NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Tewodros II of Ethiopia

Tewodros II (Ge'ez ቴዎድሮስ, also known as Theodore II) (1818 -suicide April 13, 1868) was an Emperor of Ethiopia (1855 - 1868). Note: This article contains special characters. ... Year 1818 (MDCCCXVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... is the 103rd day of the year (104th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1868 (MDCCCLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a leap year starting on Monday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... The Emperor (Geez áŠ•áŒ‰áˆ áŠáŒˆáˆ¥á‰µ, , King of Kings) of Ethiopia was the hereditary ruler of Ethiopia until the abolition of the monarchy in 1975. ... Year 1855 (MDCCCLV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ...

His name at birth was Kassa Haile Giorgis, but was more regularly referred to as Kassa Hailu (Ge'ez ካሳ ኃይሉ — meaning "restitution" and "His [or the] power"). His rule is often placed as the beginning of modern Ethiopia, ending the decentralized Zemene Mesafint (Era of the Princes). Note: This article contains special characters. ... This article discusses the term God in the context of monotheism and henotheism. ... Some historians date the murder of Iyasu I, and the resultant decline in the prestige of the dynasty, as the beginning of the Ethiopian Zemene Mesafint (Era of the Princes,) a time of disorder when the power of the monarchy was eclipsed by the power of local warlords. ...

Early Years

Kassa was the son of a nobleman of the Qwara district of the province of Dembiya named Haile Giorgis Wolde Giorgis. His paternal grandfather, Dejazmatch Wolde Giorgis was a widely respected figure of his time. Dembiya was part of the large territory known as Ye Meru Qemas, or "that which has been tasted by Maru". It was the personal fief of Dejazmach Meru, a powerful warlord, and relative of Kassa Hailu (possibly a half-uncle). Kassa's mother, Woizero Atitegeb Wondbewossen, was the upper nobility, and was originally from Gondar. Her mother Woizer Tishal was a member of a noble family of Begemder, while her paternal grandfather, Ras Wodajo, was a powerful and highly influential figure. Although generally regarded as a non-royal usurper, Tewodros II, would late in his reign claim that his father was descended from Emperor Fasilides by way of a daughter, although most of his contemporaries did not acknowledge the legitimacy of these claims. Qwara (also spelled Kwara) was a province in Ethiopia, located between Lake Tana, and the Sudan border. ... Dembiya (Geez á‹°áˆá‰¢á‹« dembÄ«yÄ; also Dembea, Dambya, Dembya, Dambiya, etc. ... Ethiopian aristocratic and religious titles used in Ethiopia until the end of the Monarchy in 1974. ... Overview of the city with Fasilides castle in the center. ... Begemder was a province in the north-eastern part of Ethiopia, with its capital city at Gondar. ... Fasilides or Basilides (throne name `Alam Sagad), b at Magazaz, Shewa, in 1603 before 10 November, was (1632 - October 18, 1667) of Ethiopia, and a member of the Solomonid dynasty. ...

When Kassa was very young, his parents divorced and Woizero Atitegeb moved back to Gondar taking her son with her. Not long after their departure, news reached them that Kassa's father had died. Popular legend states that Kassa's paternal relatives split up the entire paternal inheritance, leaving young Kassa and his mother with nothing and in very dire circumstances financially. To make ends meet, it is often repeated that Woizero Atitegeb was reduced to selling "Kosso", a native herbal remedy used to purge patients of intestinal worms (a common occurrence because of the Ethiopian love of raw meat dishes). Kassa would be taunted often for being a "Kosso seller's son", an insult that Tewodros II seldom forgave. There is actually no evidence that Woizero Atitegeb was ever a Kosso seller, and several writers such as Paulos Ngo Ngo have stated outright that it was a false rumor spread by her detractors. Evidence indicates that Woizero Atitegeb was fairly well to do, and indeed had inherited considerable land holdings from her own illustrious relatives to lead a comfortable life.^{[citation needed]} Kassa's youth was probably not lived lavishly, but he was far from a pauper. Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ...

