Chieftaincy in Builsa, 1900-1957

Abstract

The study explores the role of British colonial rule in shaping chieftaincy institutions in Builsa. The Builsa people occupy the western end of the Upper East Region of Ghana. They were annexed into the British colonial system in 1902 by Major Morris’ led expedition to the Northern Territories. The socio-political aspects of their society particularly chieftaincy institutions experienced significant changes under British rule on the Gold Coast. Before the advancement of the British to the area, all the Builsa villages and towns were politically independent and autonomous from one another headed by clan heads and chiefs respectively. There was no supreme ruler who commanded control over the entire territory until the 1911 Armitage’s political integrations of states in the Northern Territories, which facilitated colonial administration of the vast lands of the north. This scheme created Sandema as the paramountcy and its chiefs as overlords of the entire Builsa up to the present. This calls for scientific research to address the question, how far did British colonial rule shape the institution of chieftaincy among the Builsa people? In addressing this question, a qualitative research approach was adopted with a content analysis strategy for the examination of the text data gathered. In addition, the researcher conducted interviews with knowledgeable persons about the evolution of chieftaincy in Builsa under British rule to complement the archival and secondary sources. Based on the evaluation of the data, the findings conclude that British colonial policies strengthened the institution of chieftaincy in Builsa and bestowed more power and authority on the Builsa chiefs. The study further argues that British rule served as a magnetic force that pulled together the dispersedly Builsa villages and towns into a unified powerful state. This growth of unity and power made the Builsa paramountcy later challenged the supremacy of Mamprugu over the Builsa territory and completely regained its independence from the Nayiri colonial-backed domination in 1933.