UNIVERSITY OF CAPE COAST A HISTORY OF BRITISH GYAMAN 1874-1957 BY OKRAH YAW KENNEDY DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY OF THE FACULTY OF ARTS UNIVERSITY OF CAPE COAST, IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF MASTER OF ARTS DEGREE IN HISTORY DECEMBER, 2012 CANDIDATE’S DECLARATION I hereby declare that this dissertation is the result of my own original research and that no part of it has been presented for another degree in this University or elsewhere. Candidate’s Signature …………………………Date ……………………….. Name………………………................................. SUPERVISORS’ DECLARATION We hereby declare that the preparation and presentation of the dissertation were supervised in accordance with the guidelines on supervision of dissertation laid down by the University of Cape Coast. Principal Supervisor’s Signature……………................ Date………………… Name…………………………...................................... Co-Supervisor’s Signature ……………................ Date………............... Name……………………............................................... ii ABSTRACT The circumstances leading to the claim and influence over a part of Gyaman Kingdom by the British was quite fascinating and deserves scholarly accounts for others to learn. British Gyaman in Asante in the Gold Coast was established by a treaty in Europe (Paris) but not in the Gold Coast in Africa. Though secondary materials were used, the researcher relied mainly on archival materials and oral traditions in the collection of data. The study discussed the factors relating to how the European and African imperial powers competed for influence over the Gyaman Kingdom. In the end the collaborating European powers (Britain and France) subdued the conflicting African powers, ( Asante and Samori). By the Delimitation Treaty signed in Paris in 1898 the British and the French divided the Kingdom into British and French spheres of influence. British Gyaman was created in 1898. However, 1874 -1957 has been chosen for the study in order to give room for the discussion of the background events leading to the creation of British Gyaman. A brief background information about how the whole Gyaman Kingdom evolved was considered to give clear understanding of how some major historical events developed in the region. The British colonial local government system, Indirect Rule, in British Gyaman has also been discussed. For administrative convenience British Gyaman remained part of the Asante territory. To facilitate the local government administration, the Drobohene was made the head chief of British Gyaman. The appointment of Drobohene as the Gyamanhene was regarded by other prominent iii chiefs as a “warrant chief”. This brought about some bitterness among these chiefs. Protests ensued, leading to the creation of another division; Suma- Kwatwoma Division in 1948 .Conflicts, protests and secession movements became the order of the day during the rule of the British Gyaman. This affected the smooth operations of the Native Authorities, Native tribunals and the Native Treasuries in the area. Despite the ethnic conflicts and some other shortcomings in the British part of Gyaman, as a result of indirect rule, colonialism in general set the modern socio-economic foundation for British Gyaman. iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I wish to express my profound gratitude to a number of people and institutions for their diverse assistance and support which facilitated the writing of this dissertation. I am very grateful to my supervisors, Dr. S.Y. Boadi Siaw and Dr. Adu Boahen for their patience and painstaking supervision they gave me during the writing of this work. To Dr. K.B. Maison, Professor B.G. Der, Dr. Osei Kwarteng, Dr. Ogbeidi (of Nigeria) and all other lecturers at the Department who guided me in any way, I say thanks very much. Similar thanks are given to Mr. Sie Kwame Stephen who provided me with free means of transport throughout my travelling in this research, and all friends who encouraged and supported me in the writing of the thesis. I also appreciate the contribution of the staff at the Public Records and Archives Administration Department in Sunyani and Mr. Amoah Seth at the Regional Statistical Department, also in Sunyani. My further thanks go to my interviewees who provided me with the relevant information during the period of data collection. The last but not the least thanks go to Rev. Ben Ali of the Pentecost Church (a PhD student at UCC) for his wisdom and knowledgeable advice and support. To all who contributed in diverse ways towards the completion of this work, I say God Bless you. v DEDICATION This work is dedicated to my mum, Madam Yeli Ama Sarah vi TABLE OF CONTENTS CONTENT PAGE Title Page Student’s Declaration ........... ii Supervisors’ Declaration ........... ii Abstract ........... iii Acknowledgements .......... v Dedication ........... vi Table of contents .......... vii List of Abbreviations ........... ix List of Maps ........... x CHAPTER ONE - INTRODUCTION ........... 