Culture of the Asante Empire

TheAsante Empirewas governed by anelected monarchwith itspolitical powercentralised. The entire government was a federation. By the 19th century, the Empire had a total population of 3 million.The Asante society wasmatrilinealas most families wereextendedand were headed by a male elder who was assisted by a female elder. Asantetwiwas the most common and official language. At its peak from the 18th–19th centuries, the Empire extended from theKomoé River(Ivory Coast) in the West to theTogo Mountainsin the East.
The king and thearistocracywere the highest social class in the Asante society. Commoners were below the aristocracy with slaves forming the lowest social order. The Asante celebrated various ceremonies which were compulsory for communal participation. Festivals served as a means of promoting unity, remembering theancestorsand for thanksgiving. There was the belief in a singlesupreme beingwho created the universe with adecentralizedsystem of smallergodsbelow this supreme being. People of all classes believed inwitchcraftandmagic. The Asante medical system was largelyherbalsimilar to theTraditional African medicineof other pre-colonial African societies.
Thomas Edward, in 1817, identified two classes in the empire. He referred to the upper class as "higher orders". The upper class were referred to assikapoby the locals. Some owned large estates and thousands of slaves. "They were courteous, well-mannered, dignified and proud of their honor to such an extent a social disgrace, including something unintended as publicflatulencecould drive a man to commit suicide."Men and women of higher orders bathed every morning withsoapand warm water. They cleared their teeth several times every day with a brushing stick. The lower orders, known asabiato, were said to be small in stature with a filthy appearance. They were also described as ungrateful, insolent and licentious.Historian Edgerton describes the wealth of Asante in the mid 19th century where he states it was not uncommon for members who worked with the royal administration to possess over£100,000 in gold. He recounts that such upper class Asante possessed more wealth than most upper class British families in the mid 19th century.
The Asante state was matrilineal with all Asante citizens tracing their lineage to a single ancestor in an unbroken female line. The typical Asante family was headed by anAbusuapanyinas leader who was supported by a senior woman in the family called theobaa panyin. Theobaa panyinwas more concerned about the affairs of women and girls in the family.A mother's brother was the legal guardian of her children. The father had fewer legal responsibilities for his children with the exception of ensuring their well-being and to pay for a suitable wife for his son. A husband had some legal rights over his wife, including the right to cut off; her nose for adultery, her lips for betraying a secret or her ears for listening to private conversation. Women had relative equality such as the right to initiatedivorce.Menstruation was detested in Asante society. Women were secluded in huts during menses.
Edgerton comments that prominent people in the empire often wore silk as commoners wore cotton whiles slaves dressed in black cloth. Garments indicated the wearer's rank, and their color denoted various meanings. Lighter colors as stated by Edgerton, could express innocence or rejoicing. White for example, was worn by Chiefs after making a sacrifice or by ordinary people after winning acourt case. Dark colors were worn for funerals or mourning. Most clothes bore intricate designs that carried out various meanings.
Some women woreKente clothdresses made by stitching together numerous handwoven strips of cotton or silk. There were laws that restricted certain Kente designs to various great men and women as exclusive symbols of their mobility and prestige. Some cotton or silk patterns on the Kente were designed solely for theAsanteheneor king and could only be worn with his permission. The king and the wealthy wore elegant sandals decorated with gold but Edgerton writes that commoners went barefoot except during the rainy season when they wore wooden clogs to keep their feet out of the mud.TheDensinkranwas a form of hairstyle introduced in the Asante Empire to mourn theAsante soldierswho perished at theKatamanso War. The hairstyle was later worn by women of royal descent and the elderly. It was also worn during funerals.
Plants cultivated by the Asante includeplantains,yams,manioc,corn,sweet potatoes,millet,beans,onions,peanuts,tomatoes, and manyfruits.Fufuwas an important dish in the empire.Women collectedsnailswhich formed a major part of Asante cuisine.Cultural exchange with the Europeans at the coast introduced foreign dishes in Asante. TheAsanteheneor king of Asante enjoyed as part of his breakfast, European biscuits and tea.Maize could be used to prepareporridgeorloaf.Fritz Ramseyeraccounts for the consumption of maize diet by the Asante army in 1869.Kenkeywas documented in the early 19th century by theWilliam Huttonand the emissaries ofJoseph Dupuis.Cassava could be used to prepareKokonteand rice was imported further south in modern Ghana. Rice was the main meal taken by the Asantehene and his officials at 2pm.Scholar Miller writes on the lower consumption of meat by Asante people outside of the royal court. She cites William Hutton in 1820 who observed the presence of poultry, sheep and hogs of which the Asante lower class preferred to sell as they could not afford such diet.