Rise to Power

Kassa Hailu was born into a country rife with civil war, and he destroyed many provincial warlords before becoming emperor. The times were known as the Zemene Mesafint or "Age of the Princes". During this era, warlords, regional princes and noble houses, vied with each other for power and control. They divided up the Empire into personal fiefs and fought each other continuously. A puppet Emperor of the dynasty was enthroned in Gondar by one warlord, only to be dethroned and replaced by another member of the Imperial dynasty when a different warlord was able to seize Gondar and the reins of power. Regions such as Gojjam and Shewa were ruled by their own branches of the Imperial dynasty, and in Shewa, the local prince went as far as assuming the title of King. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1390x2060, 1565 KB) Emperor Tewodros supervising crossing of the Blue Nile From H. Rassam, Narrative of British Mission to Theodore (1869) ÄŒesky | Deutsch | English | Î•Î»Î»Î·Î½Î¹ÎºÎ¬ | EspaÃ±ol | ÙØ§Ø±Ø³ÛŒ | FranÃ§ais | ×¢×‘×¨×™×ª | Indonesian | Italiano | æ—¥æœ¬èªž | í•œêµì–´ | Magyar | Nederlands | Polski | PortuguÃªs | RomÃ¢nÇŽ | Ð ÑƒÑÑÐºÐ¸Ð¹ | SlovenÅ¡Äina | Ð¡Ñ€Ð¿ÑÐºÐ¸ | Sunda | ç®€ä½“ä¸æ–‡ | æ£é«”ä¸æ–‡ | T... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1390x2060, 1565 KB) Emperor Tewodros supervising crossing of the Blue Nile From H. Rassam, Narrative of British Mission to Theodore (1869) ÄŒesky | Deutsch | English | Î•Î»Î»Î·Î½Î¹ÎºÎ¬ | EspaÃ±ol | ÙØ§Ø±Ø³ÛŒ | FranÃ§ais | ×¢×‘×¨×™×ª | Indonesian | Italiano | æ—¥æœ¬èªž | í•œêµì–´ | Magyar | Nederlands | Polski | PortuguÃªs | RomÃ¢nÇŽ | Ð ÑƒÑÑÐºÐ¸Ð¹ | SlovenÅ¡Äina | Ð¡Ñ€Ð¿ÑÐºÐ¸ | Sunda | ç®€ä½“ä¸æ–‡ | æ£é«”ä¸æ–‡ | T... A civil war is a war in which parties within the same culture, society or nationality fight against each other for the control of political power. ... A warlord is a person with power who has de facto military control of a subnational area due to armed forces loyal to the warlord and not to a central authority. ... Some historians date the murder of Iyasu I, and the resultant decline in the prestige of the dynasty, as the beginning of the Ethiopian Zemene Mesafint (Era of the Princes,) a time of disorder when the power of the monarchy was eclipsed by the power of local warlords. ... Gojjam, or Gojam, was a province in the north-western part of Ethiopia, with its capital city at Debra Markos. ... Shewa (also spelled Shoa) is a historical region of Ethiopia. ...

Kassa began his career in this era as a shifta or outlaw, but after amassing a sizable force of followers, was able to not only restore himself to his father's previous fief of Qwara, but was able to control all of Dembiya. Moreover, he gained popular support by his benevolent treatment of the inhabitants in the areas he controlled: according to Sven Rubenson, Kassa "shared out captured grain and money to the peasants in Qwara and told them to buy hoes and plant.^[1] garnering the notice of the current warlord in control of Gondar, Ras Ali II of Yejju. Ras Ali had enthroned Emperor Yohannes III, forcing the Emperor to marry Ali's mother, the formidable Empress Mennen Liben Amede. Empress Menen was the true power behind her son and her helpless husband, and it was she who arranged for Kassa of Qwara to marry her granddaughter, Tewabech Ali and the grant to Kassa of the title of Dejazmach. She awarded him all of Ye Meru Qemas in the hopes of binding him firmly to her son and herself.^[2] For other senses of this word, see outlaw (disambiguation). ... Dembiya (Geez á‹°áˆá‰¢á‹« dembÄ«yÄ; also Dembea, Dambya, Dembya, Dambiya, etc. ... Ethiopian aristocratic and religious titles used in Ethiopia until the end of the Monarchy in 1974. ... Ali II of Yejju (c. ... Emperor Yohannes III or Johannis III (born c. ... Tewabech Ali (1831 - 19 August 1858) was the first wife of Kassa Haile, better known as Emperor Tewodros II of Ethiopia. ...

