Osei Kofi Tutu I

The man to be the person to be the creator of the Asante Empire was born Osei Kofi Tutu Opemsoo in around 1660 in the town of Kokofu Anyinam, in the eastern region of modern-day Ghana, which was also the hometown of his mother.[8] He was born when his mother was going to visit her husband, Owusu Panyin in Esiase to give birth to Osei there, but due to not getting to Esiase in time as planned, she gave birth to Osei in Anyinam. He and his mother stayed there for 40 days before they went back to or Kwaaman[9]

His father was Owusu Panyin, an Akan noble from the Adanse area, who was the chief Esiase. His mother Maanu Kotosii was from Kokofu and was the sister of the hene of the Asantemansu and later Kwaaman, Obiri Yeboa, and his brother, who was either the ruler of the lost Asante city of Asantemansu or the ruler of Kwaaman, Oti Akenten.

It is said that Osei Tutu's mother was barren for many years, and she, her husband and her brother Obiri Yeboa consulted a powerful and famous shrine called Otutu, whose deity was the deity of the river Kakaawere, in the land Akuapem to obtain a blessing so his sister and brother-in-law could have a child, with Kotosii making two promises: 1) She'd reward the river's deity if it allowed her to reach home before she gave birth and 2) she'd also show appreciation to the deity if it allowed her to reach home before she gave birth. She fulfilled her promises by naming her child Tutu, after the shrine.[10]

Due to the matrilineal succession the Akan practiced, it meant that Osei Tutu was to be the heir to the Kwaaman throne.

Osei Tutu was of the Oyoko abusua (tribe), an abusua which (according to legend) was formed from the Eukona abusua after a portion of the clan who broke the Eukona abusua taboo and ate the meat of a buffalo. The people were then referred to as Owekuo, or Oyoko: Those who eat buffalo meat.   

Little is known about the childhood of Osei Tutu, but most of what is known and told about his life is from when he turned sixteen. At the age of sixteen, the age where Akan boys were now seen as men, a representative of the Denkyirahene travelled into Kwaaman and demanded that Osei Tutu to come with him. This was not unusual, as the Denkyira had a long-standing practice of holding the heirs to their subordinate kings as hostage to ensure compliance. However, while he was a captive, Osei Tutu was not a prisoner in the traditional sense. Political prisoners like the Osei Tutu were treated with intense respect, thus they have a positive view of the Denkyira when they are eventually released to rule their state. So, rather than being locked in a dungeon, Osei Tutu was essentially a guest in the Denkyirahene's palace, albeit one that was not allowed to leave.[5] In Abankesesso, the capital of the Denkyiraman, Osei Tutu spent his days socializing with Denkyira elites (a few of which would become important during his lifetime), playing Oware and learning immensely about the traditions and customs of the Denkyira court, specifically about the manner of administration and the maintenance of power in the Denkyira court. He proved his worth so effectively and was so respected in the Denkyiran court that he was eventually made a royal shield-bearer[11]

However, these were not the only activities Osei Tutu was partaking in in Abankesesso. It is said that Osei Tutu, even in his childhood, was a strong, handsome male, with all the marks of Akan royalty.[10][11] Due to this he easily caught the eye of the ladies of the Denkyiran court, courting many. This was a well know fact about Osei Tutu. However, his fall from grace would be in the form of his relationship with the sister or niece of the Denkyriahene, Princess (Ohene nuabaa) Akobena Abensua. This relationship wasn't just imprudent, but also adulterous as Abensua was married to a high ranking Denkyrian dignitary, who by some accounts was the Gyaasehene, who had been betrothed to her since they were children.[12][10] It became worse as the princess fell pregnant, and rumors spread like wildfire on who the father actually was, which were true. Due to Akan law, Abensua wouldn't be getting in trouble for this relationship, but Osei Tutu. Due to the punishment of possible execution for this affair, he fled to the Akan state furthest east, Akwamu.[10][11] This affair would later lead to a tragic sequel decades later[11]

