Wikipedia

Yaa Asantewaa

Ashanti queen mother den military leader

Yaa Asantewaa I (dem born am 17 October 1840 – she die 17 October 1921). Na she be Queen Mother for Ejisu wey dey de Ashanti Empire – dat be part of de Ghana wey dey today.

Yaa Asantewaa
human
Ein sex anaa genderfemale Edit
Country wey e be citizenGold Coast Colony Edit
AllegianceAshanti Empire, Ghana Edit
Name wey dem give amYaa Edit
Family nameAsantewaa Edit
Noble titlequeen mother Edit
Ein date of birth1832, 1840 Edit
Place dem born amBesease Edit
Date wey edie17 October 1921 Edit
Place wey edieSeychelles Edit
Languages edey speak, rep anaa signTwi Edit
Ein occupationruler, military leader, resistance fighter Edit
Position eholdqueen mother, Queen mothers in Africa Edit
ConflictYaa Asantewaa War, Anglo-Ashanti Wars Edit

Ebi ein bro Nana Akwasi Afrane Opese (na he be the king of Edwesu), wey appoint am. Ebe ein wey she lead de Ashanti war wey dem dey call am War of the Golden Stool, alias Yaa Asantewaa War of Independence against de British Empire, for 1900 insyd.[1]

Ein life matter

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Dem born Yaa Asantewaa for 1840 insyd for Besease, na she be de daughter of Kwaku Ampoma den Ata Po. Ein bro, wey dem dey bell am Afrane Panin, cam turn chief for Edweso, sam community wey dey around. After ein kiddie tym wey na issue no dey, na she dey farm for sam land wey dey around Boankra. She marry sam man wey dey cam from Kumasi, wey he get chaw wives wey ein den am get kiddie(daughter).[2]

Na she dey exile wey she die for Seychelles insyd 1921. Na de farming job dey go on for am waa, wey she sanso be gud mother. Na she get head, she be politician, she dey fight give people demma rights, she be queen den leader for war. Na people know Yaa Asantewaa secof na she dey command de Ashanti kings wey dey fight against de British people wey wan colonize dem for de Golden Stool war insyd, so say, dem go fyt and protect de Golden Stool.[3]

Tym before rebellion happen

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During ein bro ein reign, Yaa Asantewaa see say de Ashanti Confederacy go thru series of events wey threaten ein future, wey dey include civil war from 1883 cam 1888.[4] Insyd 1894 wen ein bro die, Yaa Asantewaa use ein right as Queen Mother take nominate ein grandson[5] as Ejisuhene. De tym wey de British people sack am(ein grandson) from ein own country as punishment, plus de King of Asante Prempeh I den oda members wey dey de Asante government insyd, Yaa Asantewaa cam be de person wey take up authority for de Ejisu-Juaben area. After dem sack Prempeh I go Seychelles, de British general, Frederick Hodgson, wey be governor for de Gold Coast, say dem for bring de Golden Stool, wey be de symbol of de Asante people.[2] De tin wey he biz, make de members of de Asante government wey lef, start dey talk about how dem go get demma King back. De rest of de members wey remain, no dey gree on de way, dem go try get dema King back; Yaa Asantewaa, wey dey de meeting insyd, tinop den talk to de members of de council say:

How cam people wey be proud den get heart lyk de Asante, go tap den watch as de whitemen take demma kings den chiefs, sanso disgrace dem, dey demand for demma Golden Stool. De Golden Stool only be money give de whitemen; de whitemen search den dig everywer for am. Me ano go bia one predwan give de governor. If ebi you menners, de chiefs wey dey Asante, wey go behave like cowards, wey you no go fyt, you menners for give me your loincloths, wey ago exchange am, give you my underwear(Montu mo danta mma me na monnye me tam).[6]

To show say she mean de war, she take gun, shoot for de men demma front.[6]

De Asante kings select Yaa Asantewaa say, she be de war-leader for de Asante fighting force. Dis be de first den only example wey dem give woman dat role for de Asante people demma history insyd.[7] De war wey dem dey bell am, The Ashanti-British War of the Golden Stool - wey dem sanso dey bell am, de “Yaa Asantewaa War”[8] - na ebi Queen Mother Nana Yaa Asantewaa wey dey front plus army of 5000.[9]

De tins wey happen afta de rebellion

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Insyd March 1900, de rebellion make de British people surround de fort wey dey Kumasi. De fort still dey wey dem dey bell am de Kumasi Fort den Military Museum. As de months dey go, de governor for de Gold Coast send force of 1,400 people, say make dem go quench de rebellion. As de fyt dey go on, dem catch Queen Yaa Asantewaa den fifteen of ein close advisers, wey dem ban dem go Seychelles.[10] De rebellion be de final war wey happen for de Anglo-Asante series of wars wey happen for de 19th century insyd. For 1 January 1902, de British take de Asante Empire demma territory, wey dem dey control for almost a century, take add demma own, wey de Asante come change to state wey be controlled den protected by de British crown.[11]

