Mankessim Kingdom
Encyclopedia
The Mankessim Kingdom was a pre-colonial African state in modern-day Ghana
. It is regarded as the heartland of the Fante people, and operated as capital of the Fante Confederacy
in the 19th century. The town of Mankessim
still exists and is located in the central region of Ghana, about an hour and a half west of Accra
. The Mankessim Kingdom's influence included not only their own kingdom, but extended to the whole of the Fante people, and at times the entire coast of modern-day Ghana.
people, around 1250 AD. This act became the origin of their name, "Fa-atsew" meaning "the half that left". The Fante left their Ashanti brethren at Krako, present day Techiman
in the Brong Ahafo Region of Ghana, and became their own distinct Akan group. The Fante people were led by three great warriors known as Obrumankoma, Odapagya and Oson (the whale, the eagle and the elephant respectively). According to tradition, Obrumankoma and Odapagya died on this exodus
and were embalmed
and carried the rest of the way.
Oson led the people to what would become Mankessim
in 1252. Legend has it that the Fante's chief fetish
priest
, Komfo Amona, planted a spear
in the ground when they reached the location of the settlement. The spear is called the Akyin-Enyim, meaning "in front of god". The place became the meeting place for the Fante elders
and the head fetish priest when discussing important matters. The first Omanhene
(king) of Mankessim was installed here, and later kingmakers would visit the site for consultation. According to the Fante, the spear cannot be removed by mortal
hands.
The land the Fante reached was initially called Adoakyir by its existing inhabitants, which the Fante called "Etsi-fue-yifo" meaning people with bushy hair. The Fante conquered these people and renamed the settlement Oman-kesemu, meaning large town. The name has evolved into the current name, Mankessim.
The Fante settled the land as their first independent kingdom
, and buried Obrumakankoma and Odapagya in a sacred grove called Nana-nom-pow. Komfo Amona also planted the limb of a tree he had brought from the Akan homeland in Krako to see if a place was good for settlement. The day after the priest planted the limb, the people found a tree starting to grow. The tree was named Ebisa-dua, or the consulting tree, and its location is today one of the most important shrines in Mankessim.
groups, or companies, called Asafo, to defend themselves from non-Akan groups in the vicinity, as well as separate Akan groups - most notably the Ashanti in later centuries. Tradition has it that the Fante sub-groups Ekumfi, Abora, Enyan, Nkusukum and Kurentsir were the first to settle Mankessim. They were later joined by the Gomoa, Ajumako, Akatakyi and the Edina.
In 1806, the first Ashanti–Fante War resulted in a humiliating defeat for the Fante. In 1811, the Fante again went to war with the Ashanti, again losing in open battle, but forcing a withdrawal by using guerrilla tactics. In 1844, the Fante put themselves under British
protection, but were guaranteed self-governance
. However, the British, and the Dutch
on the coast, did little to recognize Fante sovereignty
.
as Brenyi over the Fante Confederacy. In 1871, the seven Fante kingdoms and 20 chiefdom
s signed the Constitution of Mankessim, formalizing their alliance.
Omanhene Kwasi Edo led the confederacy for the whole of its short existence, acquiring the lands of neighboring Asebo, Cabesterra and Agona kingdoms. The confederacy was also successful in its resistance to the Ashanti, playing their arch-enemy off against their powerful British supporters. Mankessim, through the confederacy, monopolized trade on the coast and became an important economic
force.
) a protectorate of the crown
.
The Fante dissolved their confederacy that same year in return for money, guns and a license to make war on any invading Ashanti on behalf of the British. Mankessim continued to hold cultural and political importance among the Fante, but was never again an independent force in the region.
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
. It is regarded as the heartland of the Fante people, and operated as capital of the Fante Confederacy
Fante Confederacy
The Fante Confederacy can refer either to the loose alliance of the Fante states in existence at least since the sixteenth century, or it can refer to the briefly lived Confederation formed in 1868 and dissolved in 1874...
in the 19th century. The town of Mankessim
Mankessim
Mankessim is town located in the Central Region of Ghana, West Africa. It is located approximately 85 km west of Accra on the main road to Sekondi-Takoradi. It is the traditional headquarters of the Fante community of Ghana...
still exists and is located in the central region of Ghana, about an hour and a half west of Accra
Accra
Accra is the capital and largest city of Ghana, with an urban population of 1,658,937 according to the 2000 census. Accra is also the capital of the Greater Accra Region and of the Accra Metropolitan District, with which it is coterminous...
