| Asante
is a Nation in Ghana situated in the middle of the country,
and in the forest belt. The people of Asante form part of an
ethnic group called the Akan people. Other communities or linguistic
groups in Ghana who belong to this ethnic group are: The Fantes,
the Bonos, the Akwamus, the Akyems, the Kwahus, the Sefwis,
the Wassas, the Adanse, the Assins and the Akwapims.
All the communities forming
the Akan group have one belief and one behaviour pattern.
Akans believe in the existence of God the Creator therefore
anybody who does not believe in the existence of God could
not be counted as an Akan.
Outstanding among their behaviour
pattern are the following:-
When
shaking hands with a group of people, they start from the
right to the left.
When speaking, they use their right hand to point at things
or emphasize points.
Therefore anybody whose behaviour is not in line with the
norms of the people is said to be somebody who is not an Akan.
One
identifying factor of the Akans is that, each individual belongs
to one of the eight(8) groups of the Akans. The clans are
the following: Oyoko, Aduana, Biretuo, Asona, Ekuona, Asenie,
Asakyiri and Agona. These clans could be found in all the
Akan states. The belief is that, people of the same clan,
no matter where they come from are descendants of a common
ancestress and are therefore brothers and sisters and cannot
marry each other. This simply means, an Aduana man from Asante
believes that he is the brother of an Aduana woman from Akyem
and cannot marry her.
Most
of the Akan states practice matrilineal form of inheritance.
In such states, the children of the male members of the clan
are not counted among the members of the clan. Historically,
the Akans are believed to have come from the ancient Ghana
Empire which existed in the North western part of West Africa
before they migrated Southwards to their present areas of
abode.
Reasons
for their Southward migration included:
(a) Inter-Empire wars which created instability at their places
of abode therefore they moved Southward into the forest belt
to avoid constant warfare and get the peace needed for their
farming ventures.
(b) When the Moslem religion started in Arabia and entered
North Africa, people were forced to accept the new religion
but the Akans worshiped God through their spokesmen to the
supreme God. They therefore migrated into the forest belt
to have religious freedom.
Their southward migration found them in Northern Ghana, specifically
at the Gonjaland. From Gonjaland, they continued their migration
southwards through river valleys and wind gaps until they
arrived at their present places of abode. Their leaders were
mostly hunters. Their leaders later became their chiefs and
since they moved in clans, the towns they founded were clan
towns.
The
clan members of the founder of a town became the royals of
the town. These were usually the children of the female members
of the clan. Two people always rule each town. You always
have a male and a female ruling. The male is the chief and
the female is the Queenmother. When a chief dies, it is his
brother or the sister’s son who succeeds him. His son
cannot succeed him because the son is not counted among the
members of the clan.
The
first organized state of the Akans, which developed to become
a kingdom, was the Adanse state. This state was later defeated
by the Denkyira state, also an Akan state. The Denkyira kingdom
ruled the other Akan states with iron hands therefore some
of the Akan states serving Denkyira decided to unite and overthrow
the Denkyira kingdom. The individual Akan states which united
for the purpose of war to overthrow the Denkyira kingdom were
named “Esa-Nti-Fo]” i.e. because of war, which
was later polluted to “Asantefo]”. The Asantes
lived in the forest around Asumegya and around lake Bosomtwe.
It
was from this area that they migrated to various parts of
the forest and founded various towns and states. At first
the states were not united but each state was on her own.
The idea of forming one united Asante state started during
the reign of Nana Obiri Yeboa. The idea did not gain roots
when the states were defeated by Dormaa state which was also
on Akan state.
Nana
Obiri Yeboa lost his life in the war. The successor of Nana
Obiri Yeboa was Nana Osei Tutu. He united the states and with
the help of Okomfo] An]kye who was a chief of Agona state
and also a spiritualist, prepared the united Asante states,
psychologically, physically, and spiritually for war.
Okomfo
Anokye commanded and a Golden stool to descend from the skies
on one Festive Friday, “Fofie” when all the chiefs
had gathered, and rested on the laps of Nana Osei Tutu, making
him the unquestionable king of the united Asante states.
The
Golden stool became the soul of the new Nation and each Chief
swore an oath not to raise arms against the Golden stool.
They swore to protect the Golden stool with their blood. The
states, which assembled included Mampon, Asumegya, Kokofu,
Kumase, Dwaben, Bekwai, Offinso, Nsuta, Kontanase, Edweso
and Agona.
After
the unity celebrations, the chiefs met, and waged war against
the Dormaa state to avenge their defeat at the hand of the
Dormaa state. They drove the Dormaa people from their former
place of settlement to their present abode in Brong Ahafo
Region. After the Dormaa war the Asantes prepared feverishly
for the Denkyira war which was termed as war of liberation.
One important lesson was the spirit of sacrifice exhibited
by some of the Chiefs.
When
Okomfo Anokye stated that before victory could be won, some
Chiefs had to offer themselves as sacrifice for ritual purposes,
Chiefs like Tweneboa Kodua of Kumawu, Asenso Kofo of Adwumakasekese
and Dikopim of Edweso readily gave themselves up in order
that future generation might be free Okomfo Anokye further
prophesied that the Chief who would be the war General would
not live beyond seven days after the war.
Boahen
Anantuo, the Chief of Mampon also offered himself to lead
the war in order that king Osei Tutu lived to rule the Nation.
The war of liberation ended with victory for the Asante Nation.
After that, Nana Osei Tutu I and his spiritual adviser devoted
most of their time to the making of laws and laying the administrative
structures of the new nation.
by Manhyia Palace Museum
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