Opoku Ware I (born 1700–1750) was an ''

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 ...

'' of

Oyoko Oyoko is a small town in the Sekyere Kumawu District of the Ashanti Region of Ghana. The town is in the Kumawu parliamentary constituency. Oyoko is near Effiduase, about northeast of Kumasi, the regional capital. Notable places There are two ...

heritage, who ruled 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 ...

which occupied parts of what is now

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 ...

. He is credited with being the "empire builder" of the Asante empire. He married and had two children named Adusei Atwenewa and Adusei Kra. During his reign, which lasted from 1720 (some sources cite 1718,Eclairage sur l’histoire précdes Baoulé de Côte d’Ivoire
while leading the army against the Akan state of the

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. ...

) to his death in 1750, he fought against the

Bono Paul David Hewson (born 10 May 1960), known by his stage name Bono (), is an Irish singer-songwriter, activist, and philanthropist. He is the lead vocalist and primary lyricist of the rock band U2. Born and raised in Dublin, he attended M ...

, another Akan state, and defeated them by 1723. Between 1741 and 1744, King Opoku fought and won a number of wars.

References

1700 births 1750 deaths 18th-century monarchs in Africa Ashanti monarchs {{Africa-royal-stub