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81-877: The Akan ( / ˈ æ k æ n / ) people are a Kwa group living primarily in present-day Ghana and in parts of Ivory Coast and Togo in West Africa . The Akan speak languages within the Central Tano branch of the Potou–Tano subfamily of the Niger–Congo family . Subgroups of the Akan people include: the Agona , Akuapem , Akwamu , Akyem , Anyi , Ashanti , Baoulé , Bono , Chakosi , Fante , Kwahu , Sefwi , Wassa , Ahanta , and Nzema , among others. The Akan subgroups all have cultural attributes in common; most notably

162-574: A 10-14 stringed harp-lute, as well as the Fontomfrom drums are originally from the Bono Akan people. Kente clothing. Asante are a matrilineal society where line of descent is traced through the female. Historically, this mother progeny relationship determined land rights , inheritance of property, offices and titles. It is also true that the Asante inherit property from the paternal side of

243-567: A bachelor's degree or master's degree program in Asante. The Asante language and Asante Twi have some unique linguistic features like tone , vowel harmony and nasalization . The Asante follow Akan religion and the Asante 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 and Protestantism ) and Islam . Asante people received

324-654: A bachelor's degree or master's degree program. The Akan language is spoken as the predominant language in the Western, Central, Ashanti, Eastern, Brong Ahafo regions of the akan clan. A language with some Akan influence called Ndyuka is also spoken in South America (Suriname and French Guiana), with the Akan language coming to these South American and Caribbean places through the trans-Atlantic slave trade and Akan names and folktales are still used in these South American and Caribbean countries (another example can be seen in

405-469: A candidate for the stool to the kingmakers of the lineage. Once accepted their candidate rules till death. This means until all the Jaase have presented their candidates they have to wait their turn. Akan Kings of whatever rank have other nobleman who serve them as sub-chiefs. These sub-chiefs do not have hereditary titles and therefore do not have black stools. Besides, each King has a female co-ruler known as

486-746: A confederacy or an empire regardless of clan or abusua they belong to, while those outsides of the Akan people or the abusua were usually conquered or annexed via war or mutual agreement. For example, the Guan state of Larteh and the Akyem state of Akropong joined to form the Akwapim Kingdom to avoid the Akwamu, who the Guan deemed as oppressive. Under the State there are Divisions and under these Divisions are towns and villages. The Fantes also upon migrating from

567-644: A cross or an airplane. The Fante battle formations eventually had some European influences and many Asafo Frankaa (battle flags) incorporated the British Union Jack after 1844 when they allied with them. The battle formation has the Frontline, the West Flank, an East Flank, the main body and the Vanguard. There are, therefore, five divisional chiefs in each Paramountcy. These are followed in rank by

648-495: A different household. According to one source of information about the Akan, "A man is strongly related to his mother's brother (wɔfa) but only weakly related to his father's brother. This is perhaps viewed in the context of a polygamous society in which the mother/child bond is likely to be much stronger than the father/child bond. As a result, in inheritance, a man's nephew (his sister's son) (wɔfase) will have priority over his own son. Uncle-nephew relationships, therefore, assume

729-416: A dominant position." "The principles governing inheritance, generation, and age – that is to say, men come before women and seniors before juniors."... When a woman's brothers are available, a consideration of generational seniority stipulates that the line of brothers be exhausted before the right to inherit lineage property passes down to the next senior genealogical generation of sisters' sons. Finally, "it

810-425: A key aspect of Asante womanhood–being an advisor. In the cataloguing of Asante familial and legal systems in R.S. Rattray 's Asante Law and Constitution Asante law specifies that sexual relations between a man and certain women are forbidden, even though not related by blood. The punishment for offense is death, although it does not carry quite the same stigma to an Asante clan as incest. Sexual relations between

