Military Strategy
The Anl?-E?e were great and brave warriors in their day noted for their valour. They triumphed over great odds and difficulties despite endless circumstances of internal and external aggression. The Anl? army consisted of the entire effective male population and an elite female battalion. It was the dream of every man of Anl?-E?e to die on active service to the fatherland rather than perish by natural causes. Death on the battlefield was regarded as the most honourable civic achievement of any Anl?-E?e citizen.
The principal war god of the Anl? is known as T?gbiNyigbla. The Anl? army, led by the A?adada, or the supreme commander, launches an offensive using three wings. The A?adada is the Fiagã of the Dome or Centre Wing. The ?ushifia is the Fiagã of the ?ushi or Right Wing. The Miafia is the Fiagã of the Mia or Left Wing. Anl? Warrior-Kings were always installed on battlefields.
All three Kings traditionally resided in Anl?ga. This allowed the Aw?mefiã, as the Anl? King of Kings, or Supreme Head of State, to call upon them conveniently should the need for this arise. The war stool, arsenal and food supplies are kept in Atsifoame, where the A?adada traditionally resides with the A?adzikp?lawo/Council of Military Intelligence. The Atsifoame also serves as a reservist war camp and provides reinforcement and military supplies for all the three wings.
In the event of war, the warning signal is the distribution of corn seeds to all allies through their group captains. The number of corn seeds allocated to an ally is indicative of the time preparation and the day for the offensive. Everyday each allied war captain puts by a corn-seed and on the final day, with only one seed left, the militia moves out accordingly to plan, on the offensive.
It is custom for the Woe division to trigger off the first bullet, followed by the Lashibi or Akl?b?wo division and finally with the Ad?tri attacking the enemy from their privileged central position, to announce the commencement of hostilities.
A number of sophisticated rituals and ceremonies are held in shrines by the Chief fetish-priest and the A?adada to purify and render all warriors bullet-proof to western guns, swords, spears, bows and arrows. The ritual ceremony was also a way of determining those fit for the battlefield. Military strategy and exploits are closely-guarded state secrets. Therefore, the Agave-clan of Anl? are exclusively entrusted with the sacred mysteries of the Anl? State military.
T?ng? Dzokoto II’s return to Anl? in 1889 and a visit to Christianborg Castle in Osu, Accra.
King T?ng?Dzokoto II served as Dufia, or City Ruler, of Anyako and Miafiagã of the Anl? State between 1873-1911, after succeeding General T?ng?Dzokoto I, who previously served in the same capacity from 1825-1866.
General Dzokoto I had notably led the successful Datsutagba war effort and the siege of the Keta Fort in 1865 –1866 for which he was awarded by the Omanhene of Akwamu, Nana Akoto for his valour.
King T?ng?Dzokoto II famously “disappeared into thin-air” after an assassination attempt by the Keta-based British forces, leaving just a cloth behind, which was presented to Queen Victoria for a museum showpiece. After the burning of Alakple, Kodzi, Fiawu and Dudu by the British, King T?ng?Dzokoto II was exiled in ??tsie with his battalion, together with members of his Ye?e secret society, for almost a decade.
He later voyaged to the German-administered Lomé,then referred to as Bey Beach, and petitioned the elders of Avedotui land for territory. He chose a site near Gafe. The elders named T?ng?Dzokoto II's settlement T?ng?Kpedzi at Gafe,Togo to honour him.
T?ng? Dzokoto II took this opportunity to reorganise his battalion, posting AdabragaPreku and his regiment at Tsikalekope, at the main entrance of the settlement. T?nge settled Kpogo and his battalion at Anyro to ward off enemies from the Adzanju end. He then embarked on visits to Assahoun and Tsevie to develop relations with other Anl?'s settled there and in other parts of Togoland.
T?ng? was introduced to the German Governor-Resident in Lomé, then referred to as Bey Beach, and received the full support and patronage of the German Government. T?ng?Dzokoto II was initially pro-German and favoured Otto von Bismarck’s foreign policy of non-interference in Anl? Affairs. Until the Berlin Conference of 1884-85, Bismarck was disinterested in Africa, yet felt it necessary to colonise Togo in response to British Aggression. Representatives of the German Government later visited T?ng?’s settlement regularly from Lomé, especially over the weekends.
