The Asante Empire

Isn’t it sad, how some Ghanaians will go and form queues as early as 2am to 5pm to vote for NPP and NDC only to come and complain of lack of development when they see Otumfuo as if they saw Otumfuo’s picture on the ballot paper? Isn’t it funny how these Ghanaians will shower praises on their politicians, hailing them “honourable honourable” and after they’ve given powers to these politicians, they will use their taxes to buy huge mansions and palaces for their girlfriends, takes them for shopping at Dubai and save in Swiss banks, they won’t complain, they will keep quiet only to complain when they see Otumfuo performing his ceremonial duties as if Manhyia Palace is the headquarters of Ghana Revenue Authority? Isn’t it laughable, that these party foot-soldiers and party defenders will defend their non-performing political parties and politicians only to come and complain of lack of skyscrapers when they see the image of Otumfuo as if they pay their taxes to Manhyia Palace? Isn’t this a ...

OTUMFUO OSEI TUTU II. The Pillar Behind the Africa Home Coming. THE YEAR OR RETURN 2019 GHANA. Many hundred years ago, there was in Africa Enslavement of people onto other parts of the world. The great ancestors of Africa descents who became victims of the then inhuman atrocities have lived on physically and spiritual till today at all the places they were brought. Most of them decided not to forget their roots and worked strenuously toward their repatriation back to AFRICA. There are great men whose names were made mentioned towards fighting for exploitations, freedom, and justice during the enslavement . The slavery caused a lot of divisions among the Black People home and abroad and till today there are sometimes misunderstandings and blame games. Our great Grandfathers and Mothers who stood above blames and pointing fingers, fought relentlessly to foster unity among fellow black people to hold on to their integrity. There are many of such great people in Jamaica like; •Paul Bogle (...

"The Kitab Gbunja noted that in about February 1745, "the cursed unbeliever, Opoku, entered the town of Yendi and plundered it."    The Ya Na, Gariba, was taken prisoner.  When he was being carried to Kumasi, his nephew, Ziblim, the Chief of Nasah, interceded and redeemed him." This source put to rest that it was Opoku Ware not Sei Kwadwo who got to Dagomba first. Sei Kwadwo had to go and reconquer about 20 years later when Santehene Obudom had allowed things to "fall apart" a little bit... "........After Opoku Ware death, the Muslim chronicler Al-Hajj Muhammed Ibn Mustafa in the Kitab Ghunja criticized him for harming the people of Gonja by oppressing them, robbering their property, complaining he ruled violently as tyrant and noting that people all around feared him greatly......." The above quote also put the Gonja question to rest.  In all, Opoku Ware did expand all the way to North....before Sei Kwadwo had to do it again for reasons already ...

The Ashanti woman who ended up as freedom fighter and hero in Jamaica.  This statue is located in Emancipation Park, New Kingston, Jamaica🇯🇲.  Queen Nanny (Nana), Granny Nanny  or  Nanny  or Nanny of the Maroons was an 18th-century leader of the  Jamaican Maroons . She led a community of formerly enslaved Africans called the Windward Maroons.  In the early 18th century, under the leadership of Nanny, the Windward Maroons fought a guerrilla war over many years against British authorities in the  Colony of Jamaica   in what became known as the First Maroon War. She was a former slave stolen from the Ashanti Empire and brought to Jamaica during the late 1700s together with her other four brothers. Maroons were escaped slaves who formed their own independent settlements. She and her 4 Brothers who were Maroon leaders escaped their plantation and hide in the mountains and jungles in Jamaica.  Maroons were slaves in the Americas who escaped ...

These Kumerican Kings and Divas are doing the most. Thumbs up..... you’ve really come far within this short period. Your resilience to be known in music in Music is commendable, ayekooo!  It doesn’t come as a surprise coming from a resilient background. From the 1940s to date, a lot of musicians have emerged from the Ashanti Territory. From the 1940s upwards saw some traditional and folklore musicians like Agya Koo Nimo, Teddy Osei and the Osibisa Band. In those years saw Great musicians like Kwabena Akwaboa, Alex Konadu, Jerry Hanson, Akwasi Ampofo Agyei, Alhaji Kwabena Frimpong, Awurama Badu, Amakye Dede etc. And in the 1980s to 2000s, saw another batch fresh Highlife Legends like, Daddy Lumba, Nana Acheampong, Akosua Agyapong, Rex Omar, Pat Thomas, Nana Tuffuor, Nana Aboagye Dacosta, Rex Gyamfi etc. In the middle part of the 90s saw the emergence of Reggie Rockstone (Reginald Yaw Asante Osei) pioneering Hip Life genre of music. Hip Life is a combination of two genres of music, H...

