Throughout the various regions of Africa there are different people and tribes that exist. Each
tribe possess diverse qualities depending on where they are located in Africa because not all parts of
Africa are the same. As a result, the tribes may use particular strategies to help their region become a
better place to live and the people of Africa do what they can to get by in the environment that their
used to. Since the tribes live in different parts of Africa, they learn to work with what they have and
adapt to their surroundings. Also a majority of the tribes in the country have diverse customs and
traditions because of the area that they live in, but these factors do not make them completely
different. The Ashanti are a tribe in Africa that were faced with many challenges and never liked to
surrender which can be seen in their history as well as their traditions, values, culture and religion.
To begin with, the “Ashanti tribe in Africa was at war with the British for most of the 19th
century in attempt to gain their independence” (“Independence” 35). The Ashanti wanted an
environment where they could trade freely for raw materials, but the British opposed, they thought that
the Ashanti would become more powerful. The British’s commercial interests would then begin to
decline in which they saw this as a threat. The Ashanti, on the other hand, believed that the British
trying to interfere with trading in the land that they had already conquered and telling them what they
could and could not do, was against the rights of the people. So the Ashanti decided to fight back. About
two years into the war the Ashanti suffered numerous casualties by British and Danish troops in a fierce
battle near Accra which is mostly plains. The Ashanti decided to sign a peace treaty with Britain in 1831
to avoid more casualties and to prevent the war from progressing. This led to an increase in European
Christian missionary work which helped the Ashanti maintain peace throughout their region In Ghana
Africa. The British then signed a political agreement known as the Bond of 1844 which allowed British to
protect signatory states and ultimately gave Britain the power to have control over them; the Ashanti
were surprised by this and invaded British territory in 1873. The Ashanti had little success and were
forced to retreat when the British commander, Sir Garnet Wolseley, captured Kumasi, the Ashanti
capital and burned it to the ground. Not too long after, the British offered a treaty to the Ashanti
demanding that they pay for the cost of the war. In return the Ashanti would be able to trade along the
coast, but the Ashanti were not satisfied by this so they had a final rebellion against the British in the
early 1900s. “Yaa Asantewa, who was the queen of the Ashanti state of Ejusu, and the Ashanti people
wanted their exiled leaders to return, but the rebellion ended a year later in 1901 and the Ashanti were
now part of the British colonies” (“History British…”). Even though the Ashanti put up a good fight,
“Britain became in control of the political and economic affairs of Ghana.
Furthermore, the Ashanti are a group of people who live in the middle of Ghana in the
rainforests of western Africa. They are “one of the major ethnic groups in the country and are part of
the Akans which is a group that consists of the Fanti and the Ashanti also located in Ghana” (“Ashanti
People…”). Ghana has only existed for about fifty years and used to be known as the Gold Coast because
of all the gold mines in the area which is approximately 300 km from the coast. With Ghana being
separated into four different sections, the Ashanti are considered to be the largest tribe in the region
reaching a population of one million people. These people have always been referred to as fierce
fighters; an example of this would be their motto, “If I go forward I die, if I go backward I die, better go
forward and die” (“Ashanti People…”). The Ashanti people would use drums as an indicator for an
upcoming battle of war so no one would be oblivious to what was going on. The drums would echo
through the forest for everyone to hear. This is one of few traditions that the Ashanti people have. In
this particular group of people, the Ashanti have a significant handshake to show their trust in a person;
it is said that the left hand holds the shield and the right hand holds the spears meaning people always
have their left hand free of a shield or any other items to establish trust. Therefore this is one of many
customs and belief that the Ashanti experience in their lifetime.
