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Adansi

Coordinates:6°29′00″N0°11′00″E / 6.4833333°N 0.1833333°E /6.4833333; 0.1833333
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ancestral Akan state in southern Ghana

Adansi State
Adanse
c. 12th century–1701
CapitalFomena
Common languagesTwi (Adanse dialect)
Religion
Akan religion
Demonym(s)Adansefoɔ
GovernmentClan-based confederation; later elective chieftaincy
History 
• Formation of independent Akan state
c. 12th century
• Became atributary ofDenkyira
1659
• Battle of Feyiase – Adanse absorbed into theAsante Empire
1701
CurrencyGold dust (sika futuro) andbarter
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Bonoman
Akwamu
Twifo
Assin
Denkyira
Akyem
Asante Empire
Today part ofAshanti RegionGhana

Adansi (also spelledAdanse) is one of the earliest historically documentedAkan states, located in the southern part of modernGhana’sAshanti Region. It is widely regarded in Akan oral tradition as a spiritual and ancestral homeland. Historically, Adansi was a prominent center ofgold production and state formation, playing a foundational role in the emergence of later Akan polities such asAsante Empire,Denkyira,Akyem,Twifo, andAssin.[1]

History

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Formation and Early Statehood

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Adansi originated in the 12th or 13th century as part of the southward migration ofAkan peoples from theBono region.[2] Oral and historical traditions consider Adansi a direct successor toBono, inheriting much of its political andspiritual culture. As early as the 13th century, waves ofBono migrants moved into thePraOfin forest belt, where they formed new settlements and reconstituted core institutions of Akan governance. These included sacred kingship,matrilineal succession, and the roles of theOkyeame (linguist),Abusuapanyin (clan elder), andchief.[3]

Trade and Regional Influence

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Before the advent ofEuropean coastal trade, the goldfields of the forest zone—where Adansi would emerge—were indirectly integrated into expansivetrans-Saharan exchange networks. From as early as the 12th century, gold from this region was acquired byMande-Dyula (Wangara) merchants, who transported it to major Sahelian trading hubs such asBonduku,Wagadugu, andBouna. From there, these goods entered broader trans-Saharan circuits connecting toTimbuktu,Jenne, and ultimately theMaghreb,Cairo, and other parts ofNorth Africa and theMediterranean.[4] While the Akan themselves did not engage in long-distance trans-Saharan trade, they exchanged gold dust andkola nuts for salt, woven cloth, copper alloys, andenslaved persons at regional markets linked to this larger commercial web. Key entrepôts likeBegho served as vital connectors between the forest andSahel economies.[5]

Adansi and the Akani in Early European Accounts

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By the 16th and 17th centuries, European traders recognized Adansi as part of the inlandgold-rich region referred to as Accany or Arcany.Portuguese sources as early as 1505–1508, including navigatorDuarte 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 tocoastal trading posts. The gold from this region was so renowned for its purity that it was termed "Akan sica" (Akan gold) by coastal andEuropean merchants.[6]

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 atElmina to report on a conflict with a neighboring group referred to as the "Atis"—believed to be a Portuguese rendering of theEtsii people, a known community in the region.[7] 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 inlandAkan world, including Adansi.[8]

Dutch accounts later echoed these descriptions. The Dutch envoy Heerman Abramsz, writing in 1679, referred to the "great country of Accanien" situated inland fromElmina, 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".[9]

Historians such as Boahen, Daaku, and Fage agree that the term "Accany" referred to the Adansi region, particularly theOfin River basin. This area is regarded as one of the earliest centers of organized government among theAkan people.[10]

Gold deposits in West Africa showing historical and current mining activity.

Political Power and Economic Dominance

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At its peak in the 17th century, prior to its subjugation byDenkyira, Adansi was the leading political and economic power in theOfin–Pra basin. Its territory encompassed severalgold-rich towns includingAkrokerri,Dompoase, andFomena, forming a network of autonomous settlements bound by cultural unity and political affiliation. The state was renowned for controlling vast auriferous lands, where allgold mining activities were subject to royal oversight. TheAdansehene claimed ownership over all gold nuggets discovered in his territory and was legally entitled to one-third of all gold mined on stool lands.[11]

The wealth generated from gold was immense: during the reign of Adansehene Awurade Basa, the state maintained its dominance overDenkyira, which remained atributary. 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.[12] This gold-funded treasury enabled the Adansi leadership to maintain a military arsenal and a palace of high prestige. The state's treasurer, orSanaahene, oversaw a professional financial bureaucracy responsible for the protection and disbursement of funds[13]

Adanse and Surrounding Akan Polities in the Pra–Ofin Region (17th–18th Century)

Decline and Incorporation into Asante

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In or around 1659, Adansi was decisively defeated byDenkyira under the leadership ofBoamponsem. This victory was so thorough that contemporary Dutch sources reported that "Adansi had quietly disappeared".[14] Prior to this, Denkyira had been subject to Adansi, and the shift in power marked a key political transformation in theOfin-Pra basin. Notably, Denkyira's capital ofAbankeseso was founded by refugees fleeing Adansi authority.[15]

Colonial Encounters and Treaty of Fomena

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Main article:Treaty of Fomena

In 1873, Adansi chief Kobina Obeng sought independence from theAshanti Empire due to the region's proximity to the British protectorate, located just north of thePra River. During the same year, British forces under Sir Garnet Wolseley invaded the Ashanti capital ofKumasi, deposedKofi Karikari, and imposed military pressure on the Ashanti polity. WhenMensa 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 ofKwahu.[16]

TheTreaty of Fomena was signed in February 1874 between theAshanti Empire and theBritish Empire in the town ofFomena.[17] 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 ofgold as war indemnity and to renounce claims over several southern territories. These concessions significantly weakened Ashanti political andmilitary power and marked a turning point in the empire’s gradual decline.[18]

Distribution

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Adansi territory extends from thePra River (Ghana) in the south to the Asante paramountcy ofBekwai in the north. It is bordered to the west by Denkyira and to the east byAsante Akim South Municipal District. The traditional capital is Fomena, but the region also includes key towns likeAkrokerri,Dompoase, andNew Edubiase.

