Echoes of the Ashanti Empire Part 2

By Dennis Mensah

The author in Chapter 5 covers the reasons put forward by prominent Ghanaian Historian, Professor Albert Adu Boahen regarding the reasons that led to the decline and fall of the Ashanti Empire. In Chapter 6, the author puts forward two external political and economic factors that led to the fall of the Ashanti Empire. The author also puts forward two internal factors that led to the fall of the Ashanti Empire. These reasons put forward by the author have not been covered by Professor Albert Adu Boahen or other prominent historians on the Ashanti Empire. Chapter 7 examines the true events and not the myths of the ‘Yaa Asantewaa War’ (the ‘War of the Golden Stool’). This chapter reveals how a provocative public speech by the British Governor of the Gold Coast demanding that he should be handed the sacred ‘Golden Stool’ led to Nana Yaa Asantewaa (‘’Queen Mother’’ of Ejisu), declaring war against the British colonialists and leading an Ashanti Army into war. The author examines the covert action taken by the British Colonial Administration to search and find the sacred ‘Golden Stool’. The actual role that Nana Yaa Asantewaa played in leading the Resistance Movement against colonial rule is examined, the eventual defeat of the Ashanti National Army, the key events leading up to the capture of Nana Yaa Asantewaa and her exile (with other Resistance Movement Leaders and Chiefs) to the Seychelles Islands as a political prisoner. The author in Chapter 8 covers the exile years of King Agyeman Prempeh (1) from the period of 1896 to 1900 in the Gold Coast Colony and Sierra Leone. Chapter 8 also covers the exile years of 1900 to 1924, that King Prempeh (1) spent living on the Seychelles Islands as a political prisoner. The author also highlights the fact that the British Government had previously exiled two other African Monarchs to the Seychelles Islands prior to the arrival of King Agyeman Prempeh in 1900. Chapter 8 covers all of the key events that occurred on the Seychelles Islands during the exile years of the Ashanti King.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dennis Mensah
• Release date: Mar 3, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301247028

Dennis Mensah

I was born in the Summer period of 1965 in the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Hospital which was famous for being the only all female staffed Hospital in the United Kingdom. I was born in Belsize Park, North West London. However, I spent my entire childhood and early adult life growing up in South West London. I attended primary and secondary schools in Balham. I first developed a passion for writing at the age of 11 years old when I entered into a writing competition that was organized by the ‘News of the World Newspaper’. This Sunday Newspaper was the largest selling tabloid at the time and was read by millions of people. I won a cash prize and a reporter visited me at home to take my picture and write an article. The attention that this article received was amazing as my parent’s friends and relatives all seemed to have seen the article and wanted to congratulate me. However, at Secondary School it was bit different. The Head Teacher and the teachers were obviously proud of this achievement by one of their pupils but as for my friends (and other pupils) I was to be teased for at least a month. Looking back at those days now I think it was then that I realized that I did have some talent for writing stories and in later years I have linked it to research. I have worked in several different professional fields including Youth Work, Community Development Work with Non Governmental Organizations (Charities), Housing Management, Mental Health, Community Education, Grants Management (Administering a Grants Administration Programme in conjunction with the Department for Skills and Education) and a private company that provides management consultancy services for Non Governmental Organizations including Fundraising. I attended the University of Westminster (1994 to 1999) and obtained a BA Honours Degree in Housing Management and Development and MA Housing Practice (1999 to 2001). Participation at University enabled me to learn and develop useful research skills which I hope to demonstrate in my publications. I have developed a real passion for researching African and European History (and politics) and trying to uncover new details about key known and unknown events that occurred during the period that is being covered. My interest in politics comes from the fact that I am directly related to the late Mr. Krobo Edusei (younger brother of my Grand Mother) who was a key colleague of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. I am immensely proud of the fact that Mr. Krobo Edusei (my Grand Mother’s brother) along with others made a direct contribution to gaining independence for Ghana on the 6th March 1957. Ghana was the first sub-Saharan African country to gain independence and this encouraged others to press for self-rule from the European colonial powers. I am also proud of the fact that my Grand Father and Great Grand Father are descendents of the Ashanti Royal Family. My interests are football, politics, history, current affairs, traveling and music. I am the proud father of two sons and also have a grand daughter.

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The Echoes of The Ashanti Empire (Part 2)

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Echoes of the Ashanti Empire Part 2

Dennis Yeboah-Mensah

Copyright 2013 By Dennis Yeboah-Mensah

Published at Smashwords

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Table of Contents:

Chapter 5: The decline and fall of the Ashanti Empire. The Weak Structure of the Ashanti Empire Itself. The incompetence of some of the Kings of Asante. The Third Anglo-Asante War (1873-1874). The Fourth Anglo-Asante War (December 1895 to February 1896).

Chapter 6: The fall of the Ashanti Empire. The Berlin Conference (1884 to 1885). Joseph Chamberlain, Secretary of State for tThe Succession Crisis (1883 to 1888) and the Asante Civil War (1885 to 1888).

