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Emperor of Ethiopia
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The '''Emperor''' (
Ge'ez language Ge'ez ንጉሠ�ገሥት, '''{{IPA|nəgusä nägäst}}''', '''"King of Kings"''') '''of Ethiopia''' was the hereditary ruler of
Ethiopia until the abolition of the
monarchy in
1975. The Emperor was not only the
head of state, but the ultimate
executive power executive,
judicial power judicial and
legislative power in that country. As noted in a ''
National Geographic Magazine'' article, Ethiopia is "nominally a
constitutional monarchy; in fact [it is] a benevolent
autocracy."
#References 1
The style "King of Kings", usually translated in English as "Emperor", dates back to ancient
Mesopotamia, but was used in
Axum by king
Sembrouthes (c. 250 AD). However, Yuri Kobishchanov dates this usage to the period following the
Persian Empire Persian victory over the
Roman Empire Romans in
290s 296-297.
#References 2 Its use, from at least the reign of
Yekuno Amlak onward, meant that both subordinate officials and tributary rulers received the title of ''{{IPA|nəgus}}'' or "king". The consort of the Emperor is referred to as the '''{{IPA|ətege}}''', and the Empress
Zauditu used that title in addition to '''{{IPA|nəgəstä nägäst}}''' (queen of kings).
Succession
Succession to the throne at the death of the monarch could be claimed by any male blood relative of the Emperor: sons, brothers, uncles or cousins. Primogeneture was preferred but not always enforced. As a result, two steps were taken: the first, employed on occasion before the 20th century, was to intern all of the Emperor's possible rivals in a secure location, which drastically limited their ability to disrupt the Empire with revolts, or to dispute the succession of an
heir apparent; the second was that, with increasing frequency, Emperors were selected by a council of the senior officials of the realm, both secular and religious.
Ethiopian traditions do not all agree as to exactly when the custom started of imprisoning rivals to the throne on a Mountain of the Princes. One tradition credits this practice to the
Zagwe dynasty Zagwe king
Yemrehana Krestos, who is said to have received the idea in a dream;
#References 3 Taddesse Tamrat discredits this tradition, arguing that the records of the Zagwe dynasty betray too many disputed successions for this to have been the case.
#References 4 Another tradition, recorded by Thomas Pakenham, states that this practice predates the Zagwe dynasty, and was first practiced on
Debre Damo, which was captured by the 10th century queen
Gudit, who then put 200 princes isolated there to death; however, Pakenham also notes that when questioned, the abbot of the monastery on Debre Damo knew of no such tale.
#References 5 Taddesse Tamrat argues that this practice began in the reign of
Wedem Arad, following the struggle for succession that he believes lies behind the series of brief reigns of the
sons of Yagbe'u Seyon.
A constructivist approach states that the tradition was used on occasion, weakened or lapsed sometimes, and was sometimes revived to full effect after some unfortunate disputes - and that the custom started in time immemorial as Ethiopian common inheritance pattern allowed all
agnates to also succeed to the lands of the monarchy - which however is contrary to keeping the country undivided.
These potential rivals were incarcerated at
Amba Geshen until
Ahmed Gragn captured and destroyed that site; then, from the reign of
Fasilides of Ethiopia Fasilides until the mid-18th century, at
Wehni. Rumors of these royal mountain residences were part of the inspiration for
Samuel Johnson's
short story, ''
Rasselas''.
Although the Emperor of Ethiopia possessed unlimited powers over his subjects, his councilors came to play an increasing role in governing Ethiopia because many Emperors were succeeded either by a child, or one of the incarcerated princes, who could only successfully leave their prisons with help from the outside. As a result, by the mid-18th century the power of the Emperor had been largely transferred to his deputies, like Ras
Mikael Sehul of
Tigray, who held the actual power of the Empire and elevated or deposed Emperors at will in their struggle for control of the entire realm.
Ideology
The Emperors of Ethiopia derived their right to rule based on two claims: their descent from the kings of
Axum, and their descent from
Menelik I, the son of
Solomon and Makeda,
Queen of Sheba.
The claim to their relationship to the Kings of Axum derives from Yakuno Amlak's claim that he was the descendant of
Dil Na'od, through his father, although he defeated and killed the last Zagwe king in battle. His claim to the throne was also helped by the fact he married that king's daughter, even though Ethiopians commonly do not acknowledge claims from the distaff side.
