Home Region: West Africa (Africa)

Ashanti Empire

1701 CE 1895 CE

D G SC WF R CC

EQ 2020 gh_ashanti_emp / GhAshnL

Preceding Entity: Add one more here.

1501 CE 1701 CE Akan - Pre-Ashanti (gh_akan) [continuity]

Succeeding Entity:

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General Description

The gold-producing region between the Comoé and Volta rivers has been inhabited by Akan-speaking people since the 13th century CE. This region has seen the emergence of various autonomous states, including Bono, Djomo, Akwamu, Fante, and Asante. Later in its history, the founders of the Ga and Ewe states arrived from what is now Nigeria. ^[1] In 1471, Portuguese sailors reached this stretch of coast and quickly established trade with the coastal Akan states, exchanging European goods for gold. ^[1] Trade routes soon connected the coast to the Niger bend region, along which descendants of the former Bonda and Kumbu kingdoms founded the Akyerekyere and Akumu-Akoto kingdoms respectively. The Portuguese referred to this latter kingdom as the ’Acanes’, which is the source of the name Akan. ^[2]
In 1701, the Asante rebelled against the dominant Denkyira state and formed a confederacy of Akan states who accepted Asante rule. This confederacy began to conquer the surrounding polities, and by 1764 the Greater Asante controlled an area nearly the size of present-day Ghana. ^[2]
Europeans continued to be drawn to the Ghanaian coast in search of gold and, by the 19th century, the British were the strongest European power in the region. In 1827, British-led troops defeated an Asante army at Katammanso. ^[2] In 1831, the British and Asante signed a peace treaty that allowed trade in all ports, and by 1844 the British gained control over criminal matters in the areas around trade forts. By 1872, the British had complete control of the coast, and when they did not recognize Asante sovereignty, the Asante attacked. The British were victorious, and after another war in 1895, the Asante king and chiefs were exiled. The entire region was declared a British territory in 1901. ^[2]
Population and political organization
During the pre-Asante period, each Akan state consisted of a single kingdom ruled by an omanhene, which literally translates to ’state-chief’. ^[2] This king came from a royal clan, and was elected by various officials, most notably the ohemmaa (’queen-mother’), who was a senior woman of the clan. The king was a sacred person who could not be observed eating or drinking; nor could he be heard to speak or be spoken to. ^[2]
After 1701, political organization within the region became far more bureaucratic and specialized. Kumasi became the capital of the union of Asante states and the seat of the empire. Appointed officials began to replace those wielding hereditary authority, and a treasury partly operated by literate Muslims was created. ^[3] However, while bureaucrats ran many of the day-to-day operations of the empire, the authority of the king was still absolute. ^[4]
Population estimates are not available for the pre-Asante period. The population of the entire Asante union in 1874 is estimated at three million people. ^[5]

[1]: (Fage et al. 2017) Fage, John D., Ernest Amano Boateng, Donna J. Maier, and Oliver Davies. 2017. "Ghana." Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/place/Ghana. Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/XFKDKSW3.

[2]: (Gilbert, Lagacé and Skoggard 2000) Gilbert, Michelle, Robert O. Lagacé, and Ian Skoggard. 2000. "Culture Summary: Akan." eHRAF World Cultures. http://ehrafworldcultures.yale.edu/document?id=fe12-000. Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/ZJ844XUN.

[3]: (McLeod 1981) McLeod, M. D. 1981. The Asante. London: British Museum Publications. Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/RS692TAZ.

[4]: (Arhin 1986, 165-66) Arhin, Kwame. 1986. "The Asante Praise Poems: The Ideology of Patrimonialism." Paideuma, no. 32: 163-97. Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/87N692IT.

[5]: (Obeng 1996, 20) Obeng, J. Pashington. 1996. Asante Catholicism: Religious and Cultural Reproduction among the Akan of Ghana. Leiden: E. J. Brill. Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/P8MFGRGQ.

