Osei Tutu
c. 1660 – c. 1717
Osei Kofi Tutu I was the founder and first Asantehene (king) of the Asante Empire in present-day Ghana. With his adviser Okomfo Anokye he united the Asante clans around the sacred Golden Stool and led them to victory over the dominant Denkyira state. His reign established Kumasi as the capital of what became one of West Africa's most powerful empires.
Lived at the same time
Well-documented people whose lives overlapped with Osei Tutu.
- Chikamatsu Monzaemon (1653–1725) Overlapped 57 years →
- Christopher Wren (1632–1723) Overlapped 57 years →
- Edmond Halley (1656–1742) Overlapped 57 years →
- Maria Sibylla Merian (1647–1717) Overlapped 57 years →
- William Penn (1644–1718) Overlapped 57 years →
- Daniel Defoe (1660–1731) Overlapped 57 years →
Life events
Osei Tutu was born around 1660 into the Oyoko clan at Kokofu-Anyinam in present-day Ghana.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgAs a young man Osei Tutu spent time at the court of the Denkyira ruler and later in Akwamu, where he gained political and military experience.
Osei Tutu succeeded his uncle Obiri Yeboa as chief of Kwaman, the state that would become the core of the Asante Empire.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgOsei Tutu made Kumasi the political and ceremonial center of the emerging Asante state.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgAccording to Asante tradition, the priest Okomfo Anokye caused the Golden Stool to descend as a symbol of unity, and Osei Tutu was recognized as first Asantehene.
Osei Tutu's forces crushed the Denkyira state, ending its dominance and freeing the Asante from tributary status.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgAfter Feyiase, Osei Tutu extended Asante power over neighboring states and gained access to coastal trade routes.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgAccording to tradition, Osei Tutu was killed by gunfire while crossing the Pra River during a war against the Akyem.
Source: en.wikipedia.org