Mamprusi people
Encyclopedia
The Mamprusi or Mamprussi are an ethnic group of northern Ghana
and Togo
. There are some 450,000 living in Ghana, and approximately 11,000 in Togo. In Ghana, the Mamprusis live mainly in Nalerigu and Gambaga in the northwest of the Northern Region but also inhabit parts of the Upper East Region
.
The Mamprusi kingdom was found around the 12 century by the Great Naa Gbanwah/Gbewah at Pusiga, a village 14 km from Bawku. The Kingdom spawns most of the Northern and the Upper East Regions of Ghana, and into the West African Nation of Burkina Faso.As a consequence, the King of Moshie to this day is enskinned by the Nayiri--the king of Mamprugu. Thus, establishing this kingdom as the pre-eminent of its kind, and the only kingdom in present day Ghana whose relevance and authority cuts across National boundaries on the weight of its humble supremacy.
The name of the kingdom is Mamprugu, the ethnicity is Mamprusi, and the language is Mampruli.
Mamprusis revere the hallowed grounds of Bawku as their ancestral home, their origin. That is why Naa Gbewah's tomb in Pusiga, is a shrine of repute to this day. It is believed that his disappearance was subteraneal, one of the marvels of Northern Ghana, and Many ethinicities hold to agree with this uncommon historical account. It was after his death that his children moved farther afield and found other kingdoms, namely: Dagbon and Namum.
Note that the name Naa Gbanwah and Gbewah can be used interchangeably, the difference being that mamprusis refer to him as gbanwah and dagombas refer to him as gbewah. It is just a difference in pronunciations.
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
and Togo
Togo
Togo, officially the Togolese Republic , is a country in West Africa bordered by Ghana to the west, Benin to the east and Burkina Faso to the north. It extends south to the Gulf of Guinea, on which the capital Lomé is located. Togo covers an area of approximately with a population of approximately...
. There are some 450,000 living in Ghana, and approximately 11,000 in Togo. In Ghana, the Mamprusis live mainly in Nalerigu and Gambaga in the northwest of the Northern Region but also inhabit parts of the Upper East Region
Upper East Region
The Upper East Region is the smallest of 10 administrative regions in Ghana, occupying a total land surface of 8,842 square kilometers or 2.7 per cent of the total land area of Ghana. In terms of population, it is the ninth most populated region with a population of 920,089 in 2000, accounting for...
.
The Mamprusi kingdom was found around the 12 century by the Great Naa Gbanwah/Gbewah at Pusiga, a village 14 km from Bawku. The Kingdom spawns most of the Northern and the Upper East Regions of Ghana, and into the West African Nation of Burkina Faso.As a consequence, the King of Moshie to this day is enskinned by the Nayiri--the king of Mamprugu. Thus, establishing this kingdom as the pre-eminent of its kind, and the only kingdom in present day Ghana whose relevance and authority cuts across National boundaries on the weight of its humble supremacy.
The name of the kingdom is Mamprugu, the ethnicity is Mamprusi, and the language is Mampruli.
Mamprusis revere the hallowed grounds of Bawku as their ancestral home, their origin. That is why Naa Gbewah's tomb in Pusiga, is a shrine of repute to this day. It is believed that his disappearance was subteraneal, one of the marvels of Northern Ghana, and Many ethinicities hold to agree with this uncommon historical account. It was after his death that his children moved farther afield and found other kingdoms, namely: Dagbon and Namum.
Note that the name Naa Gbanwah and Gbewah can be used interchangeably, the difference being that mamprusis refer to him as gbanwah and dagombas refer to him as gbewah. It is just a difference in pronunciations.