Adansi
Adansi State Adanse | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| c. 12th century–1701 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Capital | Fomena | ||||||||||||||||||
| Common languages | Twi (Adanse dialect) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Religion | Akan religion | ||||||||||||||||||
| Demonym(s) | Adansefoɔ | ||||||||||||||||||
| Government | Clan-based confederation; later elective chieftaincy | ||||||||||||||||||
| History | |||||||||||||||||||
• Formation of independent Akan state | c. 12th century | ||||||||||||||||||
| 1659 | |||||||||||||||||||
• Battle of Feyiase – Adanse absorbed into the Asante Empire | 1701 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Currency | Gold dust (sika futuro) and barter | ||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||
| Today part of | Ashanti Region Ghana | ||||||||||||||||||
Adansi (also spelled Adanse) is one of the earliest historically documented Akan states, located in the southern part of modern Ghana’s Ashanti Region. It is widely regarded in Akan oral tradition as a spiritual and ancestral homeland. Historically, Adansi was a prominent center of gold production and state formation, playing a foundational role in the emergence of later Akan polities such as Asante Empire, Denkyira, Akyem, Twifo, and Assin.[1]
History
[edit]Formation and Early Statehood
[edit]Adansi originated in the 12th or 13th century as part of the southward migration of Akan peoples from the Bono region.[2] Oral and historical traditions consider Adansi a direct successor to Bono, inheriting much of its political and spiritual culture. As early as the 13th century, waves of Bono migrants moved into the Pra–Ofin forest belt, where they formed new settlements and reconstituted core institutions of Akan governance. These included sacred kingship, matrilineal succession, and the roles of the Okyeame (linguist), Abusuapanyin (clan elder), and chief.[3]
Trade and Regional Influence
[edit]Before the advent of European coastal trade, the goldfields of the forest zone—where Adansi would emerge—were indirectly integrated into expansive trans-Saharan exchange networks. From as early as the 12th century, gold from this region was acquired by Mande-Dyula (Wangara) merchants, who transported it to major Sahelian trading hubs such as Bonduku, Wagadugu, and Bouna. From there, these goods entered broader trans-Saharan circuits connecting to Timbuktu, Jenne, and ultimately the Maghreb, Cairo, and other parts of North Africa and the Mediterranean.[4] While the Akan themselves did not engage in long-distance trans-Saharan trade, they exchanged gold dust and kola nuts for salt, woven cloth, copper alloys, and enslaved persons at regional markets linked to this larger commercial web. Key entrepôts like Begho served as vital connectors between the forest and Sahel economies.[5][6]
Adansi and the Akani in Early European Accounts
[edit]By the 16th and 17th centuries, European traders recognized Adansi as part of the inland gold-rich region referred to as Accany or Arcany. Portuguese sources as early as 1505–1508, including navigator Duarte Pacheco Pereira, referenced merchant groups such as the Haccanys (Akani/Accany), Cacres, Andese, and Souzos—believed to be associated with Adansi—who transported gold from interior forest settlements to coastal trading posts. The gold from this region was so renowned for its purity that it was termed "Akan sica" (Akan gold) by coastal and European merchants.[7]
Early 16th-century accounts also reveal a high degree of political organization in the interior. A 1517 report describes messengers from the King of the Akani arriving at Elmina to report on a conflict with a neighboring group referred to as the "Atis"—believed to be a Portuguese rendering of the Etsii people, a known community in the region.[8] By 1548, European officials noted “civil wars among the Akani,” pointing to internal factional struggles and a complex political landscape. These records portray the inland societies not as tribal or stateless, but as structured polities with rulers, military systems, diplomatic envoys, and well-developed trade routes. The use of terms such as “King of the Akani” and “Kingdom of Arcany” suggests early European recognition of centralized governance within the inland Akan world, including Adansi.[9]
Dutch accounts later echoed these descriptions. The Dutch envoy Heerman Abramsz, writing in 1679, referred to the "great country of Accanien" situated inland from Elmina, with key settlements engaged in long-distance gold trade. Similarly, Dutch cartographer Muller, writing in the 1660s, identified a town named "Alance"—believed to refer to Adansi—as a major location within the "Kingdom of Arcania".[10]
Historians such as Boahen, Daaku, and Fage agree that the term "Accany" referred to the Adansi region, particularly the Ofin River basin. This area is regarded as one of the earliest centers of organized government among the Akan people.[11]
Political Power and Economic Dominance
[edit]At its peak in the 17th century, prior to its subjugation by Denkyira, Adansi was the leading political and economic power in the Ofin–Pra basin. Its territory encompassed several gold-rich towns including Akrokerri, Dompoase, and Fomena, forming a network of autonomous settlements bound by cultural unity and political affiliation. The state was renowned for controlling vast auriferous lands, where all gold mining activities were subject to royal oversight. The Adansehene claimed ownership over all gold nuggets discovered in his territory and was legally entitled to one-third of all gold mined on stool lands.[12]