. The Mankessim Kingdom's influence included not only their own kingdom, but extended to the whole of the Fante people, and at times the entire coast of modern-day Ghana.
Origin
The Fante people claim to have separated from the Ashanti, another AkanAkan people
The Akan people are an ethnic group found predominately in Ghana and The Ivory Coast. Akans are the majority in both of these countries and overall have a population of over 20 million people.The Akan speak Kwa languages-Origin and ethnogenesis:...
people, around 1250 AD. This act became the origin of their name, "Fa-atsew" meaning "the half that left". The Fante left their Ashanti brethren at Krako, present day Techiman
Techiman
Techiman is the leading market town in Ghana and is, together with Sunyani, one of the two chief cities of the Brong-Ahafo Region. This city of nearly 80,000 is located at a historical crossroads of trade routes and the Tano River, and serves as capital of the Techiman Municipal...
in the Brong Ahafo Region of Ghana, and became their own distinct Akan group. The Fante people were led by three great warriors known as Obrumankoma, Odapagya and Oson (the whale, the eagle and the elephant respectively). According to tradition, Obrumankoma and Odapagya died on this exodus
Emigration
Emigration is the act of leaving one's country or region to settle in another. It is the same as immigration but from the perspective of the country of origin. Human movement before the establishment of political boundaries or within one state is termed migration. There are many reasons why people...
and were embalmed
Embalming
Embalming, in most modern cultures, is the art and science of temporarily preserving human remains to forestall decomposition and to make them suitable for public display at a funeral. The three goals of embalming are thus sanitization, presentation and preservation of a corpse to achieve this...
and carried the rest of the way.
Oson led the people to what would become Mankessim
Mankessim
Mankessim is town located in the Central Region of Ghana, West Africa. It is located approximately 85 km west of Accra on the main road to Sekondi-Takoradi. It is the traditional headquarters of the Fante community of Ghana...
in 1252. Legend has it that the Fante's chief fetish
Fetishism
A fetish is an object believed to have supernatural powers, or in particular, a man-made object that has power over others...
priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
, Komfo Amona, planted a spear
Spear
A spear is a pole weapon consisting of a shaft, usually of wood, with a pointed head.The head may be simply the sharpened end of the shaft itself, as is the case with bamboo spears, or it may be made of a more durable material fastened to the shaft, such as flint, obsidian, iron, steel or...
in the ground when they reached the location of the settlement. The spear is called the Akyin-Enyim, meaning "in front of god". The place became the meeting place for the Fante elders
Elder (administrative title)
The term Elder is used in several different countries and organizations to indicate a position of authority...
and the head fetish priest when discussing important matters. The first Omanhene
Omanhene
In several Akan nations of Ghana, the Omanhene is the title of the supreme traditional ruler in a region or a larger town. The omanhene is the central figure and institution of the nation. He has no function in the Ghanaian state, but has an enormous effect on the people that constitute it.The...
(king) of Mankessim was installed here, and later kingmakers would visit the site for consultation. According to the Fante, the spear cannot be removed by mortal
Human
Humans are the only living species in the Homo genus...
hands.
The land the Fante reached was initially called Adoakyir by its existing inhabitants, which the Fante called "Etsi-fue-yifo" meaning people with bushy hair. The Fante conquered these people and renamed the settlement Oman-kesemu, meaning large town. The name has evolved into the current name, Mankessim.
The Fante settled the land as their first independent kingdom
Monarchy
A monarchy is a form of government in which the office of head of state is usually held until death or abdication and is often hereditary and includes a royal house. In some cases, the monarch is elected...
, and buried Obrumakankoma and Odapagya in a sacred grove called Nana-nom-pow. Komfo Amona also planted the limb of a tree he had brought from the Akan homeland in Krako to see if a place was good for settlement. The day after the priest planted the limb, the people found a tree starting to grow. The tree was named Ebisa-dua, or the consulting tree, and its location is today one of the most important shrines in Mankessim.