1 CHAPTER TWO – GYAMAN, 1874-1901; THE HOST OF CONFLICTING INTERESTS i. Introduction ……... 13 ii. The Sagrenti War, 1873-1874 ……... 19 iii. Samori’s Occupation of Gyaman ……... 26 iv. British Occupation of Gyaman ……... 29 vii CHAPTER THREE – BRITISH GYAMAN (1902-1957) INDIRECT RULE AND INTER-ETHNIC RELATIONS..... 34 i. Conflicts in British Gyaman ……... 40 ii. Suma and Sampa in Conflicting Relations ……... 41 iii. Internal Conflicts in Sampa …… 45 iv. Secession Movements in British Gyaman ……... 47 v. Awasu (Dwenem) Local Council ……... 55 CHAPTER FOUR- EFFECTS OF COLONIALISM ON BRITISH GYAMAN ........... 61 i. Economic Effects ……... 66 ii. Social Effects ……... 71 CONCLUSION ........... 79 REFERENCES ........... 86 MAPS........................................... 92 APPENDICES.......................... 96 viii LIST OF ABREVIATIONS Y. H Your Honour C.R.O. Chief Regional Officer R.D.A. Rassemblement Democratique Africain B.R.G. Brong Ahafo Region of Ghana ix LIST OF MAPS 1. Map showing the area of authority of the proposed Dwenem Local Council. 2. Map showing some of the oldest settlements in Gyaman 3. Map showing the borders of British Gyaman 4. New Drobo town lay out x CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION Gyaman, which can also be spelt Jaman was a state established by the Akwamu people. Later this migrated Akwamu called themselves Dormaa, and afterwards Abron. Gyaman was located in what is now north-western Brong- Ahafo in Ghana and north-eastern (Zanzan Region) of La Cote d’Ivoire. According to Ward, the Gyaman first settled at Kwahu but were driven out from there by the Asante before the reign of Osei Tutu (1697 – 1717) to their present home in Cote d’Ivoire.1 From Kwahu, they settled in several other places such as Adansi, Suntreso near Kumasi, and finally at Abanpreduase near Bomaa, from where they migrated into Gyaman. Gyaman was established around the economic hub of Bonduku, the present capital town of the Zanzan Region of La Cote d’Ivoire. Originally Bonduku was a Dyula trading centre and was conquered by the Akwamu. Though the biggest and the busiest economic town in the kingdom it was not the seat of the king of Gyaman. The pre-colonial seat of the Gyamanhene also known as the Bonohene was Amanvi. Currently the seat of Gyamanhene is Herebo, a big village near Bonduku. All efforts made to settle the king in Bonduku failed. The Akwamu immigrants met the Kulango, Nafana, Ligbi and the Gbin who lived in widely scattered villages2. These indigenous people were defeated by the Akwamu and were brought under their hegemony. And from then on all the people in the region came to be referred to as the Gyaman or Abron. In the eighteenth century, Gyaman was subjugated by the Asante, and 1 was made part of Asanteman until the Asante were defeated by the British in 1874. In 1888, the French signed a treaty of protection with the Gyamanhene, Agyeman, but the French failed to establish a post in the kingdom leaving it susceptible to Samori’s invasion. The French later expelled Samori in 1897. After defeating Samori, Gyaman became relieved only to realize that the British and the French had shared the kingdom between themselves without their consent. The result was British Gyaman in Ghana and French Gyaman now part of La Cote d’Ivoire. The Gyaman indigenous administration and political structure took after that of Asante (Akan). British Gyaman signifies that part of Gyaman which came under British authority after sharing ‘Greater Gyaman’ with France. It excluded the other part that fell to France and became French Gyaman. Absorbing a section of Gyaman was part of British colonization process. Gyaman was not colonized in isolation. It was part of Asante. The act of imposing and institutionalizing European power on the Gold Coast was quite gradual, long and complex. According to Hailey, the Gold Coast was the most complex of the multiple dependencies.3 Africans relations with Europeans were initially trade partners. Rivalry and competition resulted in the formation of alliances between some Gold Coast people and some Europeans. By 1872, only the British remained in the Gold Coast. All other Europeans had left. This gave the British the opportunity to intensify and extend their grip on the Gold Coast and their influence became more pronounced. Lack of internal competition, fear of external competition and threats of Asante invasion made the British invade Asante, subdued its people and then turned the southern part of the Gold Coast into a crown colony in 2 1874. Asante’s reconstruction of her shattered empire after the 1874 defeat