The claim of descent from Menelik I is based on the assertion that the kings of Axum were also the descendants of Menelik I. While the surviving records of these kings fail to shed light on their origins, this genealogical claim is first documented in the
10th century by an Arab historian. Interpretations of this claim vary widely. Some (including many inside Ethiopia) accept it as evident and undisputed fact. At the other extreme, others (mostly interested non-Ethiopians) understand this as an expression of
propaganda, attempting to connect the legitimacy of the state to the
Ethiopian Orthodox Church. Some scholars take an approach in the middle, attempting to either find a connection between Axum and the South Arabian kingdom of
Saba, or between Axum and the pre-
Babylonian_Captivity exilic Kingdom of Judah. Due to lack of primary materials, it is not possible
as of 2005 to determine which theory is the more plausible.
History
The restored
Solomonid dynasty, which claimed decent from the old Aksumite rulers, ruled Ethiopia from 13th century until
1974, with only a couple of usurpers. The most significant usurper was Kassa of Kwara, who in
1855 took complete control over
Ethiopia and was crowned
Tewodros II of Ethiopia Tewodros II (he developed a claim to have been descended from Solomonids in distaff side). After his defeat and demise, another non-Solomonid, Dejazmatch Kassai took over as
Yohannes IV - however, his distaff descent from Solomonids was a well-attested fact. Menelik of Shewa, who descended from Solomonic Emperors, in the direct male line (junior only to the Gondar line), ascended the imperial throne following Yohannis IV's death, thus purporting to restore the male-line Solomonid tradition.
The most famous of the post-Theodorean Emperors were
Yohannes IV,
Menelik II and
Haile Selassie. Emperor Menelik II struck a major military victory against Italian invaders in March of
1894 at the
Battle of Adwa, the first major victory of an African nation against a colonial power. After Menelik, all monarchs were of distaff descent from Solomonids. The male line, through the descendants of Menelik's cousin Dejazmatch Taye Gulilat, still exists, but had been pushed aside largely because of Menelik's personal distaste for this branch of his family. Menelik's successors ruled the country until the military coup in
1974, apart from the years
1936 -
1941, when the country was under
fascist Italy Italian occupation and
Victor Emmanuel III of Italy Victor Emmanuel III claimed the title — a claim that was disputed by the international community.
The position of the Emperor and the
Line of succession to the Ethiopian Throne Line of succession were strictly defined in both of the constitutions adopted during the reign of
Haile Selassie: the one adopted on
July 16,
1931; and the revised one of November,
1955.
The last Solomonid monarch to reign over Ethiopia was
Amha Selassie, who was offered the throne by the
Derg after his father Haile Selassie's deposition
September 12,
1974. When Amha Selassie, understandably mistrustful of the Derg, refused to return to Ethiopia to rule, the Derg announced that the monarchy had come to an end March, 1975. The Ethiopian constitution of
1995 confirmed the abolition of the Emperorship. However, in 1993 a group called the "
Crown Council of Ethiopia", which includes several descendants of Haile Selassie, claimed that the ''{{IPA|nəgusä nägäst}}'' was still in existence, and was the legal head of Ethiopia.
References
# Nathaniel T. Kenney, "Ethiopian Adventure", ''National Geographic'', '''127''' (1965), p. 555.
# Yuri M. Kobishchanov, ''Axum'', translated by Lorraine T. Kapitanoff, and edited by Joseph W. Michels (University Park: University of Pennsylvania State Press, 1979), p. 195. ISBN 0271005319.
#
Francisco Alvarez, ''The Prester John of the Indies'', translated by Lord Stanley of Alderley, revised and edited with additional material by C.F. Beckingham and G.W.B. Huntingford, (Cambridge: The
Hakluyt Society, 1961), p. 237ff.
# Taddesse Tamrat, ''Church and State in Ethiopia (1270 - 1527)'' (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1972), p. 275, n. 3. ISBN 0198216718.
#
Thomas Pakenham, ''The Mountains of Rasselas'' (New York: Reynal & Co., 1959), p. 84. ISBN 0297823698.
# Taddesse Tamrat, ''Church and State in Ethiopia'', p. 275n.3, citing
Hiob Ludolf, ''A New History of Ethiopia''.
See also
*
History of Ethiopia
*
Kebra Nagast
*
List of Emperors of Ethiopia
External link
-
Crown Council of Ethiopia
Category:Emperors of Ethiopia *
de:Negus
fr:Négus
nl:Negus
pl:Negus
pt:Negus
ru:Ð?егуÑ?
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