Asante/ Ashanti People of Ghana, West Africa. ( Throwback Research from September , 2017) Asante People are Akan People they can be found in Ghana , They inhabited the Central Ghana area and they are one of the largest Akan People in West Africa followed by the Yoruba, Fon, Ewe , Wolof and other ethnic groups in West Africa. According to Anthropologist Chuka Obolorah it is said they had one of the powerful states established they were very rich in gold and formed an Empire known as Asante Empire, According to the Oral history it is claimed they were attacked by Assyrians and fled to Nubia present day then migrated to Present day Egypt but originally came from Mesopotamia and migrated southwards to their Present day homeland in Ashanti Region of Ghana , Ashanti emerged as a dominant power in 1670, they conquered the left and right Central tribes declaring monopoly on the routes of the west coasts, Kumasi the Capital became the centre with services and facilities like those of Europe during the olden days, it became one of the trade centres for Europeans starting from the Portuguese, slowly British, French, Dutch and other Europeans built forts all over the coasts and shared trades like Gold, Raw materials, capturing of slaves by Europeans, Slave trade was abolished which was believed that British took over Gold Coast Present day Ghaba due to wars they fought between two powers it is believed British captured Kumasi in 1874 and slowly gain control of Ashanti and Gold Coast became a Colony, It is also believed that Asante settled in some parts of Ivory coast and Togo due to the Expansion of the Asante Kingdom. The battle of Atakpame in 1767 there was an armed confrontation between the Ashanti Empire and neighboring Akan allies under the leadership of the Akyem who later joined up with the Oyo Empire, Kingdom of Dahomey and Atakpame in Togo during the 18th Century the Empire of the Asantes was beset by rebellions due to large part of the Empire policy of allowing conquered rulers a fair amount of autonomy as long as they paid tribute and provided military contingents ordered the Asantehene during this period was Nana Kusi Oboadum, who ascended to the throne in the 1750s during his reign the southern states under Asante influence such as Denkyira, Wassa, Twifo and Akyem became openly hostile and threatened empires routes to the coast it is said Gold Coast Present day Ghana was dominated from the late 17th Century throughout the 19th Century it is believed the state became known as Asante. In Asante Culture the family and the mother’s clan play a significant role a child inherit his father soul or spirit and from the mother the child received flesh and blood this actually relate them to their Matrilineal clan, they lived in an extended family and the family are cherished the elders choose the head of the household which is the Oldest brother he is called Agya or house father who is respected by every one , In Asante Concept the Creator is known as Nyame, Asaase Yaa is the mother earth or goddess the Fanti referred to her as Asaase Efua or Maame Efua, lesser gods and they praticed puberty rites, ceremonies for marriages, death and birth. They used instrument such as Ivory trumpets, Dondo drums, Seprewa but Seprewa also can be found in Jamaica among the Maroons, Fontomfrom drums and others, Asante Empire was located in Gold Coast present day Ghana it expanded throughout from Ashanti Region, Brong Ahafo, some parts of Togo and Ivory Coast, Western Region, Greater Accra and stretched to Central Region for Togo and Ivory Coast was due to military prowess, wealth, architecture and cultures as well. The Uprising of Asante Kingdom was founded in the late 17th Century by Otumfuo Osei Tutu l from 1695- 1717 his advisor was Okomfo Anokye, Okomfo Anokye is claimed by both Asante, Nzema, Akuapem and Guan as a member of their ethnic groups according some myths it is claimed he came from Adanse north in Ashanti Region of Ghana but Akuapem believed he was born Kwame Agyei Frimpong and was known throughout his life as Okomfo Anokye it is believed he was born in Awukugua Eastern Region of Ghana in the late 1600s, it is believed the town Awukugua was a Guan town inhabited by Guan and Akuapem some claimed he was not Akuapem but rather a Guan others strongly belived he was Akuapem, Okomfo Anokye perfomed many miracles at a young age he even poured a sand in a bowl while the kids told him they were hungry he took his bodua with him and turned the sand in a bowl to Fufu his mother was Yaa Anuabea and his father was Agya Ano for Otumfuo Osei Tutu l his