ASE Research

IAS offers qualitative research in African history, anthropology, and sociology. The institute promotes African culture by teaching African languages, performing arts, and hosting literary events. IAS plays a key role in the academic program as African history is core to the ASE curriculum.

IAS projects include:

On the Trails of the Amazons of the Dahomey Kingdom

IAS is conducting a study focused on the history of the Amazons of the Dahomey Kingdom, a unique institution in global military history

The brave exploits of these warrior women were celebrated in the box-office hit film “Black Panther” and “The Woman King”. But where do they really come from? How were they trained? How were they organized? Better yet, what is their social history? How have they impacted the status of women in the communities where they lived during their military service?

With a team of historians from ASE, Professor Léonard Wantchékon retraced the steps of one of their warriors who served the kinds Guézo (1818-1858), Glèlè (1858-1889) et Béhanzin (1889-1894), in the documentary ON THE TRAILS OF THE AMAZONS OF THE DAHOMEY KINGDOM (Youtube).