Asantehemaa

Last updated

The Asantehemaa is the queen mother according to West African custom, who rules the Asante people alongside the Asantehene. African queen mothers generally play an important role in local government; they exercise both political and social power. Their power and influence have declined considerably since pre-colonial times, [1] but still persist in the 21st century .

Contents

They have an important role in the Akan tradition which is based on matrilineal descent. [2] In areas of Ghana where Akan culture is predominant, each town has a chief and a queen mother who rule alongside the modern political system. [3]

The Asantehemaa is linked to the traditional Akan system succession of patrilineal and matrilineal alternation . She may not necessarily be the mother of the heir or the king in office. The Asantehemaa have symbols dedicated to their authority and the most significant is a throne carved and decorated with gold. Although there are also queen mothers within the chiefdoms and states internal to the Ashanti state, the title of Asantehemaa is only given to the queen mother designated to rule alongside the Asantehene. This forms a pyramidal political model whose two supreme functions are those of the king and the queen mother. [4]

The Asantehemaa is chosen by the Asantehene in the royal lineage, among the oldest women. It is therefore not systematically the king's mother or an heir. [4] She is considered the royal genealogist and is responsible for determining the legitimacy of members of the royal lineage. [5] The functions of the king and the queen mother are complementary. The Asantehene is the public leader, guided by the advice of the Asantehemaa. She also takes care of domestic policy issues, such as the well-being of women and children or the management of conflicts between communities and chiefdoms. In addition, she holds a session with elders and linguists twice a week at the Kumasi Palace to resolve spiritual or cultural conflicts. Traditionally, the role of the Asantehemaa is to preserve Ashanti customs, rituals and identity

Etymology

In Twi, the term Asantehemaa means queen of the Asantes. It uses the characteristic particle Ohene and hemaa (queen). The queen mother translation is attributed to the anthropologist Robert Sutherland Rattray. [4]

Function

The Asantehemaa occupies a central position in the Ashanti political system since she regulates the legitimacy of successors and guarantees respect for customs and traditions in the actions of the Asantehene. The role of the Asantehemaa is therefore major in the choice of a successor when the Ashanti Royal Throne becomes vacant. [4]

She carries out different rituals, event and religious ceremonies. This includes ancestral veneration and the execution of the various offerings and sacrifices. [4]

She also regulates community conflicts that involve women and can intervene in the event of domestic problems between a man and a woman. She represents the supreme authority for these matters. [4]

The Asantehemaa has her own palace and royal quarters near the Manhyia Palace. She occupies the second highest level of the Ashanti hierarchy and has the power to depose the Asantehene. [4]

List of Asantehemaa

The dynastic list by modern historians does not follow that established by the representatives of the Oyoko clan. The revised chronology and the study of Dutch colonial archives has made it possible for the identification of Asantehemaa Akyaama, who was banished from the throne following a dynastic conflict, and further erased from oral tradition. Historian Thomas McCaskie's concluded that there was genealogical manipulation aimed at legitimizing children conceived out of wedlock, adopted children as well as dismissing and erasing the existence of people banished from the clan. [6]

Nyaako Kusi Amoa

Oral tradition states that Nyarko Kusi Amoah was Osei Kofi Tutu I's niece and he appointed her as Queen Mother. She married four different nobles from chiefdoms who joined the Ashanti Empire. At the end of the fourth marriage, she gave birth to Opoku Ware I, the second Asantehene. [7]  She headed the House of Ohemma (women rulers), in Kumasi, which establishes the structure and functions of the Queen Mother according to the tradition provided by the Oyoko clan. After the founding of the Ashanti Empire, she also obtained a black and silver stool. [8]  This seat comes from the previous Queen Mother of Oyoko and is integrated into the hierarchical restructuring carried out by Osei Tutu and Okomfo Anokye. [9]  Nyaako was killed during the attack on Kumasi by King Eibirimoro of Aowin in 1717 or 1718. [10]

Nketia Ntim Abamo

She was one of the last royals who survived the sacking of Kumasi in the early 18th century by Ebrimoro, king of Aowin. [11]  Nketia was the daughter of Kyirama, sister of Osei Tutu I and she was the mother of Kusi Obodom. [12]  The date of death of Nketia Ntim Abaom is uncertain because she was subject to the genealogical remodeling by Konadu Yaadom, in order to erase the existence of Akyaama from the lineage. Thomas McCaskie proposed her death to have been in the 1740s. [6]

Akua Afriyie

She was the daughter of Nketia Ntim Abamo. Akua married Owusu Afriyie, a son of Osei Tutu I, and probably ascended to the throne of Asantehemaa in the 1740s. Her son, Osei Kwadwo, was therefore the nephew of Kusi Obodom and also grandson of Osei Tutu I. However, the genealogy surrounding Akua Afriyie was likely rewritten by Konadu Yaadom in order to erase Akyaama's existence and extend Konadu Yaadom's rule and influence. During the reign of Kusi Obodom, Dutch reports speak in 1758 of Akyaama, as Asantehemaa, which means that Akua Afriyie no longer ruled as queen. Her reign came to an end around the 1750s. [6]