TheOwareis anabstract strategy gamewidely believed to be ofAsanteorigin.People sat under the shade provided by huge trees along the street where they played the board game.
Chess was also played, where the King would have the move of a bishop, or a move similar to the bishops diagonal move. They also played Drafts (which is likely where the Dame Dame Adinkra symbol came from) similar to the Polish style
Also, according to Bowdich:
It is unclear what specific game this was, apart from guessing it is a variant of cribbage
Slaves were typically taken ascaptivesfrom enemies in warfare. The welfare of Asante slaves varied from being able to acquire wealth and intermarry with the master's family to beingsacrificedin funeral ceremonies. The Asante sacrificed slaves upon the death of their masters. The Asante believed that slaves would follow their masters into the afterlife. Slaves could sometimes own other slaves, and could also request a new master for severe mistreatment.
Themodern-day Asanteclaim that slaves were seldom abused,and that a person who abused a slave was held in high contempt bysociety.In addition to slaves, there werepawns; these were individuals of free status sold into servitude as a means of paying a debt.AsanteheneKwaku Dua Ibanned this practice of pawnship around 1838.
The Asante traditional buildings are the only surviving buildings of Asante architecture. The construction and design of most Asante houses consisted of a timber framework filled up with clay which werethatchedwith sheaves of leaves. The surviving designated sites areshrines, but there have been many other buildings in the past with the same architectural style.These buildings served aspalacesandshrinesas well as houses for the affluent.The Asante Empire also builtmausoleumswhich housed the tombs of several Asante leaders.
Generally, houses whether designed for human habitation or for thedeities, consisted of four separate rectangular single-room buildings set around an opencourtyard; the inner corners of adjacent buildings were linked by means of splayed screen walls, whose sides and angles could be adapted to allow for any inaccuracy in the initial layout. Typically, three of the buildings were completely open to the courtyard, while the fourth was partially enclosed, either by the door and windows, or by open-work screens flanking an opening.The walls of temples and that of important buildings were designed withreliefsand sculptures.Incised patterns,low reliefsandperforatedfretworkare listed among the types of reliefs employed in Asante architecture by Livingstone.
Bowdich gave a description for the construction process for the large town houses of Kumasi in the early 19th century.
In Kumasi,adampanwereloggiasopened on to the streets of the city. Such structures were unoccupied, and inhabited rooms were built behind them.Behind the dampan, 30–40 rooms could be hosted within an open yard with about 50–250 occupants.These rooms were invisible from the main streets and they could be accessed through a small door beside the dampan. In the mid-19th century,William Winniettreferred to the dampan as public rooms. Bowdich in the early 19th century, wrote that this feature was limited to the captains. In 1824, Dupuis described the dampans as "designed for the dispatch of public business." Wilks adds that the dampan were offices or bureau for officials.McCasakie criticizes Wilk's take on the dampan as a gloss of the Asante architectural feature. He argues the dampan was an unstructured forum to raise household matters in public, to exchange information or to promote social interaction.
These were elevatedmoundsbuilt out of sun-baked clay that served as a platform for the Asantehene to sit and preside over public rituals in Kumasi.The earliest description of the sumpene comes from Bowdich's journal in 1819 where he observed circular elevations of two steps, "the lower about 20 feet in circumference, like the bases of the oldmarket crossesin England." These were raised in the middle of several streets and the King's chair was placed on this platform to sit. From which he would drink plam wine with his attendance encircling him. Freeman also observed that the sumpene were polished with red ochre and they stood between 6—8 feet tall and around 10 feet in diameter at the apex. He adds that "they are ascended by pyramidal ledges, or steps running all around and rising above one another, about a foot in depth, and 18 inches in width. Around these ledges the officers of the Household, with attendant domestics take their seats and thus a group is formed of from fifty to a hundred persons all distinctively seen."
