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.
Description:
A Thesis in the Department of History Education, Faculty of Social Sciences, submitted to the School of Graduate Studies in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of the Degree of Master of Philosophy (History Education)
in the University of Education, Winneba
NOVEMBER 2022