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King Amfo Otu Gyandoh I: King of Abora State and Royal Field Marshal of the Fante Confederacy
King Amfo Otu’s Predecessors
People of Abora are said to be directly from the line of Osun, one of the founders of the Fante Nation. Abora had powerful kings such Osahen Apredontwe, Aborahen Kwesi Tu, Kobina Atta, Okofo Eyimakwa, and Budukuma, the men who captured the whole area of Adansi Praso all the way to the boarders of Nzema and down to Kasoa as part of the kingdom.
Abora State was instrumental in the creation of the Fante nation as it was the state that “broke the back” of the famous Giant warrior Asebu Amenfi and powerful indigenous kingdoms which made the Fante control the territory and expand its influence.
There was an age of lots of warfare between different kingdoms and states but in the end, all these states were unified under one identity; The Fante. Another description of this powerful coastal polity of states was “Coastal Coalition”.
The Abora Kingdom was a powerful and influential state in the Fante Confederacy, a historical alliance of Fante states in what is now Ghana. Here’s a summary of its might and role:
Might:
- Powerful kings who expanded the kingdom’s borders through conquests
Controlled a vast territory, including parts of modern-day Ghana - Had a strong 30,000-member Asafo military
- Conquered several neighboring states and controlled key trade routes
- Founded over 100 towns and cleared land for highways
- Managed significant natural resources, including the Kakum National Park and Abora Forest Reserve
Role in the Fante Confederacy:
- Became the biggest state of the Fante Union Polity in 1800
- Played a key role in the confederacy’s political, economic, and military affairs
- Expected to unite with other sister states to revive historical alliances and foster cooperation
The Abora Kingdom’s legacy is marked by powerful leadership, military prowess, and significant contributions to the region’s development. Its role in the Fante Confederacy highlights its importance in the history and politics of the area.
THE FANTE CONFEDERACY AND KING AMFO OTU GYANDOH I
The Fante Confederation included non-traditional Fante tribes and allies such as Denkyira, Wassa, Twifo, Assin and Ahanta and was the first attempt by African leaders since they came under European influence to plan a policy of self-determination.
When the coastal people saw that the British were failing to offer them help in wars whilst the Dutch were encroaching on other lands, they decided on a strong union of states to manage their own national affairs. There was also the urgent need to offer help to the people of Dixcove and Komenda whose lands were under threat of forcible take-over by the Dutch.
So in 1868 at Mankessim, the confederation was formed and King Ghartey became the first President of the Fante Confedertaion. Later on King Edu of Mankessim, King Amfo Otu of Abura and King Otabil of Gomoa were made Co-Presidents. For the first time, most of the states of what is today central and western regions became united under one federal government with a well-drawn up constitution that created a confederal government. This effort is on record as one of the first self-rule movements in Africa.
The Fante Confederation established three bodies of state- the federal legislature assembly (Parliament), executive council (Cabinet) and Judiciary. The Legislative assembly was made up of two representatives from each member state; namely a king and one educated elite. There was a National Assembly which was composed of the central government of the kings and principal chiefs of the confederate states. From among the kings, one was elected king who presided over the assembly and the administration of the central government of the confederation. He also presided over the federal court which served as the “National Supreme Court”, the final arbiter in the settlement of cases.
It also setup a Federal Army of which King Amfo Otu I was in charge of. As a warrior king, he was tasked to fight two major wars against two empires. First, the Dutch empire that had successfully colonized Ahanta for over 200 years and were encroaching and taking over the Western Fante states such as Komenda. Secondly, he had to unite the Fante forces against an overwhelming attack from Asante in the interior. In both wars, Amfo Otu succeeded in expelling the Dutch from the Gold Coast and defeating the Asante Empire forces causing them to retreat back into the interior. It is this war that won him the appellations: “Amankwatia ne wura Nana Otu”, to wit – The master and owner of Amankwatia is Nana Otu. Amankwatia was the General of the main Asante army famed for his military tactics and genius.
The confederation was able to generate its own revenue to carry out its activities, including development projects and the salaries of the confederal public servants. It organized and maintained a steady flow of revenue from court fines, duties, road taxes, tolls, poll taxes and as the need arose from loans or advances. It was able to impose taxes and other duties which were administered by a Poll Tax Commissioner appointed in each of the member states.