Organization
The Fante quickly organized themselves into militaryMilitary
A military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...
groups, or companies, called Asafo, to defend themselves from non-Akan groups in the vicinity, as well as separate Akan groups - most notably the Ashanti in later centuries. Tradition has it that the Fante sub-groups Ekumfi, Abora, Enyan, Nkusukum and Kurentsir were the first to settle Mankessim. They were later joined by the Gomoa, Ajumako, Akatakyi and the Edina.
The Ashanti threat
In the early 19th century, the Ashanti began expanding their control over Ghana, sending many people fleeing to the coast. Fante communities outside of Mankessim became targets of the Ashanti, and decided to unite in defense.In 1806, the first Ashanti–Fante War resulted in a humiliating defeat for the Fante. In 1811, the Fante again went to war with the Ashanti, again losing in open battle, but forcing a withdrawal by using guerrilla tactics. In 1844, the Fante put themselves under British
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
protection, but were guaranteed self-governance
Self-governance
Self-governance is an abstract concept that refers to several scales of organization.It may refer to personal conduct or family units but more commonly refers to larger scale activities, i.e., professions, industry bodies, religions and political units , up to and including autonomous regions and...
. However, the British, and the Dutch
Dutch Empire
The Dutch Empire consisted of the overseas territories controlled by the Dutch Republic and later, the modern Netherlands from the 17th to the 20th century. The Dutch followed Portugal and Spain in establishing an overseas colonial empire, but based on military conquest of already-existing...
on the coast, did little to recognize Fante sovereignty
Sovereignty
Sovereignty is the quality of having supreme, independent authority over a geographic area, such as a territory. It can be found in a power to rule and make law that rests on a political fact for which no purely legal explanation can be provided...
.
The Fante confederacy
Finally, in 1868, the Fante formed a confederacy of their own, with British backing, to guard against further Ashanti aggression. The Fante met in Mankessim and elected the kingdom's OmanheneOmanhene
In several Akan nations of Ghana, the Omanhene is the title of the supreme traditional ruler in a region or a larger town. The omanhene is the central figure and institution of the nation. He has no function in the Ghanaian state, but has an enormous effect on the people that constitute it.The...
as Brenyi over the Fante Confederacy. In 1871, the seven Fante kingdoms and 20 chiefdom
Chiefdom
A chiefdom is a political economy that organizes regional populations through a hierarchy of the chief.In anthropological theory, one model of human social development rooted in ideas of cultural evolution describes a chiefdom as a form of social organization more complex than a tribe or a band...
s signed the Constitution of Mankessim, formalizing their alliance.
Omanhene Kwasi Edo led the confederacy for the whole of its short existence, acquiring the lands of neighboring Asebo, Cabesterra and Agona kingdoms. The confederacy was also successful in its resistance to the Ashanti, playing their arch-enemy off against their powerful British supporters. Mankessim, through the confederacy, monopolized trade on the coast and became an important economic
Economy
An economy consists of the economic system of a country or other area; the labor, capital and land resources; and the manufacturing, trade, distribution, and consumption of goods and services of that area...
force.
Decline
The early successes of the confederacy were short-lived, and a protracted war with the Dutch, backers of the Ashanti Confederacy, left them in ruins. In 1873, the British proclaimed the entire coast of Ghana (then known as the Gold CoastGold Coast (region)
The Gold Coast was the region of West Africa which is now the nation of Ghana. Early uses of the term refer literally to the coast and not the interior. It was not until the 19th century that the term came to refer to areas that are far from the coast...
) a protectorate of the crown
Gold Coast (British colony)
The Gold Coast was a British colony on the Gulf of Guinea in west Africa that became the independent nation of Ghana in 1957.-Overview:The first Europeans to arrive at the coast were the Portuguese in 1471. They encountered a variety of African kingdoms, some of which controlled substantial...
.
The Fante dissolved their confederacy that same year in return for money, guns and a license to make war on any invading Ashanti on behalf of the British. Mankessim continued to hold cultural and political importance among the Fante, but was never again an independent force in the region.
Sources
- Traveladdict
- World Statesmen
- Wiki Fante ConfederacyFante ConfederacyThe Fante Confederacy can refer either to the loose alliance of the Fante states in existence at least since the sixteenth century, or it can refer to the briefly lived Confederation formed in 1868 and dissolved in 1874...