African Kingdoms

Asante (Akan State) (Africa)
c.AD 1701 - 1902

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In a history of Africa which can at times be difficult to uncover, one kingdom which stands out is that of Asante (or Ashanti). One of the continent's most impressive kingdoms, it was built largely on slaves and gold. The kingdom was founded deep in the forests of what is now Ghana in West Africa, an unusual location from which a sophisticated kingdom could emerge.

It would seem that Akan people migrated into the southern edges of Ghana's forests, leaving behind them a broad band of territory on the southern edge of the Sahara Desert. Their migration took place around the eleventh century AD, during a period in which the kingdom of Old Ghana was dramatically weakened by a devastating conflict with the Almorivids.

When Old Ghana fell in AD 1237, the trading state of Bonoman (Bono Manso) was established by the Abron people. In various waves, Akan groups migrated away from the increasingly wealthy Bonoman state to found their own settlement areas. Farming prospered, producing wealth in food, and some of the Akan communities in time coalesced into small states and minor kingdoms.

At least two of these new states became prominent: those of Akwamu in the south and Denkyira in the central western area of Akan territory. A third state - Kwaaman - was the product of continued conflict between the other two. The origins of these states are almost entirely obscure, just like those of the far greater kingdom which they would cause to be founded: Asante.

Archaeologists of the University of Ghana have in the past couple of decades discovered terracotta artefacts in the forests which can be dated to the ninth and tenth centuries AD. These depict animals and humans and are believed to have formed part of a shrine. Who built that shrine is another question, as it was raised in the time of Old Ghana. To date no link has been found between these objects and the Asante kingdom.

The Akan founders of Asante were hunting for food in the depths of the thick forests in the fifteenth century. Between then and the seventeenth century they underwent a remarkable transition. They cleared areas of the forest and cultivated food crops, allowing their numbers to increase.

(Information by Peter Kessler, with additional information from the BBC documentary series, Lost Kingdoms of Africa, first broadcast on 5 January 2010, from English Chief Factors on the Gold Coast 1632-1753, R Porter, from Ghana: A Country Study, Berry La Verle (Ed), 1994, from Encyclopaedia Britannica (Eleventh Edition, Cambridge (England), 1910), and from External Links: BBC Country Profiles, and Manhyia Palace, and British Battles, and The British Empire, and Encyclopaedia Britannica, and Ghana (Country Studies), and World Statesmen, and The Rise of the Akwamu Empire, 1650-1710, Ivor Wilks (Transactions of the Historical Society of Ghana, Vol 3, No 2, 1957, pp 25-62, and available for download as a PDF from JSTOR).)

c.1701 - 1717

Turned Kwaaman into the Asante kingdom. Ambushed. Killed.

1707

The 'English Gold Coast' trading colony becomes 'British Gold Coast' on 1 May 1707. The Asante use their trading networks to sell slaves for profit to the British and other European nations who trade along the coast (see feature link, right). In return, they buy European weapons which they use to further increase the size of the kingdom.

The British probably met up with the Asante leaders at an early point in the expansion of Gold Coast, although this 1819 illustrates a meeting of its own time, as confirmed by the headgear worn by the British soldiers at the back

1718 - 1750

Relationship to Osei Tutu unknown.

During his reign, Opuku Ware fights wars of expansion which bring the northern states of Mamprusi, Dagomba, and Gonja under Asante influence. He also defeats the Bono, another Akan state, by 1723.

1727

Well to the south of the early Asante kings, the administration of British Gold Coast is reformed, using a resurrected three-man triumvirate format. The individuals involved rotate regularly, usually on an annual basis, and the same senior chief agent may oversee several such rotations, often with the same names cropping up many times.

1730 - 1731

After perhaps a generation of increasing pressure from the Akyem peoples and much fighting, the state of Akwamu has been reduced in size and survives, essentially, as an addendum to Asante by 1731.

