12/11/2020
Ɔboɔmma,
Fact Check: Kwahu History
❌ Kwahus are not Asantes, neither are Kwahus from Asante Mampong. In fact, Kwahu was in existence as a traditional state over two centuries (200 years; in the 1500s) even before the formation of Asante (in the 1700s).
✅ However, there were people (families/clans) who left Asante to join Kwahu, notably the Ɔyɔkoɔ family (royals) of Atibie. They were the last group to join Kwahu on the mountains. They were primarily from Kuntenase, lead by the Kuntenase chief Nana Ntim, who was an uncle to Otumfour Opoku Ware the first.
✅ Kwahu just like any other Akan traditional state got inhabited by families/clans in search of better abode.
✅The first people in Kwahu history talks of are the Aduana families. They were part of the foremost Aduana clan that left then larger Akan group passing through present day Ivory Coast to the coast of Ghana. The Aduana families first settled in Twifo-Heming before moving to the Eastern part of the country. Majority of them became the Akwamu Kingdom, with others living in hamlets in the mountains. In the Kwahu mountains notably among them were the Adamu Yanko royal family who established Bepong (‘bie pon’: big bear). Bepong is, often, described as the oldest town of Kwahu, fierced and powerful. (For Bepong's history go to my Kwahu Connect page. I have a comprehensive history on Bepong on the page).
✅ It was a relative of Adamu Yanko, believed to be his brother, Dwamena Akenten, who established Obo, corrupted from Obobe. Obobe was an area he lived in Bepong with his uncle before he decided to relocate to Obo. All this is based in the 1500s -1600s. Later on, somewhat in the late 1600s to early 1700s some families of Akwamu Kingdom joined the people of Obo, particularly the those who left the kingdom with the queen mother and her twin son, before moving further to settle at Asantemanso, there after Dormaa (‘Yɛ Dɔ yɛ man': people who love their town/country). The Obomeng (‘yɛ bɔ mene': we peel and eat) royals also came to scene later on after the defeat of Akwamu Kingdom by the combined forces of Akyem, Ga and Anlo. Mind you, other Aduana families joined them forming other Aduana towns in Kwahu including Asakraka. With the exception of Bepong and the Adamu Yanko history, the rest of the Aduana towns particularly that of Obomeng were later on in 1700s. The Aduana clans form the ‘nifa' right wing division of Kwahu Traditional Area. Obomenghene is a nephew of Akwamuhene; Nana Opinamang was Nana Ansa Sasraku's nephew ruling at Nyanoase in the kingdom before it was attacked, and they moved/sojourn to present day Obomeng. (Again, for comprehensive Bepong, Obo and Obomeng history go to my Kwahu Connect page for more details).
✅ After Adamu Yanko, history recalls of the Agona clan as the second settlers on the mountains. The Agona clan/families were mostly from Denkyira and Adanse, they comprised Nana Osei Twum, his nephew, Kwaw Baadu, and their aide Kwesi T**i. They left Adanse together with the founder of Akyem Kotoku, whose nephew and heir Frimpong Manso (‘Frimpong a ne man so': Frimpong whose land is large) is the founder of Asante Akyem. They first settled at Apaku currently Mpraeso -Dadaso area to be precise; behind Ohene Nana - before moving to Bukuruwa (boɔ kurua: a stone/rock in the shape of a jar). (Furthermore, for comprehensive history on Mpraeso and Bukuruwa visit my Kwahu Connect page).
✅Nana Osei Twum smartly united the hamlets on the mountains to first established a traditional state. He passed on and was succeeded by his nephew Kwaw Baadu. This was the hamlets in Kwahu then:
1)Adamu Yanko of Aduana Clan was at Nkwaefo, near Bepong Kwahu.
Adamu Yanko and his people were said to be the first indigenous people of Kodiabe, that is, Kwahu.
2)Akosa Brempon of the Aduana Clan settled at “Babaabe” located between the present day Kwahu Nkwatia and Kwahu Bepong.
3) Odiabaa resided at Tutupenso near Kwahu Aduamoa.
4)Kwabena Atia settled on the top of the rock, now Abetifi.
5)Bransem Diawuo of the Asene Clan lived at Kesepon near the present Kwahu Nkwatia.
6)Dwamena Akenten of the Aduana Clan, aboriginal settler at Obo--- possibly Adamu Yanko ‘s younger brother who once settled at Oboobe near Kwahu Bepong.
(Credit/Sourced: Joseph Boateng Gyamfi, Kwahu Socio-Economic Research Center, Bepong).
✅ Note: Before Adamu Yanko and Osei Twum came to the scene the mountains were occupied by Guans, the Ataala Fiam royals. It was the Agona royals who defeated them to rule the mountains. They drove them to the Afram Plains and later on drove them to the current day Oti Region.
✅ However, some remnants of the Guans still live in Abetifi and Afram Plains. Kwaw Baadu was an indefatigable warrior, he fought wars in the Afram and Oti Areas till he landed in present day Togo. He fought wars until he couldn’t return. So up to this day, there are some Kwahu descendants who live in some areas of the Volta Region and Togo.
✅ Before, Kwaw Baadu's journey of no return he was the ruler of Kwahu state, so Bukuruwa was the first traditional capital of the Kwahu state…before it moved to Abene.
✅The Etena Bretuo families of Kwahu, who are the rulers of Kwahu currently, came from Adanse Ayaase. This is where the confusion of Kwahus are from Mampong comes to play.
✅Esono Gyima, with his nephew Agyei, left Adanse with their clan brothers Nana Boahene Anantuo, who later founded Asante Mampong, Nana Mposo Frimpong founding Asante Effiduase and Nana Adu Gyamfi founding Asante Gyamase.
✅Esono Gyima in his sojourn settled with his family at Tokwaboho near Effiduase and became a sub chief under Mamponghene (this is where the confusion of Kwahus are from Mampong begins). He passed on and was succeeded by his nephew Agyei, some called him Manpong Agyei because he was briefly a sub chief at Manpong. However, Manpong Agyei decided not to engage in Manpong warring with Dwaben and Yeji so he left for his peace with his clan/family. So, Manpong Agyei was not from Manpong but just stayed there with his uncle in their sojourning (that ends it, Kwahus are not from Manpong neither are Kwahus from Asante).
✅ Manpong Agyei met Ohemeng, a warrior at Effiduase who joined him in his sojourning…he later became the chief of Abetifi. When he arrived in Kwahu he established Abene and Ohemeng Abetifi, though there were other smaller settlers in Abetifi (Boɔ no atifi: at the turn of the rock).
✅In Kwahu, Manpong Agyei was made Gyaasehene of Kwahu, with Kwaw Baadu being Kwahuman hene. Kwaw Baadu going to war in present day Oti Region left the state to Nana Agyei to rule in his stead before he returned. Since Kwaw Baadu couldn’t return the Kwahu rulership stayed with Manpong Agyei at Abene and that’s why to date Abene is the traditional capital of Kwahu with the Abenehene being the Kwahumanhene. The people of Bukuruwa and the Agona royal family wanted their stool back after the death of Nana Agyei, but Okwahu Diawuo his successor fiercely resisted the throne going back to Bukuruwa and the Agona royal family, and has to date remain in Abene.
Asaase Aban!
Compiled by Jesse Kwadwo Owusu Ampah.
(This is a response to a post on Mefiri Kwahu page claiming Kwahus are from Asante Mampong).
