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Mamprusis are an ethnic group in northern Ghana and Togo. Estimates are that there are about 200,000 Mamprusis living in the Northern Regions of Ghana as of 2013. [1] They speak Mampruli, one of the Gur languages. In Ghana, the Mamprusis live mainly in Nalerigu, Gambaga, Walewale, and their surrounding towns and villages in the North East Region. Their origin is in the Upper East Region, principally, Bawku, and they also inhabit parts of the Upper West Region, too.
The Mamprugu Kingdom is the oldest Kingdom, pre dating all others by centuries, in the territory that would afterwards be named The Gold Coast, and subsequently, Ghana.[ citation needed ] The Mamprusi claim to eldership is based on Cognatic Primogeniture, where succession is through the oldest male child. However, Gbewaa did not practise this, as he designated a younger son Foɣu/Kufoɣu to rule over his eldest child Kachaɣu and his eldest son Zirile.
The Kingdom was founded around the 13th century by the Great Naa Gbanwah/Gbewah [5] at Pusiga, a village 14 kilometres from Bawku, which is why Mamprusis revere Bawku as their ancestral home. Naa Gbanwaah's tomb is in Pusiga.
The Kingdom spans most of the North East, Northern, Upper East and the Upper West Regions of Ghana, portions of Northern Togo, and into Burkina Faso. As a consequence, the King of Mossi, Moronaba, of Burkina Faso, to this day, symbolically, is enskinned by the Nayiri – the king of Mamprugu. Thus, establishing this kingdom as the preeminent of its kind. The only kingdom in present-day Ghana whose relevance and authority cuts across national boundaries on the weight of its humble supremacy. [6]
The name of the kingdom is Mamprugu, the ethnicity is Mamprusi, and the language is Mampruli. Succession to a skin is hereditary. Only male direct descendants of Naa Gbanwaah are eligible. [7]
The story of the Mamprusi monarchy traces its origin to a great warrior named Tohazie. Tohazie, means the Red Hunter. He was called the Red Hunter by his people because he was fair in complexion. Tohazie's grandson Naa Gbanwaah settled in Pusiga and established Mamprugu. [8]
Mamprusi is the eldest of the Mõõre-Gurma (Mole—Dagbamba) ethnic group: Mamprusi, Dagomba, Nanumba, and Moshie. [9]
Tenure | Nayiiri (Mampurugu Naa) (Rulers) |
---|---|
c. 1450 | Unknown |
1688 to 1742 | Atabia Zontuua |
1742 to 1750 | Yamusa Jeringa |
17?? to 17?? | Mahaman Kurugu |
17?? to 17?? | Sulimani Apisi |
17?? to 17?? | Haruna Bono |
17?? to 17?? | Andani Yahaya |
17?? to 1790 | Mahama Kuluguba |
1790 to 1830 | Salifu Saatankugri |
1830 to 1833 | Abdurahamani Dambono, (Dahmani Gyambongo) |
1833 to 1850 | Dawura Nyongo |
1850 to 1864 | Azabu Pagri |
1864 to 1901 | Yamusa Barga |
1902 to 1905 | Sulimanu Sigri |
1906 to 1909 | Ziniya Zore Abduru |
1909 to 1915 | Mahama Wubuga |
1915 to 1933 | Mahama Waafu |
1934 to 1943 | Badimsuguru Zulim |
1943 to 1943 | Salifu Salemu |
1943 to 1947 | Abudu Soro Kobulga |
1947 to 1966 | Abdulai Sheriga |
1967 to 1985 | Adam Badimsuguru Bongu |
1986 to 1987 | Sulemana Salifu Saa |
1987 to 9 June 2003 | Gamni Mohamadu Abdulai |
27 January 2004 to present | Bohagu Abdulai Mahami |
The majority of the Mamprusi people are now adherents of Islam. The Mamprusi began converting to Islam in the 17th century as a result of the influence of Dyula merchants. [11]
Traditional occupations of the Mamprusi include farming and raising livestock. [12]
The Dagaaba people are an ethnic group located north of the convergence of Ghana, Burkina Faso and Côte d'Ivoire. They speak the Dagaare language, a Gur language made up of the related Northern Dagaare dialects, Southern Dagaare dialects and a number of sub dialects. In northern dialects, both the language and the people are referred to as Dagara. They are related to the Birifor people and the Dagaare Diola. The language is collectively known as Dagaare, and historically some non-natives have taken this as the name of the people. One historian, describing the former usage of "Dagarti" to refer to this community by colonials, writes: "The name 'Dagarti' appears to have been coined by the first Europeans to visit the region, from the vernacular root dagaa. Correctly 'Dagari' is the name of the language, 'Dagaaba' or 'Dagara' that of the people, and 'Dagaw' or 'Dagawie' that of the land."
