ASHANTEE, or Sianti, a country in Western Africa, in the interior of the Gold Coast, the extent and population of which can only be approximately given. Stretching from lat. 5° to 9° N., and from long. 0° to 4° W., it comprises about 70,000 English square miles, and its population has been variously stated at from 1,000,000 to 3,000,000.
Tradition represents the Ashantees as deriving their origin from bands of fugitives, who, two or three centuries ago, were driven before the Moslem tribes migrating south ward from the countries on the Niger and Senegal. Hav ing cleared for themselves a region of impenetrable forest, they defended themselves with a valour which, becoming part of their national character, raised them to the rank of a powerful and conquering nation. They are supposed to be originally of the same race as the Fan tees, nearer the coast, and speak the same language. The separation of Fantees and Ashantees is ascribed to a famine which drove the former south, and led them to live on fan, or herbs, while the latter subsisted on san, or Indian corn, <tc. (whence the names Fantees and Santees).
Ashantee proper is covered with almost impenetrable forest, the routes through which consist merely of narrow winding tracts, where, though it is possible for a man to ride, or a palanquin to be carried, no waggon of any de scription could pass. Many of the trees attain splendid proportions, but the monotony is oppressive, and is hardly ever relieved by the sight of either bird or beast. The country round the towns in the interior, however, is cul tivated with care, the fields being kept clean, and yielding in abundance grain, yams, vegetables, and fruits. The ter ritory yields also a considerable quantity of gold. The Ashantees are skilful in several species of manufacture, particularly in weaving the great African fabric of cotton. Their pottery and works in gold also show skill, thoiigh surpassed by those produced in the more southern countries. A large quantity of silver-plate and goldsmith s work of great value and considerable artistic elaboration was found ia 1874 in the king s palace of Coomassie, not the least remarkable objects being masks of beaten gold. The in fluence of Moorish art is perceptible in everything.
The government of Ashantee is a mixture of monarchy and military aristocracy ; the lower orders being held in complete thraldom, and liable to be put to death or sold into slavery at the will of the chiefs. The king carries on all the ordinary administration of the state ; but in ques tions relating to peace or war he is bound to consult the council of the caboceers or captains. Each of these cabo- cecrs keeps a little court, where he makes a profuse display of barbaric pomp. Polygamy is indulged in to an enor mous extent, the king has a regular allowance of 3333 wives, but many of these are employed as guards or in menial services. The crown descends to the king s brother, or his sister s son, not to his own offspring.
The dreadful system of human sacrifice, practised among the Ashantees, is founded on a wild idea of piety towards parents and other connections the chiefs fancying that the rank of their dead relatives in the future world will be measured by the number of attendants sent after them. There are two periods, called the great Adai and little Adai, succeeding each other at intervals of eighteen and twenty- lour days, at which human victims, chiefly prisoners of war or condemned criminals, are often immolated to a monstrous extent. On the great Adai, which always falls on a Sunday, the king visits the burial-grounds of the princes and the royal mausoleum at Bantama, where the skeletons of his predecessors their bones held together <y links of gold sit in grim mockery of state. Still more tir-.Mdful is the " custom " celebrated after the death of the Lin % or any member of the royal house.
Early in the 18th century the Ashantees first came under the notice of Europeans, through their successful wars with the king doms bordering on the maritime territory. Osai Tutu may be con sidered as the real founder of the Ashantee power. He either built or greatly extended Coomassie, the capital ; he subdued the neigh bouring state of Denkera (1719) and the Mahometan countries of Gaman and Banna, and extended the empire by conquests both on the east and west. At last he was defeated and slain (1731) ; but his successor, Osai Apoko, made further acquisitions towards the coast.
