Asantes are believed to have originated from North
Africa or somewhere in the east. Later, they settled in ancient Ghana Empire
and then they moved to Adansi area, west of Lake Bosomtwi. There, they built a
settlement known as Asantemanso. From Asantemanso, the various clans migrated
to found new states like Kwaman, Tafo, Kaase, Amakom, Ejisu and Mampong. Some early
rulers of Asante include Twum and Antwi, who ruled together, Kobina Amanfi and
Oti Akenten. Later in the mid-17th century, the Oyoko clan under Chief Oti
Akenten started consolidating other Ashanti clans into a loose confederation
that occurred without destroying the authority of each paramount chief over his
clan. This was done in part by military assault, but largely by uniting them against
the Denkyira, who had previously dominated the region. It was Oti Akenten who
built their capital at Kwaman. When he died in 1660, Obiri Yeboah succeeded him
and he also died in a war against Dormaa.
Asante had relations with almost all the ethnic groups in Ghana and it
once created a powerful empire which lasted till 1896 when Britain annexed
Asante. The main goal of our work is to examining the relations that Asante had
with some ethnic groups in Ghana.
Before 1700-1701, the Asante happened to be a vassal
of the Denkyira. Denkyira had been able to conquer different state and annexed
them. Asante happened to be part of these state. During the Asante encounter
with the Denkyira, they did not enjoy much peace. Asante was annexed by the
Denkyira in order to have access to the trade in Begho as well as the
Trans-Saharan trade. As vassalage to the Denkyira, Asante was made to send the
male apparent of their throne to serve in the Denkyirahene’s court. These was
to serve as a sign of loyalty to Denkyira but we can deduce that, it was not
mainly or the purpose of loyalty but it was to ensure that the Asantes fulfill
their duties as vassals. And with their heir apparent under their guardianship,
there was no where they could refuse. Osei tutu happened to be the heir
apparent of the Asante stool hence he lived in the court of the Denkyirahene.
He learnt much about governance and war. It was later with the help of Osei
tutu that Asante defeated Denkyira. The Denkyira oppressed all her vassal and
these made all vassals including Asante develop much hatred for them. According
to Oral Tradition, during the reign of Ntim Gyakari he made an outrageous
demand from the Asante that made them loose their temper. He is said to have
demanded a brass pan full of gold, together with the favourite wives and mother
of Osei tutu, the Asantehene and his chiefs. This outrageous demand triggered
Osei tutu to fight Denkyira. Osei Tutu therefore organized all the vassals who
had been ruined by Denkyira rule and had been looking for an opportunity to
retaliate. State like, Twifo, Assin, Wassa and Aowin supported Asante. The
major allied state was the Akwamu. In 1701 there was a fierce battle between
Asante and Denkyira at Feyiase. Denkyira was defeated and they never recovered.
From the above, we conclude that the relation between Asante and Denkyira was
never a friendly one but rather a hostile one.
Asante and Akyem
relations began on a bad footing. Akyem who also had a powerful state before
the emergence of Asante, tried to destroy the infant Asante state before it
grew too big. They therefore formed alliances with certain state to prevent the
further expansion of Asante and its direct access to the coastal trade. Of the
Akyem states, it was Kotoku that was preoccupied with relations with Asante
from as early as the late seventeenth century. Kotoku assisted Denkyira in the
war of 1699-1701 with the Asante Union, and both were heavily defeated, with
the Akyem alone suffering as many as 30,000 of its soldiers killed. From the
Asante point of view, since Denkyira had been the aggressor, Kotoku's support
for it meant a hostile act against Asante. After the defeat of Denkyira, Asante
decided to punish Kotoku. In about 1702 Asante attacked Kotoku and defeated it.
