What does Asante stand for?
Ashanti ( /ˈæʃɑːnˈtiː/ (listen) ), also known as Asante, are an ethnic group native to the Ashanti Region of modern-day Ghana. The Asante speak Twi. The language is spoken by over nine million ethnic Asante people as a first or second language. Asante is often assumed to mean "because of wars". The wealthy gold -rich...
Who are the Ashanti tribe?
Most of the modern province of Ghana was dominated by the Ashanti tribe from 1670 to 1902. Ashanti those days was the largest and most powerful of the states established in the forest province of southern Ghana by the people known as ‘Akans’.
What is the history of Asante Empire?
Asante empire, Asante also spelled Ashanti, West African state that occupied what is now southern Ghana in the 18th and 19th centuries. Extending from the Comoé River in the west to the Togo Mountains in the east, the Asante empire was active in the slave trade in the 18th century and unsuccessfully resisted British penetration in the 19th.
Where do the Asante live in Ghana?
Written By: Asante, also spelled Ashanti, people of south-central Ghana and adjacent areas of Togo and Côte d’Ivoire. Most of the Asante live in a region centred on the city of Kumasi, which was the capital of the former independent Asante state.
Is the Ashanti a tribe?
The Ashanti are the largest tribe in Ghana and one of the few matrilineal societies in West Africa. The area of Ashanti is 9400 square miles with a population of about one million. The Ashanti people have always been known as fierce fighters.
What is Asante called today?
The Asante Empire (Asante Twi: Asanteman), today commonly called the Ashanti Empire, was an Akan state that lasted between 1701 to 1901, in what is now modern-day Ghana.
What is the difference between Asante and Ashanti?
Asante, also spelled Ashanti, people of south-central Ghana and adjacent areas of Togo and Côte d'Ivoire. Most of the Asante live in a region centred on the city of Kumasi, which was the capital of the former independent Asante state.
How old is the Ashanti tribe?
The Ashanti people first appear in the historical record around the 13th century. By the 17th century, they had built themselves into a great kingdom.
What language do Ashanti speak?
the Twi languageThe Asante speak the Twi language. The Twi language is spoken by over nine million Asante people as a first or second language.
What does Asante mean?
thank youGirl. African. Derived from the Kiswahili word asante, meaning "thank you". Ashanti is a region in central Ghana. The traditional inhabitants of the region are known as Ashanti people.
Which tribe is the most powerful in Ghana?
The Ashanti (or Asante), are the dominant ethnic group of a powerful 19th-century empire and today one of Ghana's leading ethnic groups, with more than two million members concentrated in south-central Ghana.
What are the tribe in Ghana?
There six major ethnic groups in Ghana – the Akan, Ewe, Ga-Adangbe, Mole-Dagbani, Guan, Gurma. The largest tribe are the Ashanti, with their traditional capital at Kumasi.
Where did asantes originated from?
GhanaThe Asante were one of the Akan-speaking peoples who settled in the forest region of modern Ghana between the 11thand 13th centuries. The separate Asante chiefdoms were united by Osei Tutu in the 1670s and in 1696 he took the title of Asantehene (king) and founded the Asante empire. Crown Colony.
What religion are the Ashanti?
The Ashanti religion is a mixture of spiritual and supernatural powers. They believe that plants, animals, and trees have souls. They also believe in fairies, witches, and forest monsters. There are a variety of religious beliefs involving ancestors, higher gods (abosom) and Nyame, the Supreme Being of Ashanti.
Where did the Ashanti tribe migrated from?
The Ashanti or Asante are a major ethnic group in Ghana. They were a powerful, militaristic, and highly disciplined people of West Africa. The ancient Ashanti migrated from the vicinity of the northwestern Niger River after the fall of the Ghana Empire in the 13th century.
What is the main food of the Ashanti?
Ashanti region has abundant food supplies to feed its Ashanti population. These food supplies include plantain, maize, cassava, cocoa, yam, vegetables and other cereals and legumes. Irish potatoes also thrive well in Nsuta near Mampong.
Where did asantes originated from?
GhanaThe Asante were one of the Akan-speaking peoples who settled in the forest region of modern Ghana between the 11thand 13th centuries. The separate Asante chiefdoms were united by Osei Tutu in the 1670s and in 1696 he took the title of Asantehene (king) and founded the Asante empire. Crown Colony.
What religion are Ashanti people?
The Ashanti religion is a mixture of spiritual and supernatural powers. They believe that plants, animals, and trees have souls. They also believe in fairies, witches, and forest monsters. There are a variety of religious beliefs involving ancestors, higher gods (abosom) and Nyame, the Supreme Being of Ashanti.
Where did the Ashantis originally come from?
