ABAKƆSƐM BRƐ: Asante Nation Under OTUMFOƆ OSEI KWADWO, (Ɔkoawia).(4th Occupant of the Golden Stool).


Otumfuo Osei Kwadwo succeeded his uncle Nana Kusi Obodum. He continued the extension of the Asante Kingdom through wars. He was a brave King and a Warrior His might in warfare earned him the appellation: “Osei Koawia” i.e. Osei who fights in the afternoon. 

He defeated Wassa and Banda people and annexed their states to Asante Kingdom.
There was civil war in Dagomba land. This was a chieftaincy dispute. He was called by faction to help them. He did so and the faction he went to help conquered the other faction.

After the war, Dagombaland became part of Asante Kingdom and the two states became brothers and friends to the extent that major decisions like enstoolment of chiefs. ...and funerals of the royals in each of the states could not be carried on without informing the other state. This friendship agreement has existed till now. 

The Northwards expansion of Asante territory by Otumfuo Opoku Ware and continued by Otumfuo Osei Kwadwo ..had its effect on the religion of Asante Nation. One of the reasons that led to the southwards migration of the Akan people was the advent of the Moslem religion. 

However, the Moslem religion begun to creep into Asante Kingdom, this time not through force but through friendship and extension of territory. The Islamic religion had had its root in Dagombaland, and when the land became part of Asante, the new religion crept into Asanteland.

Nana Kwadwo also fought the people of Akyem, Akwapim and Assin. ...and conquered them but could not annexed to the Asante Kingdom in His time.

Otumfuo Osei Kwadwo introduced some changes into the Asante system of government. Before his reign, linguist were chosen from one clan only, through inheritance, ...but he added the appointive system of choosing linguist also. With the appointive system, chiefs could appoint other people found to be wise and eloquent to be linguists.

This gave rise to the practice where every new chief appointed his own linguist ...to augment the number already in the system.

According to oral tradition, when this first experiment proved successful, Otumfuo Osei Kwadwo went further to convert some of the stools of Kumase state which hitherto were hereditary and made them appointive. He further created new stools, e.g. Kyidom, Akyempim and Anomako stools for Ahenema (Children of Occupants of the Golden Stool). 

This brought efficiency into the administration because he had men with requisite capability at his court to advise him. This system again made him powerful because those he appointed owed allegiance to him.

Furthermore, he appointed ambassadors to states he conquered to represent Asante Kingdom and do other secular matters on behalf of Asantehene. 

A typical example was in 1776, He appointed the following ambassadors:

Boakye Awua – Ambassador to Dutch quarters i.e. Otublohum.

Ankra – Ambassador to English James Town.

Nkansa – Ambassador to Danish Christiansborg (Osu). After 1816, Kwame Butuakwa was appointed Regional Commissioner for Fante and was stationed at Abora Dunkwa.

Kwadwo Sakyi was appointed District Commissioner to Cape Coast and Kwadwo Ampong Baki was made the District Commissioner for Elmina.

He also established embassy at Yendi. The last Ambassador to Yendi was called Akyampontia. He was also the Nkwantananhene of Kumase.

Though Nana Osei Kwadwo did all these to ensure stability in the Kingdom and to knit the states together for effective government, one cardinal point was that the new states did not recognize the Golden Stool as their symbol of unity and did not owe allegiance to it as the founders of the Asante Nation. 

Neither did they recognize the Ntamkese Miensa, i.e. the Great Oath of Asante as their oath. As such, the states made a bid for their independence. either singly or collectively at times.

It was the military might of the Asante Nation and the bravery of the people which always quelled these rebellions.

The period of Otumfuo Osei Kwadwo’s reign is referred to as revolutionary period. ...and is simply called the “Osei Kwadwoian revolution” because of the numerous changes he made to strengthen the government of the Asante Kingdom.

Piawwwww

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