The latter agreed to pay a fine of 2,000 bendas of gold (or £16,000). However,
Kotoku did not give up its alliance with Denkyira. It provided the Denkyerahene
and his people with protection and assumed the leadership of such states as
Wassa, Aowin and Twifo, which were determined to destroy Asante. These states
had assumed that they would recover their independence once Denkyira had been
defeated, but they realized too late that they had merely exchanged a Denkyira
for an Asante’s overlordship. In 1717, Osei Tutu decided to invade Kotoku. The
Akyem forces, however, inflicted a very heavy defeat on the Asante in October
1717. Osei Tutu, the Asantehene, and most of the Asante nobles were killed. The
outbreak of smallpox among the Asante troops also caused many deaths. It
appeared that the Asante had underestimated the Akyem and were therefore
careless in their conduct of the war. In addition, it would appear that Akwamu
had betrayed to the Akyem the route of the Asante invaders and this enabled
Akyem fighters to ambush Osei Tutu and his party. Osei tutu was killed on the
Pra River and this has been recorded as a great tragedy in Asante history. His
death created panic among the Asante and caused them to withdraw. The Akyem had
destroyed most of the farms from which the invading Asante could have got their
food supplies. It was this lack of food that made them less able to resist the
outbreak of smallpox. But the Akyem also suffered heavy losses, and the
Kotokuhene, Apenten died. In November 1718 Akyem and Asante agreed on a truce,
which was turned into a formal peace in 1719. A Dutch report in that year noted
the two previous enemies had agreed, for the first time, to aid each other against
Akwamu. This peace lasted till 1742 despite rumours of imminent Asante’s
invasion in 1730, 1731, 1734 and 1737. It appeared that Asante had been alarmed
by the complete destruction of Akwamu power and the subsequent Akyem domination
of the south-east. Besides, the Akyem continued to support rebels against
Asante. In 1742 Asante again invaded Akyem. In addition to Abuakwa and Kotoku,
which provided about 10,000 soldiers each, such new vassals of Akyem such as
Ada, Akuapem and Dutch Accra also provided troops. Two or three battles were
fought, and by March 1742 the Akyem had been heavily defeated. Baa Kwante, the
Abuakwahene, and many Akyem nobles committed suicide. About 10,000 Akyem were
captured, among who were a Kotoku prince, Broni, and an Abuakwa prince, Asare.
Despite the defeat, the Akyem refused to surrender. Two more years of guerrilla
war continued till 1744, when Kotoku accepted the terms of peace laid down by
Asante. These were that the captured Akyem princes should be enstooled as the
new chiefs of Kotoku and Abuakwa respectively.
Asante traders and travellers should be allowed to travel safely through
Akyem to the coast, and the right to the collection of rents on the Europeans
forts on the Ga coast should now go to Asante. Abuakwa rejected the terms and
continued to resist till 1783.The relation between the two was hostile at point
and also friendly at a point but the hostility between both sides was mostly
dominant.
Asante also came into contact with
the Fante. Asante expanded during the eighteenth century and imposed its authority
over a large part of the Gold Coast, though the extent of the authority has
been exaggerated in most history books. By the early nineteenth century, the
states to the south of Asante: Denkyira, Akwamu and Akyem and their former
subjects had been brought under Asante rule. In that part of the country, west
of the river Volta, only the Fante states remained outside the Asante Empire.
Since 1776 when the Fante helped Wassa to defeat an Asante attack, no peace
treaty had been signed between the Asante and Fante. Even though Asante clearly
wished to control the Fante states, the conditions both in and outside Asante
during the remainder of the eighteenth century made this impossible. Asante had
good reasons for wishing to establish control over the Fante states. In the
first place, Fante land kept Asante from direct access to the coast and enabled
the Fante to act as middlemen between Asante and the European traders on the
coast. The Fante insisted that the Asante should buy and sell only at the
markets that they themselves had in some inland towns such as Assin Fosu and
Assin Manso. They would not allow Asante traders to go to Cape Coast and
Anomabu, the two most important markets on the coast. The Fante cheated the
Asante traders. They received pure gold from the Asante and mixed it with
certain metals before selling it to the Europeans, and reduced the size of the
handkerchiefs, watered down the rum and mixed other ingredients with the gunpowder
they obtained from the Europeans before selling them to the Asante. In
addition, at times, the Fante attacked and stole from the Asante traders. When
this happened, the Asante replied by closing their trade routes. Another factor
that instigated the Asante and Fante hostility was, when the Asantes had a
“note” to trade at the coast. This was after their defeat of the Denkyira.
