Katamanso War also known (Battle of Dodowa) was a war that
Ga-Adangbe defeated and prevented
Ashantis
The Asante, also known as Ashanti () are part of the Akan ethnic group and are native to the Ashanti Region of modern-day Ghana. Asantes are the last group to emerge out of the various Akan civilisations. Twi is spoken by over nine million Asant ...
from dominating the coast in 1824. The Ga-Adangbe people of modern day Greater Accra teamed up with the British as well as other tribes/ethnic groups in the Gold Coast such as the Fantes, Akyems, Adas to fight the Ashantis.
It is classified as one of the "
Anglo-Ashanti Wars
The Anglo-Ashanti wars were a series of five conflicts that took place between 1824 and 1900 between the Ashanti Empire—in the Akan interior of the Gold Coast—and the British Empire and its African allies. Though the Ashanti emerged victorio ...
" according to historical evidence at the National Archives.
History
The
Ashanti King or
Asantehene
The is the title for the monarch of the historical Ashanti Empire as well as the ceremonial ruler of the Ashanti people today. The Ashanti royal house traces its line to the Oyoko (an ''Abusua'', or "clan") Abohyen Dynasty of Nana Twum and t ...
(
Osei Yaw Akoto
Osei Yaw Akoto ( – 21 February 1834), was the seventh King of the Ashanti Empire reigning from 1824 until his death on 21 February 1834.T. C. McCaskie, ''State and Society in Pre-Colonial Asante'', Cambridge University Press, 2003, p. 69-70
Bi ...
) at that time, furious at the
Ga-Adangbe for aiding the
Fantes in the
Asamankow War of 1824, proposed to punish them. He decided to pursue them, even if they escape into the belly of ''kanfra'' (a small flat fish).
On 7 August 1826, the war began also known as the "Battle of Dodowa". However he met a coalition of other indigenous forces allied with the Ga-Adangbe of
Prampram
Prampram is a coastal town in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. The town is located in the Ningo Prampram District.
Prampram (Gbugbla), the capital of Ningo-Prampram, is 15 minutes' drive from the port city of Tema and 45 minutes from Accra, the ...
,
Ningo
Old Ningo is a town in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana.
History
Also known as Great Ningo, the inhabitants have always been a fishing and farming community. They form part of the Ga-Adangbe people. The name Ningo has a much more widely known an ...
and
Ada
Ada may refer to:
Places
Africa
* Ada Foah, a town in Ghana
* Ada (Ghana parliament constituency)
* Ada, Osun, a town in Nigeria
Asia
* Ada, Urmia, a village in West Azerbaijan Province, Iran
* Ada, Karaman, a village in Karaman Province, Tur ...
people under their Monarch King Tackie Kome.
British,
Dutch and
Danish
Danish may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark
People
* A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark
* Culture of Denmark
* Danish people or Danes, people with a Danish ance ...
forces all together not more than 60, aided in the war with new weapons after an attack on cape coast in July 1824. The Asantehene amassed an army of 40,000. An alliance of British with Ga-Adangbe,
Fanti,
Denkyira
Denkyira was a powerful nation of Akan people that existed before the 1620s, in what is now modern-day Ghana. Like all Akans, they originated from Bono state. Before 1620, Denkyira was called Agona. The ruler of the Denkyira was called Denkyirah ...
,
Akwamu and
Akyems at Katamanso near
Dodowa
Dodowa is a town located in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana, it is the district capital of Dangme West district, now Shai Osudoku District.
The city is 39 km from the capital city, Accra. The notable tourist site found there is the Dodowa ...
faced the Asante army. The Akyems were led by the
Okyehene,
Nana Afia Dokuaa, the only woman ruler of a major state.
But the allied forces fought gallantly and overcame the Ashanti Army with a devastating victory which paralysed the Ashanti Empire and was a factor in the loss of its former glory. This contributed to the British power and prestige rise on the coast. The Ashantis held their position for nine hours (6 AM to 3 PM).
Effects of the war
The effects of the war included:
* Smooth trading activities with less fear of invasion.
* Unity of Ga-Adangbe.
* Accra became famous and their influence spread.
* Foreign countries and strangers traded with the coast for commercial purpose.
[{{Cite web, title=GRIN - The Anglo-Asante-Wars and its political effects, url=https://www.grin.com/document/366987, access-date=2020-08-09, website=www.grin.com, language=de]
Historical facts
The King was made to swear an oath as the '
''ka ntam'
'' (Akan for swear), '
''na su (Akan for cry) = Corrupted into Katamanso.
The hair style worn by the Asante women called Gyese Nkran''
', (except Akra), vulgarized as Densinkran, was introduced to mourn the Asante dead in the Katamanso war.
References
History of Ghana