891-572: A man and any one of the following women is forbidden: The Asante people speak Asante Twi, which is the official language of the Ashanti Region and the main language spoken in Asante and by the Asante people. Asante language is spoken by over 9 million ethnic Asante people as a first or second language. The Asante language is the official language utilized for literacy in Asante, at the primary and elementary educational stage (Primary 1–3) K–12 (education) level, and studied at university as

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972-724: A nobleman. He only has to be suitable for the position he is to occupy. Some sub-chieftaincy positions can be abolished at will. They include the heads of the ruling house or Mankrado, the Linquist, the Chief Kingmaker or Jaasehen/Gyaasehen, the Supi (Fante) or General of the Army, the Captains of the Army or Asafohen(Fante) among others. The way Akans ruled their nation fascinated the tribes and peoples of other West African nations and as

1053-421: A spider, human, or a combination thereof. Elements of Akan culture also include, but are not limited to: These are the basic concepts of Akan philosophy and inheritance: Many but not all of the Akan still practice their traditional matrilineal customs, living in their traditional extended family households. The traditional Akan economic and political organization is based on matrilineal lineages , which are

1134-413: Is a ceremony that is conducted for girls in the community from the ages of 13 to 20. The precursor to bragoro puberty rites is onset by the beginning of Menstruation in a girl's life. The purpose of bragoro rites is to enable women to get married, showcase them to society, teach them how to be wives and mothers, and signify the coming of age of girls. The cultural symbolism in the ceremony represents

1215-463: Is commonplace for many Jamaicans to have this descent. Also are Jamaican freedom fighters during slavery: Nanny of the Maroons (now a Jamaican National Heroine), Tacky and Jack Mansong or Three-finger Jack. The names Nanny and Tacky are English corruptions of Asante words and names: "Nanny" is a corruption of the Asante word Nana , meaning "king/queen/grandparent", the name Tacky is a corruption of

1296-542: Is extremely desiccated. Ashanti Region is hot year round. Today Asante people number upwards of 10 million. Asante Twi, the majority language, is a member of the Central Tano languages within the Kwa languages . Asante political power combines Asantehene Otumfuo Nana Osei Tutu II as the political head of the Asantes and the Ashanti Region, with Asante semi- one-party state representative New Patriotic Party , and since

1377-420: Is home to a volcanic crater lake , Lake Bosumtwi , and Asante is bordered westerly to Lake Volta within the central part of present-day Ghana. The Asante (Kingdom of Asante) territory is densely forested, mostly fertile and to some extent mountainous. There are two seasons—the rainy season (April to November) and the dry season (December to March). The land has several streams ; the dry season, however

1458-533: Is inherited only by matrilineal kin. Each lineage controls the lineage land farmed by its members, functions together in the veneration of its ancestors, supervises marriages of its members, and settles internal disputes among its members. The political units above are likewise grouped (into traditionally seven) but as of today, eight larger groups called abusua : Aduana, Agona, Asakyiri, Asenie, Asona, Bretuo, Ekuona, and Oyoko. The members of each such abusua are united by their belief that they are all descended from

1539-746: Is ruled by the Oyoko Clan. However, the Bretuo or Twidanfo (in Fante), as well as other clans, rule States, Divisions, Towns, and Villages within the Kingdom. The Fante-speaking peoples usually have the Asona Clan ruling most of their States (like Mankessim). Certain sub-clans or lineages have exclusive rights to some stools within Akanland such as the lineage of Afia Kobi in the Oyoko Clan who alone sits on

1620-580: Is sometimes called "New Kwa". Sample basic vocabulary of Kwa and related languages from Dumestre (1971) and other sources: Comparison of numerals in individual languages: Ashanti people The Asante , also known as Ashanti in English ( / ə ˈ ʃ ɑː n t iː / ), are part of the Akan ethnic group and are native to the Ashanti Region of modern-day Ghana . Asantes are

1701-590: Is studied in major universities in North America and the United States, including Ohio University, Ohio State University, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Harvard University, Boston University, Indiana University, University of Michigan, and the University of Florida. The Akan language has been a regular language of study in the annual Summer Cooperative African Languages Institute (SCALI) program and