General Variables

Identity and Location

1 Utm Zone

1 Original Name

2 Capital

4 Alternative Name

Temporal Bounds

1 Peak Years

1 Duration

Political and Cultural Relations

1 Suprapolity Relations

1 Supracultural Entity

1 Succeeding Entity

1 Scale of Supracultural Interaction

1 Relationship to preceding Entity

1 Polity Succession

1 Degree of Centralization

Language

2 Linguistic Family

2 Language

Religion

Social Complexity Variables

Social Scale

2 Population of the Largest Settlement

1 Polity Territory

1 Polity Population

Hierarchical Complexity

1 Settlement Hierarchy

1 Religious Level

1 Military Level

1 Administrative Level

Professions

1 Professional Soldier

1 Professional Priesthood

1 Professional Military Officer

Bureaucracy Characteristics

1 Specialized Government Building

1 Merit Promotion

1 Full Time Bureaucrat

1 Examination System

Law

1 Professional Lawyer

1 Judge

1 Formal Legal Code

1 Court

Specialized Buildings: polity owned

1 Market

1 Irrigation System

1 Food Storage Site

1 Drinking Water Supply System

Transport Infrastructure

1 Road

1 Port

1 Canal

1 Bridge

Special-purpose Sites

1 Mines or Quarry

Information / Writing System

1 Written Record

1 Script

1 Phonetic Alphabetic Writing

1 Nonwritten Record

1 Mnemonic Device

Information / Kinds of Written Documents

1 Scientific Literature

1 Sacred Text

1 Religious Literature

1 Practical Literature

1 Philosophy

1 Lists Tables and Classification

1 History

1 Fiction

1 Calendar

Information / Money

1 Token

1 Precious Metal

1 Paper Currency

1 Indigenous Coin

1 Foreign Coin

1 Article

Information / Postal System

1 Postal Station

1 General Postal Service

1 Courier

Information / Measurement System

Warfare Variables (Military Technologies)

Fortifications

1 Wooden Palisade

1 Stone Walls Non Mortared

3 Stone Walls Mortared

1 Settlements in a Defensive Position

1 Modern Fortification

1 Moat

3 Fortified Camp

1 Earth Rampart

1 Ditch

1 Complex Fortification

1 Long Wall

Military use of Metals

1 Steel

1 Iron

1 Copper

1 Bronze

Projectiles

1 Tension Siege Engine

1 Sling Siege Engine

1 Sling

1 Self Bow

1 Javelin

1 Handheld Firearm

1 Gunpowder Siege Artillery

1 Crossbow

1 Composite Bow

1 Atlatl

Handheld weapons

1 War Club

1 Sword

1 Spear

1 Polearm

1 Dagger

1 Battle Axe

Animals used in warfare

1 Horse

1 Elephant

1 Donkey

1 Dog

1 Camel

Armor

1 Wood Bark Etc

1 Shield

1 Scaled Armor

1 Plate Armor

1 Limb Protection

1 Leather Cloth

1 Laminar Armor

1 Helmet

1 Chainmail

1 Breastplate

Naval technology

1 Specialized Military Vessel

1 Small Vessels Canoes Etc

1 Merchant Ships Pressed Into Service

Economy Variables (Luxury Goods) Coding in Progress.

Religion Variables Coding in Progress.

Crisis Consequence Cases

1 Crisis Consequence

Power Transitions

15 Power Transition

Instability Events Coding in Progress.

NGA Settlements:

Year Range	Ashanti Empire (gh_ashanti_emp) was in:
(1702 CE 1895 CE)	Ghanaian Coast

Home NGA: Ghanaian Coast

General Variables

Identity and Location Ashanti Empire (gh_ashanti_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Utm Zone	30 N	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Original Name	Ashanti Empire	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Capital	Kumasi	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Capital	Kumase	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Alternative Name	Asantemanso	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Alternative Name	Ashante	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Alternative Name	Asante	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Alternative Name	Asanteman	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Temporal Bounds Ashanti Empire (gh_ashanti_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More
Peak Years	[1800 CE ➜ 1824 CE]
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Duration	[1701 CE ➜ 1895 CE]
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Political and Cultural Relations Ashanti Empire (gh_ashanti_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Suprapolity Relations	none	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Supracultural Entity	West Africa	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Succeeding Entity	British Empire Gold Coast Colony	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Scale of Supracultural Interaction	5,112,903 km²	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Relationship to Preceding Entity	continuity	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Preceding Entity 1501 CE 1701 CE	Akan - Pre-Ashanti (gh_akan) [continuity]
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Degree of Centralization	confederated state	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Language Ashanti Empire (gh_ashanti_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Linguistic Family	Niger-Congo	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Linguistic Family	Kwa	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Language	Akan	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Language	Twi	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Religion Ashanti Empire (gh_ashanti_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Social Complexity Variables

