Info For Yous John Kabes: Prominent African Trader, Entrepreneur, State-Builder In Addition To 1 Of The Offset African Millionaires Inwards W Africa

John Kabes (John Cabess or John Cabes) (c. 1640s-1722) was a prominent African trader, entrepreneur too a State-builder inwards the port metropolis of Komenda, component division of the Eguafo Kingdom, inwards the Gold Coast (Ghana). Although he was a major British ally too was a supplier to the British Royal African Company but he nevertheless played them against other Europeans competitors.

British Fort Komenda (left) too Dutch Fort Vredenburgh (right). Note the peculiar architecture of Fort Komenda inwards the innovation of the fort (lower left).

As a trader, he became a potent economical too political strength inwards the coastal share inwards the early on 1700s, playing an active purpose inwards the Komenda Wars, the rising of the Ashanti Empire, the expansion of British involvement inwards West Africa, too the beginnings of large-scale Atlantic slave trade. Because of his combined economical too political power, historian Kwame Daaku named Cabess 1 of the "merchant princes" of the Gold Coast inwards the 1700s. He was arguably the firstly native African millionaire trader that transacted trouble organization too was inwards contest with Europeans. He paved the vogue for other famous Gold Coast rich Caboceers similar Eno Baissie Kurantsi (John Corrente)  of anomaboand Cudjoe of Cape Coast.

The Komenda Wars of the Gold Coast 1694-1700

John Kabes every bit a trader cum political leader had a career spanning nearly 40 years, he established the paramount stool of Komenda, hitherto component division of the inland state of Eguafo. Kabes began every bit a trader for the English linguistic communication (and sometimes for the Dutch) too gradually achieved political condition which, nevertheless it may receive got been acquired, proved to live lasting because it was acceptable to existing political mores. "Such of Kabes's activities every bit are known propose that his success sprang from his mightiness to wring payoff from the novel exigencies of the fourth dimension too house inwards ways which enabled him to teach legitimacy every bit good every bit wealth too influence. Although Kabes's career is uniquely documented at that topographic point is no argue to suppose that it was especially odd inwards its other facets. On this declaration it tin propose ways inwards which other West African trade-derived polities, especially inwards the Niger delta, may receive got coalesced."
He died inwards 1722, but his heirs continued to exert economical mightiness inwards the port for the residuum of the 18th century.

                         Komenda town inwards Central Region, Ghana

John Kabes was born sometime inwards the 1640s or 1650s (the tape of his nativity is unclear) inwards Akatakyi (Komenda).  The Komenda Tradtional Area is bounded on the eastward past times Elmina, on the W past times Shama, on the due north past times Wasa, on the north-east past times Eguafo too Abrem inwards the Central Region. The upper-case missive of the alphabet of the State is Akatakyi, which agency “the town of bang-up people” known inwards European records every bit Little Commendo, spell describing the Komenda State every bit British Commendo.
Komenda traditions allege that their ancestors originally lived at Takyiman inwards present-day Brong Ahafo Region, too that they formed component division of the Borbor Fante emigrants which broke off inwards search of peace too security, because inwards those days the Takyiman surface area was constantly inwards bang-up turmoil-there were wars too rumours of war.
The Komenda dissidents were nether the leadership of Nana Kome every bit they trekked southwards; however, Nana Kwarhin (Who subsequently founded Kwarhinkrom), was the pathfinder of Twafohin for Nana Kome till they reached Mankessim, the plant nursery Earth for Fante ideas too institutions.
Earlier, the whole congregation had settled at Kwaman (Akan-manmu) unopen past times a rivulet, where the 3 warlords namely Oburumankoma, Odapagyan too Oson died too their remains carried to Mankessim too interred inwards a nearby grove which became the famous Nana Pow.  When the Fantes were afflicted past times whatever misfortune they turned to the deity.  Nananom inwards the night.
At Mankessim, the Borbor Fante lived inwards 5 quarters- Nkusukum, Anaafo or Ntsetse, Edumadze, Bentsi too Kurentsi Amanfo, each quarter enjoyed absolute independence of the other.
They settled at Mankessim a long fourth dimension earlier they began to degree novel territorial state, leaving behind the Kurentsi Amanfo, nevertheless the quarters of Edumadze too Kusukum left Abaatam inwards their master copy quarters at Mankessim.
After their, divergence from Mankessim, Nana Kome too his followers firstly settled at Komantse, too every bit they were leaving this house the younger blood brother called Kome Kuma refused to accompany the main political party too chose to remain behind.  Soon the Asante Earth forces invaded the surface area too Kome Kuma was captured.  It is alleged that his elderberry blood brother felt aggrieved too exclaimed.  “If Kome Kuma had listened to me, he wouldn’t receive got been captured”.  The human face inwards Fante was Komeantse or Kormantse.
Earlier, they had stopped briefly at Biriwa, a line-fishing village, too thence to Yamoransa (Akatakyiwa inwards Nkusukum).  Where after a sojourn a few remnants were left behind, spell the mass of the people followed Nana Kome to the reason of Eguafo.
Nana Kome approached the manlike soul monarch of Eguafo, humbly requesting for a slice of reason to settle on.  He was told to assist the Eguafo to teach rid of a monster which disturbed them a lot.  Nana Kome’s gallant fighters took upwardly the challenge too got the monster killed.
Then Nana Kome too the manlike soul monarch of Eguafo drank fetish that henceforth the Akatakyi would occupy the reason betwixt Kankan (Dutch Komeda) too the oral fissure of the Pra River.  Up to the 2d one-half of the 18th century, the manlike soul monarch of Eguafo controlled the stretch of coast from the W banking venture of the Benya River to the estuary of the river Pra.  In those days, Jabi (Shama), Elmina, Abrem too Efutu were component division of the Eguafo state.
The flush is that the monster killed past times the gallant fighters was known every bit Ekyi, which gave them the novel cite AKATAKYI.  Finally they left for Mmaado where they build the Akatakyi State.  The chiefs spied the reason too so came to inform Nana Kome, where each wanted to stay, too were accordingly granted permission to build their diverse towns too villages.
TOWNSMIGRANT LEADERS RULING CLAN ANCESTRAL HOME