The wealth generated from gold was immense: during the reign of Adansehene Awurade Basa, the state maintained its dominance over Denkyira, which remained a tributary. In 1659, Awurade Basa’s son, Apea Brenya, was dispatched to collect a gold payment from the Denkyirahene valued at £96,000—a staggering amount for the time.[13] This gold-funded treasury enabled the Adansi leadership to maintain a military arsenal and a palace of high prestige. The state's treasurer, or Sanaahene, oversaw a professional financial bureaucracy responsible for the protection and disbursement of funds[14]
Decline and Incorporation into Asante
[edit]In or around 1659, Adansi was decisively defeated by Denkyira under the leadership of Boamponsem. This victory was so thorough that contemporary Dutch sources reported that "Adansi had quietly disappeared".[15] Prior to this, Denkyira had been subject to Adansi, and the shift in power marked a key political transformation in the Ofin-Pra basin. Notably, Denkyira's capital of Abankeseso was founded by refugees fleeing Adansi authority.[16]
Colonial Encounters and Treaty of Fomena
[edit]In 1873, Adansi chief Kobina Obeng sought independence from the Ashanti Empire due to the region's proximity to the British protectorate, located just north of the Pra River. During the same year, British forces under Sir Garnet Wolseley invaded the Ashanti capital of Kumasi, deposed Kofi Karikari, and imposed military pressure on the Ashanti polity. When Mensa Bonsu assumed the throne in late 1874, he made considerable efforts to reassert Ashanti authority over its former dependencies. Over the course of several years, he succeeded in restoring control over most territories, with the notable exception of Kwahu.[17]
The Treaty of Fomena was signed in February 1874 between the Ashanti Empire and the British Empire in the town of Fomena.[18] The agreement was intended to end hostilities following the British military campaign in the Ashanti region. As part of the treaty’s terms, the Ashanti were required to pay 50,000 ounces of gold as war indemnity and to renounce claims over several southern territories. These concessions significantly weakened Ashanti political and military power and marked a turning point in the empire’s gradual decline.[19]
Distribution
[edit]Adansi territory extends from the Pra River (Ghana) in the south to the Asante paramountcy of Bekwai in the north. It is bordered to the west by Denkyira and to the east by Asante Akim South Municipal District. The traditional capital is Fomena, but the region also includes key towns like Akrokerri, Dompoase, and New Edubiase.
Obuasi is a town in the southern Ashanti Region and is the capital of Obuasi Municipal, a district lying south of Kumasi in the Ashanti Region.[20] Obuasi is the second-largest urban settlement in the Ashanti Region and the eighth-most populous settlement in terms of population,[21] with a population of 168,641 people, according to Ghana's 2010 Population and Housing Census.[22] It is the largest settlement of the Adansi people.
Situated on the railway line from Kumasi to Sekondi, it is known for its Obuasi Gold Mine,[23] now one of the nine largest on Earth, gold having been mined on the site since at least the seventeenth century.
Architectural Heritage
[edit]The name Adansi comes from the Akan word adanseɛ, meaning "builders," reflecting the people’s reputation for constructing sophisticated temples, shrines, and residences in the forest zone.[24] Oral accounts identify the Adansi as the first Akan group to develop beautiful and elaborate architecture, a tradition that later states such as Asante inherited.
Archaeological studies of early settlements—particularly at sites like Adansemanso—reveal long-term occupation, rectangular clay-based structures, and signs of early urban planning, all of which distinguished Adansi from surrounding forest societies at the time.[25] Architecture in Adansi was not only functional but symbolic. Sacred objects such as the Afenakwa sword, royal stools, and ceremonial regalia were often displayed in palatial and sacred buildings, signifying political legitimacy and divine authority.[26]
Culture
[edit]Adansi culture shares many elements with the broader Akan world. Religious practices involve the veneration of deities like Asase Ya/Afua (Earth goddess)[27] and Tano (Ta Kora) (river god)[28], alongside reverence for ancestral spirits.[29] Political authority is exercised through the Adansehene, who rules in consultation with divisional chiefs and elders.[30] Sacred swords such as the Afenakwa symbolize unity and political legitimacy.[31]
Adansi also preserved oral traditions through royal oaths, drumming, funeral dirges, and stool rituals, which serve as living records of history.[32]
Legacy
[edit]Adansi is remembered not only for its historical independence and role in gold mining but also as a civilizational origin for many Akan states. Oral histories and written accounts place Adansi at the center of Akan cultural and political identity. Today, it remains a key traditional area within the Asante Kingdom and the Republic of Ghana.[33][34][35]
References
[edit]- ^ Kwame Y. Daaku, "History in the Oral Traditions of the Akan", Journal of the Folklore Institute, Vol. 8, No. 2/3, 1971.Kwasi Boaten, "The Asante Before 1700", University of Ghana.