Asante had direct access to trade at the coast of Elmina and this provoked the
Fantes who hated the Elmina because Elmina had become a friend of the Asantes The
relation between these two states was never friendly and there was always a
misunderstanding amongst them.
Assin was also one of the state
Asante came into contact with. The Assin claim to have migrated from the north i.e
from the area between the Adanse hills and the Pra in the Assin area during the
reign of Osei Kwadwo (1764-1777).The migration brought them closer to the
interior Fante who now became their neighbours. The Asante came into contact with
the Assin through diplomatic means. Prior to their coming under Asante, the
Assin were said to have involved themselves in wars with several neighbours. These
neighbours were alledgedly harassing them. Consequently, they appealed to the
Asantehene to protect them in return for serving him. This the Asantehene
offered. That was how the Assin people became subject to the Asante imperial
domination. The Asante helped the people of Assin against their neighbours who
often harassed them and also helped in certain cases resolve internal disputes
amongs certain Assin State. Their relationship remained cordial till a civil
war emerged internally among two Assin state, Assin Tanoso and Assin Apemanim.
Osei Kwadwo, the Asantehene tried his best to resolve the issue which started
the war but his effort was to no avail. His successors, including Opoku Fofie
and Osei Kwame Tutu respectively also tried their best. But the issue aggravated
which made Asante join forces with Assin Apemanim to fight Assin Tanoso. In
regards to the above elaborated point, the Assin relation between Asante
hitherto was a cordial one but later Asante became hostile to some state within
Assin ,i.e Assin Tanoso
Furthermore, Asante also had a relation with Akwamu.
Their relation dates back during the reign of Ansa Sasraku I when Osei Tutu
stayed at Nyanoase for some time. At Nyanoase, Osei tutu was treated well and
at the death of Osei Tutu’s uncle Nana Obiri Yeboah, Osei tutu was given a
royal escort to Kwaman by the Akwamu King. According to some traditions, Akwamu
King shielded Osei Tutu from the Denkyira when Osei Tutu was accused of
impregnating a princess of Denkyira. The famous Okomfo Kwame Frimpong Anokye
became friend with Osei Tutu when they were at Akwamu. It should be noted that due
to the friendly relation between Asante and Akwamu, Ansa Sasraku released
Okomfo Anokye to Osei Tutu upon request and it was with the help of Okomfo
Anokye that Osei Tutu was able to create the Asante Empire. Again, according to
an Oral tradition, the Structure of Asante Army which was started by Otumfuo
Osei Tutu I was copied from that of Akwamu. Nana Osei Tutu was assisted by the “Adumfuo”
or “Anumfuo” (warriors) who accompanied him from Akwamu. These Adumfo were the
people who settled at the present day Adum. It was as a result of their name
that the place was named Adum. Today, most Asante originated from Akwamu and
they include people from Adum, section of Bantama and Barekese. Due to the
mutual friendship they enjoyed. Both Asante and Akwamu traditions has it that,
the friendship of both state dates back to the period of Obiri Yeboah. An oral
source claim that, Obiri Yeboah, uncle of Osei Tutu had no brother or nephews
who could eventually become heir to the Kwaman stool, In order to consolidate the
dynasty he was representing, he sent his only sister, Manu Kotosii, who was
childless to Otutu, a renowned shrine at Awukugua in the Akuapim hills, at that
time an Akwamu territory. In Awukugua, her supplication for a son was answered
and Osei Tutu-named after the shrine was born. But at point in time in the
history of these two states, aroused anger. According to some Dutch report, during
the Asante war with the Akyem, they were tricked by the Akwamu and these made
the Akyem defeat them.The great disaster which befell the Asante army on the
banks of the river Pra was largely one responsibility of Akwamuhene, Akonnor.
