Molefi asantes the history of africa is now published dr. Claridge, whose monumental history of the gold coast and ashanti is not likely to be superseded. Their military power, which came from the usage of effective war strategies and an early adoption. The paper further highlights amongst the asante people of ghana, a practice argued to have been introduced by islamic wanzams who are severally referred to as muslim circumcision surgeons. Ritual and ceremonial masks are an essential feature of the traditional culture and art of the peoples of subsaharan and west africa. Prempeh ii, to reconstruct the history of asante, albeit terse, from the. History of the gold coast and asante classic reprint. Author, gerald mcdermott explains in the prologue that the ashanti people have told this story, and many like it, for hundreds of years as a means. List of books and articles about ghana history online research.
Ghana, officially republic of ghana, republic 2015 est. Ghana, country of western africa, situated on the coast of the gulf of guinea. Carl finished work on his notable book, a history of the gold coast and asante in 1889. The book is made more valuable by the inclusion of illustrations by the author himself illustrations he refers to as untaught art. The main question under investigation is how the ashanti goldfields corporation managed to survive for so long. When tracing the history of asante kingdom, kings like nana twum, nana antwi, nana kobia amamfi, nana oti akenten, and nana obiri yeboah were not ruling over the whole asante nation. Does anyone have any books they can recommend on their precolonial history. The wars were mainly due to ashanti attempts to establish strong control over the coastal areas of what is now ghana.
Ashanti language is spoken by over 9 million ethnic ashanti people as a first language and second language. History of ghana gold coast british colony, history of ghana 19661979, elmina castle, ghana empire, ashanti empire, anglo ashanti. Ghana was one of the first african countries to adopt a comprehensive imf reform program and the one that has sustained adjustment longest. Ive found it hard to find any books on the early history of the asante ashanti empire, in precolonial ghana. Discover delightful childrens books with prime book box, a subscription that. During his missionary life, asante produced several books in twi, among which were translations of john bunyans pilgrims progress, of a book about ancient heathenism in germany, and of a german history book, which became known as the kapa history. This is taken from the earliest book of the now distinguished classicist tim wiseman. Anansi the spider is a west african folktale that comes from the ashanti people in the country of ghana. A grammar of the fante language, called tshi chwee, twi. The structure of greater ashanti 17001824 volume 8 issue 1 kwame arhin.
I have books containing gold coast and asante kingdom information from 1200 to. The ashanti also spelled asante empire 17011957 was an akan people empire and kingdom of what is now often called the ashanti region. Asanteman was an akan empire and kingdom from 1670 to 1957 in what is now modernday ghana. List of books and articles about ghana history online. Intended as a case study of the renewable resources policy process in developing economies, this book provides complete information and clarification about the phenomenon of continued deforestation in ghana. The work has been used as an authority in the law courts of ghana, where customs and their usages are relevant to interpretation of the law. The ashanti people speak ashanti language with indistinguishable ashanti twi which is the official language of ashanti autonomous region and main national language spoken in ashanti and by the ashanti people. Bibliography and vocabulary of the akan twifante language of ghana african series. From the earliest times to the commencement of the twentieth century. Both the documentary and nondocumentary sources have been thematically pieced together to form a social history of medicine narrative which has potential ramifications on the essence of male circumcision by wanzams, as well as the need for further research, training and dialogue in the practice in ghana and asante in particular. In this months kickass women in history, we take a trip to the ashanti empire, where reigned yaa asantewaa, queen mother during the war of the golden stool.
A short history of ghana from earliest times until 1980. Although relatively small in area and population, ghana is one of the leading countries of africa and is celebrated for its rich history. Books set in ghana fiction and nonfiction books set completely or at least partially in ghana. Jul 28, 2017 here is a brief history on our popula kente which came out front two towns in ashante region the origin of kente cloth is explained partly with a legend and partly with historical account, coming from two important towns in asante region of ghana, namely bonwire and adawomase. The ashanti empire or asante empire, also known as the ashanti confederacy or asanteman independent from 17011896, was a precolonial west african state created by the akan people of what is now the ashanti region in ghana. Apr, 2019 in this months kickass women in history, we take a trip to the ashanti empire, where reigned yaa asantewaa, queen mother during the war of the golden stool. Ashanti empire expanded its borders from ashanti to include brongahafo, central region, eastern region, greater accra region, and western region, of presentday ghana. The asante kingdom was founded by the great king osei tutu in the eighteenth century.
It must be remembered that in ashanti really valuable anthropological information is possessed by comparatively few of its inhabitants. When will britain return looted golden ghanaian artefacts. Yet, questions of ghanas compliance to what extent did it comply, how did it manage compliance. The history of ashanti kings and the whole country itself and other. History of the gold coast and asante classic reprint reindorf, carl christian on. History of the ashanti empire, ghana africa youtube. Yaa asantewaa 18401921, ghana gender in african biography. Finally there came emancipation and the evolution of modern ghana. The english translation of the book was published in basel in 1895. Author molefi kete asante synthesizes the familiar narratives of african american history and. Carl christian reindorf, a history of the gold coast and.
