Kpana Lewis
Encyclopedia
Kpana Lewis was a Sherbro
chief
from Sierra Leone
and an opponent of colonial rule of the British
. He exercised strong influence over all Sherbro chiefs. Part of his fame rested in his pervasive use of the Poro Secret society to oppose the British colonialists. He was considered so powerful that, while Bai Bureh
was allowed to return from exile
after the 1898 Rebellion
, Kpana Lewis continued to be held in exile in the Gold Coast
(now Ghana
), where he died in 1912.
in the Southern Province
of Sierra Leone to a political dominant Sherbro family. His grandfather, Bai Kong Kuba Lewis was the most dominant king among all of the Sherbro people. Kong Kuba Lewis signed a treaty
ceding Sherbro country to the British in 1825, but the British did not exercise any direct authority over the Sherbros until the end of the century. Kpana Lewis assumed the leadership of the Sherbro people in 1879, after his father died. As a leader, Kpana Lewis was able to bring quite a few of the county back under the authority of the Sherbro. This he did by using the enormous power of the Poro Secret Society, of which he was a leading member. Poro is reported to have spread into the interior of Sierra Leone from Yoni on Sherbro Island, which was the capital of the Sherbro Kingdom and where Kpana Lewis resided. He thus came to restore something of the old glory of the Kong Kuba, and to regain authority over former mainland provinces of the once powerful Sherbro Kingdom.
When the British proclaimed a Protectorate in 1896, many of the terms of the Protectorate Ordinance were distasteful to the local rulers. Above all was the Hut Tax. Kpana Lewis was one of the few leaders who actually led a group of chiefs to the capital Freetown
to protest against the tax. While the British Governor informed him that the Sherbro in the Colony was unaffected by the tax, Kpana Lewis did not sit back and leave the other rulers to continue protesting alone because his own territory was not involved. On his return to Yoni, Kpana Lewis used the Poro to give force to his disgust with the colonial measures.
When the Hut Tax War of 1898
rebellion
broke out, led by Temne war-chief Bai Bureh
, nothing could convince the District Commissioner that Kpana Lewis was not the brain behind the resistance. Even though the British had no evidence connecting Kpana Lewis with the Rebellion, he was detained as a suspect and was subsequently sent into exile in the Gold Coast
along with Bai Bureh and the Mende
chief Nyagua
. The British then installed their own man, Fama Yani, as the leader of the Sherbro people. Fearing that if Kpana Lewis returned, his presence would lead to the overthrow of Fama Yani, the British refused to allow his return, thought Bai Bureh was ultimately brought back to Sierra Leone. Despite protests by Kpana Lewis' son, called Kong Kuba, and of intervention by the Anti-Slavery Society in London, the British Government held him in the Gold Coast where he died after more than a decade in exile.
Sherbro people
The Sherbro people are a native people of Sierra Leone, who speak the Sherbro language; they make up 3% of Sierra Leone's population or about 201,000. They are also known as the Bullom people...
chief
Tribal chief
A tribal chief is the leader of a tribal society or chiefdom. Tribal societies with social stratification under a single leader emerged in the Neolithic period out of earlier tribal structures with little stratification, and they remained prevalent throughout the Iron Age.In the case of ...
from Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone , officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of and has an estimated population between 5.4 and 6.4...
and an opponent of colonial rule of the British
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
. He exercised strong influence over all Sherbro chiefs. Part of his fame rested in his pervasive use of the Poro Secret society to oppose the British colonialists. He was considered so powerful that, while Bai Bureh
Bai Bureh
Bai Bureh was a Sierra Leonean ruler and military strategist who led the Temne and Loko uprising against British rule in 1898 in Northern Sierra Leone.-Early life:...
was allowed to return from exile
Exile
Exile means to be away from one's home , while either being explicitly refused permission to return and/or being threatened with imprisonment or death upon return...
after the 1898 Rebellion
Rebellion
Rebellion, uprising or insurrection, is a refusal of obedience or order. It may, therefore, be seen as encompassing a range of behaviors aimed at destroying or replacing an established authority such as a government or a head of state...
, Kpana Lewis continued to be held in exile in the Gold Coast
Gold Coast (region)
The Gold Coast was the region of West Africa which is now the nation of Ghana. Early uses of the term refer literally to the coast and not the interior. It was not until the 19th century that the term came to refer to areas that are far from the coast...
(now Ghana
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...
), where he died in 1912.
