Yaa Asantewaa facts for kids

Yaa Asantewaa (born October 17, 1840 – died October 17, 1921) was a powerful queen mother. She ruled Ejisu in the Ashanti Empire, which is now part of Ghana. Her brother, Nana Akwasi Afrane Opese, chose her for this important role. In 1900, she led the Ashanti people in a war against the British. This war is known as the War of the Golden Stool or the Yaa Asantewaa War.

Early Life and Family

Yaa Asantewaa was born in 1840 in Besease, Ghana. Her parents were Kwaku Ampoma and Ata Po. She was the older of two children. Her brother, Afrane Panin, became the chief of Edweso, a nearby town.

Yaa Asantewaa grew up without any major problems. She worked as a successful farmer, growing crops around Boankra. She married a man from Kumasi and had a daughter. She was known as a smart and strong leader.

Leading the Fight for Freedom

Yaa Asantewaa saw many difficult times for the Ashanti people. There was even a civil war from 1883 to 1888. When her brother died in 1894, Yaa Asantewaa used her right as Queen Mother. She chose her own grandson to be the new chief of Ejisu.

In 1896, the British sent her grandson away. They also exiled the King of Asante, Prempeh I, and other leaders to the Seychelles. After this, Yaa Asantewaa became the temporary ruler of the Ejisu–Juaben area.

The Golden Stool and British Demands

After King Prempeh I was sent away, the British governor, Frederick Mitchell Hodgson, made a shocking demand. He wanted the Golden Stool. This stool was not just a chair; it was the most important symbol of the Ashanti nation. It represented their spirit and power.

Ashanti leaders met secretly in Kumasi to discuss what to do. They disagreed on how to get their king back. Yaa Asantewaa was at this meeting. She stood up and spoke to the council with famous words:

How can a proud and brave people like the Asante sit back and look while whitemen took away their king and chiefs, and humiliated them with a demand for the Golden Stool. The Golden Stool only means money to the whitemen; they have searched and dug everywhere for it. I shall not pay one predwan to the governor. If you, the chiefs of Asante, are going to behave like cowards and not fight, you should exchange your loincloths for my undergarments (Montu mo danta mma me na monnye me tam).

To show how serious she was about fighting, she grabbed a gun and fired it.

War Leader of the Ashanti

Because of her courage, several Ashanti kings chose Yaa Asantewaa to lead their army. This was the first and only time a woman was given this role in Ashanti history. Queen Mother Nana Yaa Asantewaa led an army of 5,000 fighters in the War of the Golden Stool.

The Rebellion and Its End

The room believed to be Yaa Asantewaa's cell

The rebellion began in March 1900. Yaa Asantewaa's army surrounded the British fort in Kumasi. The British soldiers had taken shelter inside. This fort is now the Kumasi Fort and Military Museum.

After several months, the British governor sent 1,400 more soldiers to stop the rebellion. During the fighting, Queen Yaa Asantewaa and fifteen of her closest advisors were captured. They were also sent away to the Seychelles.

This rebellion was the last of the Anglo-Ashanti Wars. These wars had lasted throughout the 19th century. On January 1, 1902, the British took full control of the Ashanti lands. The Ashanti Empire became a protectorate of the British.

Later Life and Legacy

Yaa Asantewaa died in exile in the Seychelles on October 17, 1921. Three years after her death, on December 17, 1924, King Prempeh I and other exiled Ashanti leaders were allowed to return home. Prempeh I made sure that Yaa Asantewaa's remains were brought back for a proper royal burial.

Yaa Asantewaa's dream of an Ashanti nation free from British rule came true on March 6, 1957. The Ashanti protectorate gained independence as part of Ghana. Ghana was the first African nation south of the Sahara Desert to become independent.

The Role of Women in Ashanti Society

Yaa Asantewaa understood how British rule would harm her kingdom. Today, Ghanaians see her as a queen mother who used her power to defend her people. Her ability to inspire Ashanti men to fight came from her high status as a matriarchal leader.

The British soldiers were surprised to see a woman leading an empire's political and military efforts. Yaa Asantewaa's call to the women of the Ashanti Empire was based on the important roles Akan women had. They were involved in making laws and decisions.

In Ashanti villages, male elders led family groups. But women also had important roles. The ôbaa panyin (senior woman) was responsible for women's affairs. She was also a member of the village council.

Leaders of larger areas, called ôhene and Amanhene, also had female partners called ôhemaa. These female rulers sat on their councils. The ôhemaa and ôhene came from the same family line. The Asantehemaa, the female ruler of Kumasi, was part of the Kôtôkô Council. This was the main decision-making group for all Ashanti rulers. Female leaders took part in making laws, judging cases, deciding on war, and sharing land.

Honoring Yaa Asantewaa

Yaa Asantewaa is a beloved figure in the history of the Ashanti and Ghana. She is remembered for standing up to British colonialism. She is honored in songs, like this one:

Koo koo hin koo

Yaa Asantewaa ee!

Obaa basia

Ogyina apremo ano ee!

Waye be egyae

Na Wabo mmode

("Yaa Asantewaa

The woman who fights before cannons

You have accomplished great things

You have done well")

To encourage more female leaders in Ghana, the Yaa Asantewaa Girls' Secondary School was opened in Kumasi in 1960.

In 2000, Ghana held a week-long celebration to mark 100 years since her rebellion. A museum was opened in her honor in Kwaso on August 3, 2000. Sadly, a fire in 2004 destroyed many historical items, including her sandals and battle dress. The current Queen-mother of Ejisu is Yaa Asantewaa II. Another festival for Yaa Asantewaa was held in Ejisu in August 2006.

The Yaa Asantewaa Centre in Maida Vale, west London, is an African–Caribbean arts and community center. It was named after her in 1986.

A TV documentary called Yaa Asantewaa – The Exile of King Prempeh and the Heroism of An African Queen was shown in Ghana in 2001. A stage play, Yaa Asantewaa: Warrior Queen, toured the UK and Ghana in 2001–02. A radio play about her was also broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2003.

Images for kids

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  Yaa Asantewaa statue outside the fire-gutted museum

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  The burnt facade of the Yaa Asantewaa Museum

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  Recent calls to build a new Yaa Asantewaa Museum

See also

In Spanish: Yaa Asantewaa para niños