The history of ashanti kings and the whole country. Traditional african masks the museum building was opened on 5 march 1957 as part of ghana s independence celebrations. Ghana university press, ghana african books collective. Asante ashanti history much of the modern nation of ghana was dominated from the late 17th through the late 19th century by a state known as asante. Molefi kete asante, in his third volume of poetry, has woven poetry that will add ammunition to his growing contemporary impact.
The area now known as ghana has a rich history of great kingdoms, tragic human misery and colonial oppression. Today, the stories of many legendary leaders of ghana s various ethnic groups are included in school history books. Further, the ashanti women at the menstrual period, even to the retirement to the bara hut, read like a page borrowed from the book of leviticus, 15. This literary piece was originally written in the ga language. His fetish priest was okomfo anokye, who unified the asante states. The history of the british invasion of asante kingdom in 1874 has been told by many writers even though it does not appear to be as wellknown as the history of the benin punitive expedition. It is a mix of firsthand accounts and historical recountings by respective experts.
With these books, children can improve their vocabulary, literacy, and phonological awareness skills in both english and their native ghanaian language. Covering 500 years of ghanas history, the ghana reader provides a multitude of historical, political, and cultural perspectives on this iconic african nation. May 14, 20 in 1818, adinkra, king of gyaman now ivory coast, heard of the significances of the golden stool of asante and made one similar to it. He wrote a twi hymn, coined new twi words, and contributed to the establishment of twi as a. The structure of greater ashanti 17001824 the journal of. Much african historiography has been about writing africa for europe without writing africa for itself, as itself, from its own perspectives. The history of africa by molefi kete asante routledge, 2007. Specifically, i based it on what i could find using our local library system. Folklorist and anthropologist harold courlander 19081996 recorded these popular ashanti stories in 1959, adapting them from his book the hat shaking dance and other tales from the gold coast. Carl christian reindorf s history of the gold coast and asante has a special place in west african historiography. Modern ghana comprises the former british colony of the gold coast and the former mandated territory of british togoland.
This paper studies the history of circumcision amongst religious and traditional societies and the arguments on the medical or nonmedical essence of the practice. The story of queen mother nana yaa asantewaa is a story of the modern history of the nation of ghana, africa. Numerous and frequentlyupdated resource results are available from this search. Fages history of africa for the routledge publishers. Though i have gone direct to many of the sources which dr. In 1482 the first european fort was established by the portuguese at elmina. From asantehene osie tutu i to the british colonization, the ashanti empire saw its people united in victory and defeat through common traditions that persist to this day. If you have an interest in ghanaian culture, i would highly recommend adding it to your library. Ghana s fourth republic, established in 1993, has dealt with the legacy of instability inherited from the past as it moves towards a more stable future.
Thus thus the question, addressed in this article is. It starts in the precolonial period, then the incursion by the traders of the west followed by their gradual domination until full blown colonial rule was established. Ghana university press, ghana nonformal education for training in integrated production and pest management in farmer field schools by albert d. A concise history from pre colonial times to the 20th century. Scholars of ashanti history, such as larry yarak and ivor wilkes, disagree over the power of. Extending from the comoe river in the west to the togo mountains in the east, the asante empire was active in the slave trade in the 18th century and unsuccessfully resisted british penetration in the 19th. Asante history, culture, religion, economy, judicial. Wilks, e akyeampong, a adu boahen, n lawler, t c mccaskie, i wilks. The author 18341917 stated his purpose as the need for such a history by a ghanaian, conscious of the customs and tradition of the people. Nana twum and nana antwi ruled over the clan at asantemanso. The ashanti, an akan people, migrated to presentday ghana, and through a skillful balance of trade and warfare, established a powerful empire. A concise history from precolonial times to the 20th century. Every one who writes on gold coast history should begin, after the fashion of the country, by pouring a libation and sacrificing a sheep in honour of dr.
Modern ghana was the first country in africa to achieve independence, was a leader in the panafrica movement, and has blossomed into todays safe and stable democracy. Ghanian english pronunciation studies in linguistics and semiotics v. Carl christian reindorf, a history of the gold coast and asante. A timeline, photographs, maps, and an appendix of biographies of notable figures in the history of ghana are included. And the system of ashanti ablution to prevent legal uncleanness constantly brings to mind similar practices which were common among hebrews.