Although all sources and authorities believe that Kassa truly loved and respected his wife, his relationship with his new in-laws deteriorated largely because of the disdainful treatment he repeatedly received from the Empress Menen. By 1852 he rebelled against Ras Ali, and in a series of victories -- Gur Amaba, Takusa, Ayshal, and Amba Jebelli -- over the next three years he handily defeated every army the Ras and the Empress sent against him. At Ayshal he captured the Empress Menen, and Ras Ali fled from the rising star and out of history. Kassa announced that he was deposing Yohannes III, and then marched on his greatest remaining rival, Dejazmach Wube Haile Maryam of Simien. Following the defeat of Dejazmach Wube, Kassa was crowned Emperor by Abuna Salama III in the church of Derasge Maryam on February 11, 1855. He took the throne name of Tewodros II, to fulfill a prophesy that a man named Tewodros would restore the Ethiopian Empire to greatness. 1852 was a leap year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... The Battle of Gur Amba was fought on September 27, 1852 between Ethiopian forces and the rebel forces of Kassa Hailu. ... Combatants forces of Kassa Hailu Yejju, Tigray, Wollo, Gojjam Commanders Kassa Hailu Dejazmach Biru Strength Casualties Dejazmach Biru The Battle of Takusa was fought on April 12, 1853, between the forces of Kassa Hailu, future Emperor of Ethiopia, and an alliance of several rival provinces. ... The Battle of Ayshal was fought on June 29, 1853, between the forces of Kassa Hailu and the forces of Ras Ali II. Kassas forces won the battle. ... The Battle of Amba Jebelli was fought in 1854 between Kassa Hailus forces, and the forces of Biru Goshu of Gojjam. ... Abuna (Geez: áŠ á‰¡áŠ â€™abunÃ¤) is the title of the metropolitan bishop or head of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. ... Engraving of Abuna III from Henry Stern, Wanderings among the Falasha Salama III (died 25 October 1867) was Abuna, or head of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church (1841 - 1867). ... is the 42nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Tewodros refused to acknowledge an attempt to restore the former Emperor Sahle Dengel in the place of the hapless Yohannes III who had acknowledged Tewodros immediately.^{[citation needed]} Yohannes III was treated well by Tewodros who seems to have had some personal sympathy for him. His views on Sahle Dengel are not known, but are not likely to have been sympathetic. Sahle Dengel was negus negusti of Ethiopia intermittently between 1832 and 11 February 1855. ...

His Reign

Tewodros sought to unify and modernise Ethiopia. However, since he was nearly always away on campaign during his tenure as emperor, disloyal leaders frequently tried to dislodge him whilst he was away fighting. Within a few short years, he had forcibly brought back under direct Imperial rule the Kingdom of Shewa and the province of Gojjam. He crushed the many warlords of Wollo and Tigray and brought recalcitrant regions of Begemder and Simien under his direct rule. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...

He moved the capital city of the Empire from Gondar, first to Debre Tabor, and later to Magdala. Tewodros ended the division of Ethiopia among the various regional warlords and princes that had vied among each other for power for almost two centuries. He forcibly re-incorporated the regions of Gojjam, Shewa and Wollo under the direct administration of the Imperial throne after having been ruled by local branches of the Imperial dynasty (in Gojjam and Shewa) or other warlords (Wollo). With all of his rivals apparently subdued, he imprisoned them and their relatives comfortably at Magdala. Among the royal and aristocratic prisoners at Magdala was the young Prince of Shewa, Sahle Mariam, who would one day ascend the Imperial Throne as Emperor Menelik II. Tewodros doted on the young prince, and in fact married him to his own daughter Alitash Tewodros. Menelik would eventually escape from Magdala, and abandon his wife, offending Tewodros deeply. Overview of the city with Fasilides castle in the center. ... Debre Tabor is a town in the Amhara Region of Ethiopia, about 100 kilometers southeast of Gondar, and 50 kilometers E of Lake Tana. ... Amba Mariam is a village in the Amhara region of central Ethiopia. ... Gojjam, or Gojam, was a province in the north-western part of Ethiopia, with its capital city at Debra Markos. ... Shewa (also spelled Shoa) is a historical region of Ethiopia. ... Wollo was a province in the north-eastern part of Ethiopia, with its capital city at Dessye. ... Menelik II (August 17, 1844 - December 12, 1913), Conquering Lion of Judah, Elect of God, King of Kings of Ethiopia was negus negust (emperor) of Ethiopia from 1889 to his death. ...

