Opoku Ware I

Opoku Ware I was the 2nd Asantehene of Oyoko heritage, who ruled the Ashanti Empire. Between 1718 and 1722, Opoku Ware became Asantehene during a period of civil disorder after the death of the 1st Asanthene. From 1720 to 1721, Opoku established his power.

Throughout his reign, Opoku carried out a series of campaigns that expanded the Ashanti Empire across

Opoku Ware subdued a revolt by the Akyem, Wassa, Aowin and Denkyira. This commenced with an attack on Akyem in 1720–21.^[3] In the early 18th century, Aowin King Ebrimoro invaded Kumasi.^[4] The capital was sacked in the process^[5][6] and Ashanti royals including Opoku Ware's mother, were taken into captivity or massacred.^[6] This invasion was defeated by Opoku Ware.^[3] Between 1719 and 1722, the Ashanti defeated the Aowin, claiming Ahafo which was an Aowin territory, as a part of the Ashanti Empire.^[4] In 1723-24 Opoku oversaw the invasion of the Bono state which made Bono a part of the empire.^[7][3]

In 1726, Ashanti invaded Wassa

By the end of his reign the Ashanti encompassed the northern part of Ghana as well as north-eastern Ivory Coast. By the 1740s, the Ashanti held control over the entire coast of Ghana with the exception of areas under Fante influence near the Cape Coast^[13]

Infrastructure

Some of his subjects were able to spin cotton, and they wove bands of it, three fingers wide. When twelve long strips were sewn together it became a “Pantjes” or sash. One strip might be white, the other one blue or sometimes the was a red among them...[Asantehene] Opoke [Ware] bought silk taffeta and materials of all colours. The artists unravelled them.

— Nog.^[18][20]

The Ashanti road Route V (a) was opened for traffic in 1749.^[21]

Reforms

Opoku Ware promoted reforms in Ashanti revenue infrastructure through the introduction of death duties. Reindorf states that Opoku Ware adopted the policy of death duties as well as an accounting system on standard weights for measuring gold upon the guidance of the King of Techiman following the Ashanti conquest of the state in the early 18th century.^[22][23]

the whole treasure of the [Techiman] kingdom was taken by the Asantes, whose power was greatly increased by this victory. Several improvements were, by Amo Yaw's [King of Techiman] advice, made in the government and social conditions of Asante. He taught Opoku to make gold and silver weights, to claim the estate of a deceased chief or general, also to enact laws fining offenders in order to add to his power and reduce that of his subjects.^[22][23]

Opoku reorganized the Gyase. During the reign of Osei Kofi Tutu I, the Gyase was charged with domestic duties in the King's palace. Under Opoku Ware, the Gyase was involved in the administration of the state. It had two sub offices named Samang and Kronko under the Osei Tutu government. The Gyasewa, Dadiesoaba and Ananta were three new sub institutions created under the Gyase during the reign of Opoku Ware.^[22]

The King placed the Sanaahene under the auspices of the Gyasewa. The Fotuosanfuohene was created to aid the Sanaahene with the operations of the treasury. Under Opoku Ware, the Sanaahene was tasked with war expenditure and domestic purchases.^[22] The Nsumankwahene was created by Opoku Ware as the King's physician. After the war against Techiman in the early 18th century, all medicine men and fetish priests were placed under the Nsumankwahene. The Nsumankwa office itself was placed within the jurisdiction of the Ananata. The Nsumankwahene also headed the medical corps in battle.^[22]

Political development

Banditry was prominent in the Gold Coast region during the 18th century. L.F. Rømer reports in 1760 about Antufi, a highwayman who was active in the Ashanti southern metropolitan districts. Antufi had an estimated 2000 followers and he had opposed the Ashanti government for 20 years. According to Rømer, Opoku Ware "offered Antufi whatever he wanted" on condition Antufi ceased banditry operations against the King's subjects.^[24]

In 1819, Bowdich described the provincial districts of Ashanti noting that "every subject state was placed under the immediate care of an Ashantee chief, generally resident in the capital, who seldom visited it, but to receive the tribute from the native ruler, for whose conduct he was in a reasonable degree responsible."^[25][22] After successful expansionist campaigns, Opoku Ware proposed reforms that curtailed the power of the chiefs in the provincial districts. These chiefs placed in supervision of provincial areas had grown more powerful after Ashanti's expansionism in the mid 18th century. Opoku Ware's reform caused political turmoil in the 1740s.^[25][26][22] In the 1820s Joseph Dupuis wrote about the political upheaval in Ashanti during the latter part of Opoku Ware's reign.^[26]

In this stage of politics Sai Apoko [Opoku Ware], in the latter part of his reign, enacted new codes of laws, adapted for the government of the various departments of the state; but some of them being considered inimical to the interests of the chiefs, and as they represented it again, to the public welfare, a dangerous conspiracy was raised against the throne, in the very heart of the kingdom. The capital, moreover, took a share in these transactions, and the King was obliged to fly his palace by night, and seek refuge at Juaben, where he convened a sort of diet; but some of his enemies were already in arms, and he was compelled to the same alternative...

— Dupuis.^[26][22]

At Juaben, Opoku Ware was able to mobilize support from ally chiefs and defeat the rebels as well as reoccupy Kumasi. The rebels were pardoned after their defeat by the King on condition that Opoku's policies to curtail the power of provincial chiefs be respected.