Social Scale Ashanti Empire (gh_ashanti_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Population of the Largest Settlement	13,500 people Disputed	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Population of the Largest Settlement	22,500 people Disputed	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Polity Territory	259,000 km²	1874 CE
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Polity Population	3,000,000 people	1874 CE
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Hierarchical Complexity Ashanti Empire (gh_ashanti_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Settlement Hierarchy	4	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Religious Level	4	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Military Level	6	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Administrative Level	6	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Professions Ashanti Empire (gh_ashanti_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Professional Soldier	Absent	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Professional Priesthood	Present	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Professional Military Officer	Present	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Bureaucracy Characteristics Ashanti Empire (gh_ashanti_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Specialized Government Building	Unknown	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Merit Promotion	Unknown Suspected	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Full Time Bureaucrat	Present	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Examination System	Absent	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Law Ashanti Empire (gh_ashanti_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Professional Lawyer	Absent	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Judge	Absent	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Formal Legal Code	Absent Inferred	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Court	Present	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Specialized Buildings: polity owned Ashanti Empire (gh_ashanti_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Market	Present	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Irrigation System	Absent	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Food Storage Site	Present Inferred	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Drinking Water Supply System	Absent	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Transport Infrastructure Ashanti Empire (gh_ashanti_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Road	Present	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Port	Absent	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Canal	Absent	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Bridge	Absent	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Special-purpose Sites Ashanti Empire (gh_ashanti_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Mines or Quarry	Present	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Information / Writing System Ashanti Empire (gh_ashanti_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Written Record	Present	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Script	Present	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Phonetic Alphabetic Writing	Present	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Nonwritten Record	Present	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Mnemonic Device	Present	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Information / Kinds of Written Documents Ashanti Empire (gh_ashanti_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Scientific Literature	Absent	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Sacred Text	Present	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Religious Literature	Present	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Practical Literature	Absent	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Philosophy	Absent	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Lists Tables and Classification	Present	1701 CE 1895 CE
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History	Absent	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Fiction	Absent	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Calendar	Present	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Information / Money Ashanti Empire (gh_ashanti_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Token	Present	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Precious Metal	Present	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Paper Currency	Absent	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Indigenous Coin	Absent	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Foreign Coin	Absent	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Article	Present Inferred	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Information / Postal System Ashanti Empire (gh_ashanti_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Postal Station	Absent	1701 CE 1895 CE
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General Postal Service	Absent	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Courier	Present	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Information / Measurement System Ashanti Empire (gh_ashanti_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Warfare Variables (Military Technologies)

Fortifications Ashanti Empire (gh_ashanti_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Wooden Palisade	Absent Inferred	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Stone Walls Non Mortared	Absent Inferred	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Stone Walls Mortared	Absent	1701 CE 1820 CE
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Stone Walls Mortared	Present	1821 CE 1874 CE
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Stone Walls Mortared	Absent	1875 CE 1897 CE
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Settlements in a Defensive Position	Unknown Suspected	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Modern Fortification	Absent	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Moat	Absent Inferred	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Fortified Camp	Absent	1701 CE 1820 CE
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Fortified Camp	Present	1821 CE 1874 CE
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Fortified Camp	Absent	1875 CE 1897 CE
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Earth Rampart	Absent Inferred	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Ditch	Absent Inferred	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Complex Fortification	Unknown Suspected	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Long Wall	absent	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Military use of Metals Ashanti Empire (gh_ashanti_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Steel	Absent	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Iron	Present	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Copper	Present	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Bronze	Absent Inferred	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Projectiles Ashanti Empire (gh_ashanti_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Tension Siege Engine	Absent	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Sling Siege Engine	Absent	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Sling	Unknown Suspected	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Self Bow	Present Inferred	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Javelin	Present Inferred	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Handheld Firearm	Present	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Gunpowder Siege Artillery	Absent Inferred	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Crossbow	Present Inferred	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Composite Bow	Unknown Suspected	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Atlatl	Absent Inferred	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Handheld weapons Ashanti Empire (gh_ashanti_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
War Club	Absent	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Sword	Absent	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Spear	Present	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Polearm	Absent Inferred	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Dagger	Present	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Battle Axe	Absent	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Animals used in warfare Ashanti Empire (gh_ashanti_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Horse	Absent	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Elephant	Absent	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Donkey	Absent	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Dog	Absent	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Camel	Absent	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Armor Ashanti Empire (gh_ashanti_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Wood Bark Etc	Absent	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Shield	Present	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Scaled Armor	Absent	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Plate Armor	Absent	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Limb Protection	Unknown Suspected	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Leather Cloth	Present Inferred	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Laminar Armor	Absent	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Helmet	Present Inferred	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Chainmail	Absent	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Breastplate	Absent	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Naval technology Ashanti Empire (gh_ashanti_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Specialized Military Vessel	Absent Inferred	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Small Vessels Canoes Etc	Absent Inferred	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Merchant Ships Pressed Into Service	Absent Inferred	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Economy Variables (Luxury Goods)

Religion Variables

Moralizing Supernatural Punishment and Reward Ashanti Empire (gh_ashanti_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Moralizing Enforcement is Broad	Present	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Moralizing Supernatural Concern is Primary	Absent Inferred	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Agentic	Present	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement in This Life	Present Inferred	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Moralizing Supernatural Punishment And Reward	Present	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Moralizing Religion Adopted by Commoners	Present	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Targeted	Present Inferred	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement in Afterlife	Present	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Moralizing Religion Adopted by Elites	Present	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement of Rulers	Present	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Certain	Absent	1701 CE 1895 CE
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Human Sacrifice Ashanti Empire (gh_ashanti_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More