The death of his beloved wife, Empress Tewabech, marked a deterioration in Tewodros II's behavior. Increasingly erratic and vengeful, he gave full reign to some of his more brutal tendencies now that the calming influence of his wife was absent. Tewodros II remarried, this time to the daughter of his imprisoned enemy Dejazmatch Wube. The new Empress, Tiruwork Wube was a haughty and proud woman, who disdained her husband for having been of a socially inferior origin than that of her own aristocratic family which traced its lineage to the Imperial dynasty itself. The marriage was not a happy one, and was extremely stormy. They did manage to produce a son, Dejazmatch Alemayehu Tewodros whom the Emperor adored and whom he regarded as his heir. Empress Tiruwork Wube was the second wife, and widow of Emperor Tewodros II of Ethiopia. ... HRH Prince Alemayehu of Ethiopia was the son of Emperor Tewodros II of Ethiopia. ...

During the period that Tewodros was emperor of Ethiopia, the Red Sea region was marked by constant warfare. The Ottoman Empire and Egypt in the north were both ardent enemies of Ethiopia, and on numerous occasions sought to take over the country. Location of the Red Sea The Red Sea is an inlet of the Indian Ocean between Africa and Asia. ... For other uses, see War (disambiguation). ... Ottoman redirects here. ...

Tewodros, fearful of these northerly Muslim powers, wrote a letter to a fellow Christian monarch, Queen Victoria asking for British assistance in the region. Tewodros asked the British Consul in Ethiopia, Captain Charles Cameron, to carry the letter to Queen Victoria requesting skilled workers to come to teach his subjects how to produce firearms, and other technical skills. Cameron went to the coast with the letter, but upon informing the Foreign Office of the letter and its contents, he was told to simply send the letter to London rather than bring it himself, and to proceed to the Sudan and make inquiries about the slave trade there. After doing this Cameron returned to Ethiopia and was faced with an Emperor who was enraged that he had not taken the letter to London personally, who had not brought a response from the Queen, and most of all, had spent time traveling through enemy Egyptian and Turkish territories. Cameron tried to appease the Emperor saying that a reply to the letter would arrive shortly. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1452x2239, 1740 KB) The cross of Emperor Tewodros II. (or Theodor II.) of ethiopia from Magazine Pittoresque (1871) Colour: Andro96 with Paint Shop Pro 7 Farbe: Andro96 mit Paint Shop Pro 7 ÄŒesky | Deutsch | English | Î•Î»Î»Î·Î½Î¹ÎºÎ¬ | EspaÃ±ol | ÙØ§Ø±Ø³ÛŒ | FranÃ§ais | ×¢×‘×¨×™×ª | Indonesian | Italiano... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1452x2239, 1740 KB) The cross of Emperor Tewodros II. (or Theodor II.) of ethiopia from Magazine Pittoresque (1871) Colour: Andro96 with Paint Shop Pro 7 Farbe: Andro96 mit Paint Shop Pro 7 ÄŒesky | Deutsch | English | Î•Î»Î»Î·Î½Î¹ÎºÎ¬ | EspaÃ±ol | ÙØ§Ø±Ø³ÛŒ | FranÃ§ais | ×¢×‘×¨×™×ª | Indonesian | Italiano... Queen Victoria redirects here. ...

On its arrival at the Foreign Office in London, the letter was not sent to Queen Victoria, but simply filed under Pending. There the letter stayed for a year, after which it was sent to India, because Abyssinia came under the Raj's remit. On its arrival in India, it was allegedly filed under Not Even Pending.

After two years had passed and Tewodros had not received a reply, he imprisoned Cameron, all the British subjects in Ethiopia at the time, and various other Europeans, in an attempt to get Victoria's attention. Among the Europeans that were imprisoned was a missionary by the name of Mr. Stern, who had previously published a book in Europe describing Tewodros as a barbaric, cruel, unstable usurper, who was born a mere son of a poor kosso seller. Tewodros had been shown this book and his anger had almost turned murderous as he had pulled a gun on Stern, and had to be restrained from killing him. He also received reports from abroad of foreign papers that had quoted these European residents of Ethiopia as having said many negative things about him and about his reign.