- ^ Ofosu-Mensah, A.E., “Traditional Gold Mining in the Akan States of Ghana: A Case Study of the Adanse and Amansie Areas,” Nordic Journal of African Studies, 19(2), 2010, pp. 126, 128.
- ^ Kwame Arhin, A Profile of Brong Kyempim, Afram Publications; see also: Kwaku Effah-Gyamfi, in The Ghana Reader: History, Culture, Politics, Duke University Press, 2016, pp. 70–72.>
- ^ Ofosu-Mensah, A.E., 2010, pp. 128, 140.
- ^ Ofosu-Mensah, A.E., 2010, p. 128.
- ^ Ofosu-Mensah, A.E., 2010, p. 128.
- ^ “Africa’s Gold Coast through Portuguese Sources,” in Portuguese Colonial Sources on West Africa, pp. 4–6.
- ^ “Africa’s Gold Coast Through Portuguese Sources,” in Portuguese Colonial Sources on West Africa, pp. 4–5.
- ^ “Africa’s Gold Coast Through Portuguese Sources,” pp. 4–6.
- ^ Adu Boahen, "Arcany or Accany or Arcania and the Accanists," Transactions of the Historical Society of Ghana, Vol. 14, No. 1 (1973), pp. 105–109. JSTOR
- ^ Boahen, 1973, pp. 107–110.
- ^ Ofosu-Mensah, A.E., “Traditional Gold Mining in the Akan States of Ghana: A Case Study of the Adanse and Amansie Areas,” Nordic Journal of African Studies, 19(2), 2010, pp. 130–131.
- ^ Ofosu-Mensah, A.E., 2010, pp. 130–131.
- ^ .Ofosu-Mensah, A.E., 2010, pp. 130–131.
- ^ "T.C. McCaskie, “Denkyira in the Making of Asante c. 1660–1720,” in Transactions of the Historical Society of Ghana, New Series, No. 9 (2007), p. 7.
- ^ McCaskie, 2007, p. 7.
- ^ "October 18, 1895: Adansi signs on for British protection". Edward A. Ulzen Memorial Foundation. 2017-10-18. Retrieved 2024-05-25.
- ^ "Ghana - The Asante Wars". www.country-data.com. Retrieved 6 June 2024.
- ^ "February 13, 1874: The Ashanti sue for peace with the British at Fomena — Edward A. Ulzen Memorial Foundation". eaumf.org. Edward A. Ulzen Memorial Foundation. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
- ^ "One District One Factory (1D1F)". www.moti.gov.gh. Retrieved 2021-01-18.
- ^ Anarfi, Kwasi; Hill, Ross A.; Shiel, Chris (27 August 2020). "Highlighting the Sustainability Implications of Urbanisation: A Comparative Analysis of Two Urban Areas in Ghana". Land. 9 (9): 300. doi:10.3390/land9090300.
- ^ "Ghana Districts: A repository of all Local Assemblies in Ghana". www.ghanadistricts.com. Retrieved 2021-01-18.
- ^ "AngloGold reopens 30 million ounce Ghana mine". MINING.COM. 2019-12-20. Retrieved 2021-01-18.
- ^ .F.K. Buah, A History of Ghana, revised edition, 1998.
- ^ Kwasi Konadu, The Akan Diaspora in the Americas, Oxford University Press, 2010, pp. 33–34.
- ^ Ofosu-Mensah, A.E. (2010). "Traditional Gold Mining in the Akan States of Ghana: A Case Study of the Adanse and Amansie Areas", Nordic Journal of African Studies, 19(2), pp. 130–131.
- ^ Kwasi Konadu, The Akan Diaspora in the Americas, Oxford University Press, 2010, p. 239.
- ^ Kwasi Konadu and Clifford C. Campbell (eds.), The Ghana Reader: History, Culture, Politics, Duke University Press, 2016, pp. 39–41.
- ^ Ofosu-Mensah, A.E. (2010). "Traditional Gold Mining in the Akan States of Ghana: A Case Study of the Adanse and Amansie Areas", Nordic Journal of African Studies, 19(2), pp. 130–131.
- ^ Ofosu-Mensah, 2010, p. 130.
- ^ Kwasi Konadu and Clifford C. Campbell (eds.), The Ghana Reader: History, Culture, Politics, 2016, pp. 53–54.
- ^ Kwame Y. Daaku, "History in the Oral Traditions of the Akan", 1971.
- ^ Kwame Y. Daaku, "History in the Oral Traditions of the Akan", Journal of the Folklore Institute, Vol. 8, No. 2/3, 1971.
- ^ Kwasi Boaten, "The Asante Before 1700", University of Ghana.
- ^ Ofosu-Mensah, A.E. (2010). "Traditional Gold Mining in the Akan States of Ghana: A Case Study of the Adanse and Amansie Areas". Nordic Journal of African Studies, 19(2), 124–147.