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Osei Kofi Tutu I

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Osei Tutu I
King Asantehene of the Kingdom of Ashanti; Kumasehene of Kumasi
King of Ashanti
Reignc. 1680/c. 1695 – 1701; late 1701 – c. 1717
Coronationc. 1695; c. 1701
PredecessorNana Obiri Yeboa (maternal uncle)
SuccessorOpoku Ware I (grand-nephew)
Bornc. 1660
Anyinam[1]
Diedc. 1717 (aged 56–57)
Names
Otumfuo Nana Osei Kofi Tutu Opemsoo
HouseHouse of Oyoko Abohyen Dynasty
FatherOwusu Panyin
MotherMaanu Kotosii[2]

Osei Kofi Tutu I (c. 1660 – c. 1717) was one of the founders of the Ashanti Empire, assisted by Okomfo Anokye, his chief priest and a distant relative from the town of Awukugua–Akuapem.[3] The Asante comes from the Akan ethnic group of West Africa. Osei Tutu I led an alliance of Asante states against the regional hegemony, the Denkyira, completely defeating them. He ruled the Kwaman State between c.1680/c.1695 and 1701 (he was definitely Kumasehene by 1695) and he ruled the Ashanti Empire from late 1701 to around 1717.[4][5]

Early life

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Birth

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Osei Kofi Tutu Opemsoo was born c. 1660 in the town of Kokofu Anyinam, in the Ashanti Region of modern-day Ghana.[1] His father was Owusu Panyin, an Akan noble from the Adansi area. His mother, Maanu Kotosii, was the sister of the Omanhene of Kwaaman Oti Akenten and his successor Obiri Yeboa.[6][7]

It is said that Osei Tutu's mother was barren for many years, so her brother Obiri Yeboa sent her to a powerful and famous shrine called Otutu in Akuapem to obtain a blessing.[7] When Kotosii gave birth to a child, she named him Tutu, after the shrine.[8] Due to the matrilineal succession the Akan practised, Osei Tutu was the heir to the Kwaaman throne.[7]

Time in the Denkyrian court

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Little is known about the childhood of Osei Tutu, and most of what is known and told about his life dates from when he reached the age of sixteen, the age when Akan boys were now seen as men, when he was sent to Abankeseso, the capital of Denkyiraman. This was not unusual, as the Denkyira had a long-standing practice of holding the heirs to their subordinate kings as hostages, but also providing the young men the opportunity to learn statecraft and the latest military techniques.[8][7] As part of his service, he was made a shield-bearer to the Denkyirahene.[9]

Affair scandal and flight to Akwamu

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According to oral histories, Osei Tutu was a very handsome young man. He began an adulterous relationship with the sister or niece of the Denkyirahene, Princess (Ohene nuabaa) Akobena Abensua.[8] In other versions of the story, the relationship is with the queen of Nkawie, Adoma Akosua.[10] It became worse as the princess became pregnant, and rumors spread of who the father actually was. Fearing possible execution he fled east to Akwamu.[8][7]

Time in Akwamu

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Arriving at the Akwamu court of Ansa Saseraku I in Akwamufie, he was welcomed, either due to his personal beauty,[8] or as a diplomatic slight against Denkyira.[7] Here Osei Tutu learned about the military organization of the Akwamu, who possessed the most advanced army of any Akan state, with a powerful contingent of musketmen.[11] He also learned about the political and social makeup of Akwamuman, and saw a difference when it came to rulers. Unlike the Kwaaman, who had formed the Amantoo coalition with states under the yoke of the Denkyrians, and whose rule was divided between clans and cities, the Akwamu were centralized, and had one supreme ruler. The unity of the Akwamu, and the highly sophisticated army that they had at their disposal, allowed them to spread their influence widely.[12]

It is unclear at what specific time period Osei Tutu met Okomfo Anokye. It may have been in Denkyira with Anokye later joining Osei Tutu in Kwaman,[13] or they may have met in Akwamu.[8][14] However, by the time Osei Tutu left Akwamu, the two had certainly met and become friends.[15]

Return to Kwaaman

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After a few years in Akwamu, in c. 1677 Osei Tutu received news that his uncle, Obiri Yeboa, had been killed during a campaign against Dormaa.[16] In order to accompany have him back to Kwaaman, Ansa Sasraku sent 300 of his best Akwamu warriors to accompany him, along with Akomfo Onokye.[7] When the soldiers, Osei Tutu and Okomfo Anokye arrived at Kwaaman, the warriors settled among them and later became citizens of Asafo, while Osei Tutu mourned the death of his uncle, and then was enstooled as Osei Tutu I of Kwaaman.

