Yaa Akyaa

Yaa Akyaa (1840–1917) was a queen mother of the Ashanti Empire during the nineteenth century.

Yaa Akyaa was the daughter of Asantehemaa Afua Kobi, and herself became Asantehemaa″ after ousting her brother Mensa Bonsu in 1884, in which year she exiled both him and their mother; her son Kwaku Dua II became king, but died after 44 days in office, after which she engineered the accession of her son Prempeh I to the Golden Stool. As he was only 15, she was able to wield a great deal of influence over him while remaining in power herself. She was severely anti-British, and would stop at nothing to neutralize or eliminate enemies, though she was otherwise intelligent in matters concerning royal politics. In 1896 the British succeeded in subjugating the Ashanti and exiled her to the Seychelles, along with her son and other chiefs; there she remained until her death. She remains a controversial figure in Ghana due to her habit of using violence against her opponents.[1]

References

  1. ↑ Kathleen E. Sheldon (2005). Historical Dictionary of Women in Sub-Saharan Africa. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 978-0-8108-5331-7.
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