Ashanti Protectorate facts for kids

The Ashanti Protectorate is a name sometimes used for a territory in Africa that was actually a Crown Colony called Ashanti. A Crown Colony was a land directly controlled by the British government, while a Protectorate was a territory that had its own ruler but was protected and influenced by a stronger country. So, the Ashanti territory was not a protectorate, even though some old writings might call it that.

The British took control of Ashanti after several wars. In January 1896, British troops occupied the area.

Ashanti Becomes a British Colony

In 1900, there was a big uprising by the Ashanti people against the British, known as the Ashanti Uprising. The British stopped the fighting and captured the city of Kumasi. The traditional king of Ashanti, called the Asanthene, and his advisors were sent away from their home country.

After this, the British officially took over Ashanti. This meant Ashanti became a direct part of the British Empire. It was made a British Crown Colony starting on 1 January 1902. A special law called the Ashanti Order in Council 1901 was made on 26 September 1901 to make this happen.

How Ashanti Was Ruled

As a Crown Colony, Ashanti was managed by a Chief Commissioner. This person worked under the main Governor of the Gold Coast. The British considered Ashanti a colony they had won through conquest. Even though the Ashanti people lost their independence, their traditional social and political system mostly stayed the same.

Path to Independence

In 1935, the Ashanti people were given some limited power to govern themselves. This was done by officially setting up the Ashanti Confederacy again. Ashanti continued to be managed alongside the larger Gold Coast territory. However, it remained a separate Crown Colony until it joined with the Gold Coast to form the new independent country of Ghana. This happened under the Ghana Independence Act 1957.