The is the title for the

monarch A monarch is a head of stateWebster's II New College DictionarMonarch Houghton Mifflin. Boston. 2001. p. 707. Life tenure, for life or until abdication, and therefore the head of state of a monarchy. A monarch may exercise the highest authority ...

of the historical Ashanti Empire as well as the ceremonial ruler of the Ashanti people today. The Ashanti royal house traces its line to the Oyoko (an '' Abusua'', or "clan") Abohyen Dynasty of Nana Twum and the Bretuo Dynasty of Osei Tutu Opemsoo, who formed the Empire of Ashanti in 1701 and was crowned Asantehene (King of all Asante). Osei Tutu held the throne until his death in battle in 1717, and was the sixth king in Ashanti royal history.Collins and Burns (2007), p. 140. The Asantehene is the ruler of the Ashanti people. The Asantehene is traditionally enthroned on a

golden stool The Golden Stool ( Ashanti- tw, Sika dwa; full title, Sika Dwa Kofi "the Golden Stool born on a Friday") is the royal and divine throne of kings of the Ashanti people and the ultimate symbol of power in Asante. According to legend, Okomfo Anoky ...

known as the '' Sika 'dwa'', and the office is sometimes referred to by this name.Asante empire
''Encyclopædia Britannica''. Retrieved 9 December 2017. The Asantehene is also the titular ruler of Kumasi, which served as the capital of the Ashanti Empire and today, the

Ashanti Region The Ashanti Region is located in southern part of Ghana and it is the third largest of 16 administrative regions, occupying a total land surface of or 10.2 percent of the total land area of Ghana. In terms of population, however, it is the m ...

. The Ashanti Empire comprised parts of present-day southern

Ghana Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and Tog ...

and portions of present-day eastern Côte d'Ivoire between the 17th and 20th centuries.History of the Asante Empire
. Ashanti.com.au. Retrieved 9 March 2013. The current Asantehene is Otumfuo Nana Osei Tutu II, born Nana Kwaku Dua, who ascended as the 16th Asante king in April 1999. Osei Tutu II was one of seven descendants who were eligible to the

heir presumptive An heir presumptive is the person entitled to inherit a throne, peerage, or other hereditary honour, but whose position can be displaced by the birth of an heir apparent or a new heir presumptive with a better claim to the position in question. ...

Elections and regents

During the period between the death of an Asantehene and the election of a successor, the Mamponghene, the Asantehene's deputy, acts as a

regent A regent (from Latin : ruling, governing) is a person appointed to govern a state '' pro tempore'' (Latin: 'for the time being') because the monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of the monarchy ...

.Shillington, ''History of Africa'', p. 195. 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. The succession is decided by a series of councils of Asante

nobles Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the realm with many exclusive functions and characteristics. The character ...

and other royal family members.

The colonial era and Asante independence

The Ashanti Confederacy was made a British protectorate in 1902, and the office of Asantehene was discontinued. In 1926, the British permitted the repatriation of Prempeh I – whom they had exiled to the

Seychelles Seychelles (, ; ), officially the Republic of Seychelles (french: link=no, République des Seychelles; Creole: ''La Repiblik Sesel''), is an archipelagic state consisting of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean. Its capital and largest city, ...

in 1896 – and allowed him to adopt the title Kumasehene, but not Asantehene. However, in 1935, the British finally granted the Ashanti moderated self-rule as the Kingdom of Ashanti, and the title of Asantehene was revived. On 6 March 1957, the Kingdom of Ashanti and the Northern Territories, the Gold Coast Crown Colony and the British Mandate of

Togoland Togoland was a German Empire protectorate in West Africa from 1884 to 1914, encompassing what is now the nation of Togo and most of what is now the Volta Region of Ghana, approximately 90,400 km2 (29,867 sq mi) in size. During the period ...

to form the modern state of Ghana. The office of Asantehene is now a sub- national

constitutional monarchy A constitutional monarchy, parliamentary monarchy, or democratic monarchy is a form of monarchy in which the monarch exercises their authority in accordance with a constitution and is not alone in decision making. Constitutional monarchies dif ...

, and is protected by the Ghanaian constitution.

List of rulers

All rulers in the lists below were members of the Oyoko Abohyen Dynasty.

Kwaamanhene of the Kwaaman State

Kumasehene of the Kumaseman State

Asantehene of the Kingdom of Ashanti (Ashanti Empire)

All regents were members of the Bretuo Dynasty who were and still are the holders of the title Mamponghene. Upon the death of the Asantehene, it is the task of the Mamponghene to act as the regent, or ''Awisiahene''.Ashanti knowledge
GhanaWeb. Retrieved 12 November 2012.

References

External links

BBC News , Africa , Opoku Ware II , Rites for Ashanti king

at the Wonders of the African World, at PBS
Kingdom of Ashanti Kings And Queens Of Asante
Retrieved 8 November 2012. {{DEFAULTSORT:Asante Rulers Lists of African monarchs Titles of national or ethnic leadership Government of Ghana Rulers