Political systems of the Ashanti Empire

The Golden Stool on display in 1935.

The Golden Stool was the most powerful of all stools or "offices" in the Ashanti Empire. It was occupied by the Asantehene (King). According to Ashanti oral tradition, the Golden Stool first appeared near the end of the 17th century. It became the spiritual centre of the Empire after King Osei Tutu unified the Ashanti city-states into one empire. According to oral tradition, Okomfo Anokye, the chief priest and adviser of Osei Tutu, brought down the stool from the sky to the earth. He demanded that all chiefs of the Ashanti city-state surrender their stools and recognize the supremacy of the Golden Stool. [3]

The Kotoko was a government council in the Ashanti government. It was also referred to as the Ashanti porcupine, which implied that “ nobody should dare to touch him ... ”

Politically, the kotoko council served as the counterweight to the king's council of elders and basically embodied the aristocratic party in the government. The council formed the Legislature of Ashanti governmental system.[4] During the reign of Osei Bonsu (1801-1824), the Kotoko Council consisted of the following people:

1. the King (Asantehene) The King of the Ashanti Empire was the occupant of the Golden stool. He was elected from the Oyoko clan.
2. the Queen Mother (Asantehemaa or Ohemaa)
3. the first three chiefs of the Empire
   • the Mamponghene: occupant of the Silver stool and as such the Viceroy of Ashanti. He was elected from the Bretuo clan.
   • the Juabenhene (also: Dwabinhene)
   • the Bekwaihene
4. four aristocrats from Kumasi
   • the Kumasi Akwamuhene
   • the Kumasi Gyaasehene (the Minister of Finance)
   • the Adumhene
   • the Kontihene (or Krontihene) was the commander-in-chief of the Ashanti military in the absence of the king.

All members of the Kotoko Council were also known as Abrempon. After the introduction of the Adamfo office, all first three chiefs of the Empire were represented by the Adamfo at court.

The chiefs of the Kotoko Council were mostly viceroys or governors of conquered and tributary states belonging to the Ashanti Empire. In the government of Osei Bonsu for instance, the Kumasi Gyaasehene, Opoku Frefre, was the viceroy for tributary states Akim and Akwamu. The Kumasi Akwamuhene, Kwakye Kofi, was responsible for the Denkyira provincial state while the Krontihene and Kumasi Nsafohene, Amankwatia, was responsible for Assin, Nsuta Wassa, Twifo, Sefwi as well as for large parts of the southwest.

Administration of smaller territories was mostly delegated to selected officers. The aforementioned Amankwatia appointed a provincial governor for Assin, for example, who also delegated further, by appointing an Akasse as administrator for the Kyikyiwari district.

Accra was an exception. Since three European nations were present in Accra, provincial administration for Accra was also divided into three parts, with each of the three provincial governors also made responsible for one of the European nations. For example, during the reign of King Bonsu, a man named Akwa Amankwa was responsible for the British and another named Bekwa was in charge of the Danes. The provincial governors also belonged to the king's council of elders (Mpanyimfo).

The Mpanyimfo in Ashanti was similar to that of other Akan states. It was an assembly of the oldest members of the particular group which they represented. As a rule, they represented a matrilineally defined lineage. The assembly generally represented the people and the grassroots in government. In the past, influential traders and representatives of the aristocracy could form part of the assembly. Succession was through matrilineal lineage.

The Asantemanhyiamu was a Union Council also known as the General Assembly of the Caboceers and Captains of the Ashantee Nation. The Asantemanhyiamu was a federal council of the Ashanti Empire which met at least once a year. The king, who was also a councilor, presided over the meetings. The council consisted of the representatives of the individual matrilineal family clans, who were elected and appointed by the Queen Mother and the most powerful chiefs from among several candidates nominated by the lineages. This was seen as a very effective system which largely, if not always, spared the empire from devastating succession disputes.

Figure of the Asantehene in the Naturhistorisches Museum, Germany

The Ashanti Empire was made up of a number of states grouped together and headed by a monarch. The Asantehene was regarded as primus inter pares.[5] Thus, he was the highest form of authority in the empire and he held more power than the paramount chiefs known as the Amanhene, who were leaders of Ashanti states such as Mampong, Kokufu, Ejisu, Juaben and Bekwai. But the Asantehene did not enjoy absolute royal rule; several checks curbed any abuse of power. All Ashanti authorities including the Asantehene, pledged allegiance to the Golden stool.[5][6][7] The Asantehene was the chief judge, chief administrator and commander-in-chief of the Ashanti army.[2]

This institution assisted the Asantehene and served as an advisory body to the king. The council was made up of Amanhene or paramount chiefs who were leaders of the various Ashanti states. The council also included other provincial chiefs. By law the Asantehene never ignored the decisions of the Asanteman council. Doing so could get him destooled from the throne.[5][2]

The Ashanti Empire was made up of metropolitan and provincial states. The metropolitan states were made up of Ashanti citizens known as amanfo. The provincial states were other kingdoms absorbed into the empire. Every metropolitan Ashanti state was headed by the Amanhene or paramount chief. Each of these paramount chiefs served as principal rulers of their own states, where they exerted executive, legislative and judicial powers.[5]

The Ohene were divisional chiefs under the Amanhene. Their major function was to advise the Amanhene. The divisional chiefs were the highest order in various Ashanti state divisions. The divisions were made up of various villages put together. Examples of divisional chiefs included Krontihene, Nifahene, Benkumhene, Adontenhene and Kyidomhene.[5]

Each village in Asante had a chief called Odikro who was the owner of the village. The Odikro was responsible for the maintenance of law and order. He also served as a medium between the people of his jurisdiction, the ancestor and the gods. As the head of the village, the Odikro presided over the village council.[5][2]

Queen Yaa Asantewaa led her state, Ejisu, in the War of the Golden Stool against the British.

