Page 22 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 10

CULTURE

the Golden Stool of Ashanti. The
Queen is entitled to the stool; she
must receive it.

Where is the Golden Stool? I am
the representative of the Paramount
Power. Why have you relegated
me to this ordinary chair? Why did
you not take the opportunity of
my coming to Kumasi to bring the
Golden Stool for me to sit upon?
However, you may be quite sure
that though the Government has
not received the Golden Stool at his
An illustration of an Asanti King and his palace. Source: www.politics-history.mozello.com/ hands it will rule over you with the
same impartiality and fairness as if
you had produced it.”
was historically used to distinguish to the British, following the uprising
royalty and to make other social dis- known as the Yaa Asantewaa War or His impetuous demand to sit on a
tinctions such as gender, age, marital The War of the Golden Stool. This stool considered holy, embodying
status and social standing. Today the war was catalyzed by the arrogance the soul of the Asante, and the sym-
symbolism of colors and patterns and social ignorance typical of bol of the unity of the Asanteman
remain, with yellow symbolizing the then British Empire. During a provoked outrage and resulted in a
royalty, wealth, and fertility; pink - previous battle against the Asante, war under Queen Yaa Asantewaa I
femininity, calmness, and sweetness; the British kidnapped the Asante- which led ultimately to the defeat
green - growth, fruitfulness, and hene Prempeh I and his counselors and annexure of the Asante Em-
spiritual rejuvenation; red - height- and deported them to Seychelles. pire to the British... but not before
ened spiritual and political mood, Sir Fredrick Hodgson, governor of she dealt a humiliating blow to the
sacrifice and struggle; blue – spiritu- the ‘Gold Coast’ from 1898 – 1900 British.
ality, peace; and purple and maroon made a major faux pas in his quest
- the healing power of the Earth. to govern the Asante by demand- Based on one account, the Great
Black represents maturity, energy, ing that the people hand over The Warrior Queen Yaa Asantewaa
antiquity, and spiritual potency. Golden Stool to him, believing that I, Queen Mother of Ejisu, took
During this period of expansion and it would allow him to govern the Supreme Military Command over
prosperity, some of the Asante also country for all time. A statement an army of 20,000 warriors, which
began to convert from traditional attributed to him and said to have included a battalion of Amazons
Asante religious beliefs to Islam and come from the book, Accused in the and 1,000 handpicked soldiers led
Christianity. It is also said that the Gold Coast by Fred M. Agyemang, by General Asmarah. She is said to
Asanteman found themselves in a caused great offence among the As- have delivered the following rousing
constant state of war, having to ei- ante people. It is said that he spoke speech to her people:
ther fight to expand or defend their to a gathering of the people thusly:
burgeoning territory. "Now I have seen that some of you
“Your King Prempeh I is in exile fear to go forward to fight for our
The 19th century also saw the As- and will not return to Ashanti. His king. If it were in the brave days,
ante come into direct conflict with power and authority will be taken the days of Osei Tutu, Okomfo
the British who wanted to dominate over by the Representative of the Anokye, and Opoku Ware, chiefs
the region and do away with the Queen of Britain. The terms of would not sit down to see their king
slave trade. After a series of battles, the 1874 Peace Treaty of Fome- taken away without firing a shot.
the Asanteman gradually weakened, na, which required you to pay for No white man (Obroni) could have
their empire dwindled in size and the cost of the 1874 war, have not dared to speak to a chief of the As-
they were eventually declared a been forgotten. You have to pay ante in the way the Governor spoke
colony of the crown in 1902 after with interest the sum of £160,000 to you chiefs this morning. Is it true
nearly a hundred years of resistance a year. Then there is the matter of that the bravery of the Asante is no

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