Completely different from the Ashanti region, the Ashanti empire or Asante, was in its infancy, a simple Akan state. The reign of this empire is placed between 1701 and 1901. In addition to the Ashanti region, the territory included the Brong-Ahafo region, the central, eastern and western regions of present-day Ghana as well as some parts of the present-day Cote-d’Ivoire and Togo. The empire was recognized internationally due to its fame in the fields of military prowess, architecture, hierarchical organization and culture. This has earned the kingdom the greatest number of historical documents, written for the most part by European and British writers precisely, than any other kingdoms or empires in sub-Saharan Africa.
The empire was born at the end of the 17th century. King Osei Tutu and his faithful adviser Okomfo Anokye founded the kingdom with the Asante Golden Stool as their only unifying emblem. The then king will lead a massive territorial expansion by setting up a powerful and effective once royal and paramilitary army. Thus in 1701, this army began the conquest of Denkyira. This conquest opened access to the Gulf of Guinea and the coastal trade off the Atlantic Ocean with the Europeans.
The term Asante literally means “Because of the war”. It is derived from the Two terms ɔsa meaning “War” and nti meaning “because of”. This name comes from the historical fact that the people were raised to fight the Denkyira. So it was created because of the war.
Organization and heyday of the empire
On the organizational level, the Ashanti kingdom was a centralized state with the smallest political unit being the head of the family or lineage also called “Abusua Panvin”. At the head of all the families of a village was a village chief or “Odikro”. The villages were grouped together in divisions which were headed by a division chief or ”Ohene”. As for the divisions, they were grouped into a state headed by an “Omanhene”. It is therefore all the States that formed the kingdom headed by the emperor or “Asantehene”.
The system of government was bureaucratic. It was separated into ministries to better manage the affairs of the kingdom. One of the most prolific ministries is the ministry of foreign affairs which notably helped to maintain complex negotiations with foreign powers. Several departments constituted this ministry and each department was responsible for negotiating with a specific foreign power.
The empire was recognized for its wealth in river gold, cocoa and kola nuts. These commodities were the main elements of their trade with the Portuguese, the Songhai Empire and the Hausa States.
Militarily, the Ashanti army was very strong. It emerged victorious from several battles. This is the case of the first battle against the English. Indeed, in 1823, the Englishman Charles MacCarthy attempted an invasion against the kingdom. The latter was defeated, captured and killed by the Ashanti army. Three other wars will oppose the Ashanti and the English, and it was not until the fourth war in 1895 that the English were able to emerge victorious.
Fall of the empire
Contact with the English was more perilous than expected for the Ashanti kingdom. Indeed the fall of this empire comes after its defeat during the 4th war against the British. After a number of peace treaties with the English colonizers, the sovereign Prempeh I, who came to power on March 26, 1888, forged alliances with the Guinean Samory Touré, a fervent defender of Africa against the invaders. This news will panic the English. Taking as a motive a badly repaid debt, the latter will annex Kumasi on January 20, 1896. Prempeh I and all his family fall under English claws and the kingdom is integrated into the British colonies in Africa. After long years of oppression, the territory obtained its independence in 1957 and was headed by the famous Nkwame Nkrumah.
