The kingdom of Notsé (; ) was a former kingdom that organized itself around the city of

Notsé Notsé (also Notsie or Nuatja) is a town in the Plateaux Region of Togo. It is the capital of Haho Prefecture and is situated 95 km north of the capital Lomé. The town was formed around 1600 by the Ewe people, after they were displaced west ...

between the 15th and 18th centuries. This

theocracy Theocracy is a form of autocracy or oligarchy in which one or more deity, deities are recognized as supreme ruling authorities, giving divine guidance to human intermediaries, with executive and legislative power, who manage the government's ...

, led by a sacred-king, was founded around the 15th century and managed to gain significant importance within

West Africa West Africa, also known as Western Africa, is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations geoscheme for Africa#Western Africa, United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Gha ...

, notably by initiating the construction of the monumental walls of Notsé, a

sacred enclosure In the study of the history of religions and anthropology, a sacred enclosure refers to any structure intended to separate two spaces: a sacred space and a profane space. Generally, it is a separation wall erected to mark the difference between t ...

intended to surround the entire sacred boundary of the city. However, after significant internal turmoil leading to the exodus of the Ewe from Notsé, considered by them as their origin, the kingdom gradually declined until it disappeared. In the 19th century, German colonizers established a chieftaincy that collaborated with them in

. This chieftaincy became prominent among the

Ewe people The Ewe people (; , lit. "Ewe people"; or ''Mono Kple Amu (Volta) Tɔ́sisiwo Dome'', lit. "Between the Rivers Mono and Volta"; ''Eʋenyígbá'' Eweland) are a Gbe languages, Gbe-speaking ethnic group. The largest population of Ewe people is in G ...

and attempted to preserve the heritage of the kingdom of Notsé.

History

The ancestors of the Ewe were likely a people already present in the region of

Togo Togo, officially the Togolese Republic, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Ghana to Ghana–Togo border, the west, Benin to Benin–Togo border, the east and Burkina Faso to Burkina Faso–Togo border, the north. It is one of the le ...

and

Ghana Ghana, officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It is situated along the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, and shares borders with Côte d’Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, and Togo to t ...

in the 13th century. However, it is difficult to trace their journey and evolution before their settlement in

, where they founded a prosperous city and kingdom during the 15th century. According to surviving oral traditions, they were guided to the site of Notsé by the hunter Afotsè, also called Ndétsi, or under the leadership of an ancestor named Noin or Da. There, they merged with the populations already present in the area and founded the city. The kingdom was ruled by a sacred-king, who succeeded hereditarily from father to son. The priest-kings of Notsé bore facial

scarification Scarification involves scratching, etching, burning/ branding, or superficially cutting designs, pictures, or words into the skin as a permanent body modification or body art. The body modification can take roughly 6–12 months to heal. In t ...

s, often representing

leopard The leopard (''Panthera pardus'') is one of the five extant cat species in the genus ''Panthera''. It has a pale yellowish to dark golden fur with dark spots grouped in rosettes. Its body is slender and muscular reaching a length of with a ...

claws, a sacred animal. In the 17th or 18th century, one of these priest-kings, Agokoli, launched a vast project to erect a

around Notsé, at least the second part of the walls of Notsé. This project caused significant conflict within the city-state's population, leading to division and the exodus of the Ewe from Notsé, an event the Ewe consider the origin of their people. The kingdom then declined until the

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

and French colonization of Togo. During German colonization, a chieftaincy favorable to

interests was established. This chieftaincy played an important role in forming the national consciousness of the Ewe people, notably by claiming the heritage of the former kingdom of Notsé. It still organizes the religious and cultural festival of "Agbogbo-Za".

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kingdom of Notsé Kingdom of Notsé Countries in medieval Africa 15th-century establishments in Africa Countries in precolonial Africa

French West Africa States and territories established in the 15th century Sacred sites in traditional African religions