The Ewe story
by request——Agave and Tsiame Clan History
Agave traditions and European documentary sources indicate, that when the Akwamu state began to expand, it attacked and brought the Agaves under its political authority as early as the mid-1670s. In 1677 Akwamu then commandeered a number of Agave troops which it added to its own forces and attacked the state of Accra, the polity that had dominated the political scene on the Lower Gold Coast. The Agaves appear to have continued their involvement with the Akwamu state throughout the rest of the century. Ewe-speakers are known to have acted as intermediaries for the Akwamu state in its conquered territories, there they collected taxes, adjudicated disputes and led the armed contigents from the conqurered areas in Akwamu military campaigns. Agave traditions indicate that, this was the very role they played in the Anlo area after Akwamu conquered the district in 1702. Court cases of all kinds were brought to the Agave at Agowowonu in Anloga. Late nineteenth-century accounts indiacte that it was the Agaves who ‘taught the Anlos how to fight’. The Akan-type three-wing formation, which they had become intimately familiar with during their participation in Akwamu militatry campaiigns. Akwamu control over Anlo came to an end in 1730 after the state was defeated by a coalition of forces. Many of the Agaves who had settled in the Anlo area remained and formed the core of what was later to become known as the Agave clan.
It is worth noting that Agaves lived in the present Ada area before the latter moved into th area, and it is thought the Agaves gave land to the Adas and susequently constituted the Kudzeagbe clan in the Ada polity
—–Next we shall look at the Tsiame clan history which may include Tsali and Tesi as requested
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