1 gondarine period
1.1 gondar period (1632–1769)
1.1.1 aussa sultanate
1.2 zemene mesafint
gondarine period
gondar third permanent capital (after aksum , lalibela) of christian kingdom founded fasiladas in 1636. important center of commerce kingdom.
early gondar period (1632–1769)
the royal enclosure (fasil ghebbi) of gondar.
the jesuits had accompanied or followed gama expedition ethiopia, , fixed headquarters @ fremona (near adwa), oppressed , neglected, not expelled. in beginning of 17th century father pedro páez arrived @ fremona, man of great tact , judgment, rose high favour @ court, , won on emperor faith. directed erection of churches, palaces , bridges in different parts of country, , carried out many useful works. successor afonso mendes less tactful, , excited feelings of people against him , fellow europeans. upon death of emperor susenyos , accession of son fasilides in 1633, jesuits expelled , native religion restored official status. fasilides made gondar capital , built castle there grow castle complex known fasil ghebbi, or royal enclosure. fasilides constructed several churches in gondar, many bridges across country, , expanded church of our lady mary of zion in aksum.
during time of religious strife ethiopian philosophy flourished, , during period philosophers zera yacob , walda heywat lived. zera yaqob known treatise on religion, morality, , reason, known hatata.
aussa sultanate
state flag of aussa sultanate.
the sultanate of aussa (afar sultanate) succeeded earlier imamate of aussa. latter polity had come existence in 1577, when muhammed jasa moved capital harar aussa split of adal sultanate aussa , harari city-state. @ point after 1672, aussa declined , temporarily came end in conjunction imam umar din bin adam s recorded ascension throne.
the sultanate subsequently re-established kedafu around year 1734, , thereafter ruled mudaito dynasty. primary symbol of sultan silver baton, considered have magical properties.
zemene mesafint
this era was, on 1 hand, religious conflict between settling muslims , traditional christians, between nationalities represented, and, on other hand, between feudal lords on power on central government.
some historians date murder of iyasu i, , resultant decline in prestige of dynasty, beginning of ethiopian zemene mesafint ( era of princes ), time of disorder when power of monarchy eclipsed power of local warlords.
warriors in abyssinia
nobles came abuse positions making emperors, , encroached upon succession of dynasty, candidates among nobility itself: e.g. on death of emperor tewoflos, chief nobles of ethiopia feared cycle of vengeance had characterized reigns of tewoflos , tekle haymanot continue if member of solomonic dynasty picked throne, selected 1 of own, yostos negusa nagast (king of kings) – tenure brief.
iyasu ii ascended throne child. mother, empress mentewab played major role in iyasu s reign, in of grandson iyoas too. mentewab had herself crowned co-ruler, becoming first woman crowned in manner in ethiopian history.
empress mentewab crowned co-ruler upon succession of son (a first woman in ethiopia) in 1730, , held unprecedented power on government during reign. attempt continue in role following death of son 1755 led conflict wubit (welete bersabe), widow, believed turn preside @ court of own son iyoas. conflict between these 2 queens led mentewab summoning kwaran relatives , forces gondar support her. wubit responded summoning own oromo relatives , considerable forces yejju.
the treasure of empire being allegedly penniless on death of iyasu, suffered further ethnic conflict between nationalities had been part of empire hundreds of years—the agaw, amharans, showans, , tigreans—and oromo newcomers. mentewab s attempt strengthen ties between monarchy , oromo arranging marriage of son daughter of oromo chieftain backfired in long run. iyasu ii gave precedence mother , allowed every prerogative crowned co-ruler, while wife wubit suffered in obscurity. wubit waited accession of own son make bid power wielded long mentewab , relatives qwara. when iyoas assumed throne upon father s sudden death, aristocrats of gondar stunned find more readily spoke in oromo language rather in amharic, , tended favor mother s yejju relatives on qwarans of grandmothers family. iyoas further increased favor given oromo when adult. on death of ras of amhara, attempted promote uncle lubo governor of province, outcry led advisor wolde leul convince him change mind.
it believed power struggle between qwarans led empress mentewab, , yejju oromos led emperor s mother wubit erupt armed conflict. ras mikael sehul summoned mediate between 2 camps. arrived , shrewdly maneuvered sideline 2 queens , supporters making bid power himself. mikael settled leader of amharic-tigrean (christian) camp of struggle.
the reign of iyaos reign becomes narrative of struggle between powerful ras mikael sehul , oromo relatives of iyoas. iyoas increasingly favored oromo leaders fasil, relations mikael sehul deteriorated. mikael sehul deposed emperor iyoas (7 may 1769). 1 week later, mikael sehul had him killed; although details of death contradictory, result clear: first time emperor had lost throne in means other own natural death, death in battle, or voluntary abdication.
mikael sehul had compromised power of emperor, , point forward lay ever more openly in hands of great nobles , military commanders. point of time has been regarded 1 start of era of princes.
an aged , infirm imperial uncle prince enthroned emperor yohannes ii. ras mikael had him murdered, , underage tekle haymanot ii elevated throne.
this bitter religious conflict contributed hostility toward foreign christians , europeans, persisted 20th century , factor in ethiopia s isolation until mid-19th century, when first british mission, sent in 1805 conclude alliance ethiopia , obtain port on red sea in case france conquered egypt. success of mission opened ethiopia many more travellers, missionaries , merchants of countries, , stream of europeans continued until tewodros s reign.
this isolation pierced few european travellers. 1 french physician c.j. poncet, went there in 1698, via sennar , blue nile. after him james bruce entered country in 1769, object of discovering sources of nile, convinced lay in ethiopia. accordingly, leaving massawa in september 1769, travelled via axum gondar, received emperor tekle haymanot ii. accompanied king on warlike expedition round lake tana, moving south round eastern shore, crossing blue nile (abay) close point of issue lake , returning via western shore. bruce subsequently returned egypt @ end of 1772 way of upper atbara, through kingdom of sennar, nile, , korosko desert. during 18th century prominent rulers emperor dawit iii of gondar (died may 18, 1721), amha iyasus of shewa, consolidated kingdom , founded ankober, , tekle giyorgis of amhara – last-mentioned famous having been elevated throne altogether 6 times , deposed 6 times. first years of 19th century disturbed fierce campaigns between ras gugsa of begemder, , ras wolde selassie of tigray, fought on control of figurehead emperor egwale seyon. wolde selassie victor, , practically ruled whole country till death in 1816 @ age of eighty.
dejazmach sabagadis of agame succeeded wolde selassie in 1817, through force of arms, become warlord of tigre.
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