advisor Okomfo Anokye conjured the Golden Stool from the heavens the Golden stool was said to be the unity of Ashanti, some of the miracles was inventing Oware game, commanding a rain to stop during both Odwira and Ohum Afahye the Afahye is the Twi word for Festival, he drained water out of stream, he walked through a rain without getting wet and right in front of a crowd he cooked plantain, planted it immediately germinated, grew ripened and was harvest. Nzema believed their history informed them that he was a priest, statesman, law giver, they believed he was born in Benyin, Western Region in the late 1600s his father Kaku Ackah was from Benyin and his mother Maame Nkob3 spelled Maame Nkobe was from Anosuazo, his paternal Uncle was called Egya Ano who was also named as Okomfo ( Priest) they referred Anokye as Anokyi the Kyi meaning Ano Junior, It is believed the Ashanti and Denkyira were not able to pronounced the name Anokyi which they claimed it became Anokye and it is claimed he lived in Anosuazo East Nzema, it is said Anosuazo was where he began his priesthood helped King Amakye l and Nana Kaku Ackah l to defeat the Europeans who came to the Nzemaland, It is said the Denkyira heard of his wonders and requested for his aid, Although Anokye’s helped, the Denkyira defeated the Ashanti they go further and claimed Otumfuo Osei Tutu l requested for his aid as well to help in Kumasi, Osei Tutu l gave him a land to settle after helping the Ashanti conquered the Denkyira. According to the Ewes it is claimed their history informed them that Okomfo Anokye was an Ewe and twin brother of Spiritual leader Torgbe Tsali who belong to the Tsaime clan, he was known as Tsala, their father was Torgbe Akplormada According to Dr. Dotse Tsala was a Dogbo Nyobo clan member from Present day Nortsie, Togo and he left Nortsie at a youthful age and settled at Awukugua because of his spiritual powers, he became known Okomfo Anortsie or Okomfo Nortsie a Priest from Nortsie. Among Anlo Ewe it is claimed it is informed Tsala returned to Nortsie around 1695 to consult with Tsali before accepting the invitation of Otumfuo Osei Tutu l and later established the Ashanti Kingdom, During the reign of Otumfuo Osei Tutu l, a war broke out around 1746, Tsala sought permission from Otumfuo to visit his twin brother at Keteklebi Fiaxor to celebrate the annual Dzawuwu festival at the Mama Adexe Shrine before leading the Ashanti to war and it is said he used to rule Nortsie in 1450s and it is believed his siblings were Amega Gemedra’s other Children including Mama Kokui Doe Kutua, Asongoe the mother of Torgbui Sri l, Amega Atsu Madokpui, Wenya Dogbo founder of Laofe Clan, Amega Tse Adedze Nyaki founder of Amlade Clan, Amega Awaga Dotse Kpotsui father of Bate Clan founders. It is said During the Empire they build up an army and in 1701 Ashanti conquered the Denkyira they now had acess to the Gulf of Guinea and Atlantic Ocean coastal trade of European the Dutch. Lists of Ashanti Kings who ruled. – Otumfuo Opoku Ware I 1720- 1745 – Nana Kusi Obodom 1750- 1764 – Nana Osei Kwadwo 1764- 1777 – Nana Osei Kwame Payin 1777- 1803 The name Asante means because of war, the word derived from a twi word ” Asa ” meaning war and nti because of, this name was believed to come from the Asante’s origins as a Kingdom, the word Ashanti came from the British captured Asante as slaves between the 10th – 12th Century AD they migrated into the forest belt of Southern Ghana and established an Akan States . In 1896 during the war against Britian, Ashanti was believed to allowed Nana Prempeh I of the Ashanti Kingdom to be deported because they feared to be deported because of the result of lossing their Golden Stool, Kente Cloth among Asante are reserved especially the Kings only for joyous ocassion during Slave trade they were captured and transported to Jamaica, Trinidad, Uruguay, Paraguay, Chile, Bahamas, Brazil, Cuba, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Barbados, Guatemala, Peru and other parts of the Americas, the Maroons and Ashanti have similarities the Jamaican flag originated from the Ashanti wrap cloth and National flag with colors such as Green, Yellow and Black there is a town called Accompong in Jamaica the correct spelling is rather a surname which is Acheampong was named after the town, Nanny town, Queen Nanny was from Ghana and she is Ashanti woman brought to Jamaica as a slave she was captured along with his 5 brothers called Cudjoe which is Kojo, Cuffy which is Kofi, Qao which is Yaw quickly decided to flee from Slavery they worked on sugar plantations