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1782-582: Is when all possible male heirs have been exhausted that the females" may inherit. Certain other aspects of the Akan culture are determined patrilineally rather than matrilineally. There are ancestrally 12 patrilineal Ntoro (spirit) groups, and everyone belongs to his or her father's Ntoro group, but not to his family lineage and abusua . Each Ntoro group has its own surnames, taboos, ritual purifications, and forms of etiquette. A person thus inherits one's Ntoro from one's father but does not belong to his family. A recent (2001) book provides an update on

1863-607: The Akwamu in St. John , and Coffy , who was the leader of the 1763 Berbice slave uprising in Guyana. Fante war lord Chief Takyi also led a slave rebellion in Jamaica. The Akans consider themselves one nation. Akan means first, foremost, indicating the enlightened and civilized. While traditionally matrilineal, they are also united philosophically through 12 patrilineal spirit groups called

1944-851: The Anglo-Ashanti wars : the War of the Golden Stool and other similar battles. By the early 1900s, Ghana was a colony or protectorate of Great Britain, while the lands in the Ivory Coast were under the French. On 6 March 1957, following the decolonization from Great Britain under the leadership of Kwame Nkrumah , the Gold Coast was united with British Togoland and the Northern Region , Upper East Region , and Upper West Region of

2025-867: The Atlantic slave trade , a known diaspora of Asante exists in the Caribbean , particularly in Jamaica . Slaves captured and sold to the European slave traders along the coasts were sent to the West Indies , particularly Jamaica, Barbados , Netherlands Antilles , British Virgin Islands , the Bahamas , Guyana , Suriname , etc. Asante were known to be very opposed to both the Fante Confederacy and

2106-785: The British , as the Asante only traded with the Dutch in times of their ascension to becoming a hegemony of most of the area of present-day Ghana. Coromantee , the English-language term for enslaved Akan people, came from the original name of the Dutch slave fort of Fort Amsterdam (Fort Kormantse). This was despite this fort being primarily occupied by the Dutch during its history and having no records of trade to Jamaica while being under Dutch ownership. Evidence of Asante and Akan-day names and Asante and Akan-surnames (but mispronounced by

2187-525: The Denkyira ). In Asante's case, as an Empire, the Asantehene reigned over the non-Oyoko clan city-states and ruled over the kings of those states as an Imperial head or Emperor (a hardly used but an equivalent term for Emperor or the king of kings ). Next there are divisional Chiefs, they are primarily arranged according to the five divisions of an Akan army. The Fante army or Asafo formation resembles

2268-579: The Kingdom of Great Britain , to conquer them. The Asante limited British influence in the Asante State, as Britain annexed neighbouring areas. The Asante were described as a fierce organized people whose king "can bring 200,000 men into the field and whose warriors are evidently not cowed by Snider rifles and 7-pounder guns". The Ashanti Empire was one of the few African states that seriously resisted European colonization . Between 1823 and 1896,

2349-513: The Ntoro . Within the Akan nation are branches based on many dialects, widest and possibly the oldest one being used is Twi as well as Fante. Each branch subsequently holds a collection of states and stemming from city-states. The state or Ɔman are typically ruled by several kings known as Amanhene ( Ɔmanhene , singular) or Ahemfo ( Ɔhene , singular. The state is the basic unit of Akan polity. Several states and city-states can band together to form

2430-640: The Queen-mother . The Queen-mother is more like a figurehead representing the King's or Emperor's eldest sister and hence the mother of the next King or Emperor, she could rule as a King if she wishes (e.g. queen-mothers mainly from the House of Asona clan: Nana Abena Boaa who ruled Offinso 1610–1640, Nana Afia Dokuaa who ruled Akyem Abuakwa 1817–1835, and Nana Yaa Asantewaa who ruled Edweso 1896–1900) as well as Komfo Muna who ruled Mankessim 1830–1872. They present

