Peki

Peki was first visited by Portuguese traders who sailed along the Gulf coast later named the Gold Coast when these forest inhabitants supplied hides, honey, ivory and later cotton and palm kernel.

Kwadzo Dei Tutu Yao II invited Reverend Lorenz Wulf of the North German Missionary Society to Peki. Wulf arrived on November 14, 1847, a date which is celebrated for the foundation of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Ghana. In 1848 he founded a school.[4] Wulf provided a description of Peki:[5]

The town consisted of three places. When I passed the first one (Dzake), it was the most beautiful African village I had ever seen, clean houses and a line of trees on both sides of the broad street. People shouted with joy and accompanied me in the hundreds. The same happened to me at the second place (Avetile).

The population of Peki is composed predominantly of three sets of inhabitants. The first being a collection off gatherers, iron smelters, hunters and harvesters mainly autochthonous elements who bear the name Peki and occupied that forest grove located between two mountains ranges called Eyeto (sun mountain) and Akpato (fish mountain). This group forms and bears the name Peki and resided in caves and other fortresses within the area to be called Akwapim-Togo ranges. The ranges lying just about 80 miles North East of Accra and was accessed by few day's journey. The second group, in fact, most predominant segment of the population were Ewe migrants who claimed to have arrived from Glime or Notsie in present-day Togo. Their story was that they suffered under a wicked ruler called Agorkorli.[6] These elements were on reconnaissance for their lost relations who deserted their fold when they migrated from Glime. The group formed part of the Gbe or Gbi segment of Ewe division. The lost elements were identified as the Gbeses of present-day Ga population in the capital city of Accra. The third group was mostly war survivors, fugitives, and renegade elements from other kingdoms like Akwamu, Akwapim, Asante, Dahomey, Kwahu and Denkyira. These elements introduced warfare, mercenary economy and brutality to the first and second groups who were mostly gatherers, iron smelters and farmers. These final elements organized the state to engage other adjacent states. Some of them worked to destabilize their home societies in brutal warfare in the 18th and 19th centuries.

The first autochthon elements speak a language today classified in Ghana as of Guan extract. Due to sparse numbers, friendly disposition and ability to learn, they learn the languages of arriving migrants quickly. Today, except for a few words, this language is extinct. The migrants who arrived with the language of the Kwara region of Adja Ewe quickly spread their dialect, and their language was adopted by Peki. The third group arrived with languages of other Guan, Kyerepong and Ga extracts. There were also minority communities residing on top of Akwapim-Togo ranges who joined the population of Peki with several mixes of languages. They sought refuge in the mountain ranges from other marauding tribes west of the Firao, or Amu also known as the Volta river. There were others with linguistic traits of Akan dialects. These combinations merged to create a type of Ewe language unknown within the region.

Krepi or Creppe is a Danish corruption of the actual name, Peki. Peki's political and military influence in the region resulted in the area referred to as Krepi by various European powers in the region.[7]

There is always a contest about the communities that formed Peki. European explorers first classified all communities east of the Volta as Peki or Krepi/Krepe. This was later reduced to inland Ewe communities. The dominant role played by Peki over other Ewe and non-Ewe groups stretching into present day Togo however set Peki aside within the Volta until the first decade of the 20th century. The following communities and towns signed formal treaties as part of the Peki State and recognized Kwadzo Dei the King of Krepi as their lord in 1880; Boso, Awudome, Anum, Betekwase (Peki Wudome), (Peki Avetile), Tsito, Toseng, Kpalime, Abutia, Tonkor, Sokodei, Dzake, Adzokoe, Tsame, Tsate, Afefieve, Ziavi, Kwanta, Tsibu, Agovi, Siripo, Saviefe, Dadome, Atsoi, Valeme, Nyangbo, Kpandu, Dzibi, Nkonya, Adaklu, Goekpe, Waya, Madse, Avatime, Tanyigbe, Have, Dzolo, Kpedze, Taviefe, Todzikofe, Kpetoe, Ziokpe, Nyetoi, Agotime, Buem, and Nkabi (Nkawkubio). By the beginning of the 20th century, and after annulment of Asante-Akwamu hegemony in the area, these satellite towns who first sought protection of Peki began to assert their independence. Peki was there reduced to Metropolitan Peki composed of Blengo (capital; and residence of Kwadzo Dei the king of Peki), Anum, Boso, Avetile, Dzake, Tsame, Aƒeviwoƒe, Dzogbati, Seremase, Adzokoe, Anyirawase, Tsito, Aveŋui, Kwanta, Tsibu, Bame, Kpalime, Ɖoɖi, Toseng, Tonkor, Tsate, Kayera, Nkwakubio, To and Ʋegbe. Metropolitan Peki is now the only officially recognized Peki State presently with its administrative District Capital at Kpeve.

Until the arrival of European on the Gold Coast, Kwadzo Dei the King of Peki administered the entire region. They kept close ties with their kith and kins; Gbeses at the Coast. From the Danish forts, Peki traded with the Europeans offering palm oil, kernel oil, ivory, hides, honey and cotton. Europeans brought fabrics, guns and gunpowder and drinks. Peki is located at the confluence of two major trading routes; Salaga to Christianborg Castle at Osu and Agou-Kpalime route to Fort Prinzenstein in Keta. The Pekis although not directly involved with trade taxed merchants plying these routes and also offered protection and security on the routes. Tax collected from merchants was invested in ammunitions and manufacturing of gunpowder essential commodities which Kwadzo Dei controlled within the region. Adequately armed, the state engaged in warfare against any rising state capable of been a threat to Peki. There were military engagements between Asante/Akwamu/Anlo forces against Peki in 1869–72. Danish traders who were operating at the coast sought protection of their wares from Peki and in turn rewarded Kwadzo Dei handsomely with sophisticated weaponry from Europe. In 1850, the Danes devised their interest in the Gold Coast to the British. Peki was specifically visited by Governors Winniet and Carstentein and the town was shown as one of the properties in exchange. After the transaction, the British were unable to impact Peki as the British did not have adequate resources. Kwadzo Dei thus remained an independent King for over thirty years until the scramble for Africa in mid-1885. By extension, Kwadzo Dei ruled over Krepi; areas deep into present day Togo singularly until the turn of the 20th century.

In 1826, Peki led a contingent under Akoto of Akwamu in the Akatamanso/Katamanso[8] battle of Dodowa; a battle that broke the back of Kumasi and erased Asante's invincibility within the region. In spite of constant battles, there were trade and cultural exchanges among all these societies. Wars are declared by rulers. When Peki was first visited by Danish traders at the close of the 17th century, the society was seen as engaging in farming for most part of the year while spending the rest on mercenary warfare.

• Peki Government Hospital[10]
• Peki College of Education[11]
• Peki Senior High School[12]

• Ephraim Amu Pan Africanist, musicologist and educator
• Esther Afua Ocloo Industrialist and pioneer of microlending.[13]
• Gilbert Ansre Linguist, Bible translation expert, academic and priest.

• Macdonald, G (1858) The Gold Coast, past and present: a short description of the country and its people. Pages 235–261