Kumasi was the political center of Asante and the seat of the Asantehene. The city experienced civil war, British military occupation and the political subordination of the Asante kingdom. It was also the departure point for Prempeh’s diplomatic mission to England in 1894 and the site entered by British forces in January 1896.
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The Story
Kumasi served as the core of the Asante Empire and the residence of the Asantehene. The city’s political authority weakened during the conflicts that followed the 1874 war, particularly in the civil war between Kumasi and Dwaben. The defeat of Kumasi contributed to the migration of its people into the British Protectorate and Colony of the Gold Coast.
After Prempeh became Asantehene in 1888, Kumasi again became the center of an effort to reunite the Asante Union. Prempeh’s diplomatic strategy also radiated from the city: a mission of more than three hundred retainers left Kumasi in November 1894 for Cape Coast and then England. The mission sought to present matters affecting the welfare of the Asante kingdom to the Queen of England.
British forces under Sir Francis Scott entered Kumasi in January 1896. They encountered no military resistance because Prempeh and his advisers had chosen acceptance of British protection. The occupation was followed by the arrest and deportation of the Asantehene and other members of the ruling and military elite.
Kumasi was the political center of Asante and the seat of the Asantehene. The city experienced civil war, British military occupation and the political subordination of the Asante kingdom. It was also the departure point for Prempeh’s diplomatic mission to England in 1894 and the site entered by British forces in January 1896.
Continue exploring
The Story
Kumasi served as the core of the Asante Empire and the residence of the Asantehene. The city’s political authority weakened during the conflicts that followed the 1874 war, particularly in the civil war between Kumasi and Dwaben. The defeat of Kumasi contributed to the migration of its people into the British Protectorate and Colony of the Gold Coast.
After Prempeh became Asantehene in 1888, Kumasi again became the center of an effort to reunite the Asante Union. Prempeh’s diplomatic strategy also radiated from the city: a mission of more than three hundred retainers left Kumasi in November 1894 for Cape Coast and then England. The mission sought to present matters affecting the welfare of the Asante kingdom to the Queen of England.
British forces under Sir Francis Scott entered Kumasi in January 1896. They encountered no military resistance because Prempeh and his advisers had chosen acceptance of British protection. The occupation was followed by the arrest and deportation of the Asantehene and other members of the ruling and military elite.
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