The Origins of the Asante/Ashante Kingdom

The origins of the Ashante in modern day Ghana West Africa started about 1650, in what was known as the gold trade route in the forest land. Several groups lived in the area namely the Twi, the Bono, the Takyiman plus the Domaa in the East.  South of the Domaa were a people who were known as the Akan people. The Akan paid tribute to Denkyira. The Denkyira at the time was the strongest tribe.

By 1700, the Denkyira kingdom was in decline and soon faded into history. Since there can never be a power vacuum there was the power that rose out of the Akan group known as the Ashante or Asante. These people are in what we know as modern day Ghana. They rose out of this strong state of Akwam. The king who rose to prominence in this town was Ansa Sasraku. Ansa Sasraku enclosed Ga City which was off the Gold Coast and Accra and most of the States to the West and the East ass a means of consolidating power.

The king of Akwam ruled some 200 miles of country between the coast land and state of Agona and boundaries on the East. It extended to the Gold Coast and Togo seaboard. These boundaries lasted for more than half a century. The power of the King was sustained by the army.

The Asante/Ashante had imperial ambitions of their own and another Akan group began pushing into Akwamu territory in the northeast. After many battles the Akum made headway and were able to penetrate and by 1731 the Akwamu kingdom had vanished from the scene in West Africa. The Asante of course has survived till present day with European royalty still going to Ashante territory to pay homage to the present day king, Osei Tutu II.