kingdom · West Africa

Ga kingdom

1500 CE – 1681 CE (approx.) · capital Ayawaso

Kingdom of the Ga people around present-day Accra, which controlled coastal trade until conquered by Akwamu.

Origins

Ga-speaking communities settled the Accra plains by the 15th century, and a kingdom formed with its capital at Ayawaso, inland from the coast, which Europeans called Great Accra. The coastal town of Small Accra became a market for Portuguese, Dutch, English, Danish and Swedish traders.

Rule and society

The Ga king, the Mantse, ruled with priests of the Ga gods and town quarters. The kingdom controlled trade between the coast and the inland forest, supplying gold and slaves and buying cloth and metal goods. European companies built forts at Accra in the 17th century: the Dutch Fort Crevecoeur, the English James Fort and the Danish Christiansborg.

Decline and legacy

The rising Akwamu state attacked the Ga, destroyed Ayawaso in 1677 and completed its conquest by 1681. The Ga regrouped in the coastal towns, which grew into the city of Accra, capital of independent Ghana.

Connections (1)

  • Ga kingdom was conquered by Akwamu1681 CE

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Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Ga kingdom. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/ga-kingdom
MLA
“Ga kingdom.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/ga-kingdom. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Ga kingdom.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/ga-kingdom.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Ga kingdom’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/ga-kingdom (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