Otumfuo Akonno Kuma becomes regent and then titular ruler (after 1744) for the diminished territory. His successors continue to provide leadership for the Akwamu people within the Asante kingdom and into modern Ghana.

Akan people - photographed here around the beginning of the twentieth century - migrated into regions of modern Ghana from around the eleventh century AD, but probably in smaller family groups rather than as a single mass movement of people

1750 - 1764

Osei Tutu's gndnephew. Elected against Opoku Ware's advice.

1750

While Kusi Obodum is putting down a short civil war in response to his less-than-welcome election success, the 'Company of Merchants Trading to Africa' takes over administration of British Gold Coast from the Royal African Company (which retains its legal rights until it is dissolved in April 1752).

The last governor of the Royal African Company is also president of the council until December 1750, and he continues his role as governor under the 'Committee of Merchants'.

1764 - 1777

Elected as a replacement for unpopular Kusi Obodum.

1777 - 1798

Unpopular ruler who killed family members and subjects.

1798 - 1799

In office for about 60 days.

1800 - 1823

Conquered the Fante states.

1800s

By now, Asante has grown to such a size that it has a population of two million, an incredible number for nineteenth century Africa. It has more than doubled its size since the seventeenth century, incorporating territory which is a sixteen day walk away from the central capital at Kumasi. During his reign, Osei Bonsu defeats the Fante confederation and dominates British Gold Coast trade.

Asante was growing rapidly by the early 1800s, both its empire and its capital at Kumasi which is shown here in a late nineteenth century depiction

1807

The slave trade in Britain is abolished, and Asante is affected. Trade has to switch to other products and Kumasi suffers a population drop as people move towards the southern provinces, nearer the coast, to engage in new trading ventures. Payment in gold for European items causes a shortage, so gold is hoarded and becomes even more scarce.

Similarly, local natives who have been exported as slaves during the eighteenth century to European colonies such as Jamaica also suffer as the plantation owners find cheap labour which often does not include them. The technically-free Leeward Maroons and Windward Maroons of that island also have large numbers of Akan people amongst their populations.

However, Asante has already started to expand towards that same coast, impinging on neighbouring Fante territory from 1806. By 1814 the Fante are broken.

1817

Thomas Bowditch visits the kingdom from England and writes a remarkable account of his attendance at the royal court, noting its lavish display of showy cloths and silks, animals, and gold swords. The king wields great power over his people, and is happy to display his wealth by wearing more gold than anyone else while his ministers hold the skulls of opponents who have been overcome by the king.

Britannia between Death and the Doctors shows an ailing Britannia being approached by Death in the guise of Napoleon, while her politicians squabble (LC-USZC4-8794)

1821

Britain abolishes the 'African Company of Merchants' and seizes privately held land along the coast, incorporating it into a more official British Gold Coast colony. Suddenly Asante is forced to recognise that it is not the only major power in the region and the two begin an unspoken struggle for superiority.

As far as Britain is concerned, the formalisation of the Gold Coast crown colony not only helps to keep the competing French and their Ivory Coast territory from expanding eastwards, but also gives Britain a foothold in influencing Asante's affairs.

Only grass and bush separates the French West Africa territories to the north from Asante, and the kingdom of Dahomey borders Asante to the east so the French focus their attentions here instead.

Dahomey tribespeople were photographed for Hubert Howe Bancroft's The Book of the Fair, published in Chicago in 1893, by which time Dahomey was the subject of extreme interest by the French, and its former status as a regional power was eroded

1822 - 1831

A misunderstanding occurs between the Ashanti, the Fante, and the British which causes the asantehene to take offence. The British defensively prepare the entire British Gold Coast and the Ashanti mobilise their forces for the First Anglo-Ashanti War.

The British march against them but are overwhelmed. The severed head of the governor, Sir Charles MacCarthy, is taken back to Kumasi. The fighting eventually dies down in 1831 and the region is more or less peaceful for the next three decades.

1824 - 1834

Began to lose territories. Died in office.