History early history to independence in precolonial times the area of presentday ghana comprised a number of independent kingdoms, including gonja and dagomba in the north, ashanti in the interior, and the fanti states along the coast. In 1896, asantehene king prempeh i of the asanteman federation was captured and exiled to the seychelles islands by the british who had come to call the area the british gold coast. Asante empire, asante also spelled ashanti, west african state that occupied what is now southern ghana in the 18th and 19th centuries. Even in culturally diverse nations the majority of history good or bad stems from the actions of white men. The history of the world is primarily the history of man. Many of these folktales focus on anansi the spider, the popular trickster character of ashanti folklore. Discover these surprising facts about ghana youtube.
Prominent, strong willed women are hard to come by in history books. The books selected also are reflective of my kids age 6 and 2. Rating is available when the video has been rented. History of the ashanti kingdom ghana homepage, resource. This book provides a wide ranging history of africa from earliest prehistory to the present day. Books in many languages, bohemian glass, clocks, silver plate, old furniture, persian rugs. It expanded from ashanti to include the brongahafo region, central region, eastern region, greater accra region and western region of presentday ghana. Born around 1840, she was instrumental in the fight against british colonialism. First published in 1889, this history became an outofprint classic, and is now brought back into print. Book description this is a key text for understanding the history of the great west african kingdom of asante now in ghana. This so enraged the asantehene, osei bonsu 18011823 that he led an army against adinkra and totally defeated him near bontuku in ivory coast, cutting off adinkras head and caused his golden stool to be melted down. A history of the present 897 chapter 47 water wars in kumasi, ghana 9. Before ghana was a british colony, the history of most ghanaians was preserved by oral historians. Asantewaas brother was said to be among the men exiled with prempeh i, deported.
Asante history, culture, religion, economy, judicial process, human sacrifice please click on the bulleted headings to toggle text. History of ghana gold coast british colony, history of ghana 19661979, elmina castle, ghana empire, ashanti empire, angloashanti wars, john kufuor, osei kofi tutu i, kofi abrefa busia, ignatius kutu acheampong alphascript publishing. A comprehensive course in twi asante for the nontwi learner. I have books containing gold coast and asante kingdom information from 1200 to 1900 and from 1900 to 2018. The asante confederacy also referred to as the ashanti empire was located in what is now ghana. The asante twi all about me books are part of a series of ghanaian language books developed as literacy tools to be used by special education teachers in unit schools throughout ghana.
Asante was the largest and most powerful of a series of states formed in the forest region of southern ghana by people known as the akan. Full text of history of the gold coast and asante, based on traditions and historical facts. Deforestation in ghana is a researchbased analytical study that explains the disconnect between the declared deforestation policy intentions and their outcomes in ghana. It expanded from ashanti to include the brongahafo region, central region, eastern region, greater accra region and western region of. The african american people is the first history of the african american people to take a global look at the role african americans have played in the world. Full text of history of the gold coast and asante, based. The ashanti empire also spelled asante was an empire and kingdom in west africa. Asante empire historical empire, africa britannica. The purpose of the study is to highlight who the asante of ghana are. The asante state, or asanteman also known as the kingdom of asante, asante, asante, empire of asante or ashanti confederacy, comprises the ashanti region.
Essays on the akan and the kingdom of asante by ivor wilks ohio university press, 1993. Reliable information about the coronavirus covid19 is available from the world health organization current situation, international travel. To promote the rich culture and history of asante kingdom. Ghanaians introduction, location, language, folklore. History of the ashanti kingdom ghana homepage, resource for. Traditional african masks national museum of ghana. History of the ashanti kingdom asante kings asantehene nana osei tutu 1680 tp 1717, nana opoku ware i 17201750 nana kusi obodum 17501764 nana osei kwadwo 17641777. Aug 12, 2019 the books included on this list can be found in the united states.
The result is an indispensably detailed account of the asante monarchy from the seventeenth to the nineteenth centuries. Oclcs webjunction has pulled together information and resources to assist library staff as they consider how to handle. Used in college classes in the united states, the united kingdom, canada, ghana, nigeria, south africa, kenya, and india, the history of africa has found a home with scholars interested in an afrocentric vision of the african narrative. Whether discussing the asante kingdom and the gold coasts importance to european commerce and transatlantic slaving, ghanas brief period under british colonial rule, or the emergence of its modern democracy, the volumes eighty selections emphasize ghanas. The ashanti territories became part of the gold coast colony on 1 january 1902.
Asante ashanti history much of the modern nation of ghana. Asante catholicism focuses on the interaction between postconciliar roman catholicism and asante religion of ghana, with its implications for selfdefinition and cultural renewal. Discover librarianselected research resources on ghana history from the questia online library, including fulltext online books. Jun 15, 2018 the ashanti, an akan people, migrated to presentday ghana, and through a skillful balance of trade and warfare, established a powerful empire. The history of ashanti kings and the whole country itself and other writings. Asante was the largest and most powerful of a series of states formed in the forest region of southern ghana.
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