The Ashanti, or Asante, are an Akan ethnic group of south-central Ghana, historically united in the Ashanti Empire, founded around 1701 by Osei Tutu, which became one of the most powerful states in precolonial West Africa on the strength of the trans-Saharan and coastal gold trade. Ashanti political authority centers on the Golden Stool, believed to house the soul of the Ashanti nation, and the Asantehene, the paramount king, who still holds a significant ceremonial and customary role within modern Ghana. The Ashanti fought a series of wars against the British Empire between 1823 and 1900 before their kingdom was absorbed into the Gold Coast colony, and Ashanti remains among the largest and most culturally influential ethnic groups in Ghana today.
Facts
Group TypeEthnic group; a subgroup of the Akan people, historically organized as the Ashanti Empire 1 Typical RegionAshanti Region of Ghana 1 Population Estimateover 9 million native Twi (Asante) speakers 1 Primary Language Subsistence ModeHistorically a trade- and gold-based economy; today a major producer of Ghana's domestic food and export crops including cocoa 1 Group Type
Group Type (category) Subsistence Mode
Subsistence Mode (category) Population Band
Population Band (category) Connections
Associated With
The Ashanti of Ghana are among the most frequently cited textbook examples of a matrilineal society, with royal succession, inheritance and clan (abusua) membership passed through the mother's line.
In the Other Atlases
- Also in Language Atlas: Akan, used in there.
Sources
1. Asante people (Wikipedia)
WikipediaAsante people (Wikipedia), lead paragraph
The Asante, also known as Ashanti in English ( ), are part of the Akan ethnic group and are native to the Ashanti Region of modern-day Ghana.
Asante people (Wikipedia), lead paragraph, homeland
are part of the Akan ethnic group and are native to the Ashanti Region of modern-day Ghana.
Asante people (Wikipedia), lead paragraph, speaker count
Twi is spoken by over nine million Asante people as their native language.
Asante people (Wikipedia), lead paragraph, language
Twi is spoken by over nine million Asante people as their native language.
Asante people (Wikipedia), Economy section
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.
Asante people (Wikipedia), lead paragraph, self-name
The Asante, also known as Ashanti in English ( ), are part of the Akan ethnic group
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