1828

The British government allows control of the British Gold Coast settlements to revert to the 'British African Company of Merchants' at which time relations with Asante are still problematic. From the Asante point of view, the British have failed to control the activities of their local coastal allies.

This image shows Kumasi in 1824, complete with British guard, possibly during a meeting between the asantehene and the governor of Gold Coast (with Sir Charles MacCarthy being the most likely candidate)

Had this been done, Asante may not have found it necessary to attempt to impose a peace on the coastal peoples. The late Governor MacCarthy's encouragement of coastal opposition to Asante and the subsequent 1824 British military attack has further indicated to Asante authorities that the Europeans, especially the British, do not respect Asante.

1830 - 1831

Having been selected as the governor of British Gold Coast by the African Company of Merchants in 1830, Captain George Maclean immediately arranges a peace treaty with Asante in 1831.

He also supervises the coastal people by holding regular court at Cape Coast where he punishes those who are found guilty of disturbing the peace. No British confrontations occur with Asante during his period in office and trade triples.

1834 - 1867

Died suddenly and unexpectedly.

1841 - 1844

Kwaku Dua fights against the Gonja and Dagomba to the north, while to the south matters are largely peaceful. George Maclean's time in office as governor of British Gold Coast has been so successful for peaceful relations and trade that a British Parliamentary committee has recommended that the British government permanently administer its settlements and negotiate treaties with the coastal chiefs which will define Britain's relations with them.

English and later British interest in their Gold Coast trading centre saw it turn into an imperial colonial formation which frequently challenged the Asante in battle

The government does this now, in 1843, reinstating crown government. Commander Henry Worsley Hill is appointed the first 'proper' governor of the Gold Coast.

1850 - 1852

On 13 January 1850 the administration of British Gold Coast is separated from that of Sierra Leone which, until now, has provided the function of 'head office' to which the Gold Coast governors have had to report. On 30 March 1850, the former 'Dutch Gold Coast' settlements of the Netherlands are incorporated into the British territories.

Two years later, in April 1852, growing acceptance of the advantages offered by the British presence leads local chiefs and elders to meet at Cape Coast to consult with the governor on future means of raising revenue. With the governor's approval, the council of chiefs constitutes itself as a legislative assembly, albeit without any formal powers.

1863

The brief Second Anglo-Ashanti War is triggered when a large Ashanti force crosses the river in pursuit of a fugitive by the name of Kwesi Gyana. Britain's governor of British Gold Coast defends territory which is under his command but his request for more troops from home is declined and sickness forces him to withdraw.

From the early trading posts in the English Gold Coast territory, British presence was gradually increased to the point at which it became a major opponent of Asante dominance in what is now Ghana

Although the relationship between Britain and Asante is one of advantageous mutual trade, some of the southernmost Asante provinces have gradually turned to the British for protection following the ending of the slave trade and the migration of people away from the capital.

Now Asante decides that it wants firmer, more direct control of these wayward provinces, but to have the kingdom strong and fully in control of all trade is not in Britain's best interests. The two sides begin to manoeuvre for superiority.

1867 - 1874

Grandnephew. Dethroned following his defeat.

1871

British influence over British Gold Coast further increases when Elmina Castle is purchased, this being the last of the Dutch forts along the coast. The Asante, who for years have considered the Dutch at Elmina to be their allies, now lose their last trade outlet to the sea. To prevent this loss and to ensure that their revenue stream continues, a coastal invasion is planned for the following year.

West Africa in the second half of the nineteenth century was a place of development, with large tribal empires existing or arising during the period (click or tap on map to view full sized)

1873 - 1874

As tensions mount between Asante and the British, the Asante take several Europeans hostage. This is the signal for the Third Ashanti War. In February 1874, Under Wolseley's command British troops march into Kumasi, the first foreign troops to do so.

They burn it to the ground and Asante is forced to accept the loss of its southern provinces. In August 1874 these provinces become part of British Gold Coast. The Asante remove Kofi Karikari from the throne following his defeat and replace him with Mensa Bonsu.

