Asamankese is a town in south

Ghana Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and To ...

and is the capital of

West Akim Municipal District West Akim Municipal District is one of the thirty-three districts in Eastern Region, Ghana. Originally created as an ordinary district assembly in 1988 when it was known as West Akim District, which was created from the former West Akim District ...

, a district in the Eastern Region of south Ghana.West Akim Municipal District
/ref> Asamankese has a 2013 settlement population of approximately 39,435 people. Asamankese is on the main highway to

Kumasi Kumasi (historically spelled Comassie or Coomassie, usually spelled Kumase in Twi) is a city in the Ashanti Region, and is among the largest metropolitan areas in Ghana. Kumasi is located in a rain forest region near Lake Bosomtwe, and is the ...

and

Accra Accra (; tw, Nkran; dag, Ankara; gaa, Ga or ''Gaga'') is the capital and largest city of Ghana, located on the southern coast at the Gulf of Guinea, which is part of the Atlantic Ocean. As of 2021 census, the Accra Metropolitan District, , ...

in the interior.

History

The modern city of Asamankese was founded and occupied by the

Akwamu Akwamu was a state set up by the Akwamu people in present-day Ghana. After migrating from Bono state, the Akan founders of Akwamu settled in Twifo-Heman. The Akwamu led an expansionist empire in the 17th and 18th centuries. At the peak of their ...

. The Akwamus moved south and eastward from Dormaa around the 14th century to Twifo-Heman, North West Cape Coast. The move was commercially motivated and settled at the Twifo-Heman forest in the later part of the 16th century. Akwamus are Akans, and belonged to the Aduana family who are blood brothers of Asumennya, Dormaa and Kumawu. According to oral tradition, a succession dispute resulted in Otomfuo (brass-smith) Asare deserted the family to form a new state or city called Asaremankesee (Asare's big state), now known as Asamankese. Other settlers from Juaben in Ashanti settled at Asamankese. During the reign of Nana Dokua s both okyehene (king) and ohemaa (queenmother)of

Akyem The Akyem are an Akan people. The term Akyem (Akem, Akim or Aki) is used to describe a group of four states: Asante Akyem, Akyem Abuakwa, Akyem Kotoku and Akyem Bosome. These nations are located primarily in the eastern region in south Ghana. ...

, a section of the Juabens of Ashanti revolted against the

Golden Stool The Golden Stool ( Ashanti- tw, Sika dwa; full title, Sika Dwa Kofi "the Golden Stool born on a Friday") is the royal and divine throne of kings of the Ashanti people and the ultimate symbol of power in Asante. According to legend, Okomfo Anoky ...

of Ashanti. The rebels, led by their chief,

Nana Kwaku Boateng Nana Kwaku Boateng I was a former Omanhene of New Juaben. He led the revolt against the Golden Stool of Ashanti during the reign of Nana Dokua. He ruled the New Juabens (sometimes called Dwaben) from 1913 to 1930. Nana Kwaku had a son called Asa ...

, were forced to leave Juaben in Ashanti for the south. They found settlement at Kyebi, Kwabeng, Tafo, Asamankese and other parts of Akyem Abuakwa.

Education

In 1963, the natives of Asamankese founded a public mixed secondary school called Asamankese Senior High School (a.k.a. ASASCO).http://www.ghanaschoolsinfo.org/project/145

References

*Ofosu-Mensah, AE & Ansah, GN, "The role of language in ethnic identity: The case of Akwamu in Ghana", Afr. Journ. of Hist. & Culture Vol.4(5), pp. 74–79, June 2012 Populated places in the Eastern Region (Ghana) {{EasternRegionGH-geo-stub