As Kwamanhene

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The new Kwamanhene set about making significant reforms to his little kingdom, looking to his powerful neighbors in Denkyira and Akwamu for inspiration.[8][7][16] The objective was to create a more powerful state with an efficient and meritocratic military, answerable to the monarch rather than divided into clan or ethnic groups.[17]

Reforms

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Further information: Military of the Ashanti Empire

Osei Tutu set up various new stools to strengthen the royal administration. The Afotosanfoɔ was made responsible for the treasury and for providing funds for the royal household.[18] The Asokwa Batahene stool managed the guilds, the Adwumfuohene the goldsmiths, and the Sanaa managed finances.[19] The Gyase were founded as servants and administrators of the royal household.[20]

Osei Tutu also dramatically overhauled the military structure of Kwaman, modeling his reforms on the military organization of Denkyira.[8] He created new seven military divisions, divorced from pre-existing clan identities. These were commanded by officers occupying new stools: the captains of the advance guard (twifo), the main guard (adonten), the king's servants (gyase), the rear guard (kyidom), the left guard (benkum), the right guard (nifa), and the second in command (akwamuhene).[21][22] Osei Tutu now commanded a reformed army built around a core of Akwamu musketmen (the only warriors in the immediate region with firearms at the time), with a new structure permitting more hierarchical command and unity between the Oyoko clans.[23]

Expansion

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With these new reforms in place, Osei Tutu was well positioned to expand his state and avenge his uncle. He marched against Dormaa and decisively defeated them.[13] Throughout the 1680s, he also integrated Tafo, Kaase, Offinso, Sehwi and Anakrom, expanding his personal power relative to his Oyoko relatives in the surrounding 'Amantoo' communities - Kokofu, Nsuta, Bekwai, Juaben, as well as Mampong.[7][24][23] Denkyira's oppressive rule had created widespread dissent and discontent among their tributaries, and by the mid 1690s Kwaman was well positioned to lead a coalition against their overlord.[25] Kwaman's prodigious growth in power did not go unnoticed in Abakeseso, however.

Amantoo- Denkyrian war

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Stats

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From the offset of the war, the Amantoo were at a great disadvantage. The Denkyrian soldiers were better equipped than the Amantoo troops, with their gun and ammunition supplies being frequently replenished and craftsmen who could manufacture guns and ammunition, and their troops more experienced in combat than their Amantoo counterparts. Loyalty among the Denkyrians to their Denkyriahene was greater than that to Osei Tutu with his own men. Due to this, Gyakari was confident that he'd quickly crush the Amantoo uprising.[26]

Events of the initial stages of the war

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Gyakari's confidence was quickly confirmed as his army advanced upon the Amantoo army. At the battles of Adunku and Abuontem, Ntim Gyakari managed to force Amantoo militias back, with these three battles resulting in the Denkyrians as the clear victors. At this point, Nana Dikopim I, Chief of Edweso, was killed. This was either by the Denkyrian soldiers killing him or the Amantoo butchering him to death as the planned sacrifice. Later, at the Amantoo city of Aputuogya, the Denkyrians saw the whole Amantoo army for the first time. Gyakari ordered an attack, which lead the Amantoo army to go on a retreat. It is said that the Amantoo retreated under the leadership of the Mamponghene and at the advice of the diviners for miles, always on the back foot but never breaking. This was until the retreating Amantoo army and the advancing Denkyrian army got to the town of Feyasie.

