S3E25: The Juaben War

Mensa Bonsu Posing with his Mother

The latest episode of the History of Africa podcast picks up where our last one left off. Kofi Kakari, after leading his nation to a defeat in a war that he was never especially enthusiastic about in the first place, was impeached after he was caught robbing graves in order to pay for a war indemnity to the British. He was exiled from Kumasi to begin what was, ostensibly, a quiet, apolitical life, and replaced by his brother.

Kakari's brother, a quiet, unassuming man named Mensa Bonsu, immediately faced a major challenge upon ascending to the Golden Stool. The king of Juaben, a man by the name of Asafo Agyei, had many reasons to be opposed to Mensa Bonsu's rule. Not only had the kings of Juaben faced mistreatment and persecution by the Asantehenes of the past, but the rise of Mensa Bonsu, in particular, was threatening. Agyei, due to disagreeing with the battle plans supported by Kakari, had refused to take part in the battle of Amofo. This move, which deprived the Ashanti army of many of its best equipped veteran soldiers, played a major role in turning the battle into a British victory. Asafo Agyei feared that Kakari's brother would attempt to prosecute him for this choice. When the Asantemanhyiamu voted to confirm Mensa Bonsu's enstoolment, Agyei and several allied towns chose to secede from the Ashanti Empire, forming a long federation that stretched from the outskirts of Mampong in the north to Bekwai in the south. 

Despite some early successes, Agyei and his armies were eventually defeated by a force led by the Gyaasehene Adu Bofour. This allowed Mensa Bonsu to maintain the existing integrity of the Ashanti Empire, as well as showcasing that membership in the Ashanti state was not voluntary. Despite this, the important gold mining region of Adansi managed to slip away from Ashanti influence for more than a decade, becoming a British protectorate.

Map of Ghana after the crushing of the Juaben Revolt

Despite this victory, Mensa Bonsu's rule would not be one of prosperity and peace. Internal unrest would continue to haunt the Ashanti for the remainder of their days. The latter half of his reign will potentially cement his position as the worst man to ever rule the Ashanti Empire and a terrible person more generally. 

With the end of the Ashanti Empire rapidly approaching, now seems like a good time to announce that we are commencing a poll about the topic of our next season. Next season will take place somewhere in South or Central Africa, and will be determined by a vote by the show's Patreon supporters. So, if you'd like to take part in the vote, join us and support the show at Patreon.com/historyofafrica.