A The Baoule Kingdom was founded in 1720 by the Great Asante Warrior-Queen and Head of the Royal Family that broke away from the Akan Ruling House in Kwaman/Kumase after the assassination of Nana Daako, heir to the throne and brother of Nana Pokuaa.  The Baoule Kingdom was founded by Nana Abena Pokuaa - (ABLA POUKOU) - 1720 and consolidated it by 1730.  From 1730 - 1760 Nana Abena Pokuaa reigned as the warrior queen of the Akans in present day Cote d’Ivoire. The Breaking of Royal Lineage and ties-OYOKO AND ADAKO Whereas the royals of the Adako (Nsuta) Clan are Uncles of the Oyoko (Kumase) Clan, they felt that with the death of Nana Osei Tutu I, an uncle should be selected to lead the nation in the absence of a nephew. This brought about a succession feud resulting in Nana Dako (brother of Nana Pokuaa) beheaded by the partisans of Opoku Ware I. This incident brought about the civil war that engulfed the Asante Kingdom between 1717 to 1720 The incident split the Kingdom into two...

AKWAABA NANA KWABENA BEDIE. Today is a memorable day in the annals of Asante History. Please take a  look at the group\"s profile photo. The man in reddish-brown shirt, standing before Otumfuo Asantehene is the former president of Ivory Coast, His  Excellency HENRI KONAN  BEDIE. He visited Otumfuo on Thursday, and then his ancestral home of Nsuta on Friday. Otumfuo Asantehene will hold a special DWABO.... Durbar for him tomorrow, Sunday... AKWASIDAE. Please if you are in Kumase, or even Yaane, attend. Exactly 300 years ago.... 1717-1720, the nascent Asante Kingdom was embroiled in a civil war of succession following the death of the main architect of the Asante Union, the incomparable Otumfuo Osei Tutu Opemsuo I. The supporters of Opoku Ware won, he became the very successful Asantehene Opoku Ware Katakyie I. The losing side of the Oyoko Abusua branch .... members of the Oyoko Adako lineage, fled Kumase. They were led by the matriarch Nana Abena Pokuaa.  After years ...

The story of Queen Abla Pokou goes hand in hand with the creation of the Baoulé tribe of Côte d’Ivoire and is a reminder of the importance of the mother figure in this region and the entire Akan culture.  Exactly Three Hundred Years ago, 1720; a sad event occurred in Kumase that tested Asanteman unity. Asanteman passed the test.  Queen Abla Pokou was born a princess in the Ashanti kingdom of Ghana. She was the niece of the Great King Osei Tutu, founder of the Asante Empire. In the Ashanti culture, succession is matrilineal. So when King Osei Tutu died, it was Nana Dako, the brother of Queen Abena Pokua who took power. Mpanimfuo se “Akonwa tɔ fie a obiara pre bi”. After Opoku Ware was nominated as the successor to Asanteman Founder Osɛi Tutu Opemsoɔ who died in 1717, the Oyoko ADAKƆ Abusua (Matriclan-Family) of Nsuta opposed the decision taken by the Oyoko Abusua of Kumase. The Nsuta Oyoko Adakɔ was led by Ohemaa Abena Pokuaa. She wanted an Oyoko Adakɔ royal to succeed Osei Tut...

Was ASANTE Slave traders? Well, I'm aware of the propaganda, but that of the British (European) didn't specify Asante, they presented it as "your own people sold you to us, so don't blame us". And considering the fact that, slaves were being assembled and transported along the African coast, from Mauritania to Angola, no one ethnic group could be specified as the sole perpetrator. This, Asante being the perpetrators of slave trade, is an indigenous Ghanaian creation, when in the 1970s, some people started their attempt to rewrite the history of Ghana, where Asante would be, at best insignificant, but preferably subdued. It gained traction in the 1980s and 90s when those people were the authorities on all issues in Ghana. For some of us in the diaspora since the beginning of the 1980s, we were sometimes rudely shocked when in Pan-African settings we were confronted with such nonsense (excuse my Swahili), and on top of it all, the source was supposed to have come fr...

Yaa Asantewaa, the queen mother of Ejisu in the Ashanti Empire, Ghana [1840 – 1921]  Yaa Asantewaa was born in 1840 and passed on in 1921. She was a good farmer and a successful mother. A policymaker, a human rights activist, the Queen and a leader who was very intelligent. Yaa Asantewaa is popular and famous for leading the Ashanti rebellion to defend the Golden Stool against British colonial rule. She advocated women’s liberation and equality between men and women. She was the sister of Nana Akwasi, Ruler of Ejisu (Ejisuhene), an ethnic group in today’s Ghana.  Asantewaa was named Queen Mother by her brother, Nana Akwasi Afrane Okpese. After the Asante Civil War, Akwasi died between 1883 and 1888. After his death, Yaa Asantewaa, who was very significant as a queen mother, used her influence to recommend her grandson as ruler of Ejisu. In 1896, the British exiled her grandson as well as the King of Asante (Prempeh I) to Seychelles. This was Britain’s way of dealing with Afric...