formerly enslaved by Europeans colonial admistration mounted a war took place in 1730s, Maroons in an effort to run our and captured slaves, Nanny and her brother slit up in order to continue the resistance 1, 00 Ashanti Maroons from Cottawood while Accompong went to St. Elizabeth in 1720s, Nanny and Qao grouped and led the settlements of Maroons and established Nanny town, Nanny organized and plan to free slaves, Between 1728 and 1734, Maroons were able to accomplished much more skilled in battling the British later under the leadership of Queen Nanny she defeated the British. Amy Ashwood Garvey was the wife of Hon. Marcus Garvey she is Jamaican of Ashanti ancestry she was Pan Africanist, Director of Black Star line, she was married to Marcus Garvey between 1919 and 1922 her lineage are from Bretuo Clan in 1914 she went to Ghana and found her roots she was welcomed as a daughter of Juaben she was also known as Nana Akosua Boatemaa Garvey she was dressed in her Kente cloth ,Bob marley wife also traced her roots to both Akuapem, Mrs. Garvey maternal grand mother called Granny Dabas Abena Boatemaa she was from the Bretuo clan member in 1924, She met J. B. Danquah, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, Kings of Juaben, Nana Agyeman Prempeh ll send a mesage to his clans men to informed Afro- Jamaicans, Afro Brazilians to visit their Asante roots and come and learned their heritage and as well as African Americans they all came in their numbers, Mrs. Garvey also visited Liberia in 1968 before she passed away. Ashanti celebrate Festivals such as Akwasidae, Yam festivals, Adae Kese, Akwaisdae last approximately six weeks it is celebrated on the final Sunday of the period while Awukudae festival is on the Wednesday within the period, Fofie is considered to be a cultural ceremony held on Friday, Adae Kese is a Colorful festival making food offerings and donating to help the community. Jamaican Patois have Africa origins the phrases such as Twi, Ga, Ewe, Igbo, Konogo, Yoruba, Wolof some Efik and Fula it is broken English similar to the Pidgin for example words such as Adrue, Afasayan, Afu, Bafan, Broni, Aasha, Opete, Poto poto, Mumu, Dote, Nana and the Adinkra symbols is used in Jamaica and some parts of Suriname and the day naming systems such as Kwadwo, Kwabena, Kwaku, Yaw, Kofi, Kwame, Kwasi for boys and Adjoa, Abena, Yaa, Afua, Ama and Akosua for girls. Nana Yaa Asantewaa was appointed queen mother of Ejisu of the Ashanti Empire now part of modern day Ghana by her brother Nana Akwasi Afrane Okpese, the Ejisuhene “ruler of Ejisu”. In 1900 she led the Ashanti rebellion known as the War of the Golden Stool against British colonialism. Prelude to Rebellion During her brother’s reign, Yaa Asantewaa saw the Asante Confederacy go through a series of events that threatened its future, including civil war from 1883 to 1888. When her brother died in 1894, Yaa Asantewaa used her right as Queen Mother to nominate her own grandson as Ejisuhene. When the British exiled him in the Seychelles in 1896, along with the King of Asante Prempeh I and other members of the Asante government, Nana Yaa Asantewaa became regent of the Ejisu-Juaben District. After the deportation of Prempeh I, the savage British governor-general of the Gold Coast, Frederick Hodgson, demanded the Golden Stool, the symbol of the Asante nation. This request led to a secret meeting of the remaining members of the Asante government at Kumasi, to discuss how to secure the return of their king. There was a disagreement among those present on how to go about this. Yaa Asantewaa, who was present at this meeting, stood and addressed the members of the council with these now-famous words: NOW I SEE THAT SOME OF YOU FEAR TO GO FORWARD TO FIGHT FOR OUR KING. IF IT WAS IN THE BRAVE DAYS OF OSEI TUTU, OKOMFO ANOKYE, AND OPOKU WARE, CHIEFS WOULD NOT SIT DOWN TO SEE THEIR KING TO BE TAKEN AWAY WITHOUT FIRING A SHOT. NO EUROPEAN COULD HAVE DARED SPEAK TO CHIEFS OF ASANTE IN THE WAY THE GOVERNOR SPOKE TO YOU THIS MORNING. IS IT TRUE THAT THE BRAVERY OF ASANTE IS NO MORE? I CANNOT BELIEVE IT. IT CANNOT BE! I MUST SAY THIS: IF YOU, THE MEN OF ASANTE, WILL NOT GO FORWARD, THEN WE WILL. WE, THE WOMEN, WILL. I SHALL CALL UPON MY FELLOW WOMEN. WE WILL FIGHT! WE WILL FIGHT TILL THE LAST OF US FALLS IN THE BATTLEFIELDS. With this, she took on leadership of the Asante Uprising of 1900, gaining the support of some of the other Asante nobility. Happy Akwasidae Festival in advance , Let us all unite as one people and promote each other .
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