The Dagombas or Dagbamba are an ethnic group of Ghana, and Togo. They number more than 3.1 million people. The term Dagbamba is originally extended to refer to other related peoples who were unified by Naa Gbewaa including the Mamprusi and Nanumba. The Dagomba country is called Dagbon and they speak Dagbanli language. Dagbanli is the most spoken language of northern Ghana and second most widely spoken local language of Ghana. Dagbanli belongs to the Mabia (Mole-Dagbani) subgroup of the Gur languages, a large group of related languages in West Africa. The Dagomba practises both patrilineal and matrilineal systems of inheritance.
The Upper East Region is located in northern Ghana and is the third smallest of the 16 administrative regions in Ghana. It occupies a total land surface of 8,842 square kilometers or 2.7 per cent of the total land area of Ghana. The Upper East regional capital is Bolgatanga, sometimes referred to as Bolga. Other major towns in the region include Navrongo, Paga, Sandema, Bawku, and Zebilla.
Bawku is a town and is the capital of the Bawku Municipal District, district in the Upper East region of north Ghana, adjacent to the border with Burkina Faso. It is located approximately between latitudes 11o 111 and 100 401 North and longitude 0o 181w and 0o 61 E in the north-eastern corner of the region. The municipality has a total land area of about 257 km2. The Municipality was established by Legislative Instrument (L.I) 2103. The municipality has a total land area of about 257 km2. Bawku has a 2021 settlement population of 119,458 people. Hon. Ayariga Mahama is the Member of Parliament for Bawku Central Constituency.
West Mamprusi Municipal Assembly is one of the six districts in North East Region, Ghana. Originally created as an ordinary district assembly in 1988 when it was known as West Mamprusi District, which was created from the former Mamprusi District Council, until the western part of the district was split off on 28 June 2012 to create Mamprugu-Moagduri District; thus the remaining part has been retained as West Mamprusi District. However, on 15 March 2018, it was elevated to municipal district assembly status to become West Mamprusi Municipal District. The municipality is located in the western part of North East Region and has Walewale as its capital town. Other settlements within the municipal assembly include Wulugu.
Ghana is a multilingual country in which about eighty languages are spoken. Of these, English, which was inherited from the colonial era, is the official language and lingua franca. Of the languages indigenous to Ghana, Akan is the most widely spoken in the south. Dagbani is most widely spoken in the north.
The Mossi Kingdoms, sometimes referred to as the Mossi Empire, were a group of powerful kingdoms in modern-day Burkina Faso which dominated the region of the upper Volta river for hundreds of years. The largest Mossi kingdoms was that of Ouagadougou and the king of Ouagadougou known as the Mogho Naaba, or King of All the World, serves as the Emperor of all the Mossi. The first kingdom was founded when Dagomba warriors from the region that is present-day Ghana and Mandé warriors moved into the area and intermarried with local people. Centralization of the political and military powers of the kingdoms begin in the 13th century and led to conflicts between the Mossi kingdoms and many of the other powerful states in the region. In 1896, the French took over the kingdoms and created the French Upper Volta which largely used the Mossi administrative structure for many decades in governing the colony.