2511-765: The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland fought four wars against the Asante kings: the Anglo-Asante Wars . In 1901, the British finally defeated the state following the 1900 War of the Golden Stool and the Ashanti Empire was made a British protectorate , in 1902, and the office of Asantehene was discontinued with the Asante capital Kumasi annexed into the British empire; however, the Asante still largely governed themselves. Asante gave little to no deference to colonial authorities. In 1926,

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2592-630: The Yoruboid and Igboid languages belonged in Benue–Congo rather than in Kwa. Stewart (1989) removed Kru, Ijaw, and Volta–Niger (East Kwa), but kept the Ghana–Togo Mountain and Lagoon languages, as well as adding a few obscure, newly described languages. Stewart's classification is the basis of more recent conceptions. To disambiguate this from Greenberg's influential classification, the reduced family

2673-687: The abusua framework presented above. Kwa languages See the box at right for a current classification. The various clusters of languages included in Kwa are at best distantly related, and it has not been demonstrated that they are closer to each other than to neighboring Niger–Congo languages. Stewart distinguished the following major branches, which historical-comparative analysis supports as valid groups: The Lagoon languages of southern Ivory Coast are not particularly close to any of these, nor to each other, so they are left ungrouped: An Esuma language , extinct ca. 1800, remains unclassified. Since Stewart, Ega has been tentatively removed,

2754-490: The mmerewa dress the young ladies in white cloth ( ntoma ) and gold jewelry. Afterward, the girls are showcased to the entire community with songs, dances, and praises. For the Asante, every color and object has cultural significance meaning, which reflects the meaning of womanhood in Asante culture. Ntoma/Cloth The white color of the ntoma /cloth that the girls are dressed in signifies vitality, sanctity, victory, and purity. Gold Jewelry The gold/yellow color of

2835-533: The 1670s the Ashanti went from being a tributary state to the centralized hierarchical Denkyira kingdom. Asantehene Osei Kofi Tutu I , military leader and head of the Oyoko clan, founded the Asante kingdom. Osei Tutu obtained the support of other clan chiefs and using Kumase as the central base, subdued surrounding states. Osei Tutu challenged and eventually defeated Denkyira in 1701, and presumptuously from this,

2916-517: The Akan in exchange for Akan gold. Akan gold was also used to purchase enslaved people from further up north via the Trans-Saharan route. The Akan purchased enslaved people to help clear the dense forests within Ashanti . About a third of the population of many Akan states were indentured servants ( i.e. Non-Akan peoples). The Akan went from buyers of slaves to selling slaves as the dynamics in

2997-525: The Akan language is regulated and administered by the Akan Orthography Committee (AOC). Some of Akan's language characteristic features include tone , vowel harmony , and nasalization . Akan culture is one of the traditional matrilineal cultures of Africa. Akan art is wide-ranging and renowned, especially for the tradition of crafting bronze gold weights, using the lost-wax casting method. The Akan culture reached South America,

3078-520: The Akan people are located, the Kings, Assistant Kings, Princes, and Noblemen of the Akans serve mostly a symbolic role. Modern politics has side-lined them in national politics although it is common to find that an elected or appointed official to be of Akan royalty. And, especially in the villages and poor areas, traditional Kings are still very important for organizing development, social services and keeping

3159-424: The Akan, stating that some families are changing from the above abusua structure to the nuclear family . Housing, childcare, education, daily work, and elder care, etc. are then handled by that individual family, rather than by the abusua or clan, especially in the city. The above taboo on marriage within one's abusua is sometimes ignored, but "clan membership" is still important, with many people still living in

3240-625: The Akans conquered or formed alliances with these nations, parts of it were transmitted to them. The British particularly felt the Akan system was highly efficient and tried to establish it throughout their dominions in West Africa using the Indirect Rule System. The Ewes and the Ga-Adangmes with their close affinity to the Akans have modified certain aspects of it to fit their societies. In Ghana and other modern states where

