Katamanso War

Last updated
Battle of Dodowa
Part of Anglo-Ashanti wars
Date7 August 1826 -
Location
Near Accra
Result Anglo-Danish-Dutch Victory
Belligerents
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom
Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands
Flag of Denmark.svg  Denmark
Ashanti Empire Emblem.svg Ashanti Empire
Commanders and leaders
Union flag 1606 (Kings Colors).svg Charles MacCarthy  
Flag of Denmark.svg Richter Aarestrup (WIA)
Osei Yaw Akoto
Strength
Hundreds 30.000
Reserves:8.000
Royal guard:2.000

The Katamanso War, also known as the Battle of Dodowa, was a war that several tribes united with the British, fought and prevented Ashantis from dominating the coast in 1824. Numerous tribes in the Gold Coast such as the Fantes, Ga, Akyems, Adas were led by the British army to fight the Ashantis. [1] [2] It is classified as one of the "Anglo-Ashanti Wars" [3] according to historical evidence at the National Archives. [2]

Contents

History

The Ashanti King or Asantehene (Osei Yaw Akoto) at that time, furious at the Ga-Adangbe for aiding the Fantes in the Battle of Nsamankow of 1824, proposed to punish them. He decided to pursue them, even if they escape into the belly of kanfra (a small flat fish).

On 7 August 1826, the war began also known as the "Battle of Dodowa". [4] However he met a coalition of other indigenous forces allied with the Ga-Adangbe of Prampram, Ningo and Ada people under their Monarch King Tackie Kome. British, Dutch and Danish forces all together not more than 60, aided in the war with new weapons after an attack on Cape Coast in July 1824. The Asantehene amassed an army of 40,000. An alliance of British with Ga-Adangbe, Fanti, Denkyira, Akwamu and Akyems at Katamanso near Dodowa faced the Ashanti army. The Akyems were led by the Okyehene, Nana Afia Dokuaa, the only woman ruler of a major state. [5] [6] But the allied forces fought gallantly and overcame the Ashanti Army with a devastating victory which paralyzed the Ashanti Empire and was a factor in the loss of its former glory. This contributed to the British power and prestige rise on the coast. The Ashantis held their position for nine hours (6 AM to 3 PM). [7]

Effects of the war

The effects of the war included:

Historical facts

The King was made to swear an oath as the 'ka ntam' (Akan for swear), 'na su' (Akan for cry) = Corrupted into Katamanso.

The hair style worn by the Asante women called 'Gyese Nkran', (except Akra), vulgarized as Densinkran, was introduced to mourn the Asante dead in the Katamanso war.

Related Research Articles

The Ashanti–Fante War (1806–1807) was a war fought between the Ashanti Empire and the Fante Confederacy in the region of what is currently the Republic of Ghana.

The Ashanti–Akim–Akwapim War, also known as the Ashanti Invasion of the Gold Coast, was the expansion of West African Empire of Ashanti against the alliance of Akyem and Akuapem tribes from 1814 until 1816 for access to the coast. This battle was not a direct war on Akyem states, which were never subdued by any power, but a war to get access to the coasts in which the Akyem along with Akuapem forces allied for.

Osei Bonsu also known as Osei Tutu Kwame was the Asantehene. He reigned either from 1800 to 1824 or from 1804 to 1824. During his reign as the king, the Ashanti fought the Fante confederation and ended up dominating Gold Coast trade. In Akan, Bonsu means whale, and is symbolic of his achievement of extending the Ashanti Empire to the coast. He died in Kumasi, and was succeeded by Osei Yaw Akoto.

The Akan people are a Kwa group living primarily in present-day Ghana and in parts of Ivory Coast and Togo in West Africa. The Akan speak dialects within the Central Tano branch of the Potou–Tano subfamily of the Niger–Congo family. Subgroups of the Akan people include: the Agona, Akuapem, Akwamu, Akyem, Anyi, Ashanti, Baoulé, Bono, Chakosi, Fante, Kwahu, Sefwi, Wassa, Ahanta, and Nzema, among others. The Akan subgroups all have cultural attributes in common; most notably the tracing of matrilineal descent in the inheritance of property, and for succession to high political office.

Kusi Obodom was the 3rd Asantehene of the Ashanti Empire from 1750 to 1764. He was elected as the successor to Opoku Ware I as opposed to the nominee suggested by Opoku Ware I. Obodom's reign was inaugurated with a civil war in response to his election until stability ensued by 1751.

Opoku Ware I was the 2nd Asantehene of Oyoko heritage, who ruled the Ashanti Empire. Between 1718 and 1722, Opoku Ware became Asantehene during a period of civil disorder after the death of the 1st Asanthene. From 1720 to 1721, Opoku established his power.

This is a list of rulers and office-holders of Ghana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anglo-Ashanti wars</span> Series of five conflicts between the British Empire and the Ashanti Empire between 1824 and 1900

The Anglo-Ashanti wars were a series of five conflicts that took place between 1824 and 1900 between the Ashanti Empire—in the Akan interior of the Gold Coast—and the British Empire and its African allies. The wars were mainly due to Ashanti attempts to maintain and enforce their imperial control over the coastal areas of present-day Ghana, where peoples such as the Fante and the Ga had come under the protection of the British. Although the Ashanti emerged victorious in some of these conflicts, the British ultimately prevailed in the fourth and fifth conflicts, resulting in the complete annexation of the Ashanti Empire by 1900.

