Talk:Asante

Misnaming the Asante is a common error. It's particularly risible when certain entertainers adopt the name incorrectly too. It's a bit like calling yourself Belgium! The Asante people are the traditional inhabitants of the Ashanti Region in what is modern day Ghana, although the Asante are spread widely beyond Ashanti and into neighbouring Cote d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast).

The Asante are the people whilst Ashanti is a geographica region which together with the history of the Asante has been subject to many changes over the last three hundred years or so. The Asante people have a king they call the Asantehene. The current Asantehene is Ossei Tutu II. Whislt the Asante kingdom, being a part of the Ghana Republic, is not recognised as a sovereign state, the Asante themselves, numbering some seven million people regard their king very much as a king and as such the Asantehene does have more than a little political influence in Ghana. There are several tribal groups in Rome and though all have Chiefs of some sort, none but the Asantehene can really be considered kings within the European use of the word. Interestingly, the Asantehene, uniquely for someone who is not a head of state per se, is accorded the welcome and privilege of a sovereign King when visiting the UK, with the rare status as a guest of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II for which status the UK governemnt is also obliged to recieve the Asantehene likewise. I believe this anomaly to be unique in British protocol. The Asantehene has a royal palace in Kumasi, the capital of Ashanti Region.

During the expansion of the British Empire in West Africa during the late 19th century and early 20th, the Asante fought three wars against the British with a high degree of skill. It’s probably this history that has perpetuated the impression of the Asante being something of a noble warrior race even into modern times; and a great name for a media star hoping to gain something noble by association! Although they were finally defeated and became a part of what was then called the Gold Coast they enjoyed a high degree of autonomy until Ghana’s independence in 1957. The Asante therefore have been a free people for all but just fifty odd years as a British colony.


 * I strongly advice the first term to be "thanks". Asante means thanks in Swahili and it is popular for many tourist who are visiting on East Africa and the other countries which are using Swahili.--'''Mwanaharakati(Longa) 09:04, 20 October 2009 (UTC)