3321-777: The Asante Oyoko clan, founded the Asante Empire. Osei Tutu I obtained the support of other clan chiefs and, using Kumase 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. The Ashanti Region has a variable terrain: coasts and mountains ; wildlife sanctuary , 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 . The territory Asante people settled

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3402-521: The Ashanti Region (and the Kingdom of Asante) state political union with Ghana, the Asante remain largely influential. Asantes reside in Asante and Brong Ahafo Regions in Ghana. Kumase metropolis, the capital of Asante (Kingdom of Asante), has also been the historic capital of the Asante Kingdom. The Ashanti Region currently has a population of 11 million (11,000,000). Today, as in the past,

3483-460: The Ashanti Region continues to make significant contributions to Ghana's economy. Asante is richly endowed with industrial minerals and agricultural implements, Asante is responsible for much of Ghana's domestic food production and for the foreign exchange Ghana earns from cocoa, agricultural implements, gold, bauxite, manganese, various other industrial minerals, and timber. Kumase metropolis and Ashanti Region produces 96% of Ghana's exports. In

3564-577: The British permitted the repatriation of Asantehene Prempeh I – whom they had exiled to the Seychelles in 1896 – and allowed him to adopt the title Kumasehene, but not Asantehene. However, in 1935, the British finally granted the Asante self-rule sovereignty as Kingdom of Asante, and the Asante King title of Asantehene was revived. Asante culture celebrates Adae , Adae Kese , Akwasidae , Awukudae and Asante Yam festival . The Seperewa ,

3645-464: The Caribbean, and North America. Some of their most important mythological stories are called anansesem , literally meaning "the spider story", but in a figurative sense also meaning "traveler's tales". These "spider stories" are sometimes also referred to as nyankomsem : "words of a sky god". The stories generally, but not always, revolve around Kwaku Ananse , a trickster spirit, often depicted as

3726-488: The English), Adinkra symbols on houses, Anansi stories and the dialect of Jamaican Patois being heavily influenced by Twi , can all be found on the island of Jamaica. White planter Edward Long , like other planters before him, described "Coromantees" the same way that the British in the Gold Coast would the "Asantes", which was to be "warlike". Edward Long states that others around "Asantes" and "Coromantees" feared them

3807-441: The Fante and Ashanti conflicts, resulting in a high number of military captives being sold into slavery. Coromantee ex-soldiers now slaves and other Akan captives were known for various slave revolts and plantation resistance tactics. Their legacy is evident within groups such as the Maroons of the Caribbean and South America. Some notable Akan descendants include the Coromantees sold from and around Anomabo (Fantelands) in Jamaica,

3888-444: The Gbe languages reassigned to Volta–Niger , and Apro added. Some of the Na-Togo and Ka-Togo languages have been placed into separate branches of Kwa. See the infobox at right for the resulting branches. Ethnologue divides the Kwa languages into two broad geographical groupings: Nyo and Left bank , but this is not a genealogical classification. The Nyo group collapses Stewart's Potou–Tano and Ga–Dangme branches and also includes

3969-480: The Gold Coast and the New World changed. Thus, the Akan people played a role in supplying Europeans with indentured servants, who were later enslaved by the Europeans for the trans-Atlantic slave trade . In 2006, Ghana apologized to the descendants of enslaved Africans for the role played in the slave trade. Akan people, especially the Ashanti people , fought against European colonialists and defeated them on several occasions to maintain autonomy. This occurred during

4050-443: The Gold Coast to form Ghana. Ivory Coast gained independence on 7 August 1960. Many people across the Americas can trace their lineage to the Akan people due to the trans-Atlantic slave trade. According to one estimate, roughly ten percent of all slave ships that embarked from the coast of West Africa contained Akan people. Although gold was the primary source of wealth in their economy, the capture and sale of Akan people peaked during