Battle of Feyiase

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At the Amantoo town of Feyiase, the Asante stopped retreating, since if they were to have retreated any further, it would have meant retreating to the Amantoo capital of Kumase. Gyakari, knowing full well that if he was to achieve absolute victory at Feyiase ordered one last final grand assault on the Amantoo forces. However, this was a mistake. For a time, the Amantoo had planned for this, and they then put their plan into action. One legend states that Anokye transformed into a vulture and got a committee of vultures to pick the butchered pieces of Nana Dikopim I and sprinkled the flesh onto the Denkyrian forces.[27] Another story goes that Ankoye managed to finally kill Kenyeke (He was definitely dead by the end of the war). The news of his death so emboldened the Amantoo forces that the Amantoo turned to attack the Denkyrians.[28]

However, most accounts and even the two above have the same result. All of this happened according to Osei Tutu's plan. Gyakari and the Denkyrians had significantly and fatally underestimated the Amantoo army both in size and in tactics, just as Osei Tutu had planned. He had sent out Amantoo scouts to skirmish with the Denkyrians at Adunku and Abuontem to make them believe that they were Amantoo militias. The "whole Amantoo army" the Denkyrians had encountered at Aputuogya were actually the forward guard and main body. The Denkyrians had not been pushing the Amantoo back, but reeling them in.[26]

The wings of the Amantoo army, who had been lying in wait in Feyiase, rose from their hiding spaces and poured onto the battlefield. The Denkyrian commanders, seeing the advancing troops of their enemies, attempted to reposition their forces to fight the advancing wings. The forward guard then turned and slammed into the disorganized Denkyrian lines, commencing a brutal assault on the Denkyrian front. This caused the Denkyrians to once again attempt a reorganization of their troops to fight the Amantoo forward guard. However, at this, the wings of the Amantoo army fully encircle the Denkyrian army. This allowed the Amantoo to attack from all sides and to deny the Denkyrians any means of escape. The battle turned into a massacre. Most of the Denkyrian forces were killed. Some were captured and sold into slavery. Those who surrendered were conscripted into the Amantoo army. Only a few managed to successfully flee back to Denkyrian lands.[26]

Among those captured or, in some interpretations, killed was Ntim Gyakari. The Dwaben Asafo (the Dwaben part of the Amantoo army headed by the Dwabenhene himself) found Gyakari playing golden oware with his wife, blissfully unaware of what was happening on the battlefield due to absolute belief that the Denkyrians would win over the Amantoo. There are many ways stated for how Ntim died. One source says that after him trying to resist his capture, in which the Dwabenhene himself attacked and subdued Gyakari, they captured him and brought him to Osei Tutu, his possible father but the two did not know they were even possibly related. Gyakari's only wish bravely requested that he be executed publicly in front of Osei Tutu himself. His wish was granted. After gulping down a gourd (bottle) of palm wine, King Gyakari of his own volition laid his neck on the executioner's stone to be executed.[citation needed] Other sources state that either the Dwaben Asafo or the Dwabenhene himself killed and beheaded Ntim on the spot. One source states that a man called Adakwayiadom, a Dwaben man, stabbed Ntim to death, the first stab denting a golden bangle Ntim was wearing. This gold bangle would become a point of disagreement between the Dwabenhene and Osei Tutu.[29] His last words are also debated as some sources do not state Ntim's last words, while some say they were "esa nti", meamimg "because of war". He would have said this because it was because of war with the Denkyiras that the Akan city-states that would form the Asante Union joined.[28] After his execution, his body was divided into three more parts: his head was given to the Amantoohene, but the Osei Tutu got a gold cast of his face and gifted it to the Dwabenhene either as a reward for capturing Gyakari, or because the Dwabenhene and Osei had argued over who got Ntim's head and due to Tutu not wanting infighting among the Amantoo he made a gold mask of Ntim's face and gave it to the Dwaben, his left-leg bone to Asumegya, right-leg bone to Mampong, the vertebrae to Aduaben.

