The King Who Profited From People And Regretted It Too Late

The King Who Profited From People And Regretted It Too Late

In the early 1800s, West Africa entered a turning point. One ruler rose with a mission to strengthen his state, expand its influence, and gather wealth. His path to power, however, rested on choices that would leave permanent scars on his people and his kingdom.

Rise to Power

In 1818, King Ghezo became ruler of Dahomey (in present-day Benin). He sought to transform his kingdom into a dominant regional force. At the time, the trans-Atlantic trade in enslaved Africans was still active, and many kingdoms interacted with European traders.

For Ghezo, this trade became the center of his economy.

A Costly System

Raids on neighboring communities supplied captives who were taken to coastal ports and exchanged for foreign goods.
The exchange seemed profitable on paper: one person could be traded for valuable imported items or large quantities of cowries, the currency widely used in the region.

Over decades, this system reshaped Dahomey’s economy.

The military depended on it.

The royal court depended on it.

The wealth of the state was tied to it.

Ships arrived year after year. Goods flowed in. But the human loss was immense villages emptied, families separated, communities weakened.

Pressure From Abroad

By the 1850s, a major shift began.
Britain once a major participant in the Atlantic trade had outlawed it and began pressuring African kingdoms to end it as well. They urged Ghezo to change course and adopt palm oil production as an alternative economic base.

But this was not a simple switch.
After decades built around one system, changing direction meant altering the entire foundation of the state.

A Late Change of Heart

Historical accounts suggest that Ghezo eventually felt the weight of what his policies had caused.
Maybe he saw the long-term damage.
Maybe he recognized how much had been lost.
Maybe he feared what history would say.

He made attempts to shift the economy toward palm oil and reduce reliance on the trade. But by then, the social and economic consequences were deeply rooted.
A late apology could not restore the communities that had disappeared.

Decline and Aftermath

Ghezo died in 1858. Dahomey continued producing palm oil, but the kingdom never regained its earlier strength. The impact of decades of human loss and dependence on an unsustainable economy left wounds that could not be reversed.

Generations were affected.
Cultures were disrupted.
Millions of lives across continents were changed forever.

How History Remembers Him

King Ghezo is remembered with complexity:

A leader who expanded his kingdom’s power.

A ruler who relied on a devastating system.

A man who sought change only when the consequences had already unfolded.

His story raises difficult questions that still matter today:

If power is built on suffering, can later regret undo it?

Is changing course late an act of courage or an attempt to escape guilt?

What does true accountability look like in history?

Conclusion

Ghezo’s legacy is a reminder that economic decisions built on harm carry costs far beyond profit. Wealth gained through exploitation weakens the very foundation it aims to strengthen.

His story teaches a lasting lesson:
Some gains demand a price that no amount of regret can repay.