Early Asante, Akan, and Mossi States

Areas of West Africa, from its interior to the coastline, encompassing a wide range of empires, kingdoms, people, cultures, and nations have been documented by scholars from around the world. This includes the areas once referred to as the Gold Coast and the region just to its north, the Upper Volta. These areas would become the countries of Ghana and Burkina Faso. These two areas of West Africa are home to several geographical features, such as rivers, rain forests, plateaus, and savanna grasslands, which were vital in the development and protection of people in the region. Further, among the most well-known people of the two regions are the Akan, which consisted of several groups, including the Asante, and to their north beyond the rain forest, the Moss—each of which dates back to the 16th and 17th centuries. This work discusses the emergence of the Akan, Asante, and Mossi people of these regions. Each of these groups contributed significantly to the culture, customs, religion, and trade in the region for more than two centuries before the start of the colonial era, following the Berlin Conference of 1884 to 1885. Notably, their transition to becoming a large-scale society, which occurred over years, has been most studied, for its complexity. While the Mossi formed separately of the Akan and Asante, they do share a closeness through migration of people, as well as proximity. Moreover, these groups were instrumental to the further development of the region. Analyzing the early history of each group, it is important to understand the formation of their government hierarchy, military, and trade. Further, other important components of each are the geography of the land consisting of coastline, forest, and rivers. These natural barriers which shaped the culture, customs, protection, political life, and trade of the states. Calling the West African nations of Ghana and Burkina Faso home in the 21st century, the Akan, Asante, and Mossi have each played a role in the shaping the histories of West Africa. The people of the Gold Coast and Upper Volta regions of West Africa have importance in this area. While the region of West Africa is home to many cultures, these three were indeed instrumental in broadening our knowledge of the area. These groups still have a significant influence across two nations. Finally, scholarship that has been produced on the topic, some of which dates back over one hundred years to the 21st century.