Becoming the Asante confederacy, contact with the Europeans and expanding territory

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Aftermath of the war

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With the Denkyrian army evaporated, the Denkyrian territories were left undefended and exposed. What happened next varies from telling to telling. What is clear is that the Amantoo, Adanse and Twifo descended upon the Denkyrian lands with no mercy, carving out territories for themselves. The lion's share, though, was taken by the Amantoo. Osei Tutu divided the territory among his supporters, with the people of Asumegya founding the villages of Dominase and Agyemasu,[26] and Osei Tutu resettling the Bontwumafo in Atwima (now Atwima Mponua and Atwima Nwabiagya Districts) and their leader was made the Atwimahene.[30]

How the Amantoo eventually descended onto either Abankesesso or (possibly) the new capital of Entuam is unclear. Most retellings state that the Amantoo forces descended on the capital of Denkyriaman, Abankesesso, straight after the war's end. Here, the Amantoo forces ransacked Abankesesso for all of its worth, with even the working class of Abankesesso being stripped of anything of worth.[26] Other sources say that after the war, there was a lull in hostilities for a year, until the Amantoo heard that Boadu Akufu, the new Denkyriahene, was making preparations for reprisals. Under Anokye's prediction that stated that the Asante would crush the uprising, the Amantoo army marched south, encamped close to Entuam and bribed those in Entuam to hand over Boadu, which was a success. Boadu was later executed. It is then said that the Denkyrians were so disheartened at losing Bodu that they fled across the River Ofin, leaving the Amantoo to plunder and destroy Entuam.[31] One thing is clear, however. The Denkyrians were completely ransacked by the war's end in 1707, with vast amounts of war treasure being brought back to Kumase. It is said that the period of plundering went on for 15 consecutive days, with the body of Boamponsem being exhumed, the flesh being removed to feed to serpents and snakes, and his skull and thigh bones being carried off as war trophies, as well as three small cannons gifted to Gyakari by the Dutch East India Company to fight the Amantoo.[29][31] Denkyria would henceforth be under Amantoo influence, with sizeable contingents of military police frequently patrolling the territory of the once great Akan state to ensure the locals felt Amantoo influence.[26] The Denkyrians would never again rise to be the most prominent of the Akan states. In honour of their victory over the Denkyrians, having finally fulfilled the wishes of Oti Akenten and Obiri Yeboa and either due to Gyakari's last words or from the old Amantoo state name of Asantemansu, the Amantoo renamed themselves Asanteman: The Asante empire.

Akim

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The Akim were the only Akan state to outwardly side with the Denkyrians against the Asante so not only shared in the losses, but also brought down upon themselves the wrath of the Asante. 2 years after dealing with the Denkyrian army, the Asante military moved on Akim and gained such a decisive victory that the Akim sued for peace. It was granted on the condition that Akim became feudatory to the Asante and paid 2,000 benda's of gold to the Asante (between £887,471- £1,002,079 in 2023 money) as war indemnity. Two Akim chiefs, Kakramsi and Ajumako, "took fetish" and were handed over to the Asante as security for the sum before the Asante army withdrew to Kumase.

Death

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In 1717, Osei Tutu was killed in a war against the Akyem. At the onset of the struggle, he had underestimated the Akyem because they were few in number, going into battle without his usual "magical amulets", and even leaving some of his body armour back at Kumasi, his capital. One day, as he was crossing River Pra in a canoe, he was struck by bullets from snipers and sharpshooters, who were hiding in the dense treeline. Asantehene Osei Tutu I died minutes after being shot. His last words were "Ankah me nim a"[32] (If only I knew), an apparent reference to his having underestimated the Akyem.

Until the present day, the occupant of the Golden Stool is forbidden to cross the River Pra.

Legacy

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Osei Kofi Tutu I and his adviser, Okomfo Anokye, forged the Asante Union from a number of different Abusua groups who submerged their old rivalries and hatred for the common good—the overthrow of their common oppressor, the Denkyira. Skillfully utilizing a combination of spiritual dogma and political skill, and ably supported by military prowess, he tripled the size of the small kingdom of Kumasi which he had inherited from his uncle Obiri Yeboa and laid the foundation for the Empire of Ashanti in the process.

