Komenda Wars facts for kids

Neighboring English Fort Komenda and Dutch Fort Vredenburgh in Komenda

The Komenda Wars were a series of conflicts that happened in Africa, in what is now Ghana. These wars took place from 1694 to 1700. They were mainly fought between two European trading companies: the Dutch West India Company and the English Royal African Company.

The main reason for the wars was control over trade rights in the Eguafo Kingdom. The Dutch wanted to keep other European traders out to have a monopoly. The English, on the other hand, wanted to rebuild their trading post, called a fort, in the city of Komenda.

Many groups were involved in the fighting. These included the Dutch and English companies, the Eguafo Kingdom, and a prince who wanted to become king. A powerful local merchant named John Cabess also played a big role. Other local groups, known as Akan tribes and kingdoms like Twifo and Denkyira, also joined in.

There were four main periods of fighting, including a civil war within the Eguafo Kingdom itself. The wars ended when the English helped Takyi Kuma become the new king of Eguafo. Historians say these wars are a great example of how European and African rivalries became mixed up and complicated.

Why the Wars Started

Before the Komenda Wars, the Dutch West India Company and the Eguafo Kingdom had problems in 1688. Both the Dutch and the English had trading posts in the port city of Komenda.

In 1687, the French tried to open their own trading post in Komenda. The Dutch reacted strongly. They used their military to force the King of Eguafo to make the French leave. The Dutch also tried to get nearby states to attack Eguafo.

The French gave gold to the King of Eguafo. This gold helped him pay other states to stay out of the fight. In the end, the Twifo people did join the Dutch. Because of this, they gained special trade rights in Komenda.

This fighting led to the death of the King of Eguafo. A prince named Takyi, who was allied with the Dutch, became the new king. Komenda then came mostly under the control of the Dutch and their Twifo allies.

Over time, King Takyi started to feel uneasy with the Dutch and Twifo. He tried to balance their interests with those of the English in Komenda. This created a lot of tension, setting the stage for the Komenda Wars.

The Komenda Wars: A Series of Fights

The Komenda Wars were a series of four different military conflicts. Alliances between groups changed often. Many different kingdoms in the region got involved. The wars ended when the English helped Takyi Kuma become the King of Eguafo.

Willem Bosman was a Dutch official who wrote a lot about these wars. He was part of the Dutch West India Company. He published his journals in 1703, giving us much of what we know today.

During the wars, the Dutch West India Company and the English Royal African Company supported different sides. They did this to gain the best trade deals. John Cabess, a powerful merchant in Komenda, was a strong ally of the English. He often fought on their side.

The war started when John Cabess attacked the Dutch Fort Vredenburgh in Komenda. The Dutch then gathered local forces against King Takyi of Eguafo. Later, the sides switched. The English began supporting Takyi Kuma, who wanted to take the Eguafo throne.

Many other Akan groups joined the fighting. These included Adom, Akani, Akrons, Asebu, Cabess Terra, Denkyira, Fante, Ahanta, and Twifo.

First Komenda War: 1694-1695

The first war began because of problems between John Cabess and the Dutch West India Company. John Cabess was a rich African merchant in Eguafo. He had his own armed forces. Cabess was a loyal friend to the Royal African Company (English). He helped them with their business.

The Dutch and English were rivals. The Dutch had many arguments with Cabess. In 1684, the Dutch even seized some of Cabess's goods. This act was called panyarring, which means taking someone's property or people to force them to pay a debt or settle a dispute.

The problems grew worse in November 1694. Cabess invited the English Royal African Company back to Komenda. Then, he attacked Dutch miners outside the city. When the English took over their old fort in Komenda, the Dutch fort fired at them.

Because of these fights, the English, Dutch, and the King of Eguafo started looking for allies. They contacted other African kingdoms to prepare for war. Cabess Terra and Twifo first joined the Dutch. But this alliance stopped when Denkyira threatened to attack Twifo. The Adoms took money from Eguafo to stay neutral.

War officially began in February 1695. John Cabess's forces attacked the Dutch fort. They also stopped Dutch reinforcements from arriving. On April 28, 1695, the Twifo forces were defeated.

The war then mostly involved panyarring. This meant groups would regularly seize members or goods from their rivals. John Cabess and the Dutch started talking about peace that year. But on June 26, the Dutch leader at the fort, Willem Bosman, tried to shoot Cabess. This made things worse. Panyarring and small fights continued until a short peace deal was made at the end of 1695.

Second Komenda War: 1696

On January 21, 1696, a young prince of Eguafo started a civil war. He wanted to become king. His name was Takyi Kuma, which means "Little Takyi." He was called this because the current king was also named Takyi.

The Dutch supported Takyi Kuma. They convinced the nearby states of Adom and Akani to join the fight on his side. The Akrons joined King Takyi to defend Eguafo.

The fighting ended quickly. Takyi Kuma and his forces lost on March 20. This loss led to formal peace talks between the Dutch and Eguafo. Jan van Sevenhuysen, the new Dutch Governor of the Gold Coast, made peace. This allowed the Dutch to keep their trading post and fort in Komenda. However, the English and Dutch still had many problems. Their forts in Komenda often had small fights.

Third Komenda War: 1698

The Dutch started trying to get other African groups to attack Eguafo and King Takyi again. On August 5, 1697, the Dutch and Fante people made a deal. The Fante agreed to attack Eguafo for a lot of gold.

However, the English offered the Fante the same amount of gold. They wanted the Fante to stay neutral. The Fante accepted the English offer. Other attempts by the Dutch to get allies mostly failed. In early 1698, the English and Dutch agreed to respect each other's trade rights. They also agreed to keep their forts in Komenda.

By November 1698, the English felt that King Takyi was favoring the Dutch. So, they decided to support Takyi Kuma again. In November 1698, the English led an attack that killed King Takyi. This was part of their plan to put Takyi Kuma on the throne.

The English paid soldiers from Asebu, Cabess Terra, and Akani to join the fight. The Dutch, Fante, and Denkyira mostly stayed out of this war. The combined forces of Takyi Kuma marched on Eguafo. But the kingdom's forces defeated them.

Fourth Komenda War: 1699-1700

The fourth war began in November 1699. A united force supporting Takyi Kuma started fighting in the region. Panyarring became very common between the different groups. This made tensions even higher.

In early 1700, some merchants from Twifo and John Cabess's group were seized by Adom. This might have been ordered by the Dutch. Small acts of violence continued. People from rival groups were regularly seized.

Finally, the British-supported mercenary force moved on Eguafo. On May 9, 1700, Takyi Kuma was named the new king of Eguafo. This marked the end of the Komenda Wars.

What Happened After the Wars

The biggest change after the Komenda Wars was who controlled trade along the Gold Coast. The Dutch and English companies didn't gain much land. The African kingdoms also didn't lose much territory. However, the English ended up with the main advantage in trade power along the coast.

But the English quickly upset the new king, Takyi Kuma. They demanded that he repay debts. Also, the English's strong position didn't last long. In 1704, Takyi Kuma died, which led to another civil war in Eguafo.

The wars and a smallpox outbreak in the early 1700s caused many people to die in the coastal area. The wars also started new ways of fighting that became common later. These included using paid soldiers (mercenaries) and panyarring. The chaos from these wars also allowed the Ashanti Empire to grow stronger in the region. Over time, the trade in gold was replaced by the trade in enslaved people.

See also

• Anglo-Dutch Wars
• Gold Coast
• Anglo-Ashanti wars
• Range war
• African Company of Merchants
• Elmina