Kingdompress

THE ECONOMY OF THE ASANTE EMPIRE A Story of Trade, Wealth, and Influence.   A royal ceremony in Kumasi, capital of the Asante Kingdom Economically, the Asante Empire was one of the most prosperous and powerful states in West Africa between 1700- 1901. The wealth of the kingdom was built on trading gold, agriculture, and strategic commerce. Gold: Backbone of The Economy The empire was often referred to as "The Gold Coast" because of the abundance of gold. Gold was not just a symbol of royalty, but also a big trading commodity. Mining and distribution of gold was controlled by the empire, and they were strategic suppliers to European traders including the British, Portuguese, and the Dutch. Agriculture and Labor Systems Beyond the trade of gold, agriculture played a crucial part in sustaining the economy of the empire. The Asantes cultivated crops like yam, maize, and plantain. They also had a structured labor system where enslaved people were used in mining, farming and other ...

  THE ASANTE EMPIRE'S MILITARY STRENGTH. The army of the Asante Kingdom was very organized and disciplined. The King ( Asantehene ) was in charge and acted as the supreme leader while the other regional chiefs took command of various divisions of the army.  One of the key factors that made them successful was their recruitment strategy. The empire forcibly enlisted young soldiers from its vast territories which ensured that they had an endless supply of manpower. The military had special divisions including elite shock troops, cavalry units, and skilled archers.  The Asante army adopted the use of traditional weapons and Europeans firearms which they acquired from their trade with the Dutch and the Portuguese. Some of the weapons utilized were swords, spears, poisoned arrows for long range attacks, flintlock muskets and rifles. They developed ambush tactics, surprise attacks, which made them very unpredictable in warfare. To gain advantage over their enemies, they used ca...