Insyd 17 October 1921, Nana Yaa Asantewaa die, de tym she dey exile for Seychelles. Three years after she die, for 17 December 1924 insyd, dem allow make King Prempeh I, den oda Asante members wey dey exile, return to Asante. Na King Prempeh I make sure say, de remains of Nana Asantewaa den de other Asante people wey dem sack den ban, go be returned, so say dem go do proper burial wey dem dey do give royals, give dem.[12] Queen Asantewaa’s ein dream be say, de Asante go be independent from de British demma colonial rule, cam to pass on 6 March 1957, dat be de tym wen de Asante territory wey de British people capture cam gain independence, cam join Ghana. Na Ghana be de first African nation for West Africa wey achieve dis.[13]

Roles wey Asante women dey play for society insyd

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Na Nana Yaa Asantewaa dey bab de results of de British Colonial rule waa. Now nu, Ghana people dey see am as queen mother wey she use ein political den social fame help fyt give ein people. De role wey she play, take influence de Ashanti men, so say dem go battle de British check lyk, dat dat be ein function for de Ashanti people demma system, wey women dey hold roles.[14] Na Nana Yaa Asantewaa ein call to women wey dey insyd de Asante Empire be based on de political tins wey dem for do den demma roles for legislative den judicial processes. Na de women be companion for de men wey inherit de stool for de Akan people. Insyd de village, na dem dey select old people wey be leaders for demma mother side as ôdekuro. Na dem dey bell de women mpanyinfo, dem sanso dey bell dem aberewa or ôbaa panyin, wey ebi dem wey dey handle women demma matter. Na every ôdekuro get ôbaa panyin wey dey handle de women matter for de village wey e sanso be member of de village council.[15]

Na de leader of a division, de ôhene den de leaders of de independent political community, de Amanhene , get demma women wey dem dey bell dem ôhemaa: woman wey she dey rule den sit for demma council. De ôhemaa den ôhene dey share de same blood for demma mummie ein side. Na de person wey dey sit for de female stool top for Kumasi, den de Asantehemaa,, den united Asante, be member of de Kôtôkô Council, de Executive Committee or Cabinet of de Asanteman Nhyiamu , General Assembly of Asante rulers secof na ein husby be former official give de Asantehene. Na women wey tap for de stool top be part of court processes, den making de unmaking of war, den de distribution of land.[16]

Place for history insyd den ein cultural legacy

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Rydee, Yaa Asantewaa still be person wey menners dey love for de Asante demma history den de history for Ghana secof de role wey she play wen de British dey colonize Ghana.

Dem make am immortal for dis song insyd:

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")[17]

So sey dem go highlight de importance for more leaders wey be women for de Ghanaian society insyd, de Ghana Education Trust send funds wey dem establish Yaa Asantewaa Girls' Secondary School for Kumasi in 1960 insyd.[18]

For de year 2000 insyd, dem celebrate Yaa Asantewaa ein accomplishments for one week after 100 years since de tym she die. Dem dedicate museum give am for Kwaso wey dey de Ejisu-Juaben District on 3 August 2000. Unfortunately, for 23 July 2004 insyd; fire catch some of ein tins, plus ein sandals den dress wey she take go battle (dem dey call am batakarikese) wey be displayed for de picture wey dey de top der.[19] Now nu, de Queen-mother wey dey Ejisu be Yaa Asantewaa de second. Dem sanso organize de second Yaa Asantewaa festival in 1-5 August 2006 for Ejisu.[20]

De Yaa Asantewaa center wey dey Maida Vale, west London, be African-Caribbean arts den community center.[21] E get ein name for 1986 insyd.[22]

Ivor Agyeman-Duah do television documentary, wey dem bell am Yaa Asantewaa — The Exile of King Prempeh and the Heroism of An African Queen, wey premier for Ghana insyd 2001.[23]

Margaret Busby wrep de stage show, wey dem dey call am, Yaa Asantewaa: Warrior Queen, Geraldine Connor direct am, wey Margaret  feature master drummer Kofi Ghanaba[24][25] den cast wey be pan-African, wey dem tour UK den Ghana for 2001-2002 insyd.[26][27] De same author do radio drama wey dem do am into 5 episodes(13-17 October 2003), wey dem play am for BBC Radio Four's Woman's Hour, de cast plus Glenna Forster-Jones and Jack Klaff, wey Pam Fraser Solomon direct am, wey Nana Tsiboe, Kofi-Adu, Jojo Yates, Asebre Quaye and Atongo Zimba do de music.[28][29][30]

De album wey British jazz troupe Sons of Kemet do, wey dem call am Your Queen is a Reptile, name de songs after black women wey be influential for history insyd. Dem use Asantewaa ein name for de seventh track, wey dem call am, “My Queen is Yaa Asantewaa”.

