The Asantehene is the absolute monarch of the Kingdom of Asante, its cultural regionAsante, and of the Asante people's ethnic group. The Asante royal house traces its line to the Oyoko Abohyen Dynasty of Nana Twum and the Bretuo Dynasty of Osei Tutu Opemsoo, who formed the Empire of Asante in 1701 and was crowned Asantehene. Osei Tutu held the Asante throne until his death in battle in 1717, and was the sixth king in Asante royal history. The Asantehene is the ruler of the Asante people ethnic group and the Kingdom of Asante and Asanteman, the homeland of the Asante people ethnic group, historically a position of great power. The Asantehene is traditionally enthroned on a golden stool known as the Sika 'dwa, and the office is sometimes referred to by this name. The Asantehene is also the titular ruler of Kumasi, capital of Asante. The Asante state, or Asanteman, comprises the Ashanti region. The Asante Empire and Confederacy comprised part of present-day Asanteman and portions of present-day eastern Côte d'Ivoire between the 17th and 20th centuries. 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.
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. 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 and other royal family members.
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 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 to form the modern state of Ghana. The office of Asantehene is now a sub-national constitutional monarchy, and is protected by the Ghanaian constitution.
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.