The Ashanti Empire was a pre-colonial West African state that emerged in the 17th century in what is now Ghana. The Ashanti or Asante were an ethnic subgroup of the Akan-speaking people, and were composed of small chiefdoms.
What happened to the Ashanti kingdom?
A series of defeats at the hands of the British gradually weakened and reduced the territory of the Ashanti kingdom. After nearly a century of resistance to British power, the Ashanti kingdom was finally declared a Crown Colony in 1902 following the uprising known as the Yaa Asantewa War.
What is the Asante religion?
Although there are Christian and Muslim converts among the Asante, the traditional religion, based on belief in a distant supreme being, a pantheon of gods and lesser spirits, and the ever-present spirits of ancestors, remains the basis of the Asante conception of the universe. See also Asante empire.
What language do the Asante speak?
They speak a Twi language of the Kwa branch of the Niger-Congo language family and are a subgroup of the Akan peoples. Asante chief. An Asante chief wearing silk cloth and gold jewelry. Doran H. Ross. Although some Asante now live and work in urban centres, they remain primarily associated with village life.
What does the Asante believe about paternal descent?
Since the Asante believe that every individual is made up of two elements— blood from the mother and spirit from the father—paternal descent is also recognized and governs membership in exogamous ntoro divisions that are associated with certain religious and moral obligations.
What is the Asante art?
African art: Asante, Fante, and Baule. The Asante region of southern Ghana is a remnant of the Asante empire, which was founded in the early... The basis of Asante social organization is the matrilineage, a localized segment of a clan whose members claim descent from a common female ancestor. Members of the lineage assist one another in activities ...
What is the symbol of Asante unity?
The paramount chief of the national capital, Kumasi, was the chief of the confederation. The symbol of Asante unity was the Golden Stool, which reputedly descended from the sky and to which all chiefs acknowledged allegiance.
Where is the Ashanti jewelry collection?
jewelry: African. …observations hold true for the Ashanti culture in Ghana, from which there is a large collection of gold jewelry in the British Museum in London. The local chieftain of each Ashanti tribe had a private workshop for gold jewelry in his small court. In the 18th and 19th centuries the….
Which tribes were conquered by the Ashanti?
Ashanti emerged as the dominant power in 1670. It conquered the left, right and central tribes declaring a monopoly on the routes to the coasts. Kumasi, the capital, became the practical urban center with services and facilities like those of Europe those days.
What is the Ashanti culture?
The Ashanti follow the culture of celebrating various ceremonies. Their funerals are celebrated for several days in the presence of the whole village. The presence of each and every villager is very important in the ceremonies. See Also: Interesting Facts About Ghana, Language, and Culture. The golden stool is like a divine to the Ashanti.
What is the tribe of Ghana?
It is the major indigenous tribe of the Akans (Ashanti and Fanti) of Ghana. Ghana basically is a new country of about 60 years old, and it was previously known as the Gold Coast. Most of the modern province of Ghana was dominated by the Ashanti tribe from 1670 to 1902. Ashanti those days was the largest and most powerful ...
Why did the Akans form a state?
Akans were very rich in gold and this was the main reason why they were able to form a state. Even today, Ashanti is the largest tribe in Ghana, which is politically separated into four major parts. With a population of about 1 million, the tribe which covers 9400 square miles of land area, lies in the center and its capital is Kumasi.
What did the Ashanti people believe?
The Ashanti people were always fierce fighters. They always believed in their slogan: “If I go forward, I will die. If I step backward, I’ll die. It is better to move forward and die.”. They used to signal for war with drum strokes which were so loud that the sound was heard over miles crossing the dense forests.
Do Ashanti shake hands?
They still follow the same trend to shake hands. Ashanti people have a strong belief that their soul is their father’s spirit and the blood and the flesh comes from mother. And therefore they are said to be closer to their maternal side.
Does the Ashanti tribe still live on the Golden Stool?
Even today the Ashanti tribe still lives in the tradition of the Golden Stool. They protect the Golden Stool very carefully. Since its arrival, it has never touched the ground and no one has ever sat on it. It is kept in a very tight security as it has always been considered sacred.
When was the Asante Confederacy established?
An Asante Confederacy Council was established under British rule in the 1930s, and the Asantehene was restored as a figurehead sovereign. See also Akan states.
When was Asante declared a colony?
The empire continued to decline under his successor, Prempeh I (acceded 1888), during whose reign, on January 1, 1902, Asante was formally declared a British crown colony, the former northern provinces being on the same day separately constituted the Protectorate of the Northern Territories of the Gold Coast.
What were some examples of villages in Asante?
In Asante (Ashanti), for example, some villages were given over to the production of a particular commodity, such as cloth, and some of the chief men ran plantations with slave labour (as also, in the 19th century, did the kings of Dahomey).…
What is the Ashanti family?from africancraftsmarket.com
The elders choose him. He is called either Father or House father and is obeyed by everyone. The Ashanti religion is a mixture of spiritual and supernatural powers.
