Akwamu is a state set up by the Akwamu people in present-day Ghana. The capital of the Kingdom
of Akwamu is called Akwamufie. After migrating from Bono state, the Akan founders of Akwamu
settled in Twifo-Heman. The Akwamu led an expansionist empire in the 17th and 18th centuries.
At the peak of their empire, the Akwamu created an influential culture that has contributed
to at least three countries in West Africa; namely, Ghana, Togo, and Benin.
History of the Akwamu state Akwamuman or in English: The Akwamu Nation,
is an Akan nation. The Akwamu are one of the oldest Akan states along with the Fante and
Akyem states. The Akwamu are ruled by the king of all the Aduana abusua . The Aduana
along with the Asona are the only groups where intermarriage between the same clan members
are allowed amongst Royals.
According to oral tradition, the Akan originated from the eastern Sahara and Sahel regions
of Africa. By 750 AD, after a series of westward migrations the kingdom had become the ancient
Ghana Empire. The Empire lasted from 750 AD to 1200 AD and collapsed as a result of political
instability, decline of trade and the rise of the Sosso and Mali kingdoms. Their ancestors
left for Kong . From Kong they moved to Wam, from Wam they moved to Bono Manso, then to
Dormaa .
The movement from Kong was necessitated by the desire of the people to find suitable
Savannah conditions since they were not used to Forest life. Around the 14th century, they
moved south from Dormaa eastwards to Twifo-Hemang . The move was commercially motivated and
they settled at the Twifo-Heman forest in the later part of the 16th century. Upon settling,
a succession dispute resulted in Otomfuo Asare deserted the family to form a new city-state
called Asaremankesee . The modern city of Asamankese was founded and occupied by the
Akwamus.
Akwamu expansion started between 1629 and 1710. They expanded into the Akuapem area,
including Kyerepon and Larteh, Denkyera, Ga-Adangbe; and the Ladoku states of Agona, Winneba, Afram
plains, Southern Togoland and into Ouidah in present-day Benin. The powerful king Otumfuo
Ansa Sasraku I annexed the Guan and took over the traditional areas of the Kyerepon. He
ruled over them until Asonaba Nana Ofori Kuma and his followers, after a succession dispute
in an effort to form their own State, engaged them in a fierce war. The Akwamu were driven
away from the mountains. These Asona family members and their followers were given a piece
of land by the Guan and Kyerepon, the original settlers, to form the Akuapem state. Most
of the present Akuapem still have their roots at Akwamufie, especially those bearing the
names Addo and Akoto, who are from the Aduana family.
According to Akwamu tradition, Otumfuo Ansa Sasraku I, also played an important role in
the life of the King Osei Tutu I of Asante by protecting him from the Denkyera. Osei
Tutu's father name was Owusu Panin from Akwamu and his mother was named Manu Kotosi from
Kwaaman. She was the sister of Oti Akenten and Obiri Yeboah the late kings of Kwaaman.
When Manu was unable to have children, her brother Obiri Yeboah sent her to a shrine
called Tutu in Akuapem for help. Later she conceived and gave birth to a baby boy and
named him after the shrine called Tutu; by then Kwaaman was under the Denkyera so when
Osei was teenager, he was sent to serve at the court of Odeefuo Boa Amponsem, the then
king of Denkyera. Later, Osei got himself into trouble by impregnating the king's sister
Akobena Bensua and ran to his father at Akwamu for protection. When Osei got to Akwamu, Otumfuo
Ansa Sasraku received him and treated him very well; and also protected him from the
Denkyeras. Later, Osei Tutu met Kwame Frimpong Anokye and he became his friend. Shortly after
that Osei's uncle, Obiri Yeboah, the then king of Kwaaman died in their war against
Domaa; and as a result, Osei had to become the next king but he was afraid of the Denkyeras
to go back to Kwaaman so Otumfuo Ansa Sasraku detached 300 Akwamu warriors to guide him
to Kwaaman. When the soldiers got to Kwaman, they settled among them and later became citizens
of Asafo.