Osei Tutu realised that he couldn't go to his home state of Kwaaman, as to do that would certainly bring doom upon his people, who were still subjects of the Denkyirans.[5] Instead, he fled to the Akwamu court of Sasraku I in Akwamufie. There he begged Sasraku for protection against the Denkyrians. Sasraku, who took a liking to Osei Tutu due to either him interceding to save the life of a well known diviner who had angered Sasraku, or to Osei Tutu's own personal beauty,[10] and the fact that Akwamu were enemies with the Denkyrians and that around this time the Dormaa, enemies of the Akwamu, had gone to war with the Kwaaman, Osei Tutu's state. Due to all of this, Osei Tutu was taken in by Sasraku and treated well, and was protected from the Denkyirans. Here Osei Tutu learned much about the military organisations of the Akwamu, the Akan state with the most advanced and powerful military of any Akan state. He also learned about the political and social makeup of Akwamuman and saw a difference when it came to rulers. Unlike the Kwaaman (who had formed the Amantoo coalition with states under the yoke of the Denkyrians), whose rule was divided between clans and cities, the Akwamu were a centralized, and had one supreme ruler. The unity of the Akwamu and the highly sophisticated army the Akwamu had at their disposal allowed the Akwamu to spread their influence immensely. These factors of what made the Akwamu so successful, as well as Akwamu culture itself, greatly inspired the future reforms of Osei Tutu.[5]

It is unclear at what specific time period is when Osei Tutu met Okomfo Anokye. While some sources say that the two met in Denkyira after it is said that after Anokye and his mother left Akwamu, they settled in Denkyria. Kings of his day courted him. With him on their side, they were sure to hit fresh heights of glory. Anokye's mother had an odd coloring on her hands. Denkyira were going through some difficulties at the time. Their priests blamed it on her and executed her. Anokye was devastated. He looked forward to the day he could inflict similar pain on the Denkyira rulers, with Osei Tutu had the same ambition having observed the ill-treatment of non-Denkyira people, like Anokye's mother. When Osei Tutu fled Denkyira, Okomfo Anokye fled with him.[13] Others say that it was in Akwamu, where some stories state that the two met after Osei Tutu interceded to save the life of Okomfo Anokye when Anokye killed his own grandmother.[3][14][15] However, it was certain that by the time Osei Tutu was in Akwamu, the two the two had certainly met a became best friends, becoming inseparable.[16] Okomfo Anokye would aid Osei Tutu in his future war with the Denkyrians and in the making of the Asante Empire using the his spiritual, strong oratorical skills and considerable intellectual and psychological abilities to influence many of the regional states to unite under Osei Tutu and gain military and political strength, which they could use to confront their enemies.[16] Unknown to the two at the time, they were distant cousins[16]

After a few years in Akwamu, Osei Tutu received news that his Uncle, Obiri Yeboa, had been killed repelling an attack from the Dormaa.[5] Due to this, Osei Tutu was told to go home to Kwaaman and take on the role of Kwaamanhene. However, due to Osei Tutu still being a wanted fugitive by the Denkyira, he was too scared to go back to Kwaaman, so Ansa Sasraku detached 300 of some of his best Akwamu warriors to guide him to Kwaaman. When the soldiers, Osei Tutu and Okomfo Anokye got to Kwaaman the warriors settled among them and later became citizens of Asafo whilst Osei Tutu and Okomfo Anokye mourned the death of his uncle for a few days, before Osei Tutu was enstooled as Osei Tutu I of Kwaaman[5]

Osei Tutu's first problem was to sort out the financial situation of his kingdom and confederation, as he planned to use the money to fund his military and pay the soldiers. He set up the Afotosanfoɔ to be responsible for his treasury and provided funds for the royal household. This helped focus the funds of the Amantoo confederacy on helping strengthen the military and raise moral[17]

