The name Asante means “because of war”. The word is derived from the two (2) Twi words “ɛsa” meaning “war” and “nti” meaning “because of”. This name comes from the Asante origin as a kingdom founded to fight and liberate itself from the Denkyira Kingdom.
Originally, ɛsantihene which also means “because of war king” which later was corrupted into Asantehene is the king of the Asante Kingdom. In previous eras, the Asantehene had far more power than he holds today. Now the kingship referred to as the king of Asante is more symbolic and ceremonial than in the past, when the Asantehene held the power of life and death in his hands. This entry describes the leader’s significance and the Golden stool (Sika Dwa Kofi).
ɔpemsoɔ Osei Tutu I was the first Asantehene to be crown the Supreme ruler, the king of kings of all Asante nation. There were regional and town chiefs before Osei Tutu I, but no one exercised all authority over the whole Asante until Osei Tutu I united various states with the help of his friend ɔkɔmfo Anɔkye to become the first Asantehene in 1701. Since that time, sixteen (16) Asantehene’s have ruled the nation.
The Asante people are a nation of the Akan and this group is divided into clans. There are eight matriclans among the Akan, and all groups of Akan possess the same clans, which are Oyoko, Aduana, Agona, ɛkuona, Bretuo, Aseneɛ, Asona, Agona and Asakyiri. Each clan is said to have descended from one of the original ancestors of the Akan people. For instance, Baoule, Oguaa, Asante Mampong, Akyem Abuakwa, Akyem Bosome, Adanse, Bekwai, Akyem Kotoku, Offuman, Akwamu Dwaben,
Midwest, Takyiman, Kumawu, Agogo, Dɔmaa, ɔfenso, Tuobɔdɔm, Worawora, Banda and Denkyira are states and they are viewed separately from each other. These states are all ruled by Amanhene (Paramount chiefs) and they are all co-equals. For example, there is Denkyirahene for Denkyira, Akwamumanhene for Akwamu, Adansehene for the Adanse, Takyimanhene for Takyiman, Bekwaihene for Bekwai, Agogohene for Agogo, Edwesohene for Edweso, Woraworahene for Worawora,
Mamponghene, for Mampong and Banda for Bandahene. However, no kingship has been established with as much pomp, pageantry, and wealth as that of the Asante nation. Such of these Amanhene (Paramount Chiefs) swears an oath of allegiance to the Sika Dwa Kofi (Golden Stool) the symbol of political authority and unity in Asante making the Asantehene the king of a nation.
Asantehene is referred to ɔtekɔkɔsoɔ meaning the one who sits on the Sikadwa (Golden Stool). The Asantehene is one who protects it, keeps it secure, and maintains it. As the object that characterizes the unity and courage of the people, deriving from one of the most legendary meetings of its important Prophet ɔkɔmfo Anɔkye and the first Asantehene ɔpemsoɔ Osei Tutu I, when the Golden Stool was believed to have been descended from the sky.
The Golden Stool is the soul of Asanteman thus every Asantehene must always pledge allegiance to the Sika Dwa Kofi. The Asantehene is the leader of the nation in the spiritual response to the Golden Stool (Sika Dwa Kofi) and the master of all religious and cultural celebrations and practices. He is seen as a priestly figure who performs ritual duties to his ancestors and the gods on behalf of the Kingdom.
The Asantehene has many functions that he performed such as political, legal, military and economic. For instance, he presides over the decision-making council of the Amanhene (Paramount chiefs) which is known as the “Asantemanhyiamu” or Asanteman Council, other chiefs, elders and a judicial court, he is the commander in chief of the Asante army and also gives lands to his people. All these functions are derived from the King’s connection to the spirit world. To take an example, he will not distribute land because the land belongs to him; yet neither will the land belongs to the nation who vested the right of allocation in the king. He did this because the land belongs to the ancestors and the Asantehene is the representative or more accurately, their reincarnation among the living.
The Asantehene is venerated as a fount of everything, above all of the truth, justice and wisdom, and the repository of all authority and power. All war victories are ascribed to his personal valour and his superior intelligence; songs are always credited to him with personally slaying enemy chief. The Asantehene has the right to confer various titles such as ɔsagyefo, Daasebrɛ, Barima, ɔkokyeredɔm, ɔkofo Busumuru, ɔkotwareasuo etc to some chiefs and distinguish individuals for their contributions within the Kingdom and all titles are interwoven in Asantehene’s title Otumfuo. The Asantehene is the only King to have the authority to elevate chiefs to Paramount status. No one can become Asantehene when he is impotent, a gambler, infertile, deaf, a criminal, or leprous. The idea is that the Asantehene reflects the best ideals of the people’s vitality, beauty and power.
Among the Asante, there is the belief that the Asantehene is the direct descendant of ɔpemsoɔ Osei Tutu I, and therefore he has the responsibility to maintain the nation by evoking and reaffirming in beliefs in the ideals that preserve national life. It should be clear that, even during the height of the power of the Asantehene, the King could not serve absolute power. He had to share legislative and administrative power with the large Asante bureaucracy. Nevertheless, only the Asantehene could pronounce the death sentence.
With the Asantehene, the Asante nation exercised enormous bureaucratic control over its subjects. Amanhene (Paramount chiefs), Abrempɔn, the supreme judges alongside other administrators served to mediate the power of the Asantehene. Although there are “big people”, no one is bigger than the Asantehene. The Asantehene is also the ruler of the capital of Kumase; hence, he is the Kumasehene, ruler of the most significant city in the Asante Kingdom.
Source: mybrytfmonline.com/Kwabena Nyarko Abronoma