Festival

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If you dey want more details, chek Yaa Asantewaa Festival

Read further

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  • Ivor Agyeman-Duah, Yaa Asantewaa: The Heroism of an African Queen, Accra, Ghana: Centre for Intellectual Renewal, 1999.
  • Nana Arhin Brempong (Kwame Arhin), "The Role of Nana Yaa Asantewaa in the 1900 Asante War of Resistance", Ghana Studies 3, 2000, pp. 97–110.

References

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  1. ↑ Appiah, Kwame Anthony, and Henry Louis Gates, Jr. (eds), Africana: The Encyclopedia of the African and African American Experience, 1999, p. 276.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 http://dangerouswomenproject.org/2016/07/22/yaa-asantewaa/
  3. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20220411021631/http://nanayaaasantewaa.de/who-is-nana-yaa-asantewaa/ nanayaaasantewaa.de. Retrieved 11 January 2020.
  4. ↑ "Igboho and allegory of Asantehene golden stool". TheCable. 24 July 2021. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  5. ↑ https://dangerouswomenproject.org/2016/07/22/yaa-asantewaa/ Dangerous Women Project. 22 July 2016. Retrieved 11 January 2020.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Aidoo, Agnes Akosua (1977). "Asante Queen Mothers in Government and Politics in the Nineteenth Century". Journal of the Historical Society of Nigeria. 9 (1): 12. JSTOR 41857049.
  7. ↑ Brempong, Arhin (2000). "The role of Nana Yaa Asantewaa in the 1900 Asante War of Resistance" PDF. Le Griot. VIII – via ucalgary.ca.
  8. ↑ Boyd, Herb (5 April 2018). "Queen-mother Yaa Asantewaa led the fight against British colonialism" New York Amsterdam News
  9. ↑ "Queen Mother Nana Yaa Asantewaa of West Africa's Ashanti Empire". blackhistoryheroes.com. Retrieved 24 May 2018.
  10. ↑ Berry, L. V., Ghana: a Country Study.
  11. ↑ Boahen, A. Adu (2003). Queen Yaa Asantewaa and the Asante-British War of 1900-1 James Currey Publishers. ISBN 978-0-85255-443-2
  12. ↑ Boahen, A. Adu (2003). The History of Ashanti Kings and the Whole Country Itself and Other Writings . British Academy. pp. 25–. ISBN 978-0-19-726261-0
  13. ↑ Bourret, F. M. (1960). Ghana, the Road to Independence, 1919-1957 Stanford University Press. pp. 2–. ISBN 978-0-8047-0400-7 .
  14. ↑ Karen, McGee (2015). "The Impact of Matriarchal Traditions on the Advancement of Ashanti Women in Ghana"
  15. ↑ Arhin, Kwame (2001). Transformations in Traditional Rule in Ghana: 1951-1996 . Sedco. ISBN 978-9964-72-173-2
  16. ↑ Arhin, Kwame, "The Political and Military Roles of Akan Women", in Christine Oppong (ed.), Female and Male in West Africa, London: Allen and Unwin, 1983.
  17. ↑ "Yaa Asantewaa", in The Oxford Encyclopedia of Women in World History, 2008, quoting Arhin, p. 97.
  18. ↑ "Yaa Asantewaa Senior High School". Eveyo. Retrieved 20 February 2017.
  19. ↑ "Fire guts Yaa Asantewaa Museum", GhanaWeb, 25 July 2004.
  20. ↑ Public Agenda (16 January 2006).
  21. ↑ Carnival Village website.
  22. ↑ Dixon, Carol, "Spotlight: April - May 2002 Yaa Asantewaa Arts and Community Centre" Archived 8 January 2014 at the Wayback Machine, Casbah Project.
  23. ↑ Dadson, Pajohn, "Ghana: Yaa Asantewaa Has Landed", AllAfrica, 18 May 2001.
  24. ↑ Wilmer, Val, "Kofi Ghanaba obituary", The Guardian, 7 February 2009.
  25. ↑ Boateng, Osei, "Yaa Asantewaa on stage: The Exploits of Yaa Asantewaa, the Warrior Queen of the Asantes in Ghana...", New African, 1 April 2001. The Free Library.
  26. ↑ Busby, Margaret, "Obituary of Geraldine Connor", The Guardian, 31 October 2011.
  27. ↑ Duodu, Cameron, "Yaa Asantewaa—Warrior Queen", New African, 1 June 2001. The Free Library.
  28. ↑ "Black History Month: Yaa Asantewaa | BBC Radio 4". Radio Times | Programme Index. 11 October 2003.
  29. ↑ BBC Radio 4 Promotion Note, Title: YAA ASANTEWAA by Margaret Busby.
  30. ↑ "Briefing: Yaa Asantewaa", The Herald, 13 October 2003.
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