A shrine in Anyinam commemorates the birth of Osei Tutu, and is being developed to attract heritage tourism.[1]

References and notes

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  1. ^ a b c "Birthplace of Opensuo cited as potential Tourist Site". Ghana News Agency. Retrieved 7 May 2025.
  2. ^ Marfo, Kofi (1999). An Introduction to Ghanaian Literature. str. 48. "Osei Tutu was born of an Adanse father called Owusu Panyin from Akrokyere and of an Oyoko princess and sister of Oti Akenten called Maanu Kotosii."
  3. ^ History, The African (3 April 2021). "'The Great man' King Osei Kofi Tutu I of Ashanti Empire (1660 – 1717)". The African History. Retrieved 29 July 2023.
  4. ^ kyeremeh, Fred (3 June 2021). "King Osei Kofi Tutu I 'The Great man' of Ashanti Empire (1660 – 1717)". Ghanaian American Journal. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
  5. ^ "Osei Tutu | Asante ruler, Ghana leader | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 29 July 2023.
  6. ^ Marfo, Kofi (1999). An Introduction to Ghanaian Literature. str. 48. "Osei Tutu was born of an Adanse father called Owusu Panyin from Akrokyere and of an Oyoko princess and sister of Oti Akenten called Maanu Kotosii."
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i Sapong, Nana Yaw B. (1 January 2011). "Tutu, Osei (1650–1717)". In Gates, Henry Louis; Emmanuel Akyeampong; Steven J. Niven (eds.). Dictionary of African Biography. Oxford University Press. p. 85-6. doi:10.1093/acref/9780195382075.001.0001. ISBN 978-0-19-538207-5. Retrieved 6 May 2025.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h Pavanello, Mariano (8 December 2016). Perspectives on African Witchcraft. Taylor & Francis. p. 28-29. ISBN 978-1-315-43991-4.
  9. ^ Reindorf 1895, p. 48.
  10. ^ McCaskie 2007, p. 18.
  11. ^ McCaskie 2007, p. 10.
  12. ^ "History of Africa Podcast: S3E3: The Kingdom of Kumasi". History of Africa Podcast. 30 August 2021. Retrieved 26 March 2022.
  13. ^ a b Reindorf 1895, p. 50.
  14. ^ McCaskie, T. C. (1986). "Komfo Anokye of Asante: Meaning, History and Philosophy in an African Society". The Journal of African History. 27 (2): 315–339. doi:10.1017/S0021853700036690. ISSN 0021-8537. JSTOR 181138. S2CID 145530470.
  15. ^ "Okomfo Anokye". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 26 March 2022.
  16. ^ a b Chazan 1988, p. 65.
  17. ^ Chazan 1988, p. 73.
  18. ^ Nyantakyi, Nana Kwadwo; Ampene, Kwasi (2016). "Engaging Modernity: Asante in the Twenty-First Century". Maize Books. doi:10.3998/maize.14689915.0001.001. ISBN 978-1-60785-366-4.
  19. ^ Hagan 1971, p. 45.
  20. ^ Hagan 1971, p. 49.
  21. ^ Chazan 1988, p. 74.
  22. ^ Hagan 1971, p. 44.
  23. ^ a b Arhin 1967, p. 68-9.
  24. ^ Chazan 1988, p. 66.
  25. ^ Page, Willie; Davis, R. Hunt, eds. (2005). Encyclopedia of African History and Culture (vol III). New York: Facts on File. p. 216.
  26. ^ a b c d e f "S3E5: The Ashanti Empire is Born at Feyiase". History of Africa Podcast. 27 September 2021. Retrieved 31 August 2022.
  27. ^ Al, Fashion Et (31 October 2012). "Ghana Rising: Ghana: Our Stories /Our History: The Golden Stool of Ashanti". Ghana Rising. Retrieved 1 July 2022.
  28. ^ a b The Story of Osei Tutu & The Rise of Ashanti, 18 September 2019, retrieved 26 March 2022
  29. ^ a b "History of the Gold Coast and Asante". www.forgottenbooks.com. Retrieved 10 February 2023.
  30. ^ "DENKYIRA PEOPLE: ANCIENT AKAN WARLORDS IN GHANA". DENKYIRA PEOPLE. Retrieved 1 July 2022.
  31. ^ a b "A Vanished Dynasty: Ashanti (Classic Reprint)". Goodreads. Retrieved 10 February 2023.
  32. ^ Narmer, Amenuti. "The Beatification of A River Crossing: Or How the Modern Day Asantehene Crosses River Pra". Grandmother Africa. Retrieved 14 April 2021.

Sources

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Further Reading

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