The King of the Asantes Ghana

 

The King of the Asantes Ghana (Asantehene), Otumfuo Nana Prempeh II, and Nana Kwaadu Yiadom, the Asantehemaa (Asante queenmother from 1917-1945), at the Restoration of the Asante Confederacy durbar in Kumasi in 1935. The British had always wanted to rule Ashantis but were defeated several times until Sir Garnet Wolseley defeated Asantes in Sagrenti War. Britain later annexed the territories of the Ashanti and the Fanti in 1896, and Ashanti leaders were sent into exile in Seychelles. The Asante Union was dissolved. Robert Baden-Powell led the British in this campaign. The British formally declared the state of Asanteman and the coastal regions to be the Gold Coast colony. A British Resident was permanently placed in the city of Kumasi, and soon after a British fort was built there. As a final measure of resistance, the remaining Asante court not exiled to Seychelles mounted an offensive against the British Residents at the Kumasi Fort. The resistance was led by Asante queen Yaa Asantewaa, Queen-Mother of Ejisu. From March 28 to late September 1900, the Asante and British were engaged in what would become known as the War of the Golden Stool. In the end, the British were victorious; they exiled Asantewaa and other Asante leaders to Seychelles to join Asante King Prempeh I.

In January 1902, Britain finally designated Asanteman as a protectorate. Asanteman was restored to independence on 31 January 1935. Asante King Prempeh II was restored in 1957, and Asanteman entered a state union with Ghana upon independence from Great Britain.

Anglo-Ashanti Wars

The first of the Anglo-Ashanti wars occurred in 1823. In these conflicts, Asanteman faced off, with varying degrees of success, against the British Empire residing on the coast. The root of the conflict traces back to 1823 when Sir Charles MacCarthy, resisting all overtures by the Ashanti to negotiate, led an invading force. The Ashanti defeated this, killed MacCarthy, took his head for a trophy and swept onto the coast. However, the disease forced them back. The Ashanti were so successful in subsequent fighting that in 1826 they again moved on the coast. #africanhistory #ghanahistory #weafricannations