Chapter 7: The Yaa Asantewaa War (the ‘War of the Golden Stool’).

Chapter 8: The exile years of King Agyeman Prempeh (1).

Conclusion.

The Bibliography of Reference Sources.

The Acknowledgements.

Chapter 5: The decline and fall of the Ashanti Empire.

This chapter will examine arguments put forward by the prominent Ghanaian Historian, Professor Albert Adu Boahen, regarding the principal reasons that led to the decline of the Ashanti Empire. By, 1806 to 1830, the Asante Empire had attained the peak of its imperial power and greatness. However, after 1830, the Ashanti Empire, gradually declined and disintegrated.

Professor Albert Adu Boahen, points out,………''By 1874, the empire has its vassal states north of the Volta as well as south of the River Pra and had shrunk into the area of the present day Asante and Bono-Ahafo Regions'' (Boahen, 1975). In the words of Boahen, the fall of this once famous empire between 1824 and 1874, could be attributed to three principal reasons behind the decline and disintegration: The first, was the weak structure of the empire itself. The second was the incompetence of the Kings of Asante during that period and the third, and most decisive, was the defeats that the empire suffered in the wars it fought with the British during that period. Ever since, Asante, though continues to wield significant political and economic might and influence in Ghana its glories, as contemporary historians attempt to suggest, had been discriminatory tendencies towards its traditional cousins, dispersed by history and succession disputes. (Boahen, 1975).

The weak structure of the Ashanti Empire itself: The Asante Kingdom consisted of metropolitan and provincial provinces (regions). The metropolitan provinces were mainly the towns that were within a 50 miles radius around the Capital City of Kumasi, where the Government was based. People from the metropolitan provinces, participated in the nomination process of choosing the next 'Asantehene', and in the decision making process as advisers to the King. The Chiefs of the Towns within the metropolitan provinces were granted autonomy from the Asante Government, to govern and rule their own populations. Populations living within these Regions consisted of the 'Oyoko' clan and they were closely linked together by their common allegiance and loyalty to the 'Golden Stool'. The provincial provinces (vassal states), were located outside of the 50 miles radius and the Asante Government, viewed the people living in these areas as subjects (subordinates) and therefore, they were treated less favourably. People from the provincial provinces did not participate in the nomination process of choosing the next Asantehene or occupy senior positions in the Asante Government. They also did not have direct access to the 'Asantehene'. In order to gain access to the Asantehene, they had to make contact with one of the 'Kumase Divisional Council Chiefs' (or one of the other 'Paramount Chiefs'). They were also forced by the Asante Government, to pay exorbitant tributes to the Asantehene on a yearly basis. People living in the provincial provinces (or ‘vassal states’), were treated like 'second class' citizens by the Asante Government (Central Administration) and therefore, allegiance to the 'Golden Stool' was less meaningful or important to them.

The poor treatment of Akans from other States, for example, Bono (Brong), Akyem (Akim) and Fante contributed to the decline and fall of the Empire. All of these States (and others), harboured ambitions of gaining full independence (from the Ashanti Kingdom) and some had managed to preserve their own customs, laws and security forces. However, fear prevented some of them from taking any action to fight for independence. Also the Asante Army was a powerful 'war machine' and this enabled the Government, to rule with fear. For example, in the early 1790's, the Asante Army crushed revolts by the Akan States of Wassa, Nzema and the Northern Provinces. However, ongoing resentments and grievances highlighted the point that the Ashanti Confederacy (Ashanti Empire) was not firmly unified in political or administrative terms.

Dr. Kofi Abrefa Busia explains that,……the Asante Kingdom lacked political, administrative, economic and judicial cohesion among the divisional states in the Asante Union. Aside from the bonds of clanship and the possession of common social and political institutions, language and religion, the Ashanti Union was, as far as can be ascertained, a loose confederation without any customary administrative machinery'' (Busia, p.87). Dr. Busia, further notes, ''the strength of the Asante Union was largely dependent on the fact it was a group organized for wars'' (Busia, pp.191-192). Ivor Wilks, also points out, In fact, there was little trade or economic bonds linking the States in the Asante Union. By 1875, Otumfuo Nana Mensa Bonsu affirmed this when he said that ''Asante was a nation of warriors'' and not traders (Wilks, 1975, p.686).

After 1830, the survival of the Asante Empire was becoming overly reliant on its established authority and reputation as a powerful military force. This became a problem when the Asante Army, began having to fight wars against a coalition of forces and suffered heavy casualties or minor defeats. Prior to this the Asante Army was viewed by the member States of the Asante Confederacy, as a formidable 'war machine'. However, the minor defeats suffered by the Asante Army began to weaken the structure of the Ashanti Empire and loosen the firm control that the Central Administration had over member States of the Asante Union. If more of an effort had been made to fully integrate the provincial provinces into the Asante Confederacy, the Empire may have survived? However, the imperialist policies that were followed by the Asante Government led to the repression of the less powerful States within the Empire. Similarly, like the majority of oppressive and repressive