A mission was sent by the British under an Assyrian born British subject named Hormuzd Rassam, bearing a letter from the Queen, but no skilled workers as Tewodros had requested. Deeply insulted, Tewodros imprisoned the members of the Rassam mission as well. This led to a British invasion under Robert Napier. Tewodros had become increasingly unpopular over the years due to his harsh methods, and many regional figures had rebelled against him. Several readily came to the assistance of the British by providing guides and food as the expeditionary force marched towards Magdala, where the Emperor had fortified the mountaintop for his stand against Napier. Language(s) Aramaic Religion(s) Syriac Christianity Related ethnic groups Other Semitic peoples, and other ethnic groups from the Fertile Crescent. ... Hormuzd Rassam (1826-1910) was an Assyriologist and traveller, born at Mosul of Christian parents. ... Categories: Possible copyright violations ... Robert Cornelis Napier, 1st Baron Napier of Magdala Robert Cornelis Napier, 1st Baron Napier of Magdala, GCB, GCSI, CIE, FRS (1810-1890), was a British soldier. ...

The two sides met at Arroge, in the plain facing Magdala, on April 10, 1868, and the British defeated the Ethiopian army. With his army so decisively defeated, many of his men began to desert, and Tewodros freed the prisoners and sent them to Napier along with a gift of cattle to be slaughtered for the Easter holiday that was to take place on Sunday, April 12, that year. However, when Napier sent a message thanking him for this peace offering and stating that he would treat the Emperor and his family with every dignity, Tewodros II furiously stated that he would never be taken prisoner. The British then proceeded to heavily shell Magdalla itself, killing most of Tewodros II's most loyal men. Emperor Tewodros II committed suicide on Easter Monday, April 13, 1868, as the British troops stormed the citadel of Magdala. Ironically he used a pistol sent in happier times by Queen Victoria. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The Illustrated London News was a magazine founded by Herbert Ingram and his friend Mark Lemon, the editor of Punch magazine. ... For other uses, see Suicide (disambiguation). ... is the 103rd day of the year (104th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Soon after his suicide, the British looted and burned the town of Magdala including its churches, and departed from Ethiopia. They took a large number of treasures that today can be seen in various museums and libraries in Europe, as well as in private collections.

In his efforts to keep skilled Europeans in Ethiopia, he married one of his daughters to a Swiss military engineer. That branch ended in Russia, whence British actor Peter Ustinov was his great-great-grandson^[3]. Sir Peter Alexander Ustinov, CBE (IPA: ; April 16, 1921 â€“ March 28, 2004), born Peter Alexander Baron von Ustinov, was an Academy Award-winning English actor, writer, dramatist and raconteur of French, Italian, Swiss, Russian, German and Ethiopian ancestry. ...

His son

The widowed Empress Tiruwork and the young heir of Tewodros, Alemayehu, were also to be taken to England. However, Empress Tiruwork died on the journey to the coast, and little Alemayehu made the journey alone. The Empress was buried at Sheleqot monastery in Tigrai among her ancestors. Although Queen Victoria subsidised the education (at Rugby) of Dejazmatch Alemayehu Tewodros, Captain Speedy was appointed as his guardian. He developed a very strong attachment to Captain Speedy and his wife; however, Prince Alemayehu grew increasingly lonely as the years went by, and his compromised health made things even harder, and died in October 1879 at the age of 19 without seeing his homeland again. He left a warm impression on Queen Victoria who seemed to have been truly saddened at his untimely death. A view of Rugby School from The Close, the playing field where according to legend Rugby was invented Rugby School, located in the town of Rugby, Warwickshire, is one of the oldest public schools in England and is one of the major co-educational boarding schools in the country. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Tristram Speedy. ...

Popular culture

B. M. Sahle Sellassie is an Ethiopian author who was born in 1936 and has written in least four books. ... George MacDonald Fraser, OBE (born 2 April 1926 in Carlisle) is a British author of both historical novels and non-fiction books. ... Flashman on the March is a 2005 novel by George MacDonald Fraser. ...

Bibliography

External links

Categories: All articles with unsourced statements | Articles with unsourced statements since September 2007 | Articles with unsourced statements since November 2007 | Emperors of Ethiopia | Rulers of Ethiopia | People of the Abyssinian War | 1818 births | 1868 deaths | Suicides by firearm | Royalty who committed suicide Image File history File links Commons-logo. ... Emperor Yohannes III or Johannis III (born c. ... The Emperor (Geez áŠ•áŒ‰áˆ áŠáŒˆáˆ¥á‰µ, , King of Kings) of Ethiopia was the hereditary ruler of Ethiopia until the abolition of the monarchy in 1975. ... Tekle Giyorgis II (born Wagshum Gobeze; died 1873) was negus negust of Ethiopia (1868 - 1872). ...

Contents

Early Years GA_googleFillSlot("encyclopedia_square");