The palace complex was located in the eastern quarter of the central city and it covered some 5 acres.The complex was secluded by a high wall, first described by Bowdich in the early 19th century.Certain palace courtyards could contain up to 300 people.Bowdich mentioned the "King's garden" as a part of the palace complex in 1817, which was "an area equal to one of the large squares in London."Included in this garden were 4 largeparasolsand a dinner table which were used forstate banquets.A passage way lined with offices and living rooms of the officials served as the access point to the palace. It was referred to as apiazzaby Bowdich and he estimated its length to be 200 yards long. He also added that it "lines the interior of the wall secluding the palace from the street."
TheAban Palacewas the palace of the Asantehene until its destruction during theAnglo-Ashanti War. The Aban was constructed with stone and it was completed by AsanteheneOsei Bonsuin 1822.The Aban was situated on the northern side of the palace complex.According to Curnow, The building consisted of a tower,pavedinner courtyard,window shuttersand decorativebalustrades.One part of the Aban housed the wine store while most served the purpose of displaying the Asantehene's collection of arts and crafts. Christian Missionary,Freeman, reported of his visit to the Aban in 1841 where he noted several articles of manufactured glass on display in various rooms. These articles includedcandle-shades, glasstumblersand wine glasses.According toWinwood Readein 1874, “The rooms upstairs remind me of Wardour Street. Each was a perfect Old Curiosity Shop. Books in many languages,Bohemian glass, clocks, silver plate, old furniture,Persian rugs, Kidderminster carpets, pictures and engravings, numberless chests and coffers... With these were many specimens of Moorish and Ashanti handicraft...”
Gold was an fundamental part of Asante art. The Asante just like all Akan kingdoms, used goldweights calledabramoto measuregold dust.Most goldweights are miniature representations of West African cultural items such as theadinkra symbols, plants, animals and people.The earliest weights have been dated from 1400–1700 AD.The weights were carved and cast through thelost waxtechnique.
The chiefs were responsible for directing theAdae, a religious ceremony approximately every 3 weeks during which the ancestors were praised and celebrated. During the Adae, the community drank palm wine and danced to the rhythm of dozens of drums.TheAdae Keseceremony was another important event in Asante. The custom of holding this festival came into prominence between 1697 and 1699 when statehood was achieved for the people of Ashante after the war of independence, at theBattle of Feyiase, against theDenkyira.It was a time to consecrate the remains of dead kings kept in a mausoleum atBantama. Rituals included mass human and animal sacrifices.
TheAnnual Yam Festivalcelebrated between September and December, reinforced bonds of loyalty and patriotism to Asante. It dramatized the power of the state. When yams were ready for harvest, all district chiefs including chiefs of tributary districts as well as military leaders, were required to attend the festival with their retainers. The festival provided the platform for rewarding and punishing citizens of the state. Crimes committed by notables were intentionally withheld until the festival, where they faced trial and execution to serve as an object of lesson to all. Notables who had been loyal would be presented with honors and valuable gifts by the king.
Onyamewas acknowledged to have created the visible world. In the 18th and 19th century,Onyamehad neither priestly servitude nor temples devoted to his worship. Asante houses includedNyame duathat served as shrines for seeking solace or quietus in addressingOnyame. Onyame was the final arbiter of Justice and assigned every person his or her destiny and fate on Earth.
Theabosomor smaller gods were recognized as children ofOnyame. Theabosomwere divided into three groups; theatano(gods from water bodies such as rivers),ewim(sky gods) and theabo(gods from the forests). Theewimwere considered to be judgemental and merciless whiles theabowere sources of healing and medicine.In Asante philosophy, theabosomcould neither be manufactured or bought and were distinct from objects of worship such ascharms,amuletsandtalismans, which were categorized asasumanin the Asante religion.TheAkomfoorfetish priestsserved as the medium between theabosomand the people.
