Abstract
This thesis is the result of extensive historical and empirical research in the Kumasi Metropolis in
Ghana (West Africa). Ghana is a modern nation-state with a secular government. Parallel to this
post-colonially rooted political institution, the country is ruled by a number of sacred pre-colonially
rooted institutions of chieftaincy. Among them, due to its clear hierarchical structure and great
sanctity, the Asante institution is most prominent. Since the pre-colonial era, Asante chiefs and
queen mothers have derived their authority from a religious source. Traditionally, they perceive
themselves as servants of the ancestral spirits, from whom they receive the divine power to rule by
occupying a 'stool' (throne). This power enables them to mediate between the spiritual beings and
the community and to take care of their wellbeing. Also, since pre-colonial times, traditional Asante
authorities have operated as religious peacekeepers as they have managed both religiously and
socially to maintain a relationship of balanced tension between Asante indigenous practitioners,
Muslims and Christians within the community
The two main questions that are raised in this thesis are as follows. First, to what extent do
the present day Asante traditional authorities still perceive a religious intermediary role? To answer
this question the author looks at characteristics of this role in the pre-colonial and colonial era. She
also studies four different Asante indigenous religious rituals that have recently been performed in
the Kumasi Metropolis: the Asanteman Adae Kese festival, a royal pre-burial ritual, a ritual of
pouring of libation and a chiefs installation ritual. The author researches whether Asante Indigenous
Religion is present in these rituals and whether there is a formal or informal relationship with the
Asante persistence of chieftaincy. This provides insight into to what extent the role of the Asante
traditional authorities is still that of religious intermediation in the performance of those rituals. The
second question is how Asante chiefs and queen mothers have operated as religious peacekeepers
and how this role still contributes to the persistence of Asante chieftaincy. The answer is given by
showing the persistent uniqueness of Asante chieftaincy as a religious pluralistic peacekeeping body
in today's Kumasi Metropolis
y's Kumasi Metropolis.
The author concludes that Asante traditional authorities in the Metropolis still fulfil a
significant role as both religious mediators and religious peacekeepers. This phenomenon offers an
explanation for the persistence of Asante chieftaincy in this ancient capital of the Asante Kingdom
and its surrounding areas. The role of the Asante chiefs and queen mothers as religious peacekeepers
also provides a model for peaceful coexistence in more conflicted areas in West Africa, such as
Nigeria and the rest of Africa.