United by a common enemy, the Germans found in T?ng? a faithful ally and built for him in his settlement a military training depot with a horse-stable. The British at Keta and Cape Coast heard of T?ng?’s rearmament and growing influence and, in their view, the dangerous Anl?-German alliance he had established. They regarded this as a direct threat to their sphere of influence within the Gold Coast.
The British lured a few Anl? Chiefs with bribes and presents, and they in turn, provided their embassy with information about T?ng?’s Bate clansmen: James Ocloo I and William Henry KlutseKobla Chapman, a former District Commissioner of Keta, later travelled to Togoland to meet T?ng? at his settlement. He assured T?ng?Dzokoto II that the motive behind the ardent request for his presence in Anl? was not sinister but complimentary. T?ng?Dzokoto II was needed to lead an Anl? delegation to Accra to sign a treaty of peace and friendship with the British who were now supposedly desirous to help the Anl?s become a great nation. James Ocloo remained behind at T?ng?Kpedzi to deal with any mails and other confidential matters relating to T?ng?Dzokoto II.
W. H. K. Chapman cautioned T?ng? not to ride triumphantly with pomp and pageantry but to ride in unannounced as the official guest of the British Government. He was to be lodged at the Keta Fort and board a vessel from the Keta Beach to Accra, to lead a delegation of senior Anl? statesmen.
On reaching Kedzi, the news had spread and all Anl? flocked to welcome their idol and great hero. T?ng? was forced to address the gathering.
King T?ng?Dzokoto II was brief as brevity is the soul of wit - “I have denounced all wars and hostilities against the British. Everyone must return to his base camp. I am bound for Accra and shall return unharmed shortly”.
King T?ng?Dzokoto II sailed for Accra with Chapman, Fomenya, Kwasi Ahiakonu and District Commissioner Mr. Obrien was in escort.A report was made to the Governor that King T?ng?Dzokoto II had arrived at the Castle. The Governor ordered that T?ng? should be locked in the cell. No sooner had the officer-in-escort locked the door of the cell before he came to find T?ng? seated outside of the cell with is snuff-box in his hand, in his typically composed manner, one leg over the other, stroking his beard. T?ng? Dzokoto II was thrice locked up in the cell but thrice came out.
T?ng?Dzokoto II and the Anl? leaders were graciously received into the Official Residence at Government House, Osu. After some days of relaxation and round-table diplomatic activity, a conference was convened.
T?ng? led the Anl? delegation during the peace talks. The British regretted and apologised for all the blunders of the past, on both sides, and referred to the past as a trial of strength between two brave fighting cocks. They heaped encomiums upon T?ng? and assured him that he was the greatest warrior they had met among the Anl?s. T?ng? at that meeting was declared paramount ruler from Volta estuary down to Ave Afiadenyigba. The British offered to build for T?ng?Dzokoto II a royal palace from the ruins of buildings they had destroyed at Anyako.
He was recognised as the Supreme Ruler in Anl? with authority to adjudicate in all matters civil and criminal within the State. T?ng?Dzokoto thanked the British Government and replied - “your hospitality to me and to my team has been wonderful. I am deeply grateful for your fund of goodwill and for your recognition of me as paramount ruler of the Anl?s”. The Awomefia (Paramount Chief of Anl?) delegation discussed and agreed to the peace terms.
After 21 days at the Castle, the British Governor ordered that an escort of 50 soldiers and carriers be laid on to escort T?ng? and the Anl? deputation back home. T?ng? was carried in hammock all the way by the beach through Anloga to Anyako. The T?ng? party was seen off with 21 Kegs of gunpowder, 21 cases of stork gin and 21 rifles. The journey took 7 days. On reaching Anl?ga, a great durbar of Royals and people were held at the insistence of the British Government to welcome T?ng? back home. The British handed T?ng? over to the Anlo’s and, in the report of proceedings at Accra, mentioned T?ng? is now the supreme traditional ruler.The peace terms were then read over to the Anl?s.
After the durbar, amid the firing of musketry, T?ng? was given a hero’s welcome and escorted from Anl?ga to Keta down to the full length of his journey back home to Anyako across the Keta Lagoon. At the Keta lagoon crossing too, T?ng? gave a display of supernatural powers. The convoy successfully reached Anyako and slept. Next morning after serving the convoy with a meal and rum, T?ng? bade them farewell. On his return to Anyako, T?ng? erected a three-storey block with a court attached. The building was his residence, his Courthouse and his guesthouse. It was the first of its kind in Anl? history
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