Osei Bonsu
Asantehene
(1804 - 1830)
When Osei Bonsu took power over the Ashanti Empire in 1804, the expansion and power of the Asante realms had begun to stagnate. To the north lied the Dagombe, as well as a multitude of weaker kingdoms surrounding them. Relations with these states were peaceful (for now), yet tense. To the south, however, were increasingly hostile people, notably the Fante. In only six years after his ascension, the Fante would launch a war that would change their history forever.
More concerning to the king, however, was the slow encroachment of European powers surrounding them. While trade had flourished between the Asante and the various European powers, the ever increasing encroachment of European settlements into western Africa was a glaring concern. They came from multiple polities: Portuguese, Dutch, Danish, and ever increasingly, British. Relations with the former three were bountiful, and thus a precedent for trade was established, yet the British had a certain "arrogance" to them, as noted by many in Osei Bonsu's imperial court.
Still yet, many in the Asante felt trade relations with the European powers was necessary if they wished to both prosper and establish hegemony in the regions to their south.The British had already established relations with the Ga, and many feared they would attempt to do the same with the Fante.
Yet, in 1810, the Asante would get their big break
Location of Ethnically Fante lands
With almost no warning or buildup of tension (at least from any outside perspective), Fante armies marches south towards Accra, taking the Ga people off guard. Emboldened by such victories, they would go further torched a dutch fort, Ft. Patience. This brought trade of various goods in the region, including ivory, rubber, in palm oil, to a grinding halt.
Either from opportunism or a genuine desire to expand relations with both the Ga and the Dutch, the Asante opted to intervene on the Ga's behalf, moving against the Fante, as well as their allies the Akuapem and the Akyem. This would prove a far more attritious war than expected: Ashanti men had little knowledge of the terrain at hand, and Fante armies used this to their advantage. Yet, the Ashanti had better manpower and weaponry, and soon found themselves outside the gates of both Mankessim and the smaller Nkuskum and Cape Coast.
One year since the Fante attacked Accra, the Ashanti had expanded farther south than they had in decades. More importantly, however, they fostered greater relations with Dutch traders. It also forced the British African Company of Merchants into working with the Ashanti, who now had a larger portion of the coast and secured relations with Ga.
In 1814, the African Company of Merchants would sign a treaty of friendship with the Ashanti, recognizing their sovereignty over the coast in return for allowing the construction of new forts and establishing greater trade relations with the company.
To the west, the Dutch would continue to flourish in their settlement, almost unaffected from the happenings on the European mainland back home. While securing rights with the Ashanti, they also expanded relations with the Sanwi, Anyi, and Grand Bassam on the Ivory Coast. This would put them into contact with the Baoule, who would prove a hostile force in the years to come
In 1817, Thomas Bowdich would publish
Mission from Cape Coast Castle to Ashanti, advocating for friendlier relations with the kingdom. At this time, the British opinion on the Ashanti was very divided, with many distrusting on their growing monopoly as a power over the natives of the region.
Osei Bonsu would die in 1820, with Osei Nana Kantanka ascending to Asantehene.