ASANTE was the first to create a UNION STATE in the world order (United States of Asante-USA) before even, the United States of America, and now, the European Union. The Asante Empire is not only Ashanti Region as people have been made to understand. It goes beyond Ashanti Region even though the capital of the Empire also serves as the administrative capital of Ashanti Region. The Asante Empire includes the present day Ashanti Region, Ahafo Region, part of Bono Region, Bono East Region, Oti Region and the Eastern Region of Ghana.
As the English Dictionary rightly explained empire as “A political unit comprising a number of territories or states and ruled by single authority therefore unplaced Asante as a tribe like Fante, Ga, Sefwi, Akyem, Akuapem, Wassa, Bono, Nzema, Dagomba, Gonja, Mamprusi etc.
During the formation of the Asante Nation there were powerful Akan tribes already in existence like Adanse, Denkyira, Akwamu, Nzema, Bono, Fante etc. but there was nothing like “Asante Tribe” instead, there were powerful and independent Akan States like Mampong, Kokofu, Dwaben (Juaben), Nsuta, Offinso, Bekwai, Asumegya (Esumeja), Kwaman, Kumawu, Edweso, Tafo, Agona etc who migrated from various settlements to their present locations. And all these individual states could be compared to independent modern states like Akwamu, Akuapem, Techiman, Sefwi, Nzema, Dormaa, Akyem States etc.
Some of these powerful Akan States that came together to form the Asante Nation are heads of the various Akan clans whiles others were mighty in military prowess therefore earning them an outstanding and prominent recognition as far as the traditional institutions still operates. For instance, Mamponghene is the head of Biretuo Abusua, Asumegyahene (Esumeja) is the head of Aduana, Oyoko Piesie ne Kokofuhene, Asenee clan head is Kumasi Amakom hene etc. These positions and titles have raised the status of some Amanhene whereby some are seen at durbar with a huge entourage than others.
Having come together to form one strong union to defeat the then Powerful Denkyira Kingdom which at the time has submerged almost all the individual Akan States and making them her vassal, it gave the individual Akan States that came together to form the Asante Nation a new beginning, meaning, the formation of Asante was born as a result of the powerful individual Akan States that rank shoulders with the modern day independent traditional states in Ghana to form the union named by outsiders as ASANTEFOO – ASA–NTI-FOƆ (BECAUSE OF WAR). Because the main aim of the union was to unite themselves, wage war against Denkyira to gain their independence and to form a new nation.
After their independence from Denkyira, Adansi, a powerful kingdom and a tribe which once reign in the Adansi area until it was submerged by Denkyira agreed to be part of the new Asante Union, swearing allegiance to Osei Tutu and becoming part and parcel of Asante.
The Asante Nation also continued fighting to extend their boarders because at the time they were the most undefeated Akan Kingdom that has emerged, and they easily conquer the other independent states and submerge them to the Asante Kingdom, because Asante Nation was a combination of over 12 individual core Akan states and Adansi, therefore making them very strong and populated to face should they wage war against you. For instance, if Asante Nation wage war against Nzema, Dormaa etc. one must know that it is a war between Nzema or Dormaa a single state against Asante, which is a combination of states. So it is obvious that the latter will be defeated no matter how hard he fights Asante.
Asante first defeated Dormaa State and submerged them, Asante defeated Denkyira and submerged them, Asante defeated the Gyaman kingdom of modern Ivory Coast, ancient Bono kingdom with Techiman as capital, Banda, and submerged all of them to Asante etc.
By the middle of 1800s, Asante has defeated and submerged all the states in the South. So from that time, Asante reigned from the interior to the South and in charge of almost all the trading routs at the time. Asante had the papers of the Elmina Castle when they defeated Denkyira and had the papers of all the three Accra forts when they defeated Akyem. So the Elmina Castle and the three Accra forts all became property of the Asante Nation, and were paying rent to the Asantehene until their defeat in the Akatamanso war. The Akatamanso war was between Asante on one side and the British and all the Southern and Coastal tribes on the other. After the defeat, Asante lost control of all the coastal lands, the Castle and the Forts. The Whiteman took control of the affairs of the coastal people.
A lot of tribes, traditional areas, cities and towns today all had their ancestry and migration from Asante. For instance, our Kwahu brothers migrated from Asante Mampong, New Juaben (Koforidua) migrated from old Juaben including all the Koforidua towns of Effiduase, Oyoko, Asokore, Dwumaapo etc all had their migration from all this old Asante towns. Berekum migrated from Asante Asokore and Adanse areas to their present location to serve as surveillance on the Dormaa and Gyamans. Agona Nyakrom in the Central Region migrated from Nsuta, Worawora in the Oti Region migrated from Kuntenase area, Nkoranza migrated from Kumasi etc. And as Okomfo Anokye prophesied in 1701: wherever Asante goes, it will shine.
Today, Otumfuo Asantehene reigns over 70 Traditional areas across 6 regions in Ghana, some of these traditional areas do not speak Asante Twi: The Asante States in Bono enclave speaks the Bono language, Banda people speak the Nafaanra language which also include the areas of Sampa, Kokoa, Duadaso, Jamera, Kabile etc. This shows that Asante Nation speaks more than one language and not only the Asante Twi and any Paramount Chief who is under Asantehene is automatically Asantenii and his people are Asantefoɔ by identity and by allegiance.
In truth however, every Asantenii is Osanii……after we joined together, we united, because we wished to fight for our freedom and cherished ideals. OSA NTI NA NANANOM KA BOOMU….OSA-NTI-NII, ASANTEFOƆ.
And we are still fighting, but in a different field, though same goals…the upliftment of SIKADWA, OTUMFUO ASANTEHENE, and ASANTEMAN (3 Asante Trinity) …..For a better Asante and a better Ghana.
In conclusion, Asante is an Empire because, it consist of more than one language, a combination of languages. Asante is a NATION because we have everything that makes up a Country.
Source: The Asante Empire.