In addition, the Ashanti people share the “belief that a child inherits the father’s soul or spirit,
often referred to as ntoro, and the child receives its flesh and blood from the mother often known as
mogya” (“Ashanti People…”); this demonstrates how family differs from what we are used to seeing
today. This tribe in particular has an extended family that may live in different homes or huts in which
the eldest brother is usually the head of the family and is given the name “Father” and everyone in the
family must obey him. Unlike other religions, the Ashanti believe that plants, tress and animals all have
souls; is known as animism. Not only do they believe in animism, but they also believe in the
supernatural which consists of the belief that fairies, witches and forest monsters all exist. Many of their
religious beliefs involve their ancestors, gods, or abosom and Nyame. Abosom meaning lesser gods, may
inhabit lakes, streams, rivers, or trees and below them are minor goddesses whose power is invoked
through Nyame. Nyame is known to be a superior god amongst the Ashanti that is both the moon and
sun god and decides the soul’s destiny after being taken to the god and washed in a golden bath. As a
result, the Ashanti people practice countless ceremonies for the dead, marriage and the birth of a new
being. One of the most important elements or customs to the Ashanti is the golden stool; it is said that
the tradition of the golden stool keeps the Ashanti King alive and is protected at all costs. Legend says
that no one has sat on this stool of even seen it since it has arrived within the region of the Ashanti and
has not yet touched the ground. “The golden stools stands for the people’s well-being and is used
primarily to worship the Ashanti’s ancestors which is why this stool is so sacred and has to be cared for”
(“Ashanti People…”). Besides the Ashanti’s traditions, their religion and culture is also quite different
then what a bunch of people would think.
Finally, the Ashanti people uses dolls as religious and magical objects which are frequently
carved out of wood and are known as Aku’aba dolls. “These dolls signify beauty and productivity and are
believed to bring fertility to women who have them and take care of the dolls which brings them closer
to the fertility god” (“Dollmaking…”). The Ashanti also make different kinds of cloth, the two that are the
most common are the bark and kente cloth. Bark cloth was used before weaving had been introduced
into the region because with weaving cotton, silk had to be used. Only men were permitted to weave
clothing or any kind of fabric, although women were the ones who usually picked cotton or spun it into
thread. The cloth could be “woven into different patterns that could symbolize various social statuses, a
clan or the gender of the person wearing it, in other words it was customizable” (“Ashanti People…”).
Kente cloth on the other hand is only found in the southern part of the country and has distinct features
compared with other types of traditional weaving. This form of weaving is normally used for
heartwarming occasions and is considered to be a festival cloth that is frequently worn in yearly
ceremonies or festivals, although in modern times kente cloth is not used just for festivals, but also can
be used during rituals and other important events. In their spare time the Ashanti people play a game
called Kikogo meaning transferring and the objective of the game is to move markers that are often
beads or pebbles around a wooden board that acquires cups similar to an egg carton. To the Ashanti this
game is popular as checkers or mancala would be in the western countries; these are just a few activities
that these people perform on a daily basis.
In simpler terms, the Ashanti tribe of Ghana varies from other tribes in Africa whether it’s their
culture, religion, beliefs, traditions, etc. Other tribes within the country are potentially different from
each other because of the environment that they live in and are used to plus the fact that the tribes
adapt to their surroundings. Throughout history, the Ashanti were at war with Britain for the most of the
19th century but was defeated in 1874 and became a part of the Britain’s colonies, although there was a
treaty that allowed the African people to promote trade along the coast. The Ashanti people in
particular are known as fierce fighters because they never give up even when they are faced with
numerous challenges. This tribe is one of the largest ethnic groups in Africa where family and the golden
stool are amongst the most important part of the Ashanti’s customs in which they do everything they
can to protect their people; this alone separates their tribes from others.
Works Cited
"African Tribes - Ashanti People." African Tribes - Ashanti People. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Sept. 2013.
"Ashanti People Traditions & Culture." Ashanti People, Traditions, Culture, Talking Drum, Fertilitymask,
Wooden Stools. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Sept. 2013.
"Dollmaking: The Celebration of a Culture." EBSCO. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Sept. 2013.
"History, The British-Ashanti Wars." The British-Ashanti Wars. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Sept. 2013.
"Independence." The Volume Library #2. Nashville, TN.: Southwestern, 1985. 34-35. Print.
"The Ashantis." Ghana Ethnic Groups, Ashanti. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Sept. 2013.