The British for the fear of Fante Hegemony and the level of political sophistication shown by the Fante worked to end the Fante Confederacy.
NANA AMFO OTU I AND HIS FANTE ARMY AGAINST THE DUTCH IN 1872
The Dutch Gold Coast or Dutch Guinea, officially Dutch possessions on the Coast of Guinea (Dutch: Nederlandse Bezittingen ter Kuste van Guinea) was a portion of contemporary Ghana that was gradually colonized by the Dutch, beginning in 1612. The Dutch began trading in the area around 1598, joining the Portuguese which had a trading post there since the late 1400s. Eventually, the Dutch Gold Coast became the most important Dutch colony in West Africa after Fort Elmina was captured from the Portuguese in 1637, but fell into disarray after the abolition of the slave trade in the early 19th century.
In the early 18th century, the Modern Fante Confederacy was formed, with the aim of establishing themselves as a nation to be taken seriously by their European counterparts and the withdrawal of Europeans from Fante lands. The Fantes for centuries already had a very complex system of federal government in which various states co-exist in a loose alliance. Each Fante state is led by a Paramount Chief. However in times of war, they always mobilized a Union army often commandeered by the Paramount Chief of Abura. Facing such stern resistance, the Danish vacated all trading forts in Mfantseman. The Dutch, however decided to stay leading to many wars between Fante and the Dutch who failed to colonize them. The British left Cape Coast and moved the capital of Gold Coast to Accra as a response to the resistance movement. The modern Fante Confederacy was established in response to the threat of Europeans attempting to colonize vast areas within modern day Ghana.
Several Ashanti-Fante Wars followed due Ashanti quest for direct trade routes to the coast. On one occasion, the Fante were aided by the British, who, however, managed to seriously weaken the strong Fante confederation established between 1868 and 1872, believing it a threat to their hegemony on the coast. The British and the Dutch took sides in these Ashanti-Fante wars thereby creating a schism between these two powerful Akan states. Such European Colonial strategies, later identified as “divide and conquer”, are what eventually enabled the entire Gold Coast and many other African nations to be colonized.
Komenda Fort also known as Fort Vredenburgh was one of the most beautiful Forts in Africa until the Fante Union Army (Asafo) invaded Komenda in the third Fante-Dutch war.
Whiles Mfantsefo are known widely to be a peaceful people, in times of war they rally for the common defense. Due to wars with the Dutch and allied Ashanti, the combined strength of the Fante Union Army numbered over thirty thousand men in 1844. It was under the command of Amfo Otu, Paramount Chief of Abura, that they laid siege to their own town of Elmina and its European Castle, eventually expelling the Dutch from their stronghold in Elmina.
The Fante Army then marched to Elmina and laid siege to the town until it was recaptured. The Dutch went into an agreement with the British to hand over all their assets to the British. This was European arrogance in display. They never informed their Ashanti allies, nor did they seek the permission of the local Fante authorities. This angered the locals and instigated resistance against European influence in the country.
NANA AMFO OTU AND HIS FANTE ARMY’S DEFENSE OF THE COAST FROM THE ASHANTI IN 1873.
Oftentimes, Europeans will glorify themselves in historical accounts. And as the saying goes, “until the Lion learns to tell his story, the stories will always glorify the hunter”.
The war in 1873 was never part of the Sagrenti War, which many historians date as 1873-74. This is a huge fallacy. In 1873, the war fought was between the Asante Empire and the Fante Coastal Coalition Army. The Sagrenti war was fought in 1874 for Sir Garnet Wolseley arrived in the Gold Coast in 1874 so clearly, he had nothing to do with the war in 1873.
Today, we talk about the real heroes of 1873 and how they fought bravely to defend their lands against expansionistic occupation. Indeed, the Fante was already nursing its wounds from the war it fought against the Dutch in 1872 only to be hit with pending news of a full-fledged attack on them.
