Denkyira was a powerful nation of

Akan people The Akan () people live primarily in present-day Ghana and Ivory Coast in West Africa. The Akan language (also known as ''Twi/Fante'') are a group of dialects within the Central Tano branch of the Potou–Tano subfamily of the Niger–Congo ...

that existed before the 1620s, in what is now modern-day

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 ...

. Like all Akans, they originated from

Bono state Bono State (or Bonoman) was a trading state created by the Bono people, located in what is now southern Ghana. Bonoman was a medieval Akan kingdom in what is now Bono, Bono East and Ahafo region respectively named after the (Bono and Ahafo) and ...

. Before 1620, Denkyira was called

Agona Agona is a small town in Ghana. It is the capital of Sekyere South District Sekyere South District is one of the forty-three districts in Ashanti Region, Ghana. Originally created as an ordinary district assembly in 1988 when it was known as Af ...

. The ruler of the Denkyira was called

Denkyirahene Denkyirahene is the title given to the King of the Denkyira people of the Central Region of Ghana. They are part of the Akan Akan may refer to: People and languages *Akan people, an ethnic group in Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire *Akan language, a lan ...

and the capital was

Jukwaa Jukwaa, also known as Dwokwaa, is a town in the Central Region of Ghana. It is the traditional capital of the people of Denkyira Denkyira was a powerful nation of Akan people that existed before the 1620s, in what is now modern-day Ghana. ...

. The first Denkyirahene was Mumunumfi.

History

Later, the capital of Denkyira moved to Abankeseso. The Denkyira state capital is now Dunkwa-on-Offin. Denkyira became powerful through gold production and trade with Europe. In the 1690s, wars took place between Denkyira and the Asen and Twifo-Heman. The goal of these struggles was to keep open the trade routes to the coast and trade with the Fante State and Europeans. The Denkyira state together with the Fante states dominated the trade with Europeans in

Western Ghana The Western Region is located in south Ghana, spreads from the Ivory Coast ( Comoé District) in the west to the Central region in the east, includes the capital and large twin city of Sekondi-Takoradi on the coast, coastal Axim, and a hilly ...

while 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 ...

dominated trade with Europeans in Eastern Ghana. The Denkyira state dominated the neighboring states apart from the Fante,

and

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. ...

. The Ashanti were subjects and tributary to Denkyira Kingdom until 1701, when with the help of Okomfo Anokye, the Ashanti defeated Denkyira at the

Battle of Feyiase The Battle of Feyiase was the decisive battle in the struggle that led to the Ashanti Empire replacing Denkyira as the dominant power among the Twi-speaking Akan peoples. During the battle, the Denkyira army deployed 2 or 3 Dutch cannons while th ...

, and Denkyira became a tributary to the

Ashanti Empire The Asante Empire (Asante Twi: ), today commonly called the Ashanti Empire, was an Akan state that lasted between 1701 to 1901, in what is now modern-day Ghana. It expanded from the Ashanti Region to include most of Ghana as well as parts of Iv ...

. This was led by

Ntim Gyakari Ntim Gyakari (died in1701) was the last fully independent ruler of Denkyira, a state in the boundaries of the modern nation of Ghana. He was the brother of Owusu Akoto who later took the family to the Ebrosa Kingdom as exile, which would eventually ...

the then Denkyirahene. In 1868 Denkyira entered the

Fante Confederacy The Fante Confederacy refers either to the alliance of the Fante states in existence at least since the sixteenth century, or it can also refer to the modern Confederation formed in 1868. The Confederation is seen as one of the first and most prom ...

to align with the powerful Fante Union. The Fante Confederacy had also at this time become allies of the British. The Ashanti Empire also were allies of the

Dutch people The Dutch (Dutch: ) are an ethnic group and nation native to the Netherlands. They share a common history and culture and speak the Dutch language. Dutch people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in Arub ...

. The present-day ruler of the Denkyira was

Odeefuo Boa Amponsem III Odeefuo Boa Amponsem III (11 November 1923 – December 2016) born as Michael Kwame Mensah and later changed to John Kwame Amofa Appiah was a member of th He was popularly called Kwame Mensah, the first child and only son of Kwasi Apeagyei and A ...

until his death was announced on 2 December 2016.https://web.archive.org/web/20161220073817/http://www.atlfmonline.com/component/k2/item/7341-denkyirahene-reported-dead Denkyirahene reported dead

References

External links

Denkyira
{{Coord missing, Ghana Ashanti Empire Akan people Former countries in Africa History of Ghana 1500s establishments in Africa

History

See also

References

External links