The kingdom of dahomey was founded by the fon in the centuries. The fon were an Adja speaking group who also has some relation with the Yoruba. The traditional centre of the Aja speaking peoples was Adja tado, now in the republic of togo. From there some Adja went to found alladah.ln about a group broke away from Alladah and move to the dahomey plateau.It was this group that founded the kingdom of dahomey. Through marriage relations with the earlier people and the conquest, the fon were able to build a strong society. Wegbaja was recognised as the first dada or King of dahomey. He was the one who built the at abomey. Dahomey was the name of the royal palace which eventually became also the name of the kingdom. At the time wegbaja died, dahomey was the most notable of the rulers of dahomey was agaja .It was the most important kingdom north of Alladah and whydah.
The most notable of the rulers of dahomey was agaja.It was during his rule that dahomey emerged as one of the most important states of precolonial west Africa. Alladah was conquered in.Three years later, savi and whydah were also conquered. It was from this time that dahomey came into direct trade relation with the European at the coast. It was also during the time of Agaja that most of the political, social and economic structures of dahomey took their shape. However, it was also during the time of Agaja that the oyo empire imposed her overlordship on dahomey. This of course did not prevent the expansion of the kingdom. She was only required to pay tribute and not to attack any part of the oyo empire.
Agaja was succeeded by good rulers who all attempted to extend the boundaries of the kingdom. At the beginning of the centuries the kingdom of dahomey included virtually the whole of modern republic of Benin former dahomey and some parts of modern Togo and Nigeria. Thus, even at its peak dahomey was smaller than Asante.