The Ashanti, or Asante, was a powerful West African state that occupied what is now southern Ghana in the 18th and 19th centuries. During this time, the Ashanti built a wealthy and mighty empire through military conquests and the slave trade. They proved no match, however, for Great Britain's growing dominance in the area, and the once-powerful kingdom eventually became a British colony. Today, Ashanti remains a region in Ghana.

People and culture

The Ashanti kingdom was formed in the latter half of the 17th century by different groups who spoke a related form of a language called Akan. These groups had united in an effort to protect themselves against attacks from their larger neighbors. Under the leadership of several remarkable rulers, the Ashanti became powerful conquerors. The Ashanti divided their empire into five provinces. The provinces, which were home mainly to conquered peoples, were allowed to exist with relative freedom. However, they were expected to provide money and other goods to the kingdom each year and to participate in any wars.

Under Ashanti rule, Akan culture flourished. The Ashanti kings took great steps to promote arts and crafts. Ashanti rulers assembled the best craftsmen and goldsmiths and encouraged their work. The more well-known and impressive Ashanti crafts include gold and silver carvings and colorful hand-woven wraps known as kente cloth.

Economy

Ashanti gained its power partly through its participation in the African slave trade. Throughout the 18th century, the Ashanti supplied slaves to British and Dutch traders on the coast. In return, the Europeans provided the Ashanti with firearms and other supplies they used to build their empire and become wealthy. Great Britain outlawed the slave trade in 1807. As a result, the Ashanti had to rely more heavily on other trade items, such as ivory, gold, and cocoa.

History

The rise of the Ashanti began in the 1670s, when Ashanti ruler Osei Tutu crushed all opponents in the region during a series of military campaigns. He then declared himself Asantehene, or king, of the new Ashanti state. The next ruler, Opoku Ware, continued the Ashanti's military conquests. During his reign from 1720 to 1750, the Ashanti empire reached its greatest extent.

In the early 1800s—at about the same time that Britain outlawed its slave trade—the Ashanti began to clash with the British over territory. In 1874, British forces marched on the capital of the Ashanti. They burned the town and destroyed the royal palace. This marked the beginning of the end for the Ashanti empire. The British invasion sparked numerous revolts among groups within the kingdom who had grown dissatisfied with Ashanti rule. In 1902, the British took control of Ashanti and declared it a royal colony. In 1957, the region that included Ashanti won its independence from Great Britain. It became known as the republic of Ghana. The Ashanti area currently accounts for about one-fourth of Ghana's land. Kumasi, the former kingdom's capital, remains a busy and prosperous city.