Bawku Municipal District is one of the fifteen districts in Upper East Region, Ghana. Originally created as an ordinary district assembly in 1988 when it was known as Bawku East District; which was established by Legislative Instrument (L.I.) 1439, until the southern part of the district was split off by a decree of president John Agyekum Kufuor in August 2004 to create Garu-Tempane District; thus the remaining part was elevated to municipal district assembly status on the same year to become Bawku Municipal District. However, on 28 June 2012, two parts of the district were later split off to create Binduri District and Pusiga District respectively; thus the remaining part has been retained as Bawku Municipal District. The municipality is located in the eastern part of Upper East Region and has Bawku as its capital town.
Bawku West District is one of the fifteen districts in Upper East Region, Ghana. Originally created as an ordinary district assembly in 1988; which was established by Legislative Instrument (L.I.) 1442. The municipality is located in the eastern part of Upper East Region and has Zebilla as its capital town.
The Oti–Volta languages form a subgroup of the Gur languages, comprising about 30 languages of northern Ghana, Benin, and Burkina Faso spoken by twelve million people. The most populous language is Mooré, the national language of Burkina Faso, spoken by over 55% of Burkina Faso’s 20 million population and an additional 1 million in neighboring countries such as Ghana, Ivory Coast, Niger, and Mali.
Naa Gbewaa is the founder of the Kingdom of Dagbon, in what is now northern Ghana. His sons and daughters are credited with founding several states, including the Mossi kingdoms of Burkina Faso. He established a stable and prosperous kingdom. Naa Gbewaa's shrine is located at Pusiga, 90 km east of Bolgatanga. His descendants continue to pay respects at the shrine.
The Mampruli language is a Gur language spoken in northern Ghana, Northern Togo, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast and Mali by the Mamprusi people. It is partially mutually intelligible with Dagbani. The Mamprusi language is spoken in a broad belt across the northern parts of the Northern Region of Ghana, stretching west to east from Yizeesi to Nakpanduri and centred on the towns of Gambaga, Nalerigu and Walewale.
The Damba festival is the largest festival in Ghana, celebrated by the peoples of the Northern, Savanna, North East, Upper East and Upper West Regions of Ghana. In recent times, Damba has become a multinational festival, attracting visitors from all over the world. The festival is annually celebrated in Germany, USA, and UK.
Tamprusi is a Gur language of Ghana.
Garu is a town and is the administrative capital of Garu District, a district in the Upper East Region of northern Ghana.
The Kingdom of Dagbon (Dagbaŋ) is the oldest and one of the most organised traditional kingdoms in Ghana founded by the Dagomba people (Dagbamba) in the 15th century. During its rise, it comprised, at various points, the Northern, Upper West, Upper East, Savannah Region and North East regions of present-day Ghana. It also covered portions of Burkina Faso, North East Ivory Coast and North West Togo. Since Ghana's independence in 1957, the Kingdom just like all of Ghana's kingdoms and ethnic states has assumed a traditional, customary role.
The Mole-Dagbon, also called Mossi-Dagbon or Mole-Dagbani are a meta-ethnicity and western Oti-Volta Gur ethno-linguistic group residing in six present-day West Africa countries namely: Benin, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Mali and Togo. They number more than 15 million. The Mole/Mossi/Moore people are located primarily in Burkina Faso while Dagbon is in Ghana.
The Nanumba people are an ethnic group whose traditional homeland is in the southeast of the Northern Region of Ghana. They speak Nanugli, a Gur language.
Adam Amandi (1918–2006) was an Educationist, Farmer, Environmentalist and Ghanaian politician. He was a three-time Member of Parliament, and a senior member of the Busia Administration. He was a true blue, blue blooded founding member of the Northern People's Party, its various iterations—-United Party, Progress Party, Popular Front Party, and the New Patriotic Party.
The North East Region is one of the sixteen regions of Ghana. It is located in the north of the country and was created in December 2018 after a referendum was voted upon to break it off of the Northern region. The region's capital is Nalerigu.