Ancestor venerationformed a major characteristic of Asante religion. The Asante believed that every person had an immortal soul calledKra. When death occurred, the soul was believed to leave the physical body and inhabit the land of spirits where he or she would live a life similar on Earth. It was for this reason slaves were sacrificed in order to serve their Masters in the underworld. At times, widows also demanded to be sacrificed after the death of their husband. These ancestors were believed to reward people who adhered to Asante values and to punish offenders.Through trade and wars of conquest, a number of Muslims from NorthernGhanaformed part of Asante's bureaucracy. They prayed for the Asantehene and acted as medical consultants. In the 1840s, Kwaku Dua I, appointedUthman KamaghatayofGbuipeinGonjaasAsante Adimen(TheImamof Asante). Despite a handful of Muslims in Asante society,Islamdid not penetrate and form a major religion in the Empire.
Stories ofAnansibecame a prominent and familiar part of Asante oral culture. Tales of Anansi were encompassed into many kinds of fables.Anansi was viewed synonymous with skill and wisdom in speech. TheSasabonsamwas a creature in Asante mythology that was believed to hate humans. Without supervision from theabosomor gods, thesasabonsamwas believed to encourage and foster witchcraft in Asante society. Thesasabonsamhad the appearance of the torso of a tall ape, the head and teeth of acarnivore, the underside of a snake and sometimes, the wings of a bat. It was covered in long, coarse red hair. The creature was believed to hook its feet onto trees where it hid from plain sight in order to trap and devour unsuspecting humans.
The Asante medicine was mainlyherbalas diseases were tackled throughmedicinal plants. They tied their spiritual beliefs with the cause of diseases. According toFynn, the common diseases among the Asante in the early 19th century were discovered to belues,yaws, itches, scald heads,gonorrheaand pains in the bowels. It was testified by Dr. Teddlie who was an assistant surgeon of the Bowdich Mission on visit to Kumasi in 1817, that herbalists in Asante were treating all kinds of diseases and illness with green leaves, roots and barks of a lot of trees.He observed that juices from plants were applied to cuts andbruisesto stop bleeding.According to scholars such as Seth Gadzepko, the Asante herbalists failed to promote the importance of hygiene, diet and nutrition in the Asante society. The poor and children who lived in an unsanitary environment were affected the most as a result.
The Asante took some preventive measures against diseases. They valued sanitation and cleanliness. Rubbish of each house was burned every morning at the back of the street. Cleaning the streets and suburbs of Kumasi and the maintenance of sanitation was enforced by a bureaucratized Public Works Department. The workers of this department cleaned the streets daily and ensured that civilians had their compounds clean and weeded.They did not wear uniforms but they carried canes to signify their position. In urban Asante, all physicians were organized and specialized under theNsumankwaafiesuwhich was described byAsantehenePrempeh Ias "thepharmacologywhere we had well trained and qualified physicians in charge whose duty was to attend to the sick and injured." The head of this office was theNsumankwahenewho served as the native doctor of the state and doctor of the Asantehene. There is evidence from the 19th century that the Asante practicedbone-setting. A fracture of an arm or leg was bound withsplints.Varioussurgical practiceswere familiar in the empire. Muslim doctors in Asante practicedbleeding,lancingandcupping.Variolationhas been recorded to be practiced by 1817. Variolation itself was common in theGold Coastby the 18th century. There were check points at Asante borders that prevented people from progressing to Asante if they exhibited signs ofsmallpox. Those who discovered signs of smallpox after crossing the borders were prevented from entering Kumasi andquarantinedin remote villages.
Dr. Teddlie noted thatabortionsof 3 months old were carried out with two plants known as theahumba(a species ofFicus) tree, and theawhintiwhintiplant in thenative Asante language. These plants were powdered with pepper and the end product was boiled in fish soup.The inner back of thewawatree was used to cure colid and other stomach pains.The bark of the oscisseree tree was used to stopdysenteryanddiarrhoea.The Asante herbalists were also able to correctstomach acidityin pregnant women,heartburnand other related discomforts.Tedlie recorded that a species ofUrticabruised and mixed with chalk was used for making such medicine.Asante doctors believed that anyone suffering five wounds was defiled and an endanger to others. For this reason, such persons were sacrificed.Asante doctors made an unsuccessful attempt to extract a bullet from the bullet wound of a British prisoner of war in the 19th century by squeezing it out of the wounded thigh withligaturestied around the leg; one above and one below.The Asante also made use of medicine on the battlefield. By the early 19th century, a full timemedical corpswas established as a branch of theAsante army.