1300 to 1599

Allada, Borgu and the Yoruba

Before Dahomey, Aja-speaking peoples spread east from Tado, in today's Togo, and found the coastal kingdom of Allada, which trades with Portuguese ships from the sixteenth century. In the north, the Bariba kingdoms of Borgu, centred on Nikki, are known for their cavalry. Yoruba-speaking towns such as Ketu lie in the east, linked to the Yoruba world of today's Nigeria.