Early life and leadership
Kpana Lewis was born in 1830 in Sherbro IslandSherbro Island
Sherbro Island, is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, located in Bonthe District off the Southern Province of Sierra Leone. The Sherbro make up by far the largest ethnic group in the island....
in the Southern Province
Southern Province, Sierra Leone
The Southern Province is one of three provinces of Sierra Leone. It covers an area of 19,694 km² and has a population of 1,377,067 . It consists of four districts . Its capital and administrative center is Bo, which is also the second largest and second most populated city in Sierra Leone...
of Sierra Leone to a political dominant Sherbro family. His grandfather, Bai Kong Kuba Lewis was the most dominant king among all of the Sherbro people. Kong Kuba Lewis signed a treaty
Treaty
A treaty is an express agreement under international law entered into by actors in international law, namely sovereign states and international organizations. A treaty may also be known as an agreement, protocol, covenant, convention or exchange of letters, among other terms...
ceding Sherbro country to the British in 1825, but the British did not exercise any direct authority over the Sherbros until the end of the century. Kpana Lewis assumed the leadership of the Sherbro people in 1879, after his father died. As a leader, Kpana Lewis was able to bring quite a few of the county back under the authority of the Sherbro. This he did by using the enormous power of the Poro Secret Society, of which he was a leading member. Poro is reported to have spread into the interior of Sierra Leone from Yoni on Sherbro Island, which was the capital of the Sherbro Kingdom and where Kpana Lewis resided. He thus came to restore something of the old glory of the Kong Kuba, and to regain authority over former mainland provinces of the once powerful Sherbro Kingdom.
When the British proclaimed a Protectorate in 1896, many of the terms of the Protectorate Ordinance were distasteful to the local rulers. Above all was the Hut Tax. Kpana Lewis was one of the few leaders who actually led a group of chiefs to the capital Freetown
Freetown
Freetown is the capital and largest city of Sierra Leone, a country in West Africa. It is a major port city on the Atlantic Ocean located in the Western Area of the country, and had a city proper population of 772,873 at the 2004 census. The city is the economic, financial, and cultural center of...
to protest against the tax. While the British Governor informed him that the Sherbro in the Colony was unaffected by the tax, Kpana Lewis did not sit back and leave the other rulers to continue protesting alone because his own territory was not involved. On his return to Yoni, Kpana Lewis used the Poro to give force to his disgust with the colonial measures.
Rebellion
The Poro traditionally had a role of ensuring concerted action for political or economic purposes. It could as easily place a ban on war as on the harvest, a ban which no one dared disobey. It thus fulfilled the role of a modern judiciary system and police force. It was this that Kpana Lewis now used to effect a boycott of trade with Europeans and the Krio people who Kpana Lewis and other indigenous tribal leaders accused of supporting the British. When the District Commissioner, called a meeting of chiefs in the area to warn them against any kind of rebellion, one of the chief said that he had to confer with Kpana Lewis, whom he regarded as his leader and not the British. So great was his power and influence over these rulers that they were willing to openly defy powerful British officials in favour of Kpana Lewis' authority. The British then quickly passed a law making it a criminal offence to use the Poro to restrain trade.When the Hut Tax War of 1898
Hut Tax War of 1898
The Hut Tax War of 1898 was a war of resistance to British colonialism in Sierra Leone.It was initiated by Temne chief Bai Bureh in 1898, and later involved other native peoples, including the Mende. The war was an attempt by the local African kingdoms to maintain their independence in the face of...
rebellion
Rebellion
Rebellion, uprising or insurrection, is a refusal of obedience or order. It may, therefore, be seen as encompassing a range of behaviors aimed at destroying or replacing an established authority such as a government or a head of state...
broke out, led by Temne war-chief Bai Bureh
Bai Bureh
Bai Bureh was a Sierra Leonean ruler and military strategist who led the Temne and Loko uprising against British rule in 1898 in Northern Sierra Leone.-Early life:...
, nothing could convince the District Commissioner that Kpana Lewis was not the brain behind the resistance. Even though the British had no evidence connecting Kpana Lewis with the Rebellion, he was detained as a suspect and was subsequently sent into exile in the Gold Coast
Gold Coast (region)
The Gold Coast was the region of West Africa which is now the nation of Ghana. Early uses of the term refer literally to the coast and not the interior. It was not until the 19th century that the term came to refer to areas that are far from the coast...
along with Bai Bureh and the Mende
Mende people
The Mende people are one of the two largest and most dominant ethnic group in Sierra Leone, along with the Temne. The Mende make up 30% of Sierra Leone's total population or 1,932,015 members...
chief Nyagua
Nyagua
Nyagua was a respected Mende chief from Sierra Leone. Despite his gestures of friendship to the British, he was killed in the advance of colonialism.-Early life and career:...
. The British then installed their own man, Fama Yani, as the leader of the Sherbro people. Fearing that if Kpana Lewis returned, his presence would lead to the overthrow of Fama Yani, the British refused to allow his return, thought Bai Bureh was ultimately brought back to Sierra Leone. Despite protests by Kpana Lewis' son, called Kong Kuba, and of intervention by the Anti-Slavery Society in London, the British Government held him in the Gold Coast where he died after more than a decade in exile.
External links
- BAI SHERBRO KPANA LEWIS (ca. 1830-1912) SHERBRO CHIEF AND OPPONENT OF COLONIAL RULE at www.sierra-leone.org