Obuasi is a town in the southernAshanti Region and is the capital of Obuasi Municipal, a district lying south ofKumasi in the Ashanti Region.[19] Obuasi is the second-largest urban settlement in the Ashanti Region and the eighth-most populous settlement in terms of population,[20] with a population of 168,641 people, according to Ghana's 2010 Population and Housing Census.[21] It is the largest settlement of the Adansi people.

Situated on the railway line from Kumasi toSekondi, it is known for itsObuasi Gold Mine,[22] now one of the nine largest onEarth, gold having been mined on the site since at least the seventeenth century.

Architectural Heritage

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The nameAdansi comes from the Akan wordadanseɛ, meaning "builders," reflecting the people’s reputation for constructing sophisticated temples, shrines, and residences in the forest zone.[23] Oral accounts identify the Adansi as the firstAkan group to develop beautiful and elaborate architecture, a tradition that later states such asAsante inherited.

English officers selecting quarters in the chief's palace at Fomena

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.[24] Architecture in Adansi was not only functional but symbolic. Sacred objects such as theAfenakwa sword,royal stools, and ceremonial regalia were often displayed in palatial and sacred buildings, signifying political legitimacy and divine authority.[25]

Culture

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Adansi culture shares many elements with the broaderAkan world. Religious practices involve the veneration of deities likeAsase Ya/Afua (Earth goddess)[26] andTano (Ta Kora) (river god),[27] alongside reverence for ancestral spirits.[28] Political authority is exercised through theAdansehene, who rules in consultation with divisional chiefs and elders.[29] Sacred swords such as theAfenakwa symbolize unity and political legitimacy.[30]

Adansi also preserved oral traditions through royal oaths, drumming, funeral dirges, and stool rituals, which serve as living records of history.[31]

Legacy

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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 theAsante Kingdom and theRepublic of Ghana.[32][33][34]

References

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  1. ^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.
  2. ^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.
  3. ^Kwame Arhin,A Profile of Brong Kyempim, Afram Publications; see also: Kwaku Effah-Gyamfi, inThe Ghana Reader: History, Culture, Politics, Duke University Press, 2016, pp. 70–72.>
  4. ^Ofosu-Mensah, A.E., 2010, pp. 128, 140.
  5. ^Ofosu-Mensah, A.E., 2010, p. 128.
  6. ^“Africa’s Gold Coast through Portuguese Sources,” in Portuguese Colonial Sources on West Africa, pp. 4–6.
  7. ^“Africa’s Gold Coast Through Portuguese Sources,” in Portuguese Colonial Sources on West Africa, pp. 4–5.
  8. ^“Africa’s Gold Coast Through Portuguese Sources,” pp. 4–6.
  9. ^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
  10. ^Boahen, 1973, pp. 107–110.
  11. ^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.
  12. ^Ofosu-Mensah, A.E., 2010, pp. 130–131.
  13. ^.Ofosu-Mensah, A.E., 2010, pp. 130–131.
  14. ^"T.C. McCaskie, “Denkyira in the Making of Asante c. 1660–1720,” inTransactions of the Historical Society of Ghana, New Series, No. 9 (2007), p. 7.
  15. ^McCaskie, 2007, p. 7.
  16. ^"October 18, 1895: Adansi signs on for British protection".Edward A. Ulzen Memorial Foundation. 2017-10-18. Retrieved2024-05-25.
  17. ^"Ghana - The Asante Wars".www.country-data.com. Retrieved6 June 2024.
  18. ^"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. Retrieved1 June 2024.
  19. ^"One District One Factory (1D1F)".www.moti.gov.gh. Retrieved2021-01-18.
  20. ^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.
  21. ^"Ghana Districts: A repository of all Local Assemblies in Ghana".www.ghanadistricts.com. Retrieved2021-01-18.
  22. ^"AngloGold reopens 30 million ounce Ghana mine".MINING.COM. 2019-12-20. Retrieved2021-01-18.
  23. ^.F.K. Buah,A History of Ghana, revised edition, 1998.
  24. ^Kwasi Konadu,The Akan Diaspora in the Americas, Oxford University Press, 2010, pp. 33–34.
  25. ^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.
  26. ^Kwasi Konadu,The Akan Diaspora in the Americas, Oxford University Press, 2010, p. 239.
  27. ^Kwasi Konadu and Clifford C. Campbell (eds.),The Ghana Reader: History, Culture, Politics, Duke University Press, 2016, pp. 39–41.
  28. ^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.
  29. ^Ofosu-Mensah, 2010, p. 130.
  30. ^Kwasi Konadu and Clifford C. Campbell (eds.),The Ghana Reader: History, Culture, Politics, 2016, pp. 53–54.
  31. ^Kwame Y. Daaku, "History in the Oral Traditions of the Akan", 1971.
  32. ^Kwame Y. Daaku, "History in the Oral Traditions of the Akan", Journal of the Folklore Institute, Vol. 8, No. 2/3, 1971.
  33. ^Kwasi Boaten, "The Asante Before 1700", University of Ghana.
  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), 124–147.

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