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The Ashanti Empire was a West African empire and kingdom that covered central Ghana, Togo, and Côte d’Ivoire from the late 17th century to the early 20th century. With a complex and sophisticated government, the Ashanti Empire was one of the wealthiest empires of all time in Africa.
There have been several myths surrounding the founder of the Ashanti Kingdom. Thus, the question of who established the Ashanti kingdom has not escaped historians yet many still do not know about the founder of the Ashanti kingdom. If you are curious to know who established the Ashanti kingdom? Then this article is for you.
Born to a father Owusu Panyin and a mother Maanu Kotosii, Osie Tutu I enjoyed a royal upbringing until the Ashantis came under the brutal rule of another strong tribe, the Denkyira. He fled from the stern rule of the Denkyira’s to seek refuge in the Akwamu tribe where he became friends with Okomfo Anokye who later helped him liberate his people.
For several years, the Ashantis lacked centralized authority, leaving them vulnerable to attacks from rival tribes. The rise of Osei Tutu I to power saw the centralization of power, military, and political administration under one authority.
By forming alliances with neighbouring peoples, the founder of the Ashanti Kingdom became more powerful, eventually starting the Ashanti Union in 1700. Osei Kofi Tutu I is credited with establishing the Ashanti Kingdom through conquest, strategic alliances, and diplomacy.
He established Kumasi as his capital, and with his chief priest, he created the Golden Stool legend as a means of legitimizing his control. In Ashanti society, the throne is a symbol of authority and resistance to foreign imperial rule.
Having united spiritually and practically, the other Asante kingdoms fought together against the Denkyira who had submitted the Ashantis to several years of servitude. Osei Kofi Tutu I is credited with learning military warfare when he stayed with another powerful tribe the Akwamu.
He employed these tactics and eventually defeated his enemies. Osei Kofi Tutu I is revered among the Ashantis as the founder of a kingdom that eventually grew to become an empire in West Africa.
King Osei Kofi Tutu’s foundation aided his successors in raiding and defeating stronger tribes, allowing Ashanti to become a regional hegemonic power with cultural influence that extended beyond its borders. Osie Kofi Tutu is believed to have died in 1717 while waging war against the Akyem tribe, and his body was never recovered.
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