4131-485: The Golden Stool of Asante. The Akans are traditionally a Matrilineal people of the African continent. Matrilineal inheritance makes it easier to trace the line of succession. Within each lineage or House are the branches. The chief of a family is called an Abusuapanyin (or family-elder). Ranking above a family chief (a family's Abusuapanyin) is the clan's chief (or clan's Abusuapanyin). These branches are called Jaase/Gyaase or Kitchens. Each Kitchen takes its turn to present

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4212-463: The Kings of the city and then the Kings of the town and then king of the suburbs. The Akan peoples mostly have seven Abusua (Matrilineal clans/tribes) in each state. They do not have the same names in each state but each has an equivalent clan (e.g. in Fante areas along the coast, the Asante clan of Oyoko is referred to as Dehyena or Yokofo). The clans are assigned States which they rule by their status as founders of that jurisdiction. The Ashanti Kingdom

4293-429: The Maroons of Jamaica and their influence with Akan culture and loanwords specifically from the Fante dialect of the Central Region of Ghana ) in the language of Jamaican Maroon Creole or Kromanti. With the present state of technology, one can listen to live radio broadcasts in Akan from numerous radio stations and receive mass media and public broadcasts in Akan from numerous multimedia and media broadcasting. Akan

4374-483: The National House of "Chiefs". Akan Kings who once warred with each other and Kings of other nations within Ghana now sit with them to build peace and advocate development for their nations. The identity of an Akan nation or meta-ethnicity is expressed by the term Akanman . The Akan word ɔman ( plural Aman ) which forms the second element in this expression has a meaning much of "community, town, nation, state". (A)man has been translated as "Akanland". Akan refers to

4455-463: The basis of inheritance and succession. A lineage is defined as all those related by matrilineal descent from a particular ancestress. Several lineages are grouped into a political unit headed by a council of elders, each of whom is the elected head of a lineage – which itself may include multiple extended-family households. Public offices are, thus, vested in the lineage, as are land tenure and other lineage property. In other words, lineage property

4536-435: The candidate for consideration as King. An assistant king does not have a Queen-mother as his title is not hereditary. A Prince or Daakyehen(Fante)(lit Future-king ) is any of the members of the lineage eligible to sit on a stool. However, not all royals are Princes as some may be ineligible. A prince is not necessarily the son of a King but rather the former King's nephew on the mother's side. As such, royals strive to achieve

4617-441: The capital's lucrative domestic-trade in items such as gold, slaves, and bullion . 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

4698-444: The crossroads of the Trans-Saharan trade , Kumase's strategic location contributed significantly to its growth. Over the duration of the Kumase metropolis' existence, a number of peculiar factors have combined to transform the Kumase metropolis into a financial centre and political capital. The main causal factors included the unquestioning loyalty to the Asante rulers and the Kumase metropolis' growing wealth, derived in part from

4779-495: The empire or becoming tributary states. Opoku Ware I , Osei Tutu's successor, extended the borders. Because of the long history of mutual interaction between Asante and European powers, the Asante have the greatest amount of historiography in all of sub-Saharan Africa . In the 1920s the British catalogued Asante religion, familial, and legal systems in works such as R. S. Rattray 's Asante Law and Constitution . The Asante state strongly resisted attempts by Europeans , mainly

4860-420: The family. Though not considered as important as the mother , the male interaction continues in the place of birth after marriage. Historically, an Asante girl was betrothed with a golden ring called " petia " (I love you), if not in childhood, immediately after the puberty ceremony. They did not regard marriage " awade " as an important ritual event, but as a state that follows soon and normally after

4941-422: The interior Takyiman conquered other Guan tribes including Efutu and Ewutu and merged them into Mfantseman Akan kings are ranked according to their jurisdiction. The head of an inter-clan Confederacy is usually considered a King, as in the Kings of Ashanti, Fante, Akyem and the Akwapim. Under these are the heads of the constituent states who equates an Emperor that only heads an Empire (e.g., Asante Empire and