Akyaama

She reigned from the 1750s until her banishment in 1770. She was theoretically Asantehemaa but her banishment caused her dynastic erasure. Her reign was characterized by a succession of dynastic conflicts. Her son, Osei Kwame Panyin is notably reclassified as a child of Konadu Yaadom in order to exclude and erase Akyaama from the Oyoko lineage and oral tradition. Her fall resulted in the creation of a new throne for Asantehemaa Konadu Yaadom.

Related Research Articles

Osei Kofi Tutu I was one of the founders of the Ashanti Empire, assisted by Okomfo Anokye, his chief priest and a distant relative from the town of Awukugua - Akuapem. The Asante comes from the Akan ethnic group of West Africa. Osei Tutu I led an alliance of Asante states against the regional hegemony, the Denkyira, completely defeating them. He ruled the Kwaman State between c.1680/c.1695-1701 and he ruled the Ashanti Empire from late 1701-c.1717.

Osei Bonsu also known as Osei Tutu Kwame was the Asantehene. He reigned either from 1800 to 1824 or from 1804 to 1824. During his reign as the king, the Ashanti fought the Fante confederation and ended up dominating Gold Coast trade. In Akan, Bonsu means whale, and is symbolic of his achievement of extending the Ashanti Empire to the coast. He died in Kumasi, and was succeeded by Osei Yaw Akoto.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Otumfuo Nana Osei Tutu II</span> Ghanaian monarch of Asante

Osei Tutu II is the 16th Asantehene, enstooled on 26 April 1999. By name, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II is in direct succession to the 17th-century founder of the Ashanti Empire, Otumfuo Osei Tutu I. He is also the Chancellor of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. A Freemason, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II has served as the Grand Patron of the Grand Lodge of Ghana, the Sword Bearer of the United Grand Lodge of England and the Grand Patron of the Grand Lodge of Liberia. Otumfuo Osei Tutu II historical visit to Ga Mantse's Palace

Okomfo Anokye (c.1655-c.1717?/c.1719) was the first priest (Okomfo) of the Ashanti Empire. Anokye is known for his participation in the expansion of the empire. He was also the codifier of the constitution and laws of the Ashanti Empire.

Kusi Obodom was the 3rd Asantehene of the Ashanti Empire from 1750 to 1764. He was elected as the successor to Opoku Ware I as opposed to the nominee suggested by Opoku Ware I. Obodom's reign was inaugurated with a civil war in response to his election until stability ensued by 1751.

Osei Kwame Panyin was the ruler of the Ashanti Empire from 1777 to 1801, holding the title of Asantehene. His reign was marred by uprisings, which would eventually lead to his suicide in 1803 to prevent an Ashanti civil war.

Opoku Ware I was the 2nd Asantehene of Oyoko heritage, who ruled the Ashanti Empire. Between 1718 and 1722, Opoku Ware became Asantehene during a period of civil disorder after the death of the 1st Asanthene. From 1720 to 1721, Opoku established his power.

Osei Kwadwo was the 4th Asantehene of the Ashanti Empire who reigned from 1764 to 1777. Osei Kwadwo was elected in replacement of Kusi Obodom who was removed out of power.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ashanti Empire</span> Former Akan empire centred on present-day Ghana

The Asante Empire, today commonly called the Ashanti Empire, was an Akan state that lasted from 1701 to 1901, in what is now modern-day Ghana. It expanded from the Ashanti Region to include most of Ghana and also parts of Ivory Coast and Togo. Due to the empire's military prowess, wealth, architecture, sophisticated hierarchy and culture, the Ashanti Empire has been extensively studied and has more historic records written by European, primarily British, authors than any other indigenous culture of sub-Saharan Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Opoku Ware II</span> Asantehene of Asanteman

Otumfuo Opoku Ware II was the 15th Asantehene. He succeeded his uncle Osei Tutu Agyeman Prempeh II on 27 July 1970. He ruled for 29 years until his death in February 1999. He was succeeded by Otumfuo Nana Osei Tutu II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Asante people</span> Nation and ethnic group in Ghana

The Asante, also known as Ashanti in English, are part of the Akan ethnic group and are native to the Ashanti Region of modern-day Ghana. Asantes are the last group to emerge out of the various Akan civilisations. Twi is spoken by over nine million Asante people as their native language.

Juaben is a small town in the Ejisu-Juaben Municipal District, a district in the Ashanti Region of Ghana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Akrafena</span> Ashanti swords originating from Ghana

An Akrafena is an Ashanti sword, originally meant for warfare but also forming part of Ashanti heraldry. The foremost example of an akrafena is the Mponponsuo, which belonged to Opoku Ware II. It has survived to the present day because it is still occasionally used in ceremonies, such as the Akwasidae Festival.

