Historian Nkansa –Kyeremanteng (2000: 36 and 37) gave three (3) analyses and perspective about the formation of Kwehu Townships.
Kyeremanteng indicated in his write up that the movements of the three main Kingdoms are Kowu Kingdom, Akoawu Kingdom and Kodiabε Kingdom.
Most of these kingdoms were corrupted and became Nkawkaw.
Kyeremanteng states that “Bepong was said to be a formidable Kingdom with heavily guarded mountain passes.
The fear the Kingdom evoked got its name “Kowu” which simply means “go there and die”.
The name Nkawkaw (Nkכּ-Kowu) was a warning to people approaching the Kwahu chiefdom”.
Kyeremanteng further explains another source about the historic formation of Kwehu, thus Akoawu Kingdom.
He stated that Kwaw Baadu was a successor of Osei Twum, one of the nephews of King Ntim Gyakari of Denkyira.
Kwaw Baadu sent his scout Kofabra to select a healthier site, for their settlement at Anweam. Kofabra selected Bokuruwa.
When he perished, Baadu his servant renamed the healthier site
Akoawu which eventually got corrupted into Koawu/Kwawu.
Kyeremanteng continued to describe the third chiefdom or dynasty as Kodiabε.
Tena – Bretuo group which is known to be Abene left Adanse to escape from Ntim Gyakari‟s oppressive rule.
Some other clan companies (groups) who left Adansi included Nana Amaniampong, Nana Ameyaw (Mposo Frempong) and Nana Adu Gyanemfi, founders of Asante Mampong, Asante Afidwase and Asante Gyamase respectively.
Abene is the place where the Royal seat of Kwehu is located. People from Abene claim to be the first people to settle on the Kwahu land, which is in the valley. However, the people from Burukuwa claim to
be the royals of the land since they said they were the first group to find settlement on Kwehu land.
Due to that there has been rivalry between people from Abene and Burukuwa, in terms of the capital where the royal seat should be.
The occupant of Kwehu stool is from the Bretuo clan.
Kwehus were never conquered in wars by any ethnic group because of the”mountainous advantage” of the positioning of their Towns.
Until the year 1700, little or no history was written about the Kwawu People of Ghana.
Geographically, the Kwehu State is bounded on the north by River Obosom and on the east by River Volta.
It shares boundaries with the Akan States like Asante Akyem on the west with Akyem Kotoku and Akyem Abuakwa at the southern side.
Kwehu shares a lot of similarities with the traditions of these neighbouring Akan States.
Oral tradition speaks of three different kingdoms that were independently established in this Akan area.
The empires were the Kowu Kingdom, Akoawu Kingdom and the Kodiabe Kingdom.
These sovereignties existed in different territories far from one another.
Before the arrival of the Kowu Kingdom, the land was occupied by the Guans under the leadership of Atala Fiam, a very powerful King at the time.
The excavation of Bosumpra cave around Kwawu Abetifi in 1944 by Smith affirms this fact.
He protested the entry of the Kowus into their domain and therefore engaged in series of warfare with these trespassers.
The war continued for a long time until the Guans were defeated to mark the beginning of the settlement by the Kowu Kingdom.
The emergence of Kwawu states on the Dutch Map of 1629 presupposes that, the Akoawu kingdom and Kowu Kingdom were founded before the reign of Ashantehene Oti Akenten of Oyoko clan between 1630 and 1660.
This clearly illustrates the fact that before the rise of the Ashanti Empire under King Osei Tutu, the land of Kwawu had already been occupied and was in existence.
The early indigenous settlers in Kowu Kingdom included such individuals as Adamu Yanko, Kosa Brempon, Bransem Diawuo and Odiaboa who were said to be of the Aduana clan. The origin of these aborigines is uncertain but they were presumably associated with members of the Ataala Fiam group. The second group, Akoawu Kingdom, emerged from the Agona group of Denkyira led by two brothers, Osei Twum and Frimpong Manso. Osei Tuwm eventually settled at the present day Kwehu Bukuruwa while Frimpong Manso founded the Kotoku Traditional area. The third group, the Kodiabe Kingdom, and the current occupants of the Royal stool were led by Nana Akuamoah Mampong Agyei from the family of Esono Gyima of Ayaase in Ashanti Adanse.
To be Continued…
Sources : https://www.easternchiefs.org/kwahu/ and http://African-research.com
I am excited to read kwahu man history, thanks to no much ancestors
Welcome. We have more coming up.