1874 - 1883

Younger brother. Forced to abdicate and banished.

1880s

Having lost much of its prestige with the comprehensive defeat of 1874, the Asante kingdom is heading towards civil war as other provinces demand more freedom, or simply detach themselves from the confederation to seek closer ties with British Gold Coast.

Mensa Bonsu undertakes punitive expeditions seemingly only as part of his own pursuit of gold and women, and two attempts to dethrone him are made (1877 and 1880), with the third being successful in 1883. The Asante Civil War follows almost immediately and lasts for five years.

The Second Anglo-Ashanti War of 1863 was part of Britain's continued policy of asserting control over its domains and those around them

1884

Died after a short illness. Interregnum followed until 1888.

1888

The Asante empire has been managed between 1884 and 1887 by an interim council, and then by a regent. Now the various factions in the Asante Civil War agree to a peaceful settlement which sees a new asantehene ascend the throne, the sixteen year-old Prempeh I (originally known as Prince Kwaku Dua III prior to becoming king).

1888 - 1896

Acceded aged 16. Exiled.

1895 - 1896

With fighting continuing to break out against British Gold Coast, Britain decides that Asante should become part of the British protectorate. King Prempeh refuses to accede of course, so another British expedition reaches Kumasi after a hard-fought campaign, this time under Colonel Sir Francis Scott.

The Fourth Ashanti War sees Prempeh forced to accept exile, along with his immediate family and some close advisors. They are given passage to Sierra Leone where they remain for three years before being moved to the Seychelles. The removal of the asantehene stops dead in its tracks Asante's recent resurgence.

Asantehene Prempeh I is shown in this photograph having arrived in the Seychelles, having been transferred there from Sierra Leone during his exile of 1896-1925

Protection is now extended by the British to the 'Northern Territories' whose trade with the coast had formerly been controlled by Asante. This is prompted primarily by the need to forestall the French and Germans, who have been making rapid advances in the surrounding areas.

1896 - 1931

Asantehene of Asante in exile.

1902

Asante is forcibly incorporated into the British Gold Coast crown colony (it having gained this status on 26 September 1901), along with the Northern Territories, which had not belonged to the kingdom itself.

Having already amicably demarcated the boundaries between the Northern Territories and the surrounding French and German colonies (in 1898 and 1899), the Northern Territories are now proclaimed a British protectorate. Save for the later addition of British Togoland, this creates borders for the colony which are essentially those of modern Ghana.

The once powerful Asante empire declined as British colonial forces took hold and imposed their own controls, largely through political interference but resorting to warfare when demanded

1925 - 1927

The first legislative council elections take place in British Gold Coast, and King Prempeh is allowed to return to his homeland. Provincial councils of chiefs are established in all three of the colony's territories, partly to give the various native chiefs a colony-wide function.

This move is followed in 1927 by the promulgation of the 'Native Administration Ordinance', which replaces an 1883 arrangement that had placed chiefs in the Gold Coast colony under British supervision. The purpose is to clarify and to regulate the powers and areas of jurisdiction of chiefs and councils.

1931 - 1970

Nephew of Prempeh I. Asantehene of Asante.

1935

The 'Native Authorities Ordinance' combines the central colonial government and the local authorities into a single governing system. New native authorities, appointed by the governor of British Gold Coast, are given wide powers of local government under the supervision of the central government's provincial commissioners, who provide assurance that their policies will be those of the central government.

Kwame Nkrumah, first president of an independent Ghana, proclaims Ghanaian independence at midnight on 6 March 1957, although he would be deposed just nine years later

1956 - 1957

The British half of Togoland, a thin strip of territory running the length of British Gold Coast's eastern border along and above Lake Volta, elects to join Gold Coast via a plebiscite which is pushed by the United Nations in 1956. The following year modern Ghana is formed from the merger of these two colonial possessions.