Page 36 - Q1 2021

FEATURE

known of Queen Amina is based the night with him, then killing him the encounter suggest that she
on information related in the Kano in the morning so he could tell no bore the king a son, who would
Chronicles. Other details are stories. become the first Ethiopian king in
pulled from the oral traditions of the Solomonic dynasty - Menelik.
Nigeria. As a result, the memory Ruthless perhaps, or maybe
of Queen Amina has assumed ‘Over-protective’, Queen Amina Suffice to say that almost
legendary proportions in her undoubtedly managed to 3,000 years later, Queen
native Hausaland and beyond. forge and imprint a legacy that Sheba continues to influence
contradicts all stereotypes of us. Like Cleopatra, Hollywood
Her family was wealthy as a result women’s leadership in patriarchal immortalised her by making a film
of trading in imported metals, African societies, where the on her life. The film titled Solomon
clothes, cola, salt and horses. inequality that women face and Sheba, a romantic drama saw
When her father died in 1566, affects virtually all aspects of the light of the day in 1959.
the crown was conferred upon society.
Amina’s younger brother, Karama. Yaa Asantewa
Although her father’s reign was Queen of Sheba “If you, the men of Ashanti will
characterised by peace and Most people will have not go forward, then we will. We
prosperity, Amina nonetheless encountered the phrase “who the women will. I shall call upon
chose to spend her time honing does she think she is - the Queen you my fellow women. We will
her military skills with the warriors of Sheba ?” at some point – but fight the white men. We will fight
of the Zazzau cavalry. This was there ever a real Queen of until the last of us falls in the
led to her eventually emerging Sheba ? And what did she do that battlefield.”
as a leader of the Zazzau was so noteworthy it coined a
cavalry, during which time she phrase? This great quote from Queen
accumulated great wealth and Yaa Asantewa was given to
numerous military accolades. Queen of Sheba is a mysterious encourage the Ashantis to rise
character of ancient history. The against opposition and fight the
It is recorded, that she died during stories available in the public colonialists.
a military campaign at Atagara domain regarding her existence
near Bida in Nigeria. Her exploits are unclear. The Hebrew Bible Yaa Asantewaa was an influential
earned her the moniker ‘Amina, and the Muslim Koran say that Ashanti queen. She is generally
daughter of Nikatau, a woman as she was a queen of an ancient believed to be born between
capable as a man.’ Her legendary kingdom called Sheba. Though the 1840s and 1860s in the
escapades made her the model there is no evidence of such a Ashanti region of modern-day
for the television series Xena: kingdom, historians believed that Ghana. In 1896, the Ashanti
Warrior Princess. Today, her the kingdom of Sheba was either people began to rebel against the
memory represents the spirit and located in the southern Arabian British presence in their lands and
strength of womanhood. Peninsula or in the Horn of Africa. the British attempt to construct
the “Gold Coast” colony. Her
While she never married It is believed that in a massive leadership and passion led to
-- perhaps imitating Queen desire to quench her thirst for her role as Commander-in-Chief
Elizabeth I of England -- and had knowledge, this legendary of the Ashanti army. In fact, the
no children, legends tell of her queen supposedly paid a visit Anglo-Ashanti wars’ fifth and final
taking, after a battle, a man from to Israel’s wise King Solomon in war against the British became
among the enemy, and spending Jerusalem. Written accounts of known as the Yaa Asantewaa War

36 | The Lion King | Jan - Mar 2021