Land of modern day Ghana was inhabited by people some 50,000 years ago. Earliest settlers were farmers. People soon familiarized themselves with Iron and its products which facilitated agriculture.
People and communities continued to immigrate from adjoining areas. Akan’s and Mole-Dangme were the first well recognized group of people to make their way into the land of Ghana in eleventh century.
The northern states continued to flourish on modern lines to be declared as centralized states. Islam dominated the zone and people embraced Islam with grace, will and dignity.
The Ashanti people were strong militarily and soon gained control over the northern Savannah’s.
Gold Coast
The southern states became the target zone of colonial regimes who continued to pave their way into Gold Coast.
Portuguese were the first to invade the land. They were quick build castle along the Ghanaian coast, ‘Elmina castle’ which still stands upright amidst all the uncertainties and conflicts bore by the Gold Coast during primitive and medieval times.
The intruders were intelligent enough to build relations with the natives. Selective attention and retention was the order of the day. The blue-eyed were given all the leverage and share in power whereas others were brutally targeted for their ‘heinous crime’ for not willingly supporting and acknowledging ‘the people with guns and bullets’.
Asante forced British to sway away from the coastal regions. But British finally gained control over the coastal region after a successful encounter with Asante.
British annex northern territories under a protectorate to strength their bases in Gold Coast.
A new law pertaining to the ‘indirect rule’ of colonies was approved at the end of nineteenth century. Local chiefs were to represent British and this wasn’t hailed by western-educated elite. They resented the move.
Power politics and imperialistic hegemonic designs sow seeds of hatred which eventually culminated in a mass movement chanting slogans of independence. Ghana became an independent state in 1957.
