HISTORY: GADANGME DEFEATED THE ASANTE IN A WAR TO BECOME FAMOUS

KATAMANSU : THE DAY ASANTE ATE ITS HUMBLE PIE AS GADANGME TRIUMPHED 

Exactly 198 years ago today on Monday, August 7, 1826, a fierce battle was fought. It was a matter of life and death: domination and survival. In the end, GaDangme and its allies won a decisive victory over Asante to secure states along the coast. The victory that day was borne out of unity with a common purpose. Today, GaDangmes are urged to remember Katamanso and put all strife aside to march on for more wins for the mother-land and the nation Ghana. Omanye!

DETAILS OF THE WAR

Katamanso War also known (Battle of Dodowa) was a war that Ga-Adangbe defeated and prevented Ashantis from dominating the coast in 1826.

The Ashanti King or Asantehene (Osei Yaw Akoto) at that time, furious at the Ga-Adangbe for aiding the Fantes in the Asamankow War of 1824, proposed to punish them. He decided to pursue them, even if they escape into the belly of kanfra (a small flat fish). However, he met a coalition of other indigenous forces allied with the Ga-Adangbe under their Monarch King Tackie Kome I. The allies included Fanti, Denkyira, and Akyems. British, Dutch and Danish forces all together not more than 60, aided the Ga-Dangmes in the war with new weapons. The Asantehene amassed an army of 40,000 and also had allies from modern Northern Ghana and Volta. The Asante Army though fought bravely suffered a devastating and humiliating defeat which paralysed the Ashanti Empire and was a factor in the loss of its former glory. The victory, much as granted the coastal states adequate security, contributed to the consolidation of British power along the coast and eventual establishment of the Gold Coast colony.

Effects of the war

The effects of the war included:

* Smooth trading activities with less fear of invasion.

* Unity of Ga-Adangbe.

* Accra became famous and their influence spread.

* Foreign countries and strangers traded with the coast for commercial purpose.

Historical facts

The King was made to swear an oath as the 'ka ntam' (Akan for swear), 'na su' (Akan for cry) = Corrupted into Katamanso.

The hair style worn by the Asante women called 'Gyese Nkran', (except Akra), vulgarized as Densinkran, was introduced to mourn the Asante dead in the Katamanso war. The term underscores how the GaDangme broke the chain of war victories recorded by the Asante.

CREDIT: ABLADE TV