Nana Afia Kobi Serwaa Ampem II was the Queen mother (Ohemaa) of the Ashanti Kingdom and mother of the current Asantehene, Otumfuo Nana Osei Tutu II, who is the youngest son of her five children. She was the 13th Queen mother of the Ashanti Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adoma Akosua</span> African queen mother

Adoma Akosua was the fifth Asantehemaa of the Ashanti kingdom in West Africa. Born in about 1773 into the Oyoko clan, where the kingdom's rulers are traditionally chosen, she came from a branch that had been banished and excluded from the succession. In 1807, due to a lack of male heirs in the other lineages, the clan ended its exile; Adoma and her relatives were once again allowed to reside in the capital. In 1809, she ascended to the throne of Asantehemaa, Queen Mother. From 1817, she conspired to overthrow the king, who had departed on a military campaign against the Gyaman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Kumasi</span> Kumasi is a city in the Ashanti Region of Ghana in Africa

The history of Kumasi dates to the late 17th century when it emerged as the capital of the Ashanti Empire. Although various oral sources differ on the origin of Kumasi, majority agree it emerged as the capital of Ashanti under Osei Kofi Tutu I in the late 17th century. In the early 18th century, Kumasi was invaded and sacked by the Aowin but the invasion was curbed by Asantehene Opoku Ware I. 19th century written accounts by European visitors described the neatness and sophistication of the city. The population of Kumasi under the Ashanti Empire varies per source. The city was ransacked by the British Empire in 1874 during the Anglo-Ashanti Wars. A Civil war occurred within the 1880s which led to further decline of Kumasi. Another British invasion of the city occurred within 1895—1896 as Kumasi was left in ruins.

The political organization of the historical Ashanti Empire was characterized by stools which denoted "offices" that were associated with a particular authority. The Golden Stool was the most powerful of all, because it was the office of the King of the Ashanti Empire. Scholars such as Jan Vansina have described the governance of the Ashanti Empire as a federation where state affairs were regulated by a council of elders headed by the king, who was simply primus inter pares.

Nana Konadu Yiadom III is the 14th Asantehemaa of the Asante people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Konadu Yaadom</span> Asantehemaa (queen-mother) of Asante

Konadu Yaadom, also Kwadu Yaadom was the fourth Asantehemaa of the Ashanti Empire, whose multiple marriages and spiritual influence meant that she became an important and powerful ruler in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries.

References

  1. ↑ Steegstra, Marijke (2009). "Krobo Queen Mothers: Gender, Power, and Contemporary Female Traditional Authority in Ghana". Africa Today . 55 (3): 105–23. doi:10.2979/AFT.2009.55.3.104. JSTOR   27666987. S2CID   144316421.
  2. ↑ "Ghana: Information on the "Queen Mother" Tradition among the Kwahu People of Ghana". Resource Information Center. 18 October 1999.
  3. ↑ Obeng, Samuel; Stoelje, Beverly J. (2002). "Women's Voices in Akan Juridical Discourse". Africa Today . 49 (1): 21–41. doi:10.2979/AFT.2002.49.1.20. JSTOR   4187478. S2CID   145539094.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Stoeltje, B. (2021). "Asante Queen Mothers in Ghana". Oxford Research Encyclopedia of African History. Oxford Research Encyclopedia of African History. doi:10.1093/acrefore/9780190277734.013.796. ISBN   978-0-19-027773-4.
  5. ↑ Aidoo, Agnes Akosua (1977). "Asante Queen Mothers in Government and Politics in the Nineteenth Century". Journal of the Historical Society of Nigeria. 9 (1): 1–13. JSTOR   41857049. S2CID   153922500.
  6. 1 2 3 McCaskie, T.C. (1995). "KonnurokusΣm: Kinship and Family in the History of the Oyoko KɔKɔɔ Dynasty of Kumase". The Journal of African History . 36 (3): 357–389. doi:10.1017/S0021853700034460. JSTOR   182467. S2CID   162608255.
  7. ↑ Pescheux, Gérard (2003) , p. 48
  8. ↑ Arhin, K. (1986). "The Asante Praise Poems: The Ideology of Patrimonialism". Paideuma. 32: 163–97. JSTOR   23076645. S2CID   141677410.
  9. ↑ Pescheux, Gérard (2003) , p. 373
  10. ↑ Pescheux, Gérard (2003) , p. 374
  11. ↑ Ivor Wilks (1989). Asante in the Nineteenth Century: The Structure and Evolution of a Political Order. CUP Archive. p. 339. ISBN   9780521379946.
  12. ↑ McCaskie (2003) , p. 174–176

Bibliography

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.