1.       Akatakyi               Nana Kome (Omanhin)                                 Abrade                 Takyiman

2.       Aboransa             Kweenu Amoa (Nifahin)                                               Abrade                 “

3.       Antardo               Ansah Pregow (                Antardohin)                       Abrade                 “

4.       Bisease                                 Kwedu too Aban (Kyidomhin)                   Abrade                 “

5.       Dominase            Kumi Kuma too Kwesi Ebeng                      Abrade                                 “

6.       Dompoa               Kobinko too Sumawuah (Benkumhin)   Abrade                 “

7.       Kokwaaso           Kwansan (Kokwaadohin)                              Abrade                 “

8.       Kwarhinkrom     Kwarhin (Twafohin)                                        Abrade                 “

9.       Kyiasik                  Ofiram (Kyiasihin)                                            Anona                   Tarkwa Dunkwa (Denkyira)

10.   Kissi                       Barima Kissi (Adontenhin)                            Abrutuw              Asankare Breman (Wassa)

11.   Ahwene               Amoakwa                                                            Kouna                   Wamaso
Komenda inwards the past times strongly determined to maintain their loyalty too allegiance to the British when so many invasions too attacks were made past times the Portuguese, Danes too the Dutch who were exploiting the W coast of Africa.
Thus, J. K. Fynn (1974) remarked that the political increment of Akatakyi from a theme marketplace marrow into an autonomous city-state was largely the resultant of the perpetual tension betwixt competition European trading companies which competed amid themselves for commercial supremacy on the Eguafo coast, Akatakyi inwards which the English linguistic communication fort stood became a fast growing town too enabled the Komeda chiefs to competition the Eguafo kings inwards importance too power. Thus the cite Komenda is derived from the cite of the towns founder Nana "Kome."
Anyway, it is believed that John Kabes was the boy of John Cabessa, who had been a prominent African official working for the British at Fort Amsterdam inwards the 1660s. The older Cabessa was nearly noted inwards British reports for committing suicide rather than move a captive spell the Dutch were attacking Fort Amsterdam.

