Osei Bonsu

In Akan, Bonsu means whale (the largest and most powerful "fish" in the sea), and is symbolic of his achievement of extending the Ashanti Empire to the coast.

Early in his reign, the king suppressed a rebellion in the North-West provinces that was carried out by Muslim subjects who wanted to restore Osei Kwame Panyin to office possibly because the former Asantehene was pro-Muslim.

[18] An Annal was written in Arabic by Muhammad al-Mustafa from Gonja on the history of the ruling Oyoko dynasty, sponsored by Bonsu during his reign.

In the early 19th century, Osei Bonsu began the construction of the Aban Palace funded by the public treasury.

He also had laborers construct a wide straight street from the city of Kumasi to the village of Breman on the Mampong road.

Muller also explains that Bonsu sent his children to the school as a sign of respect to the Muslim community and not to acknowledge the growth of Islam in the state.

[28] British primary sources in the early 19th century referred to an "Arab medical staff" whose services were employed in Ashanti army by Osei Bonsu.

He explains that a relative of a tributary Asen chief called Aputai was charged for grave robbery after they were sued by the victim.

[33] McCaskie on the other hand writes that the Fante states provided refuge for three rebellious Ashanti subjects from Asen in the late 1790s.

The Asantehene clarified, as stated by McCaskie, that he "had no quarrel with the Europeans but only attacked Anomabo fort because it sheltered his enemies and his rebel subjects".

As listed by historian Irwin, between 1816 and 1820 the Ashanti court received Willem Huydecoper (in 1816), Frederick James and Thomas Edward Bowdich with William Hutchinson and Henry Tedlie (in 1817), as well as Joseph Dupuis and William Hutton with Francis Collins, Benjamin Salmon, and David Mill Graves (in 1820).

As noted by Joseph Dupuis in 1820, this was a period of peace and stability with ambassadors visiting Osei Bonsu at Kumasi from "Abomey, (circa 1802[d] ), Salgha and Yendy" bearing honourable presents and congratulatory messages to the king.