What is the meaning of the word "ashanti"?from africancraftsmarket.com
A child is said to inherit the father's soul or spirit and from the mother a child receives flesh and blood This relates them more closely to the mother's clan. The Ashanti live in an extended family. The family lives in various homes or huts that are set up around a courtyard.
What is the ethnicity of Ghana?from africancraftsmarket.com
The Ashanti are a major ethnic group of the Akans (Ashanti and Fanti) in Ghana, Ghana is a fairly new nation, barely more than 50 years old, and Ghana was previously called the Gold Coast. Much of the modern nation of Ghana was dominated from the late 17th through the late 19th century by a state known as Asante.
What is the Ashanti's sacred stool?from africancraftsmarket.com
The Ashanti also practice many ceremonies for marriage, death, puberty, and birth. The golden stool is sacred to the Ashanti; today great pride in the Ashanti King lives on in the tradition of the Golden Stool.
What is the game called that the Ashanti play?from africancraftsmarket.com
The Ashanti play an African game called "Kikogo" which means transferring and refers to players moving markers that are usually beads or stones around a wooden board that has cups or depressions similar to that of an egg carton. The game is as popular as draughts (checkers) are in the western countries.
What is the name of the doll in the village of Ashanti?from africancraftsmarket.com
Among the major products are wooden sculptures of outstanding artistic quality and the talking-drums. The Ashanti fertility doll or "Akua ba" doll is commonly found in the homes of the Ashanti and given to the females in the village to bring them closer to the spirit of Fertility Gods.
What hand do the Ashanti hold?from africancraftsmarket.com
The Ashanti have a special handshake, in which you hold your left hand out to shake hands. This comes from the Ashanti's explanation that the left hand holds the shield, and the right hand holds the spears. So, in order to show your trust in someone, you put down your shield and therefore have your left hand free.
What is the Ashanti family?
The elders choose him. He is called either Father or House father and is obeyed by everyone. The Ashanti religion is a mixture of spiritual and supernatural powers.
What is the meaning of the word "ashanti"?
A child is said to inherit the father's soul or spirit and from the mother a child receives flesh and blood This relates them more closely to the mother's clan. The Ashanti live in an extended family. The family lives in various homes or huts that are set up around a courtyard.
What are the crafts of the Ashanti?
The Ashanti are noted for their expertise in a variety of specialized crafts. These include weaving, wood carving, ceramics, the reknown kente cloth and metallurgy. Of these crafts, only pottery making is primarily a female activity; the others are restricted to male specialists.
What is the ethnicity of Ghana?
The Ashanti are a major ethnic group of the Akans (Ashanti and Fanti) in Ghana, Ghana is a fairly new nation, barely more than 50 years old, and Ghana was previously called the Gold Coast. Much of the modern nation of Ghana was dominated from the late 17th through the late 19th century by a state known as Asante.
What is the Ashanti's sacred stool?
The Ashanti also practice many ceremonies for marriage, death, puberty, and birth. The golden stool is sacred to the Ashanti; today great pride in the Ashanti King lives on in the tradition of the Golden Stool.
What is the game called that the Ashanti play?
The Ashanti play an African game called "Kikogo" which means transferring and refers to players moving markers that are usually beads or stones around a wooden board that has cups or depressions similar to that of an egg carton. The game is as popular as draughts (checkers) are in the western countries.
What is the name of the doll in the village of Ashanti?
Among the major products are wooden sculptures of outstanding artistic quality and the talking-drums. The Ashanti fertility doll or "Akua ba" doll is commonly found in the homes of the Ashanti and given to the females in the village to bring them closer to the spirit of Fertility Gods.
What did the Asantehene do?
The Asantehene organized the Asante union, an alliance of Akan-speaking people who were now loyal to his central authority. The Asantehene made Kumasi the capital of the new empire. He also created a constitution, reorganized and centralized the military, and created a new cultural festival, Odwira, which symbolized the new union.
What is the Ashanti Empire?
Ashanti Empire/ Asante Kingdom (18th to late 19th century) The Ashanti Empire was a pre-colonial West African state that emerged in the 17th century in what is now Ghana . The Ashanti or Asante were an ethnic subgroup of the Akan-speaking people, and were composed of small chiefdoms. The Ashanti established their state around Kumasi in ...
What did Osei Tutu do to the Ashanti Empire?
Upon that Stool Osei Tutu legitimized his rule and that of the royal dynasty that followed him. Gold was the major product of the Ashanti Empire. Osei Tutu made the gold mines royal possessions. He also made gold dust the circulating currency in the empire.
What did the Ashanti get in exchange for their weapons?