The queen or Ohenemaa was an important figure in Ashanti political systems. She was the most powerful female in the Empire. She had the prerogative of being consulted in the process of installing a chief or the king, as she played a major role in the nomination and selection. She settled disputes involving women and was involved in decision-making alongside the Council of elders and chiefs.[5] Not only did she participate in the judicial and legislative processes, but also in the making and unmaking of war, and the distribution of land.[8]

The Adehyedwa stools were offices originally independent of the king, that is, they were either pre-Ashanti stools that had been incorporated into the Ashanti administration system after the establishment of the kingdom, or they were non-Ashanti stools that took over into the Ashanti administrative system due to special fidelity and loyalty. The succession in office was mostly regulated by maternal law with the exception of the Asafo stool in Kumasi. Matriclan succession meant that the successor for the office of an Adehyedwa chair was determined through the election of a noble who was suitable for the office within the maternal consanguinity.

The Poduodwa stools were offices created by the king and inherited by a certain lineage. This included the Bantama stool in Kumasi (Bantamahene or Bantahene). Bantama was the location of the mausoleum of the royal family. The bantahene was the chief). Authority over the mausoleum however, was traditionally exercised by the Asante Krontihene (Minister of Defence).

The Esomdwa stools were offices of public administration ("Esom") that do not form part of the Adehyewa and Poduodwa stools. Among them were the Mmammadwa stools whose succession was organized via the “Fekuw” system. The Fekuw system was a kinship relationships that arose from the paternal blood line. However, the king had the right to intervene in the succession and to appoint a successor himself.

All office holders of a stool of the three categories mentioned had to swear allegiance to the king. These “stools” (offices) were subordinate to the highest of all stools, the golden stool, occupied by the Asantehene. They were therefore strictly separated from the group of Abusuadwa stools, which were not subject to the Golden stool.

The chiefs of the regional and supraregional public administration had the Ahenfie which served as the local palace police, at their disposal to exercise the state executive power.

The Abusuadwa stools were all offices within a family clan (defined by the maternal blood line), which did not fulfill any public function and whose function, occupation and succession are solely the matter of their respective matrilineal Abusua. An example is the Oyokohene, head of the Oyoko clan.

With the Kwadwo's administrative reform, among other things, the Asokwafo, previously a troop of royal hornblowers, was transformed into a kind of "personnel pool" for the education and training of future government officials. The king then recruited his officials from the Asokwafo community for a wide variety of administrative tasks. The head of the Asokwafo was the Batahene, who was also responsible for the management of the state trade organizations in Ashanti. The post of Okyeame (spokesman for the king), newly created under Kwadwo, was for example, filled with people from the Asokwafo circle. Likewise, the liaison men to the Europeans during Osai Bonsu's reign had previously been members of the Asokwafo.

During the period between the death of an Asantehene and the election of a successor, the Mamponghene, the Asantehene's deputy, acted as a regent.[9] This policy was only changed during a time of civil war in the late 19th century, when the Kwasafomanhyiamu or governing council itself ruled as regent.[9] The succession was decided by a series of councils of Asante nobles and other royal family members.[9] The methods of electing a chief varied from one chiefdom to another. For the election of the Asantehene, the Queen mother nominated eligible males as candidates from a royal lineage. She then consulted the elders of that lineage. The final candidate is then selected. The nomination was sent to a council of elders or kingmakers, who represent other Ashanti states.[16] The Elders then presented the nomination to the assembled people. The assembled citizens or commoners were represented by the Nkwankwaahene who indicated if there was widespread approval or disapproval of the nominee. If the citizens disapproved of the nominee, the process was restarted. If Chosen, the new King was enstooled by the kingmakers.[17][14]

Kings of the Ashanti Empire who violated any of the oaths taken during his or her enstoolment, were destooled by Kingmakers.[18] For instance, if a king punished citizens arbitrarily or was exposed as corrupt, he would be destooled. Destoolment entailed kingmakers removing the sandals of the king and bumping his buttocks on the ground three times. Once destooled from office, his sanctity and thus reverence were lost, as he could not exercise any of the powers he had as king; this includes Chief administrator, Judge, and Military Commander. The now previous king was dispossessed of the Stool, swords and other regalia which symbolized his office and authority. He also lost his position as custodian of the land. However, even if destooled from office, the king remained a member of the royal family from which he was elected.[18] One impeachment occurred during the reign of Kusi Obodom, caused by a failed invasion of Dahomey.[19]