 Dutch Fort Vredenburgh, Komenda

The flowering of the Atlantic merchandise inwards the seventeenth too eighteenth centuries caused many of the West African societies of the close hinterland to orient themselves increasingly toward the coast. This novel focus created novel geopolitical conformations. Given the nature of the stimulus, merchandise too politics went manus inwards manus too entrepreneurial mightiness could reap political rewards. These possibilities were greatest along the Gold Coast too inwards the Niger delta where the actual European presence was modest inwards relation to the extent of the trade
The metropolis of Komenda, component division of the Kingdom of Eguafo, had move a major merchandise port inwards the subsequently parts of the 17th century. The British too French wanted to teach a foothold inwards the port inwards society to intermission the Dutch monopoly over merchandise inwards the Gold Coast. The Dutch, inwards contrast exactly saw it every bit a secondary port to back upwardly its other operations inwards the area. In this situation, Cabess moved to Komenda inwards the 1670s to move with the British attempts to flora merchandise relationships inwards the port. The primary African merchant to the British inwards the port was a trader named Captain Bracon inwards the 1670s; however, past times 1686, Cabess had taken over this position.
By the 1680s, Cabess had established himself every bit a key merchant inwards Komenda. Henige speculates that Cabess came to Komenda betwixt 1683 too 1685.A British trader emphasized his command over merchandise too relations inwards the port past times exclaiming that without Cabess inwards Komenda "nothing volition live done." At this point, he provided shells, food, too manpower for fort too manufactory structure past times the Royal African Company inwards Komenda too elsewhere along the coast. Eventually, Cabess became a major slave trader out of the port of Komenda supplying thousands of slaves on a continual basis.
His refusal to merchandise with the Dutch significantly slowed their mightiness to build facilities too when the French took an involvement inwards developing a manufactory at Komenda they offered Cabess a pregnant total of golden to assist them inwards the projection (a bargain which was never finalized). Cabess had pregnant negotiating leverage inwards his human relationship with the British which sometimes resulted inwards tense relations. In 1687, tensions betwixt Cabess too the Royal African Company instance inwards the fort, William Cross, resulted inwards Cross beingness forcibly removed from the post. Similar situations occurred inwards 1698 too 1714, both times with the British instance beingness replaced at the asking of Cabess.
In 1688, Cabess was panyarred past times the Dutch, a practise mutual inwards the surface area where merchants too traders would live captured past times other merchant forces too their goods would live taken. The British merchants secured Cabess' unloose too according to some accounts this is what precipitated his assault on Dutch miners inwards 1694 which started the Komenda Wars. In 1690 during a state of war betwixt the Dutch too French trading companies, the British manufactory was burnt downward too they left the area. Cabess thence began supplying goods too manpower to the Dutch.
During the Komenda Wars (1694-1700), Cabess provided crucial assistance to the British seat too actively supported their render to Komenda. In 1694 too 1695, Cabess attacked the Dutch fort on multiple occasions too during negotiations with the Dutch commander, Willem Bosman, the Dutch commander attempted to shoot Cabess but missed.With the destination of the wars after 1700 too the rising of the Ashanti Empire inwards merchandise along the coast, Cabess became a crucial middleman inwards the port city. British traders complained that Cabess would preclude traders from straight entering Komenda too instead intercept them exterior of the metropolis trading for their goods too so charging a higher charge per unit of measurement to the British, spell keeping some of the best goods for himself. Cabess so became a monopsonist too monopolist able to contend contacts with multiple sellers too multiple buyers but keeping them from straight contacting each other too thus centralizing buying too selling inside his control.
The economical seat of Cabess brought him into conflict with the British inwards the early on 1700s with him too the British commander at the fort, Dalby Thomas, becoming quite hostile to 1 some other past times 1705. However, although he traded with the Dutch, he remained a pregnant British ally for the relaxation of his life too the tension chop-chop decreased. This economical seat also innovate rivalries with other African powers: a serial of hostile activities betwixt Twifo too Cabess inwards 1714 required the adjudication of Ashanti diplomats.
Economic importance translated into increasing political importance too Cabess became the virtual leader of Komenda, which began to live less a subordinate to the metropolis of Eguafo too gradually became an equal. In addition, Cabess begun owning pregnant reason exactly about Komenda that he straight controlled. Originally, he controlled a few huts exactly about the British fort, but past times 1714 this included a sizable area. At the fourth dimension of his death, he largely held sovereign mightiness along the coast too had move the owner of his ain stool (a symbol of leadership alongside the Akan people) which would subsequently live passed to his descendents.
Cabess died inwards June 1722 inwards Komenda. The British too Dutch feared a large succession struggle past times the many heirs of Cabess. The RAC administrators dispatched an officeholder to provide gifts to those members nearly probable to convey the house of Cabess. His trunk was buried at the British fort inwards Komenda after a world viewing of his body. His boy Ahenaqua took over much of the merchandise too political mightiness of Cabess, without a recorded succession struggle, too until the chiefs at Cape Coast became predominant over Komenda inwards the mid-1700s,[6] the main official at Komenda, the Caboceer, governed on what was known every bit "the stool of the belatedly John Cabess."
Source:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Cabess

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