The Kwadwoan Revolution fostered during the reign of Asantehene Osei Kwadwo which led to the growth of meritocracy in the Ashanti Empire.
He also improved relations with the Kingdom of Dahomey through an exchange of diplomatic missions.The Asantehene died in 1777, having announced Opoku Kwame as his successor before death.
[2] Kwadwo came into power around 1764 as replacement of Kusi Obodum whose removal was influenced by Ashanti's defeat against Oyo and Dahomey that year, as well as the loss of the Dwaben-hene in the conflict.
Huydecooper recorded from Elmina stating; "the drunkard Kusie", who had long ruled Ashanti, and as a result of whose cowardly attitude the trading paths had been closed for so long, "has now been kicked out of government and has been succeeded by a courageous youngman, Zai (Osei), who would most certainly follow the footsteps of the late king Poku"...The Kwadwoan Revolution occurred under Osei Kwadwo which was a period of bureaucratic reforms by the Asantehene.
[4][5] Authority was no longer obtained based on predetermined status as Thomas Edward Bowdich wrote in 1821 that "the aristocracy in Ashantee until Sai Cudjo's [Osei Kwadwo] time, always acquired this dignity by inheritance only.
[6] During his reign, Osei Kwadwo formed the office of the Akwanmofohene, which translates as "chief inspector of the nuisances and path cleaners."
[12] Describing the authority of Ashanti's resident commissioners on the coast in 1817, Bowdich attributes the development of the institution to Asantehene Osei Kwadwo, stating; "it was a law of Sai Cudjo...which granted to particular captains the honourable patent of receiving the pay of small forts, distinctly, each being responsible for his separate duties to his settlement.
A Dutch report in 1758 documented a reigning Asantehemaa called "Akjaaba" in the source but recognized as Akyaama by modern historians.
Historians such as McCasackie have argued that before Konadu Yaadom was enstooled as Asantehemaa, the reigning queen was Akyaama who was removed from office in 1770 following her conflict with Asantehene Osei Kwadwo from the 1760s.
[16] Amid civil disorders in Dagbon, Osei Kwadwo sent a force under Kwaaten Pete to reoccupy and arrest the Ya-na Abdallah Gariba around 1772.
This comes from the source Ta'rikh Daghabawi, where the author notes the arrest of the Ya Na and he writes that "his sons ransomed him for a thousand slaves.
Scholar Ward writes about Osei Kwadwo's conquest of Dagbon as he coerced the Ya Na to pay tribute of a thousand slaves, cows, sheep and fowls.
[19] During the reign of Kusi Obodom, an alliance was formed among the coastal states including Akyem, Wassa, Denkyira, Twifo and Fante.
Two invasion scares by Ashanti occurred in 1767 when the Fante almost consented aid for an Akyem rebellion, and when they executed a messenger belonging to a relative of Osei Kwadwo.
[27] Between July 1773 until news reached of his death at Cape Coast Castle in 1778, Osei Kwadwo maintained calm relations with the Fante according to historian Margaret Priestly.
[28] After Dahomean King Kpengla came into power in the late 18th century, he sent an embassy with gifts to Kumasi to improve the relations between the two states.
Historian Wilks hypothesizes that it was through these exchange of missions between the two leaders that the Togo hills was affirmed as a neutral zone between Ashanti and Dahomey.