1 - The Fish that Escaped the Net: The Establishment of Dahomey

Coding Gender: Hangbe

Interpreting and Capitalizing on the Code: Agadja

Conclusion

Chapter 2 - Like a Jar with Many Holes: The Palace in Pre-colonial Dahomey

Instability in the Eighteenth Century

The Contributions of Tegbesu, Kpengla, and Agonglo

Reshaping the palace and succession: Adandozan

Architecture of Power and Reception: The Palaces of Guezo and Glele

Conclusion

Chapter 3 - The Foot that Stumbled but did not Fall: The Palace under Colonial Rule

Fire and Restoration: Behanzin and Agoli-agbo I

Setting up Government: Victor Ballot and the Palace

Agoli-agbo’s Exile and the Rise of the Chefs de Canton

The Formation of the Historic Museum of Abomey and l’Institut Francais d’Afrique Noire

Interpreting Dahomey through France’s Civilizing Mission

The Museum in its Colonial Context

Chapter 4 - The Shark and the Egg: The Post-colonial Palace

Modernization of Materials

The Palace’s Official Partnership with UNESCO

Cooperative Projects in the Museum

The Museum as a Post-colonial Entity

Conclusion

Chapter 5 - Nothing can Force the Buffalo to take off his Tunic: Dahomey’s Palace in Contemporary Abomey

Royal Vodun

Religious Purposes of the Pre-colonial Palace: Funerary Architecture and the Grand and Annual Customs

Tohosu and Nesuwhe

Dadassi

The Gandaxi

Conclusion

Chapter 6- Conclusion

Bibliography

Index