The Asante Empire despised the Fante for several reasons and this time, the Generals under Kofi Karikari (the then Asante king) vowed to slaughter and kill every living Fante from the face of the earth and break the Cape Coast Castle and carry it piece by piece, block by block to Kumasi. It was a vengeful war declared!
December 9th 1972
A forty-thousand-strong Ashanti Army, under the general command of the chief of Bantama, Amankwa-Tia, marched from Kumasi in three divisions.
• One small division was to march against Denkyira, under General Adubofuor.
• Another small division was to march against Akyem.
• The third division (main army) against the despised Fantis.
Amankwa-Tia had observed Adubofuor bring many captives from the Krepi war. As Bantama chief, he was traditionally, supposed to defend Kumasi and not to go after enemies. He wanted captives of his own.
JANUARY 22nd 1873
The Ashantis crossed the Pra River at Praso and Attassi; about 30 men were lost by drowning in the passage.
The Fante states first had assumed the British Government would help them to fight. The British were not prepared for the 1873 Ashanti invasion of the Coast. Col. Harley had only 190 rifles and 381 flint muskets for issue. He asked for troops from Sierra Leone but the governor there didn’t believe Ashanti would execute another attack so help didn’t come from anywhere.
The Fante natives of the Asafo groups came together to resist the Ashanti invasion under the command of King Amfo Otu I. The Ashantis had more firepower and numerical strength than the united Asafo groups but war was coming and they had no choice but to fight harder.
April 8th 1873
Amankwa-Tia and his 18,000 troops
attacked Fante camps along its 6-mile front. The Fantes fought back to hold their positions and after 5 hours of intense battle, Amankwa-Tia retreated in defeat.
Lt. Hopkins of the 2nd West Indian regiment, whose primary task was to protect Cape Coast castle, urged the chiefs to take the offensive, but the Fante chiefs excused themselves on various pleas and decided to await another attack from the Ashantis. The Ashantis however, had been extremely baffled at the unexpected resistance they had met with and had decided to remain quiet and proceed with caution. They sent messages to their king that, “The Fantes are united now and their resistance is terrifying”.
APRIL 14th 1873
Ashantis again attacked the Fantes on their front line. The Fante allied forces had a rocket battery, which they fired at Ashanti positions. The Ashantis became disheartened by the unexpected resistance they had been met with and started to retreat in another defeat.
The Ashantis had destroyed much of their baggage, when they heard the Fante forces, too, were running away from the frontline. The Ashantis decided to go to Dunkwa, instead of advancing on Cape Coast or Elmina. Spy reports indicated that the Ashantis had run out of provisions, smallpox disease had broken out and the Ashanti camp was full of wounded and sick soldiers.
On the Western Front, Adubofuor had entered Wassaw and defeated them. The Wassaw prisoners were sent to Kumasi on April 13th, 1873. Fourteen Wassaw P.O.W.s were sacrificed the next day, at Bantama to appease the gods and dead and gone Asante kings as was their custom.
In mid-May, the Ashantis left Dunkwa for Jukwa, the capital of New Denkyira. Jukwa appealed for help and ammunition. Fanti military chiefs decided to leave their base at Abrakampa (the capital of Abura State, Seat of Nana Amfo Otu I) to go to Jukwa and help fight off the Ashantis. There were some skirmishes around Junkwa on June 4th between the Fantes and the Ashantis.
Here is what happened on June 5th 1873. The Ashantis were advancing on Denkyira. Kwaku Keh, the new King of Denkyira after Kwadwo Tsibu, was one of the first to take to flight. When the Fante forces who had come to his aid asked for him, Kwaku Keh was nowhere to be found.
The Fantes together put up a fierce defense in Jukwa against the Ashanti takeover in Denkyiraland.
DECEMBER 22nd 1873, THE DAY KUMASI TURNED RED
Of the 40,000 men who left Kumasi to attack the Fantes, only 20,000 men returned to Kumasi on December 22nd, 1873. 20,000 men died with 280 chiefs falling in battle or succumbing to disease; Captains who went out in command of twenty men returned alone with their baggage on their heads. Kumasi was thrown into mourning; Kumasi turned red.
Under the Posubans (War Shrines) located in Abura are the skulls of many fallen enemy warriors buried in the soil.