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5022-445: The jewelry that the girls are adorned with signifies royalty, continuous life, and wealth. This is related to the matrilineal system of the Asante. The matrilineal system of the Asante culturally gives women a sense of authority, continuity, and the right to become a breadwinner and make money. This is displayed in the roles of adult women in society, obaapanin (female elder), and the ohemaa (queen) stool, which ranks higher than

5103-401: The language of the Akan ethnolinguistic group and the Akan language which was and is the most widely spoken and used indigenous language in the Akan peoples in Ghana. Each ethnic group having its own dialect Akan is officially recognized for literacy in the Akan-majority regions, at the primary and elementary educational stage (Primary 1–3) K–12 (education) level, and studied at university as

5184-412: The last group to emerge out of the various Akan civilisations. Twi is spoken by over nine million Asante people as their native language. The Asante people developed the Ashanti Empire , along the Lake Volta and Gulf of Guinea . The empire was founded in 1670, and the capital Kumase was founded in 1680 by Asantehene Osei Kofi Tutu I on the advice of Okomfo Anokye , his premier . Sited at

5265-428: The male counterpart. Fish In the bragoro rites, eating fish signifies the obtaining of wisdom and knowledge. Wisdom and Knowledge are seen as a keen part of womanhood for Asantes. In Asante royalty , the Asantehemaa (queen mother) is seen as the advisor of the Asantehene (king), full of wisdom and knowledge. This thought is carried through Asante culture and society to characterize the everyday woman, and convey

5346-409: The meaning of womanhood in Asante. In the bragoro puberty rites, girls' heads are shaved and dyed black. Every day during the rites, young girls in the community feed the chosen girls boiled eggs, fish, and eto . Alongside, the older women in the community, called mmerewa , teach the girls about marriage , motherhood , and morality . The merewa bathe the girls in a neighboring stream. Then,

5427-402: The name Asante came to be. Realizing the weakness of a loose confederation of Akan states, Osei Tutu strengthened centralization of the surrounding Akan groups and expanded the powers judiciary system within the centralized government. Thus, this loose confederation of small city-states grew into a kingdom or empire looking to expand its land. Newly conquered areas had the option of joining

5508-484: The origin of the Akan people is unknown, they don't reject the Sudanese origin and maintain that oral tradition must also be considered. The ancestors of the Akan eventually left for Kong (i.e. present day Ivory Coast). From Kong they moved to Wam and then to Dormaa, located in present-day Bono Region of Ghana. The movement from Kong was necessitated by the desire of the people to find suitable savannah conditions since they were not used to forest life. The state of Bonoman

5589-451: The peace. Some Kings have decided to push ahead with the leadership of their Kingdoms and States in a non-political fashion. The Asantehen and okyehen have emphasized Education and Environmental Sustainability respectively. Others push the national government and its agents to fulfill promises to their people. In modern Ghana, a quasi-legislative/judicial body known as the House of "Chiefs "(a colonial term to belittle African Kings because of

5670-601: The position of a prince in their families or for their children. All Akan clans are considered royal in the context of their matrilineal society. Each clan, known as abusua , plays a significant role in inheritance, succession, and the selection of chiefs. The eight main Akan clans—Oyoko, Bretuo, Agona, Asona, Asenie, Aduana, Ekuona, and Asakyiri—are integral to the governance of their respective communities. Members of these clans are viewed as royals, as chiefs are traditionally chosen from them, reinforcing their royal status within Akan culture. A sub-chief does not, however, need to be

5751-424: The puberty ritual. The puberty rite was and is important as it signifies passage from childhood to adulthood in that chastity is encouraged before marriage. The Asante required that various goods be given by the boy's family to that of the girl, not as a 'bride price', but to signify an agreement between the two families. In the Asante culture, Womanhood is marked by Puberty rites termed " bragoro ." Bragoro

