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The Most Historic Palace in Ghana: Manhyia Palace

Source: Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, 2024

Yewo wo to esie so a, wonnkye tenten yɛ -Akan proverb

Every community in Ghana with a chief has a palace. The palace could be as simple as a meeting place under a tree or as grand as the Assin Kushea Palace. However, these two places undeniably signify authority and power. Interestingly, past events in Ghana have made some palaces more renowned than others, such as the majestic Manhyia Palace.

Did you know that Manhyia Palace Musuem is the most visited palace in Ghana? Have you ever pondered over the origin of its name? Are you intrigued by its rise in popularity? If so, you’ve come to the right place. Let’s embark on a journey of discovery!

Resilience, orderliness, wealth, and courage succinctly describe the gathering of Asanteman. The Akan word ‘man‘ or ‘oman‘, which qualifies the word Asante is ‘people‘. The word ‘meet‘ in Akan is ‘hyia‘. Hence, the word ‘Manhyia‘ implies a place where people meet- and in this case, Asanteman’s meeting place. The etymology of the word ‘Manhyia’ reveals more about the place than one can imagine. Manhyia as a place goes beyond edifies and artefacts; it represents a sacred abode of the soul of the Asante people.

How did the Manhyia Palace become the most historic in Ghana?

Is it by accident or providence? I will leave you to decide by the end of this piece.

‘In the beginning God created the earth and the drummer, the drummer was discovered by Oti Akenten, tenten, ten’; so goes the drum message.

Oti Akenten ruled Asante in the thirteenth century. And Ashantes have felt that their social heritage’- Tufuoh and Donkoh 1969.

The origin of the Asante people is an intriguing topic. I will keep that in the fridge. However, the victory of Asante over Denkyira in 1701 was pivotal. This victory of Asante signified the birth of a new kingdom in West Africa. The Asante kingdom grew tremendously to cover almost the entire area of modern Ghana, into Cote D’Ivoire and Togo. Professor Kofi Darkwah states, “chronologically, Asante was the last major Akan State system to develop.” His statement reveals the existence of many major Akan States before Asante.

By the 1800s, Asante has reached its peak. Unfortunately, the rise of Asante coincided with the growth of European power and jurisdiction in Africa. This resulted in many wars between Asante and the British. These incidents elevated the popularity of Manyia, the seat of the Asante kingdom. The tension between these powers became strong in the second half of the 1800s.

In 1874, the British sought to end this conflict and be able to exploit the Gold Coast and Asante economically. The military power of the British made the Asante less of a contender. The Maxim guns had become popular and were being used by European colonialists. This made it impossible for traditional African armies to resist. Asante was quickly overrun under the command of Sir Garnet Wosely in what became the Sargrenti War of 1874. The British attacked Kumasi, burning it to the ground.

Manhyia, the meeting place of Asanteman and the seat of the Asante kingdom, was looted of its contents and destroyed. The contents of this incredible palace included artefacts made with gold, bronze, and silver or were aesthetically pleasing were looted. The splendour and value of the loot catapulted the name of Manhyia Palace to the world.

The gradual rebuilding of the palace was truncated in the ‘War of the Golden Stool’, also known as the ‘Yaa Asantewaa War’, in 1901. The Manhyia palace was demolished with explosives. The War of the Golden Stool triggered conversations that elevated the popularity of Manhyia Palace. The British, in compensation to Asante and to cover their avariciousness, contributed to the rebuilding of the Manhyia Palace.

The Manhyia Palace was handed over to Asantehene Prempeh I on 13 September 1924, after his return from exile. After his demise, Otumfuo Osei Agyeman Prempeh II occupied the Manhyia Palace.

This Manhyia Palace was converted into a museum in 1995 after the new palace was built. Several artefacts are displayed in this Manhyia Palace. They include furniture used by the Kings, the bronze head of Nana Osei Agyeman Prempeh II, and a sketch map of the Asanteman. There is also Asanteman’s first television at the museum and life-sized wax effigies of some of the kings and queens of Asanteman. It is now replenished with some artefacts looted in the 1874 and 1901 wars.

Inside the Manhyia Palace

Source: The Asante Nation

Source: The Asante Nation

Source: The Asante Nation

Source: The Asante Nation

It is indisputable that the Manhyia Palace has been the most historic in Ghana from the 1800s to the present. As I asked initially, is it by accident or providence? Do you think otherwise? Please leave a comment.

Do you have a place in your community that is significant to the communities’ past.

Contact me let’s work together.

Sources:

Darkwah, A.K. (1999). Antecedents of Asante Culture. Transactions of the Historical Society of Ghana, 57-79.
J. W. TufuoC. E. Donkor, 1969. Ashantis of Ghana: People with a Soul. Anowuo Educational Publications. 
Recommended reading: 
A history of Manhyia Palace Museum: Inaugural and other Objects by Ivor Agyeman-Duah.
 

 

Written By

Stephen Baidoo is a writer who loves to research about Ghana's past. He brings Ghana's history to life with each unearthed fact and forgotten narrative, transforming dry dates into passionate stories.

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