Prempeh I facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Prempeh I
Asantehene of Asanteman; Kumasehene of Kumasi
Prempeh I and his attendants
King of the Asante Kingdom
Reign	26 March 1888 – 12 May 1931
Coronation	26 March 1888
Predecessor	Owusu Sekyere II
Successor	Prempeh II
Born	(1870-12-18)18 December 1870 Kumasi, Ashanti Empire
Died	12 May 1931(1931-05-12) (aged 60)
Full name Otumfuo Nana Prempeh I
House	Bretuo Dynasty
Mother	Queen Asantehemaa Yaa Akyaa

Prempeh I (born Otumfuo Nana Prempeh I; 18 December 1870 – 12 May 1931) was an important king of the Ashanti Empire. He was the thirteenth ruler from the Oyoko Abohyen family. King Prempeh I ruled from March 26, 1888, until his death in 1931. During his time as king, he worked hard to protect his kingdom from the British.

Who Was Prempeh I?

His Early Life and Family

Prempeh I was born Prince Kwaku Dua III Asamu. His mother was Queen Asantehemaa Yaa Akyaa. She was a powerful queen mother of Ashanti from 1880 to 1917. She made smart political alliances through marriages. This helped her gain military strength. Her goal was to make sure her son, Prince Prempeh, would become king and protect the Golden Stool. The Golden Stool is a very important symbol of power for the Ashanti people.

Becoming King and Protecting His Kingdom

In 1888, Prince Prempeh became king. He took the name Kwaku Dua III. His time as king was difficult from the very beginning. He had to defend the Ashanti kingdom from the British. The British wanted to make Ashanti a "protectorate." This meant they wanted to control Ashanti's foreign affairs and protect it. But Prempeh I refused their offer. He said that Britain had misunderstood the Ashanti people.

He started a strong campaign to keep Ashanti independent. The British kept asking to take Ashanti under their protection, but he said no every time.

Ashanti and British Relations

In December 1895, the British sent soldiers from Cape Coast. They arrived in Kumasi in January 1896. Their leader was Robert Baden-Powell. King Prempeh I told his people not to fight the British. He was worried about what the British would do if there was violence. Soon after, Governor William Maxwell also arrived in Kumasi.

The British took control of the Ashanti and Fanti lands. Even though the British and Fanti were allies, the British still took their land. King Prempeh I was removed from his position and arrested. He and other Ashanti leaders were sent far away to the Seychelles islands. The Ashanti Empire was then officially ended. The British called the Ashanti lands and coastal areas the Gold Coast colony. A British official was placed permanently in Kumasi. Soon, a British fort was built there.

Many years later, Robert Baden-Powell wrote a famous book called "Scouting for Boys." Eventually, King Prempeh was allowed to return. He later became the Chief Scout of the Gold Coast.

In 1900, the British asked the Ashanti people to hand over the "Golden Stool." This stool was the most important symbol of the Ashanti kingdom's rule. The Ashanti people did not give it up easily. They fought against the British in a war known as the War of the Golden Stool (also called the Yaa Asantewaa War) from 1900 to 1901. In the end, the British won. They sent Yaa Asantewaa and other Ashanti leaders to the Seychelles. They joined King Prempeh I in exile. In January 1902, Britain officially made Asanteman a protectorate. However, Asanteman became independent again on January 31, 1935.

While in exile, Prempeh I lived in a large villa on Mahe, the biggest island in the Indian Ocean's Seychelles. He made sure that the Ashanti children received an education. He also worked to learn English himself.

King Prempeh I once said, "My Kingdom of Ashanti will never agree to be protected by anyone. The Ashanti people and the Kingdom of Ashanti must stay an independent country, just as they always have been. At the same time, we want to be friends with all white men."

His Later Years and Death

King Prempeh I surrendering to the British.

King Prempeh I passed away on May 12, 1931. His son, Prempeh II, became the next Asantehene. Prempeh I was buried in Kumasi.

See also

• Ashanti people
• Rulers of the Kingdom of Ashanti
• Molly Germaine Prempeh