5832-715: The racist belief to not equate an African King with a European King in rank) has been established to oversee "chieftaincy" and the Government of Ghana as the British Government once did certifies the Chiefs and gazettes them. Several Akan Kings sit at the various levels of the National House of "Chiefs". Each Paramountcy has a Traditional Council, then there is the Regional House of "Chiefs" and lastly

5913-590: The region, along with the Bambuk goldfield, and the Bure goldfield. This wealth in gold attracted European traders. Initially, the Europeans were Portuguese, soon joined by the Dutch and the British in their quest for Akan gold. The Akan waged war on neighboring states in their geographic area to capture people and sell them as slaves to Europeans (Portuguese) who subsequently sold the enslaved people along with guns to

5994-465: The religion of Islamic North Africa within their talismanic tradition, making amulets with Quranic citations, name of the Arabic angels or Jinn . Amulets were also set in the corners of houses or soaked in water to produce liquids for drinking and for washing that were believed to have thaumaturgical properties. The Asante live in the Ashanti Region, specifically in the capital of Kumasi , and, due to

6075-594: The rise the Empire of Ashanti (1700–1900). From the 15th century to the 19th century, the Akan people dominated gold mining and trading in the region; throughout this period they were among the most powerful groups in Africa. The Akan goldfields , according to Peter Bakewell, were the "highly auriferous area in the forest country between the Komoe and Volta rivers." The Akan goldfield was one of three principal goldfields in

6156-442: The same ancient ancestress – so marriage between members of the same group (or abusua ) is forbidden, a taboo on marriage. One inherits or is a lifelong member of, the lineage, the political unit and the abusua of one's mother, regardless of one's gender or marriage. Members and their spouses thus belong to different abusuas , with mother and children living and working in one household, and their husband/father living and working in

6237-406: The same way as they were feared in Jamaica and from the hinterlands of the Gold Coast. According to BioMed Central (BMC biology) in 2012, the average Jamaican has 60% of Asante matrilineal DNA and, today Asante is the only ethnic group by name known to contemporary Jamaicans. Famous Jamaican individuals such as: Marcus Garvey and his first wife, Amy Ashwood Garvey , are of Asante descent. It

6318-619: The tracing of royal matrilineal descent in the inheritance of property, and for succession to high political office. All Akans are considered royals in status, but not all are in royal succession or hold titles. Akan people are believed to have migrated from smaller kingdoms in the western Sudan region to their current location around the 11th century. Around 750 AD, these kingdoms grew into Awkar or Koumbi Saleh . 11th century Arab historian Al-Bakri wrote about this great kingdom based on accounts by Berber merchants, who often traded with these ancient Ghanaians. Because historians admit

6399-625: The ungrouped languages of southern Ivory Coast, while the Ka/Na-Togo and Gbe languages are called Left bank because they are spoken to the east of the Volta River . The word 'Kwa' was used by Gottlob Krause in 1885 for the Akan (or perhaps Tano ), Gã, and Gbe languages, which have kwa or kua as their word for 'human being'. Since then the proposal has been dramatically expanded, only to revert to something approaching its initial conception. In 1952 Westermann and Bryan expanded Kwa to

6480-677: The various Lagoon languages of southern Ivory Coast and to what are now called the Volta–Niger languages of southern Nigeria. Greenberg (1963) added the Kru languages of Liberia, the Ghana–Togo Mountain languages which Westermann and Bryan had specifically excluded, and Ijaw of the Niger delta; West Kwa included the languages from Liberia to Dahomey (Republic of Benin), and East Kwa the languages of Nigeria. Bennett & Sterk (1977) proposed that

6561-486: Was established as early as the 12th century. Between the 12th and 13th centuries a gold boom in the area brought wealth to numerous Akans. During different phases of the state of Bonoman, groups of Akans migrated out of the area to create numerous states based predominantly on gold mining and trading of cash crops. This brought wealth to numerous Akan states such as the Akwamu Empire (1550–1650), and ultimately led to

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