In exchange, the Ashanti received luxury items and some manufactured goods including most importantly firearms. The consequence of this trade for the Ashanti and their neighbors was horrendous. From 1790 until 1896, the Ashanti Empire was in a perpetual state of war involving expansion or defense of its domain.
What was the role of the Portuguese in West Africa?
During this era the Portuguese were the most active Europeans in West Africa. They made Ashanti a significant trading partner, providing wealth and weapons which allowed the small state to grow stronger than its neighbors. Nonetheless when the 18th Century began Ashanti was simply one of Akan-speaking Portuguese trading partners in the region.
When did the Ashanti Empire conquer Kumasi?
Between 1823 and 1873, the Ashanti Empire resisted British encroachment on their territory. By 1874, however, British forces successfully invaded the Empire and briefly captured Kumasi. The Ashanti rebelled against British rule and the Empire was again conquered in 1896.
Who was the chief of Ashanti?
That situation changed when Osei Tutu, the Asantehene (paramount chief) of Ashanti from 1701 to 1717, and his priest Komfo Anokye, unified the independent chiefdoms into the most powerful political and military state in the coastal region. The Asantehene organized the Asante union, an alliance of Akan-speaking people who were now loyal ...
Where is Asante from?
Ashanti, also known as Asante, are part of the Akan ethnic group and are native to the Ashanti Region of modern-day Ghana. Twi is spoken by over nine million Asante people as a first or second language.
What is the meaning of the name Asante?
In the Asante dialect of Twi, Asantefo; singular masculine: Asantenibarima, singular feminine: Asantenibaa. The name Asante "warlike" is traditionally asserted by scholars to derive from the 1670s as the Asante went from being a tributary state to a centralized hierarchical kingdom. Asantehene Osei Tutu I, military leader and head of the Asante adwinehene clan, founded the Asante Empire. Osei Tutu I obtained the support of other clan chiefs and, using Kumasi as the central base, subdued surrounding Akan states. Osei Tutu challenged and eventually defeated Denkyira in 1701, and this is the asserted modern origin of the name.
What religions do the Ashanti follow?
The Ashanti follow Akan religion and the Ashanti religion (a traditional religion which seems to be dying slowly but is revived only on major special occasions - yet is undergoing a global revival across the diaspora), followed by Christianity (Roman Catholicism, Anglicanism and Protestantism) and Islam.
What is the Ashanti culture?
Ashanti culture celebrates Adae, Adae Kese, Akwasidae, Awukudae and Ashanti Yam festival. The Seperewa, a 10-14 stringed harp-lute, as well as the Fontomfrom drums, are two of the typifying instruments associated with the Ashanti as well as the Ashanti Kente clothing.
What is the Ashanti region?
The Ashanti Region has a variable terrain, coasts and mountains, wildlife sanctuary and strict nature reserve and national parks, forests and grasslands, lush agricultural areas, and near savannas, enriched with vast deposits of industrial minerals, most notably vast deposits of gold.
What language do the Ashanti speak?
The Ashanti people speak Ashanti Twi, which is the official language of the Ashanti Region and the main language spoken in Ashanti and by the Ashanti people. Ashanti language is spoken by over 9 million ethnic Ashanti people as a first or second language. The Ashanti language is the official language utilized for literacy in Ashanti, at the primary and elementary educational stage level, and studied at university as a bachelor's degree or master's degree program in Ashanti.
What was the purpose of the Asante society?
Asante society had numerous uses for slaves. As an aggressive society, the Asante had a great demand for slaves to provide military service . Furthermore, many were employed as domestics or farm laborers.
Who defeated Asante in 1874?
As leading Africanist Kwabena Adu-Boahen notes: “Up to 1874 Asante remained a formidable imperial power in the north but in 1874 the British seriously weakened this power when they invaded and defeated Asante.
What was the only independent country in the South?
Indeed, when Opoku Ware died, in 1750, the only independent country in the south was the Fante group of states.”. Conquered states were reduced to tributaries of the Asante Empire. To administer these new territories, they were placed under the supervision of a chief from the empire.
Who was the greatest and the rising power of Western Africa?
Intriguingly, Thomas Bowdich, a British commercial officer visiting Kumase in the nineteenth century argued that “Asante was indisputably the greatest and the rising power of Western Africa.”. And like all imperial powers, it never hesitated to defend its sphere of influence. Dethroning the Asante Empire proved to be a daunting task.
Do descendants of West African slaves live in Western countries?
Of note is also the fact that descendants of West African slaves live in Western countries. Irrespective of race, humans possess a natural inclination to acquire power by dominating weaker groups. As such West Africans also pursued what scholars call “great power politics.”.
Did free Asante commoners have food production?
It seems clear, however, that while free Asante commoners were also heavily involved in food production, there were other spheres of enterprise which were abhorrent to them; in which, therefore, dependence upon unfree labour was all but total.
