Editing Agaja (section)

===Centralization===
For the last ten years of his reign, from 1730 until 1740, Agaja worked on consolidating his kingdom and increasing trade with Europeans.

Having come to terms with the Oyo empire, Agaja sought to militarily destroy other rivals in the region.  This started in 1731 with a successful war against the [[Mahi people]] to the north of Abomey for supplying the Oyo with food and support during the wars.{{sfn|Akinjogbin|1967|pp=98-99}} Attempts by the Portuguese and the Dutch to establish forts in [[Godomey]], which Agaja had conquered in 1724 but whose leader had recently renounced his allegiance to Dahomey, caused a large war in 1732 in which Agaja burned the town and took thousands of people captive.{{sfn|Akinjogbin|1967|p=99}} In addition, regular warfare continued between Agaja and the exiled Whydah population under Huffon.  In July 1733 Huffon died and a civil war broke out in the exiled community. A defeated prince went to Agaja to ask for assistance and seeing the opportunity, Agaja agreed to support the prince against the leadership of Whydah and allowed the prince to resettle after the war was successful.{{sfn|Law|1986|p=265}} The other Whydah faction was defeated by Agaja in 1734 with assistance of the French.{{sfn|Akinjogbin|1967|pp=97-98}}

Agaja also undertook significant administrative reforms to govern the newly conquered areas. Many of the chiefs and officers in Allada were retained, while Agaja dispatched his trade officers and kept active military control over Whydah. The old chiefs, retained for necessity, often caused problems for Agaja by resisting his rule or even revolting.{{sfn|Bay|1998|p=64}} Agaja also appointed three different trade directors, one to manage relations with each different European power (Britain, France, and Portugal).  When the Europeans complained about these directors in 1733, Agaja replaced them with one person, thus creating the important position of ''Yovogan''.{{sfn|Bay|1998|p=70}} The Dutch, in contrast, were held in high contempt by Agaja and he spent much of this period trying to destroy their interests in the region.  This led the Dutch to organize a significant army of many tribes to the west of Dahomey which destroyed Agaja's forces in 1737 but did not destroy the kingdom.{{sfn|Akinjogbin|1967|p=106}}

Starting in 1730 but becoming formal in 1733 all slaves could only be sold through representatives of the king.{{sfn|Falola|Warnock|2007|p=129}} This royal monopoly led to some revolts by important chiefs who were not receiving full prices for their goods and Agaja crushed multiple rebellions between 1733 and 1740. The royal monopoly proved unpopular and, following the defeat of Agaja's forces in 1737, he was forced to allow the free trade of slaves through Dahomey.{{sfn|Akinjogbin|1967|p=103}}

As part of his efforts against the Dutch, Agaja organized a war against [[Badagry]] in 1737. This war, while marginally successful, was possibly considered by the Oyo Empire to be against the terms of the 1730 agreement.{{sfn|Akinjogbin|1967|p=107}} Conversely, it is possible that Agaja simply refused to continue paying the tribute to Oyo.{{sfn|Law|1977|p=171}}  Whatever the reason, war between Oyo and Dahomey resumed in 1739 and Agaja repeated his earlier strategy of withdrawing into the wild to wait for the Oyo troops to leave.{{sfn|Akinjogbin|1967|p=107}}