THE REIGN OF ( A ) NANA OSEI KWAME ( 1777 – 1797 )
AND ( B ) NANA OPOKU FOFIE ( 1997 – 1799 )
( A ) NANA OSEI KWAME ( 1777 – 1797 )
Nana Osei Kwadwo was succeeded by his nephew, Nana Osei Kwame. Nana Osei Kwame was referred to by Walton Claridge in his book ” The History Of The Gold Coast And Ashanti” and by oral tradition as the most merciful king. He was a small boy when his turn came to be enstooled as the Asantehene. Because of his tender age, a regent, Kwame Pete, was appointed to rule on his behalf until he was of age.
Oral tradition had it that he grew to dislike war and human sacrifice as well as executions in any form. He developed this attitude because he secretly converted to be Muslim faith and even meditated the introduction of Koranic law into her Kingdom. When he began to rule, some of the chiefs who had held the affairs of the state when he was young and had tasted the powers wielded by Asantehene, capitalised on his faith, mercy and mode of life and campaigned for his destoolment. This got to his hearing and therefore ordered the execution of the leaders of the revolt. This led to the creation of ” Atipin ” stool. He had gathered the courage to deal with plotters. After the deed, he again comes to himself and therefore created the ” Apagya stool ” in remembrance of his lifting his head after the solemn days.
But Nana Osei Kwame could not wage war against his own conscience and he, therefore, prohibited a great many human sacrifices expect that for the funeral ceremony for Kings and Royals. Finally, his people lost confidence in his ability to rule effectively and were sad of his inability to extend the Asante Kingdom. They contended that if there would be no wars, even those conquered would break away. Also if offenders would not be executed there would be no fear in the people. They again had misgivings about the future of the Asante culture and tradition, if the occupant of the Golden Stool was more interested in a foreign religion and would like to introduce laws alien to their beliefs and practices in the Kingdom. They, therefore, deposed him in 1797
( B ) NANA OPOKU FOFIE ( 1797 – 1799 )
Nana Opoku Fofie succeeded his deposed brother, Nana Of Kwame. Nana Opoku Fofie could be termed as an unlucky ruler because he never saw peace. Immediately he was enstooled, the people’s of Gyaman on the pretext that they wanted Nana Osei Kwame back on the Golden Stool, and attacked the Asante Kingdom, but their main motive was to fight and free themselves from the Asante rules. The Gyamans were joining by a large army from Kong. They crossed the River Tano and attacked the Asante. Nana Osei Fofie was on the defence until his men joined by the men of Dwaben, Nkoranza and Banda. The battle was fought on the banks of River Tano. Though the Gyamans and Kong army were more than that of the Asante, with determination and superior weapons, the Asantes were victorious. According to W Walton Claridge, Mohammedan prisoners brought to Kumase were 5000. The war took 15 months of Nana Opoku Fofie,s reign. He did not live long after the war but died in 1799. According to oral tradition, his death was caused by the ghost of his late brother, Nana Osei Kwame, which met him after the war.