Queen Mother Yaa Asantewaa: The Gatekeeper of the Golden Stool

Queen Mother Yaa Asantewaa
1840- 1921
Photo source: CreativeDevs https://linktr.ee/CreativeDevs

The Golden Stool is considered a sacred item of the Ashanti Empire. It is a throne representing the ruling power of the Ashanti Tribe; without the throne, one is not considered a true ruler. It is treated with much care and regard. This throne doesn’t touch the floor directly, nor can the ruling individual sit on it directly.

The demand of Sir Frederick Mitchell Hodgson to acquired the Golden Stool and sit on it as proof of his sovereignty, provoked a fifth Anglo-African War in 1900. This was a scared item to the Ashanti people, the demand was an insult.

However, some people saw this as an opportunity to gain back the previously exiled monarch, the King of Asante Prempeh I. Queen Mother Yaa did not take the insult lightly. He response was resistance and to encourage her community to take up arms against the British empire instead of yielding to the demand for the Golden Stool.

During their community meeting she question “how can a proud and brave people like the Ashanti sit back and look while white men take away their king and chiefs, and humiliate them with demand for the Golden Stool? The Golden Stool only means money to the white man; they have searched and dug everywhere for it. I shall not pay one predwan to the Governor. If you, the chiefs of Ashanti, are going to behave like cowards and not fight, you should exchange your loincloths for my undergarments.”

That evening she was appointed leader and commander-in-chief. Prior to the war of the Golden Stool, these were roles only held by men.

During the war, Queen Mother Yaa Asantewaa showed phenomenal battle strategies. One method she used was seiging British strong holds. This helped them block off food and military supplies. She also used psychological warfare by use of ‘talking drums’. It is said that the sound of the drums brought fear to their enemy.

These strategies help the Ashanti regain control of previously conquered areas. They were winning the war until the British obtained help from Hausa and Sikh armies, as well as Ashanti chiefs who revealed Ashanti military strategies.

Much of Queen Mother Yaa’s family were eventually captured by the British. The British would offer rewards to anyone with information that would help their agenda. This eventually caused Queen Mother Yaa to surrender.

She was exiled to Seychelles, and died there in 1921.

This is a woman of resistance, bravery, and honor. Queen Mother Yaa Asantewaa, we honor you.

Receipts aka Sources:

https://youtu.be/3JQEL2_YFy0

https://www.blackpast.org/global -african-history/yaa-asantewaa-mid -1800s-1921

https://dangerouswomenproject.org /2016/07/22/yaa-asantewaa/