The Akwamuhene suggested to Osei Tutu that a section of the Asante army should pass
through Akwamu to attack the Akyem where they would least expect it. Akonnor
then had the Akyem informed of the line the Asante must take. As a result, part
of Asante’s army was surprised and surrounded. The Akyem then attacked
vigorously and inflicted heavy losses. Also it appears that there was a secret
understanding between Akwamu and Akyem before the war with the Asante, it was
probably for some such reasons that Opoku Ware decided to cooperate with the
Akyem to punish the Akwamu. Whatever credence may be given to these reports,
the important point to notice is that when Akyem eventually attacked the
Akwamu, Asante did nothing to help her ally, Akwamu. Despite what the Akwamu
did to the Asante, the Asante still valued their friendship with the Akwamu. According
to Prof. Amenumey, Opoku ware 1 helped Opoku Kuma to become a Chief of Akwamu
and this made Akwamu voluntarily accepted Asante’s over lordship. This tends to
show that the relationship between the Asante and Akwamu was a friendly one.
Among the Ewe state, Asante came into contact with the Anlo.
Through Akwamu, Asante became involved in the conflicts between Anlo on the one
hand, and Ada, Akyem, Akuapem on the other. By the close of the eighteenth
century, Anlo had established direct contact with Asante. This was in 1792,
when a number of Anlo elders accompanied a Danish mission to Asante. Some
writers inaccurately claim that Anlo became an Asante protectorate from this
period. It is clear, however, that Anlo was never an Asante protectorate. The
relationship that was established between the two states was one of alliance.
Anlo's reason for establishing friendly relations with Asante could have been
its appreciation of the fact that it should not rely solely on Akwamu. The new
alliance between Anlo and Asante was to last till well into the nineteenth
century.
Asante also had relations with some ethnic groups in the north.
Between 1744 and 1745, Opoku Ware helped the Asante to attack the Gonja and the
Dagomba but however, it should be noted that, Asante conquered the Northern
territories due to economic reasons. Asante wanted to have trading right in the
trans-Sahara trade and this is because Asante had cola nut, slaves, gold which
happened to be some of the essential commodities needed in the Trans-Sahara
trade. Some tradition claims that Asante conquered the Nta people because she
wanted to pacify the North. Asante after their conquest of the North now took
over the control of the Trans-Saharan Trade which initially the North was
controlling thereby controlling market centres and trade routes. Asante’s
conquest of the North is also because Asante needed slaves and free labour for
their gold mines. With the people of Dagomba, the immediate cause of the
Asante’s intervention, however, was internal dissensions in Dagomba as a result
of succession disputes. Na Saa Ziblim of Kpatina, a nephew of Gariba, the King
of Dagomba, schemed to gain control of the throne of Dagomba and the reluctant
disputes led to confusion and civil war in the North. Na Saa and his people
were defeated on numerous occasions and in desperation, appealed to Asante to
help them. Osei Kwadwo, the Asantehene realized the economic and political
benefit which will result from the conquest of Dagomba and so he accepted the
invitation. Kwame Pete, the Adontsenhene of Kumasi, was instructed to invade Dagomba
and in spite of Dagomba superior numbers, they were eventually defeated because
the Asante had superior weapons like muskets. Dagomba and it dependencies
became tribute paying vassals to Asante. In the early nineteenth century, it is
noted that the capital towns of Inta and Dagomba supplied Asante with 500
slaves, 200 cows, 400 sheep, 400 cotton cloth and 200 silk cloths during this
period vassalage. Moreover, because the Asante had exercised some kind of
authority in the Asante hinterland ever since Opoku Ware made incursions into
it in 1774,the defeat of Dagomba and the neighbours peoples during the reign of
Osei Kwadwo made Asante the dominant political power in the Northern region of
modern Ghana. This enabled Asante to have a greater number of capable fighting
men and also to become the chief sources of slaves, who went by the name of
‘Duncoes’ in the Gold Coast. From the above discussion, we can conclude that,
the Asante relation with the Dagomba during our period of study was a
friendly-hostile one.
