What is the Golden Stool and why is it important?
The most important and sacred Asante stool is the Golden Stool. It represents the authority of the Asantehene (king), enshrines the soul of the nation, and symbolizes the kingdom’s unity. Made of solid gold, the Golden Stool never touches the ground; it is carried in processionals and has its own throne.
What did the Golden Stool symbolize?
The Golden Stool is a sacred symbol of the Ashanti nation believed to possess the sunsum (soul) of the Ashanti people. Drawing upon the Akan tradition of a stool indicating clan leadership, the Golden Stool became the symbol of the united Asante people and legitimized the rule of its possessor.
Is the Golden Stool real?
The Golden Stool is a curved seat 46 cm high with a platform 61 cm wide and 30 cm deep. Its entire surface is inlaid with gold, and hung with bells to warn the king of impending danger. It has not been seen by many and only the king, queen, true prince Ofosu Sefa Boakye, and trusted advisers know the hiding place.
What was the outcome of the War of the Golden Stool?
The final outcome was the annexation of Ashanti by the British so that it became part of His Majesty’s dominions and a British Crown Colony with its administration undertaken by a Chief Commissioner under the authority of the Governor of the Gold Coast. Ashanti was classed as a colony by conquest.
Why did British want the Golden Stool?
*On this date in 1900, Britain asked Ghana for the Golden Stool. This was an attempt to get colonial control by possessing the Ark of the Covenant of the Ashanti people. With the close of the slave trade the Ashanti found themselves at a disadvantage with no other form of export.
Why did the British burn the capital Kumasi?
The British lost or negotiated truces in several of these wars, with the final war resulting in British burning of Kumasi and official occupation of the Ashanti Empire in 1900. The wars were mainly due to Ashanti attempts to establish a stronghold over the coastal areas of present-day Ghana.
Who hid the Golden Stool?
Hidden by the Ashanti, it was discovered by a group of African railroad builders in 1920. They stripped it of its gold ornaments and were tried by the Ashanti and sentenced to death. British colonial authorities intervened, however, and they were exiled from the Gold Coast Colony.
In what country do most Ashanti live?
Ghana
Today, most Ashanti live in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. They are primarily farmers, growing cocoa for export and yams, plantains, and other produce for local consumption.
What is the legend of the Golden Stool?
In the mythology of the Ashanti people, the Sunsum is one’s Spirit. The Golden Stool is the subject of a legend that tells how the king of the Ashanti was chosen by the tribe’s supreme god, Nyame, whose name means “he who knows and sees everything” and “omniscient, omnipotent sky god.”
How tall and wide is the Golden Stool?
The Stool, made of gold, stands 18 inches high, 24 inches long, and 12 inches wide. It was never allowed to touch the ground and was considered so sacred that no one was allowed to sit on it.
Where does the king place the Golden Stool?
During solemn occasions, the Golden Stool is placed on the king’s left on a throne of its own, the hwedom dwa ( Ashanti, throne facing the crowd ). Many wars have broken out over the ownership of the royal throne. In 1896, Asantehene Prempeh I was deported rather than risk losing both the war and the throne.
When did the Golden Stool War take place?
When a new king is about to be inaugurated, he will be lifted and lowered above the stool, but his body will not come in contact with it. The Golden stool war, also referred to as the Ashanti uprising or Yaa Asantewa War, was a gruesome battle that took place in 1900 between March and September.