Amazons of Dahomey: World's only all-female army

Dahomey women warriors, also known as Dahomey Amazons, Mino or Ahosi, were fierceless women soldiers known for their prowess in combat

In Dahomean language, Mino means 'our mothers' and 'Ahosi' means wives of kings. The Dahomey women soldiers were also protectors of the king

The Europeans called the kingdom's women warriors as Amazons, after the women warriors of Greek mythology when they first encountered the people of the kingdom

Dahomey, located in what is now the country of Benin, flourished in the 18th and 19th centuries. The exact origin of this all-women army is unknown

Several theories suggest that King Ghezo who reigned 1818-58 was responsible for gatheirng the all-women warriors, constituting about one-third of the kingdom's military troops. 

The warrior troops were organized into different regiments, dedicated to performing specific tasks. The Gbeto (Huntresses) women were skilled at hunting and killing elephants and other game. This regiment is thought by some to have been the original all-women warrior unit in Dahomey

The warrior women fought with distinction in many of Dahomey’s battles with neighbouring kingdoms and, later, against French colonial forces. The first battle they are thought to have participated in was that at Savi in 1727. 

The Dahomey women warriors have served as inspiration for storytelling in books and motion pictures. They are reportedly the inspiration for the elite female bodyguards and warriors known as the Dora Milaje in Marvel’s Black Panther comics and movies.