Asante also had
relation with some European powers. Considering our period of study we will
look at the Asante relation with the Dutch. After the battle of Feyiase which
took place in 1701 between Asante and Denkyira, the Dutch had a direct contact
with Asante. The aftermath of the battle of Feyiase brought a cordial relationship
between Asante and the Dutch. The Dutch at Elmina Castle were the first
European power to come into contact with the Asante after they defeated
Denkyira in 1701.The Dutch inherited from the Portuguese, a system in which
tribute was paid to the Denkyira, who were the dominant power in the region.
The Asante replaced Denkyira as the dominant power after the battle of Feyiase
(1701), and so the Dutch began paying tribute to the Asante. The Dutch
generally paid two onces of gold per month to Asante as tribute. Upon,
defeating Denkyira, the Dutch contacted Asante first for two main reasons: in
the first place, the Asante spent a long time plundering the Denkyira State of
its gold and taking large numbers of Denkyira prisoners, either for sale on the
coast or to be sacrificed to Asante gods. Trade was as a result of this was
very bad on the coast and so the Dutch were anxious to get the Asante to open
paths and to bring down trade to the forts. Secondly, it was widely believed on
the coast that numerous wars undertaken by Denkyira was instigated by the Dutch
and that it was the latter who supplied the Former with guns and gun powder.
The Dutch therefore feared that the Asante would not send them trade because
they had been friends of their enemy. For these reason, two Africans in the employ
of the Dutch were sent to contact the Asantehene, a few weeks after Denkyira
had been defeated. These messengers, however, never reached Asante because they
were detained for several weeks in Twifo and later sent back to Elmina. All
other attempts to send African representatives into the interior failed in the
face of the opposition of the Twifo and other inland people. Then in November
1701, the Dutch Director-General and his council decided to send a white man,
David Van Neyendaal. Neyendaal was able to meet the Asantehene and had matters
discussed with him. The Dutch infact, valued friendship with Asante so much
that they were determined to do nothing to incur the displeasure of Asantehene.
Thus from a purely commercial point of view, the reaction of the European
traders on the coast (Dutch) towards the nascent Asante Kingdom was extremely
favorable. Relation between groups could be cordial or hostile. But the Asante
relation with the Dutch was a long standing cordial relationship.
From the above discussion,
we have been able to point out some states
Asante came into contact with and
how they related with them. Asante after defeating Denkyira in 1701 created a
powerful centralized system. The powerful army and able leadership they had
also helped them to embark on conquest which made their empire a very large one.
By the end of the 1800 Asante had conquered a lot of territories stretching
from the mouth of the Pra to the Volta.
REFERENCES:
Fynn, J.K, Asante
and its Neighbours 1700-1807, Northwestern University Press
1971
Fynn, J.K, Asante and Akyem Relation 1700-1807,
Northwestern University Press 1971
Buah, F.K., A History of Ghana, London: Macmillan
Educational Ltd, 1995
Afrifa, K., The Akyem Factor in Ghana’s History,
1700-1875.Accra: Ghana Universities
press, 2000
Amenumey, D.E.K, A Concise History of Ghana from Pre-Colonial
Times to the 20th Century,
Accra: Ghana Woeli Publishing Services, 2008
Kessel .I.V, Merchant, Missionaries and Migrants: 300
Years of Dutch-Ghanaian Relations,
Armstaderm: KIT Publishers, 2002
No comments:
Post a Comment