In 1800, Osai Tutu Quamina, an enterprising and ambitious man, who appears early to have formed the desire of opening a communi cation with white nations, became king. About 1807 two chiefs of the Assins, whom he had defeated in battle, sought refuge among the Fantees, the ruling people on the coast. On the refusal of the Fantees to deliver up the fugitives, he invaded their country, defeated them, .and drove them towards the sea. At length they reached the town of Annamaboe, where there was then a British fort. The governor exhorted the citizens to come to terms, and offered to mediate ; but they resolved to abide the contest. The result was the destruction of the town, with great slaughter of the inhabitants. The Ashantees failed, however, to storm the English fort, though the garrison was reduced from 24 to 8 men. A truce was agreed to, and the king refusing to treat except with the chief governor of Cape Coast, Colonel Torranne repaired to Anna maboe, where he was received with great pomp. A treaty was con cluded by which the whole territory of Fautee, including Cape Coast Castle, was ceded by right of conquest to the Ashantee empire.
In 1817 the British Government sent Messrs James, Bowdich, and Hutchison on a mission to Coomassie. They were received with dignified politeness. After one or two harmonious interviews, the king advanced a claim for certain sums which the British were bound to pay to the native Governments, and which the Fantees had been accustomed to receive, for permission to hold fortified factories. Mr James proposed to refer this claim to the Government at Cape Coast Castle ; whereupon the king broke out into uncon trollable rage, calling the deputies cheats and liars. Messrs Bow dich and Hutchison, thinking that the E/iglish interests and the safety of the mission were endangered, took the negotiation into their own hands. A treaty was concluded, by which all the king s demands were satisfied ; and, after a residence of several months, they returned to Cape Coast.
The Government at home, though they demurred somewhat to the course that had been pursued, saw the wisdom of cultivating intercourse with this powerful African king. They sent out, there fore, to his court, as a fixed resident, M. Dupuis, who arrived at Cape Coast in January 1810. By that time the British local Government had been gained over to the interest of the Fantees. An insurrection had arisen in the interior of the Ashantee territory, respecting which exaggerated rumours had been listened to with blind credulity. Insulting messages were sent to the king, who was also informed that the inhabitants of Cape Coast were setting his authority at defiance, and were forming a wall to defend the town. The governor, on various pretences, detained M. Dupuis for some time ; but at length, on the arrival of more than one ambassador from the king, allowed him to proceed. M. Dupuis set out on the 9th February 1820, and on the 2Sth arrived at Coomassie. After several confidential meetings with the king, a treaty was drawn up, which adjusted all the differences between the two parties. The king dismissed M. Dupuis with many marks of esteem and kind ness, sending along with him two natives of distinction, to proceed as ambassadors to England. On his return to Cape Coast he found that the governor disowned the treaty, as betraying British interests and transferring to Ashantee the sovereignty of the Gold Coast. At the same time the Fautee party persuaded Sir George Collier to refuse to transport the Ashantee ambassadors to Britain.
M. Dupuis returned to England to represent the particulars to the Government ; but an entire change meantime took place in the administration of British afl airs in Africa. The African Company was abolished by Act of Parliament in 1821, and the forts and possessions transferred to the Crown. Sir Charles M Carthy w&s invested with the government of all this range of coast. On his arrival in 1822 he adopted the Fantee policy, placed the town in a posture of defence, and formed alliances with the neighbouring tribes. It was hoped that the hostile attitude of the English would overawe the king, but he speedily declared open war.
After one or two unimportant successes, the British force was completely routed in Essamaco, near the boundary stream of tho 1 rah, by a native army of about 10,000 men. Sir Charles M Carthy was slain, and only 50 men, including two officers, returned to the castle. On the very day of this defeat Osai Tutu Quamina died, and was succeeded by Osai Okoto. The Ashantee army now marched upon Cape Coast, laying waste the country with fire and sword. At that place, however, detachments of reserve had united with the wrecks of the main corps, and vigorously prepared for defence. The king made repeated nnd desperate assaults, but at last sustained a signal defeat at Dudowah, on the 7th August 1826. In 1828 all public establishments were withdrawn bv the British Government,