Articles related to Ghana include:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Akyem</span> Akan ethnic group in Ghana

The Akyem are an Akan people. The term Akyem is used to describe a group of four states: Asante Akyem, Akyem Abuakwa, Akyem Kotoku and Akyem Bosome. These nations are located primarily in the eastern region in south Ghana. The term is also used to describe the general area where the Akyem ethnic group clusters. The Akyem ethnic group make up between 3-4 percent of Ghana's population depending on how one defines the group and are very prominent in all aspects of Ghanaian life. The Akyem are a matrilineal people. The history of this ethnic group is that of brave warriors who managed to create a thriving often influential and relatively independent state within modern-day Ghana. When one talks of Ghanaian history, there is often mention of The Big Six. These were six individuals who played a big role in the independence of Ghana. Of the big six, people of Akyem descent made up the majority.

Osei Kwadwo was the 4th Asantehene of the Ashanti Empire who reigned from 1764 to 1777. Osei Kwadwo was elected in replacement of Kusi Obodom who was removed out of power.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ashanti Empire</span> Former Akan empire centred on present-day Ghana

The Asante Empire, today commonly called the Ashanti Empire, was an Akan state that lasted from 1701 to 1901, in what is now modern-day Ghana. It expanded from the Ashanti Region to include most of Ghana and also parts of Ivory Coast and Togo. Due to the empire's military prowess, wealth, architecture, sophisticated hierarchy and culture, the Ashanti Empire has been extensively studied and has more historic records written by European, primarily British, authors than any other indigenous culture of sub-Saharan Africa.

The Battle of Atakpamé (1764) was an armed confrontation between the Ashanti Empire and neighboring Akan Allies under the leadership of the Kingdom of Akyem who joined up with the Oyo Empire and the Kingdom of Dahomey in and around Atakpamé in Togo.

In several Akan nations of Ghana, the Omanhene is the title of the supreme traditional ruler ('king') in a region or a larger town. The omanhene is the central figure and institution of the nation. Officially, he has no function in the current Ghanaian political setup, but, has enormous influence on the people that constitute it. Today 'Hene' can be found in titles of other rulers in Ghanaian nations. For example, the chief of the Dagomba in the north of Ghana is known as the 'Dagombahene'.

Akyaawa Yikwan was a royalty from the Ashanti Empire who served as chief negotiator of the 1831 Anglo-Asante peace treaty.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Johann Gottlieb Christaller</span> German missionary and linguist

Johann Gottlieb Christaller was a German missionary, clergyman, ethnolinguist, translator and philologist who served with the Basel Mission. He was devoted to the study of the Twi language in what was then the Gold Coast, now Ghana. He was instrumental, together with African colleagues, Akan linguists, David Asante, Theophilus Opoku, Jonathan Palmer Bekoe, and Paul Keteku in the translation of the Bible into the Akuapem dialect of Twi. Christaller was also the first editor of the Christian Messenger, the official news publication of the Basel Mission, serving from 1883 to 1895. He is recognised in some circles as the "founder of scientific linguistic research in West Africa".

The Bond of 1844 was an agreement signed between Fante chiefs and the British government. It was signed on 6 March 1844 in Ghana, which was then known as the Gold Coast.

Densinkran is the hairstyle worn by queen mothers and women of the Ashanti people in Ghana. It is a short cut and the edges of the head and hair are dyed with charcoal or black dye.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ghana–United Kingdom relations</span> Bilateral relations

Ghana–United Kingdom relations are the diplomatic, historical and trade relations between Ghana and the United Kingdom. Modern state Ghana-UK relations began when Ghana became independent from the UK in 1957.

References

  1. Lawler, Nancy; Wilks, Ivor (2008). "Correspondence of Jacob Dosoo Amenyah of Ada Part Two: 1956-1965". Transactions of the Historical Society of Ghana (11): 1–88. ISSN   0855-3246. JSTOR   41406744.
  2. 1 2 "Battle of Katamanso is important for all Ghanaians". www.ghanaweb.com. 2002-07-23. Retrieved 2020-08-09.
  3. "GRIN - The Anglo-Asante-Wars and its political effects". www.grin.com (in German). Retrieved 2020-08-09.
  4. "August 7, 1826 - Battle of Dodowa (Katamanso)". Edward A. Ulzen Memorial Foundation. Retrieved 2020-08-09.
  5. 1 2 "The battle of Dodowa (the Katamanso War)". Ghanaian Museum. 2020-08-07. Retrieved 2020-08-09.
  6. "Kea 2: 1826 Documents". www.ghanastudies.com. Retrieved 2020-08-09.
  7. Greene, Sandra E. (2011). West African Narratives of Slavery: Texts from Late Nineteenth- and Early Twentieth-century Ghana. Indiana University Press. ISBN   978-0-253-22294-7.
  8. "GRIN - The Anglo-Asante-Wars and its political effects". www.grin.com (in German). Retrieved 2020-08-09.