ASANTE NATION UNDER OTUMFOƆ KWAKU DUA I. (1838- 1867)

ABAKƆSƐM BRƐ: ASANTE NATION OTUMFOƆ KWAKU DUA I (1838 - 1867).

(9th Occupant of the Golden Stool)

Otumfoɔ Osei Yaw Akoto was succeeded by his nephew, Nana Kwaku Dua l. Otumfoɔ Kwaku Dua l made the return of the people of Dwaben to their land his prime concern. 

To achieve this, he sent messengers to them with the request.

All arrangements for their return was set by 1839. However, when they set for the return journey their chief, Nana Kwasi Boaten, who should have led them on their return journey, was called to eternity.

He was succeeded by his brother Nana Kofi Boaten. He also died after reigning for eighty days. The two incidents delayed their return until 1841 when they were led on their return journey by Nana Dwaben Serwah, acting as the Paramount Chief of the state.

One of the tasks Nana Kwaku Dua l set himself was to create internal stability. After the return of the Dwaben people, he went to patch up the trouble between Nkoranza State and Gyaman State.

Again he invited the Wesleyan missionary, Freeman, to visit Kumase in 1839. He invited him again in 1841. It was on Freeman's second visit that he brought back John Ansah and Nkwantabisa to Nana Kwaku Dual. The two men were the royals sent to Britain to be educated.

Though Otumfoɔ Kwaku Dual loved peace, war was always knocking at his doors. The fourth Asante-British war was fought during his reign. Although the king was for peace, his subjects were nursing the pains and disgrace they suffered from their defeat at Dodowa.

They had not forgotten that they lost Denkyira, Assin, Akyem, Ga and Fante states as the results of Dodowa war they lost. They were therefore looking for opportunity to avenge this defeat and recapture their lands. 

The people were more disturbed because, after the war when the states became independent, the Asante traders had to ask permission before they were allowed to pass through the territories of the states to go and trade with the Europeans.

This was a way of belittling their authority and they therefore wanted to fight to recapture their lost glory and authority. Their next headache was the loss of income from the forts and the Elmina castle. They therefore prepared for an opportunity to recapture the papers on the forts.  

All the same, there was peace from 1838 when Otumfoɔ Kwaku Dua l ascended the throne up to 1862. No major war was fought in those years.

However, in 1862 an Asante man called Kwasi Gyanin happened to come across some gold nugget which he picked. According to Asante law, such treasures were sent to the king but he kept it to himself. When the king heard of it, Kwasi Gyanin bolted away to the Governor.

The king sent messengers to the Governor and requested his repatriation. The king wanted his court to sit on the case and give judgement. In his request, he promised the governor that whatever be the outcome of the case, Kwasi Gyanin would never be killed therefore he should be sent back to face his trial.

The Governor refused to send him back for trial.

This misunderstanding led to the fourth war between the Asante Nation on one side and the British and coastal states on the other. The Asantes were victorious. Oral tradition is silent on whether the Asante Nation recaptured the papers on the forts or not.

There was no war between the Asante Nation and the British again during the reign of Nana Kwaku Dua l. Otumfoɔ Kwaku Dua l was called on eternity in 1867.

Piawwwww!!!