Osei Tutu's greatest reforms were that of the military of the Amantoo coalition. Using what he had learned in Akwamu and the Akwamu warriors who were now effectively military advisors, he quickly got to work using his funds and money in the coalition's treasury to improve his military. He promised pay to his soldiers after battle, raising morale and giving the soldiers a reason not just for why they should fight, but why they should try to win.[18]

He also split the army into several components. A scouting regiment tracked enemy forces, sabotaged their paths, and launched guerrilla style sniper attacks. They were originally made up with hunters, who were skilled in the requirements needed for the military component of the scout. The forward guard, composed of the best trained members of the Ashanti army would fiercely attack the enemy, forcing the enemy into a static defensive position. The four wings would then move around the pinned enemy, attempting to encircle the enemy. The main body provided a manpower reserve for whichever part of the army needed reinforcements. Meanwhile, the rear guard of the army sat at the back of the force, protecting against encirclement. Officers and nobility were protected by a specialized group of bodyguards meant to protect these critical people from being hurt or killed in a potential defeat, a call back to the death of Obiri Yeboa. Either later or at the same time a horde of medics, engineers, supply transporters, and foragers, meant to support the army in non-combat matters, were introduced[18]

Finally, he and his military advisors drilled his military in hammer-and-anvil tactics, such as the pincer movement. He and his military advisors had optimized their army for these tactics, as well as to be flexible and fast, with every unit contributing to the hammer-and-anvil tactic.[18]

The widespread use of firearms in the Asante army would take decades to fully implement, with access to firearms in such large numbers for the army being extremely expensive. Many parts of the Asante army that made it one of the most bureaucratized and professionalized armies not just in Africa, but in the entire world at that point, would take decades to fully implement, and wouldn't be finished until the final days of Osei Tutu[18]

Nevertheless, these quick and much needed reforms introduced by Osei Tutu and his military advisors did have the desired effect of making the Amantoo alliance. When the Dormaa marched into the lands of the Amantoo to once again try to take Kwaaman, the Amantoo military successfully and easily repelled them and then followed it up by completely driving the Dormaa from the lands of Amantoo.[18] The military reforms of Osei Tutu paid off, but at the cost of bringing the Amantoo alliance to the attention of the Denkyirans.

There are many accounts with how the war between the Amantoo and Denkyrians took place. It is generally accepted that the old Denkyriahene, Boamponsem, had died. An in an election to determine the next Denkyriahene Ntim Gyakari, a warrior who was related to Denkyrian royalty, took the throne. However the accounts of what happened before or after differ:

One account states as follows:

"When he came to the throne, it was clear to Osei Tutu that there was scheming against him in the capital of Dankyera. Ntim Gyakari was jealous of him and wished to destroy him and his people. Secret messengers came and went through the forest paths, quietly, bringing news. It became clear to Osei Tutu that he must prepare for war"[13]

Another account says that the direct cause of the war was a beautiful woman. Boamponsem, out of pride, sent a mission to Osei Tutu composed of his favorite wives. Richly clad and loaded down with jewels, they were accompanied by a magnificent escort of Boamponsem's most stalwart warriors as an indirect way to show the beauty of the Denkyrian women in comparison to those of te Amantoo. This royal delegation was received by Osei Tutu with all the honors and courtesy due its rank. He gave the queens rich and extravagant presents and sent them safely back. In reciprocity, Osei Tutu sent Boamponsem an embassy of his most beautiful wives, led by the chief queen, a woman of extraordinary beauty. When this delegation arrived, Boamponsem received its members with due respect, but fell in love at first sight with the beautiful chief queen. Boamponsem was young and handsome, and the attraction was mutual. On her return, Osei Tutu noticed that she was an expectant mother and swore that he would not rest until he had Boamponsem's head. Boamponsem offered him a large quantity of gold as the price of peace, but Osei Tutu was adamant. He began mobilizing his army, forgetting apparently that he had once been forced to flee from Denkyria for a similar offense.[11]

Most accounts, though, say that Boamponsem was dead at the time, having ruled for around 40 years at that point.