Ashanty (Ashanti, Asante)

The Ashanty is a group of a Kwa-speaking people (Akan language) of the central area of modern Ghana. They form a union of several chiefdoms which were founded by the ruler Osei Tutu in the seventeenth century with the establishment of the Golden Stool in Kumasi. In the eighteenth century their powerful kingdom ruled most of Ghana. The traditional Ashanty economy is based on agriculture with the production of cocoa, rubber, fruits and cola nuts. Their union reached its highest point in the nineteenth century with its powerful military organisation, road network and bureaucracy. Ashanty traditions are still strong today with a works of art of international fame.
Akan is the collective name for the group of dialects that comprises Twi (Tsi), Fante and the dialects spoken in the old kingdom of Ashanty.
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