History Of Some African Kings Who Were Exiled For Their Bravery And Fighting European Colonialists
October 11, 2020 1309
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By the 19th
century, after the Berlin conference, there was great European hunger for the
resources and lands of Africa. The Slave trade was no more profitable for the
Europeans and Americans, and they had to focus on other resources that would enrich
their countries and thrones.
Between 1820 and
1911 in the 19th and 20th century respectively, the Europeans waged a full-blown
war on African kingdoms, kings, and people.
But among the
European countries that took the resolutions of the Berlin conference, the
British sent more armies into Africa, and fought more wars, in a bid to rule
over Africa's ancient kingdoms.
As the British
embarked and continued on their conquest of Africa, some weaker kingdoms
surrendered, while other stronger African kingdoms gave them a fight to the
finish. These kings were courageous and resisted the British for as long as
they could. After long fighting, the British exiled many of these kings and
leaders into Seychelles, where they were left to live out their days.
Below are some
of these brave and noble African kings who were exiled by the uninvited
British, for not allowing their kingdoms to be colonized.
1. King Nana Prempeh I – Asantehene of the Ashanti Kingdom of Ghana
The Ashanti
Kingdom was one of the strongest kingdoms in Africa. King Prempeh I was the
13th ruler, and was 16 years old when he took over the throne in 1888. Till
today, he is remembered as one of the strong-willed and fiercest rulers in the
history of the Ashanti Empire. He is also the very last king of the Ashanti
kingdom before it came under British rule.
By the 19th
century, the British Empire had laid claim to Ghana and named it Gold Coast
Colony. Led by their king, Nana Prempeh 1, the Ashanti fought the British
fiercely to protect their ancient Kingdom. The British and the Ashanti had
trading relations. The king was willing to maintain it but refused to be ruled
by the British.
He was labeled a
notorious leader, because of his campaign against the British - because of his
resolve to defend his people. Most, unfortunately, King Prempeh I and his
Ashanti army was defeated by the British in the fourth Anglo-Ashanti war that
was fought from 1894 to 1896.
After his
defeat, the British in their usual manner looted the Ashanti Kingdom of its
treasures. King Nana Prempeh I was captured together with his mother and other
relatives and chiefs. They were then forcefully taken out of the Ashanti
kingdom to live in exile in Seychelles.
Other leaders of various Ghanaian nationalities, such as Yaa Asantewaa joined him in exile in 1901. King Nana
Prempeh, in 1924 was allowed to return to Ghana, where he reigned as king until
he died in 1931.
2. King Chwa II – Kabelega of Bunyoro Kingdom, of Uganda
Chwa II Kabalega
was the ruler of the Bunyoro kingdom from 1879 to 1899. He was a visionary and
strong ruler. He was very interested in economic and infrastructural development,
and this led him to create policies that brought wealth to his kingdom. Just
like other kings around Africa, he resisted vehemently the attempt of the
British to overthrow him and take over the Bunyoro kingdom.
The British
declared war on the Bunyoro kingdom in 1894, for their refusal to be annexed by
the land and resources-grabbing British. King Kabalega Chwa II went into
hiding, to enable him and his army to plan multiple attacks on the British. Their
offensives at the British were known as the Nyangire rebellion. The king
successfully defeated the British for 5years, with the help of Somalia and
Nubia.
The British
discovered King Kaalega's base in 1899, and shot him. After that, he was
captured and exiled to Seychelles, where he lived for 24years. In 1923, he was
granted freedom to return to the Bunyoro kingdom, but most, unfortunately, he
died before reaching the border of his kingdom.
3. Danieri Basammula-Ekkere Mwanga II Mukasa – King of Buganda, Uganda
Mwanga II Mukasa
was king of the Buganda Kingdom, in Uganda. He was the 31st king of the not
very large but strong Kingdom and reigned as king from 1884 until 1897. He became
king at the age of 16 in 1884 shortly after the untimely death of his father,
the King. And he was an ally of King Chwa II Kabelega of Bunyoro Kingdom.
He was opposed
to the infiltration of Christian missionaries and British rule. So, he teamed
up with his friend and ally Chwa II Kabalega of Bunyoro, in resisting the
British. After considerable resistance from his people, his kingdom was weakened.
Due to lack of resistance, he was forced to sign a treaty with Lord Lugard which
gave the British control over trade, administration, justice, and revenue in The Buganda Kingdom.
But that was not
the end of his resistance. Because of their hold on trade, commerce and
administration, the British gained full control in 1893. After that, Mwanga II
declared war on the British empire in 1897 to take back control of his empire.
He was defeated after years of battle and fled to German East Africa. From
there he planned and carried out several attacks on the British.
He attacked
first in 1897, and was defeated. He fled and returned to Buganda in 1898 with
an army, but was defeated again, and finally captured in 1899, by the
plundering-British.
He was taken on
exile to Seychelles and died in 1903 due to a brief illness. His body was
repatriated in 1910 and was buried in Uganda.
4. Sheikh Khalid bin Barghash Al-Busaid of Zanzibar, of Tanzania
He was the 6th
ruler of Zanzibar and he was known as 'Sultan'. Like many African kings in his
time, he was very powerful and influential. He was respected and feared.
In the late 19th
century, the British had already settled in the beautiful Island of Zanzibar. They
started to exert full control of the Island while refusing to acknowledge the
kingdom and its ruler. By 1866, the British empire created and put forward a
treaty that demanded the Sultan to rule Zanzibar with the permission of the
British. Just like any African king or nobleman, Sheik Khalid was greatly
insulted by the proposals of the British and this led to the Anglo-Zanzibar War
of 1886.
The war was
fierce, and when the British were invading his palace, the sultan escaped into a
German East African territory, where he was given asylum. But in 1916, he was
captured by the British, and taken to Seychelles, where he lived for 7 years in
exile. He was released later but was never allowed to return to Zanzibar. He
lived out the rest of his life and died in Mombasa, Kenya in 1927.
Conclusion
This list is
actually small compared to the number of kingdoms in Africa that were sacked
and looted by the British. To date, the British still have in its possession,
gold, treasures,and ancient Artifacts belonging to African empires and kingdoms
that were handed down over centuries.
In the nearest
future we will post more of these looted kingdoms and how their kings were
ousted.