Akwamu leaders then restructured the Asante army as the replica of the well-organised
army. Also with the help of Akwamu, they embarked on a series of campaigns which led to the
defeat of the Denkyera. The Asante Stool then became the wife of the Akwamu Stool, symbolism
to show the closeness of the two Akan states. The Asante nation later becoming an Empire
and even refers to its Emperor also as Otumfuo, which derives from Akwamuman. When Akwamu
was facing the combined force of Akyem , Ga, Kyerepong, and the Dutch, Asante pretended
they knew nothing about it and did not help Akwamu which led to their defeat in 1734.
Although Akwamuman lost the western part of the Empire, it was quick to re-establish itself
and controlled the eastern part of the Empire that was from the east bank of the Volta river
to Dahomey. When Asanteman fought the British in their third and fourth wars, Akwamu tried
to help but withdrew their help, because in 1867. Akwamu and Anlo, signed diplomatic agreement
with British government; therefore based on the agreement, Akwamu could no longer team
up with Asante to fight the British again and Asante was defeated. Despite all this
Akwamus and Asantes are still strong allies. They fought in many wars as allies, one of
the most difficult ones was the "Krepi war" in 1869 where the Dutch and the Ewe forces
inflicted heavy casualties on Asante and Akwamu forces to the extent that Otumfuo Kofi Karikari,
the then Asantehene decided to withdraw from the war, so he ordered Adu Bofo, the Asante
army general to abandon the Krepi war; but Bofo continued to the end, and later demanded
heavy ounces of gold for the captured German and Dutch missionaries. After the Krepi war,
Peki and the majority of Ewes gained their independence; the Akwamu domination over the
Ewelands came to a halt; and the empire finally collapsed in 1869.
Nana Osei Tutu was assisted in execution cases by the Anumfuo who accompanied him from Akwamu.
In the 21st century, numerous Asante trace their ancestry to Akwamu especially; these
included people from Asafo and Adum, as well as sections of the people from Bantama and
Barekese, all towns in the Asante city capital of Kumasi.
After the death of Nana Ansa Sasraku, he was succeeded by two kings collectively, Nana
Addo Panin and Nana Basua. It was during this time that the Akwamu took over the possession
of the trading Danish Castle at Christianborg at Osu, in present-day Accra.
Because of the cordial relationship between Akwamu and Asante, during the 19th-century
expansion of Asante, Akwamu, Anlo and Asante fought as allies. Akwamu controlled eastern
part of the Volta river and the Asante also controlled the western part of it until all
of them came under British, German, and French control. During the Golden Anniversary of
Nana Kwafo Akoto II ,Nana Opoku Ware I crossed the Pra River to spend two days at Akwamufie.
At the peak of their power, the Akwamu state encompassed much of the eastern part of the
present-day Ghana. It is traditionally thought that between 1677 and 1681, the Akwamu state
conquered the states of Ladoku, Agona and the fort of Whydah, as well as the Ewe people
of the Ho region. The Akwamu also conquered the Ga people and occupied the old Ga Kingdom.
In 1693, the Asimani of Akwamu led a raid and seized Osu Castle from the Danish colonists.
The Akwamu thus controlled many of the trade routes from the interior to the coast in the
eastern half of what is now Ghana and created a capital at Nyanoase.
In the 1720s a civil war in the Akwamu state caused great hardship. The victors sold most
of the King's allies as slaves and they were transported to the Caribbean island of St.
John. In 1733 they fomented a slave revolt on the island.
In 1734 the Akwamus were defeated by the Akyem , Ga, Kyerepong, and the Dutch forces, and
lost half of their empire. The Akwamus were pushed to Akwamufie, the location of their
current capital; but in 1869 while Akwamu was facing the Dutch and the Ewe forces in
the Krepi war, Akyem, Akuapem, and others saw an opportunity to join the Dutch and the
Ewe forces to crush Akwamu once and for all; so Dompre, the then king of Akyem Kotoku organized
the Akuapem, Ga, and Akyem forces and matched against Akwamu, unfortunately, the Akwamus
saw revenge so when W. H. Simpson, the then Acting-Administrator of the Gold Coast tried
to intervene diplomatically, the Akwamu arrested him and kept him for five days until Adu Bofo,
an Asante army general persuaded them to release him without provoking British to war and they
released him, but went ahead and captured Dompre and executed him; and also defeated
his forces and Akyem never made such an attempt again.