Akan History
Nana Safrotwe Kakradae IV is from the descendants of Nana Kwao Safro Twie, who settled in Akuapem south of Ghana after the Akwamu war. The Akwapem state was formed by Nana Kwao Safrotwe from the Aduana Clan.
Summary
The Akan people or the Akan Nations are 49.1% of the population of Ghana and include the following sub-ethnic groups:
Akwamu, Akuapem, Ashanti , Akyem, Abron, Aowin, Ahanta, Anyi, Baoulé, Chokosi, Fante, Kwahu, Sefwi, Wassa, Adjukru, Akye, Alladian, Attie, Avikam, Ebrie, Ehotile and the Nzema peoples of both Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire.
From the 15th century to 19th century, the Akan people dominated gold mining and gold trade in the region.
The Akwamus like most Akans also migrated from Adanse to settle at the Twifo-Heman forest at the later part of the 16th century. This group of Akans belonged to the Aduana family and are blood brothers of Asumennya, Dormaa and Kumawu. According to oral tradition it was as a result of succession dispute that compelled Otomfuo (brass-smith) Asare to desert the family to form a new state or city called Asaremankesee (which means Asares big state). The modern city of Asaamankese was originally founded and occupied by the Akwamus.
Akwamus expansion started between 1629-1710 and this took them to places like the whole Akuapem area including Kyerepon and Larteh, Akyem, Denkyera, Ga-Adangbe, the Ladoku states of Agona, Winneba, Afram plains, Southern Togoland and finally Whydah in present Benin. The powerful king Nana Ansa Sasraku l annexed the Guans and took over the traditional areas of the Kyerepons and ruled over them until Asonaba Nana Ofori Kuma and his followers after a succession dispute in their effort to form their own State engaged them in a fierce war after which the Akwamus were driven away from the mountains.
These Asona family members and their followers then were given a piece of land from the original settlers the Guans, Kyerepons, to form the Akuapem state. However, most of the present Akuapems still have their roots at Akwamufie especially those bearing the names Addo and Akoto or from the Aduana family.
Nana Ansa Sasraku also played an important role in the life of the King Osei Tutu of Asante. He protected him from the Denkyiras and when he was called to take over the Kwaaman stool Nana Ansa Sasraku provided him with 300 Asafomen (army) from Akwamu to guide him to Kwaaman. When Nana Osei Tutu arrived, he gave all the men to Kwaaman Asafohene and they became citizens of Asafo and that won the Kumase Asafohene the title Akwamuhene of Kumase. According to oral tradition, the whole structure of the Asante army that was started by Nana Osei Kofi Tutu l and helped the Asantes through many wars, was a replicate of the well organised Akwamu army.
Nana Osei Tutu was also assisted by the Anumfuo (later Adumfuo) who accompanied him from Akwamu, in execution cases. A large number of the Asantes of today originated from Akwamu especially, people from Asafo and Adum as well as sections of people from Bantama and Barekese.
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 Akwamus took over the possession of the Danish Castle at Christianborg or Osu in 1693. The Akwamu sold it back to the Danes a year later, but retained the keys to the castle. As of 2007, the Akwamu still have the keys
At the peak of their power the Akwamus had embraced much of the Gold Coast and traditionally the Akwamuhene still has the jurisdiction of the Akosombo part of the Volta River. In the 1720s the King of Akwamu began selling many of his subjects to slave traders. This led to civil war and the state’s disintegration which cause the Akwamus to lost most of their lands to Akuapems, Akyems, Kwahus, Fantes and Krobos. The Kingdom of Akwamu was therefore one of the most powerful among the Akans.
After the Akwamu war, the Akuapem state was formed by Nana Kwao Safro Twie from the Aduana Clan at Obusum Kyenku at Asante Manso. Obusum Kyenku is presently called Obusumase. The Akwapem is one of the Akan ethnic groups who did not participate in the slave trade business with the Europeans, more specifically the Dutch and the British.
Akuapem is now a kingdom in South-Eastern Ghana. With the enthronement of the Akan/Akyem King in 1773 to the throne of Akropong alongside the throne of Akuapem, the kingdom became a double state known as the Akropong-Akuapem Kingdom.
In 1733, Akwamu launched his army against the city-State of Akropong, which had been spared from the Ashanti conquests. To defend itself, the city called upon soldiers who liked war, the Akim, and who are also the hereditary enemies of the Ashanti. Akropong was saved, and as a reward, the king of the Akim was enthroned as the King of Akropong.
By Baafuor Ossei-Akoto
Nana Safrotwe Kakradae IV is from the descendants of Nana Kwao Safro Twie, who settled in Akuapem south of Ghana after the Akwamu war. The Akwapem state was formed by Nana Kwao Safrotwe from the Aduana Clan.
Themocracy