Krepi states in the eighteenth and the nineteenth centuries

There has been a great deal of uncertainty as regards the delimitation of the area known as Krepied, Krepee or Crepee. In the present article it refers to the Ewes who settled in the central part of the present-day Volta Region of Ghana. The Ewe migrated from Notsie in groups consisting of lineages led by religious leaders, probably in the mid-17th century. On arriving at their present home, these lineages developed into traditional units or ‘dukowo’, independent small States. They developed kingship institutions, borrowed from their neighbours, particularly the Akan. However, they never formed a single political unit but remained a loose collection of small political States. By 1700 there were about 120 such small independent units. The alliances formed by the Krepi States during the Asante-Akwamu invasions of 1707-1833 broke up once peace was restored. In 1850 Krepi became part of the British Protectorate. In line with the British colonial policy of indirect rule all Krepi States were made to sign an agreement in 1886 recognizing Kwadzo Dei, chief of Peki, as ‘head chief’. However, Kwadzo Dei’s position as paramount chief over other Krepi States was short-lived. In 1890, Krepiland was partitioned between Britain and Germany. A sizeable part of Kwadzo Dei’s confederacy was ceded to Germany, deepening Ewe fragmentation. Notes, ref. [ASC Leiden abstract]