In 1687, the Denkyira were the most powerful of the Akan tribes. They settled on the Gold Coast early in the 16th century and developed into a kingdom with significant economic and military strength. The Denkyira kingdom did not have fixed borders, but the king governed a widespread network of related communities in the region from the administrative center at Abankeseso. The Denkyira maintained a well-organized standing army, which they used to continuously expand their sphere of influence.

Thanks to economic prosperity—driven by gold mining, trade, and successful agriculture—the population began to grow significantly around 1650, and their expansion extended further southward. By 1687, they controlled the main trade routes from the interior to the coast, including routes to Elmina and the English Cape Coast Castle.

Under King Boa Amponsem Dakabere (1637-1695), trade with Europeans intensified. In exchange for gold and slaves, the Denkyira acquired modern weaponry, further increasing their power. The other tribes on the Gold Coast (Ashanti, Twifo, Wassa, Assin, etc.) became vassal states under their rule and were tributary to the king. Moreover, the Denkyira owned the land rights to Elmina, which allowed them to control all trading activities of the Dutch, even those involving other tribes.

However, during the last decade of the 17th century, the limitations of Denkyira hegemony became apparent: securing the vast trade routes and subduing neighboring tribal states placed significant strain on their financial and military resources. Meanwhile, both the Ashanti and the Fante were in the process of uniting into increasingly larger tribal confederations. When Boa Amponsem's successor, Ntim Gyakari, imposed exorbitant demands for submission on the Ashanti, it led to resistance and, ultimately, a full-scale war.

In 1701, faced with a two-front war, the Denkyira were defeated by an Ashanti coalition. This marked the abrupt end of the Denkyira kingdom and the beginning of the long-lasting dominance of the Ashanti.

Source: African Kingdoms: An Encyclopedia of Empires and Civilizations, by Saheed Aderinto

Traditionally, the Ashanti (or Asante) were involved in the Trans-Saharan trade, which connected the African interior with the Mediterranean region through routes across the Sahara. The Ashanti traded slaves, kola nuts, ivory, gold, and agricultural products. However, when the transatlantic trade in gold and slaves with Europeans began and disrupted their traditional trade, the Ashanti shifted their focus southward, becoming rivals of the Denkyira and the Akim. The Denkyira initially resolved this by making the Ashanti tributaries. This was relatively easy at first, as the Ashanti were then a loose collection of villages and settlements with no central unity.

In the latter half of the 1670s, however, Osei Tutu (1660-1717), a young nobleman, began uniting the Ashanti clans. He quickly found success: by the late 1680s, the Dutch were reporting increasing tensions between the Denkyira and the Ashanti. Eventually, the Ashanti grew powerful enough to challenge the Denkyira directly, leading to the Denkyira's downfall in 1701 and the establishment of the Ashanti Empire.

Under successive kings, the Ashanti Empire expanded steadily. At its peak, it ruled over southern and central Ghana, as well as large parts of Côte d’Ivoire, Togo, and Burkina Faso.

The center of Ashanti power was in Kumasi, the oldest and largest hub for the transit of slaves in West Africa. Due to their traditional ties with North Africa, Islam had a significant influence in the kingdom, which—up until the colonial period—led to hostility toward Christianity, introduced by Europeans.

It was inevitable that Britain’s expansionist ambitions in the 19th century (by then they had taken over all the trading posts of the Dutch and Danes) would lead to conflicts with the Ashanti. These tensions culminated in several wars, reaching a climax in 1896, when the British crushed a major uprising and incorporated the Ashanti Empire into their Gold Coast colony. Thus ended 200 years of Ashanti rule.

Source: African Kingdoms: An Encyclopedia of Empires and Civilizations, by Saheed Aderinto

The Ahante inhabited the coastal region between the Pra and Ankobra rivers. They formed a confederation of villages and settlements and engaged in trade with the Dutch. In 1656, they signed the Treaty of Boutry, effectively becoming a protectorate of the Dutch Republic. This treaty remained in effect until 1872. In the novel Black Cattle, Director-General Sweerts frequently refers to this agreement whenever a faction of the Ahante threatens to do business with the Brandenburgers (Germans) at Fort Great-Frederiksburg. Much to the annoyance of both the WIC and the English (who already had enough trouble with each other), the Brandenburgers attempted to gain a foothold on the Gold Coast by offering the Ahante significant advantages.

In 1716, the last governor of Groot-Frederiksburg decided to leave the fort's protection in the hands of the African Ahante chief Jan Conny (or, in English, John Couny) and return to his homeland. Despite the colony being sold to the Dutch, Conny remained loyal to the oath he had sworn to the Brandenburg king. When Dutch ships appeared before the fort, he refused to surrender. The Dutch launched an attack on Groot-Frederiksburg but were bloodily repelled by Conny, who had amassed a private army of around 15,000 followers. In the years that followed, Conny and his forces frequently attacked Dutch and English trading posts. It was only in 1724 or 1725, after a bloody and costly struggle, that he was finally driven out.

In the Caribbean, the John Canoe Festival is still held annually, apparently established by the descendants of Akan slaves who were captured after the uprising and transported to the West.

Relations between the Ahante and the Dutch remained strained. In 1837, a major conflict arose when the king of the Ahante rebelled against Dutch authority and, during a meeting that escalated out of control, killed two Dutchmen, including the governor. After much Dutch military posturing, the king and five rebel leaders were eventually captured in 1838 and sentenced to death. After the king was hanged, his head was severed and sent to the Netherlands as a curiosity. It was promptly lost there until 2009, when it was rediscovered preserved in a jar of formaldehyde at Leiden University.

Sources: Modernghana.com, Wikipedia, Wikipedia, and Wikipedia