Emperor Yohannes IV (c.1831 - March 10, 1889), also known as Johannes IV or John IV, born Dejazmach Kassai or Kassa, was Negus Negust of Ethiopia (1872 - 1889). 1831 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... March 10 is the 69th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (70th in Leap years). ... 1889 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... The Emperor of Ethiopia (Amharic ንጉሠ ነገሥት, niguse negest, King of Kings) was the hereditary ruler of Ethiopia until the abolition of the monarchy in 1975. ... 1872 was a leap year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ...

Born the son of Mercha the Shum of Tembien, and his wife woizero Silass (Amata Selassie) of Enderta, lord Kassai could claim Solomonic blood through the line of his mother's Enderta family, which was decended from Ras Mikael Sehul and his wife Aster Eyasu, daughter of Empress Mantuab and her lover Melmal Eyasu. Melmal Eyasu was a Solomonic prince, and nephew of the widowed Empress Mentuab's husband Emperor Bakaffa. Kassai could also claim Solomonic decent more distantly through his father's Tembien family, also through a female link to the dynasty. Amata Selassie's father Dimtsu of Endarta belonged to the family which in late 1700's and early 1800's had held overlordship of Tigray, and her mother descended from dynasty of Shum of Agame. Mercha's mother the lady consort of Tembien was also a granddaughter of Mikael Sehul, whose family held Eritrea's and Tigray's overlordship in most part of 18th century. The Solomonid dynasty is the traditional royal house of Ethiopia, claming descent from King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, who is said to have given birth to the traditional first king Menelik I after her Biblically-described visit to Solomon in Jerusalem. ... Ethiopian aristocratic and religious titles used in Ethiopia until the end of the Monarchy in 1974. ... Mikael Sehul (Tigrigna Mikael the Astute; his name at birth was Blatta Mikael; c. ... Mentewab (How beautiful) was Empress of Ethiopia, the consort of Emperor Bakaffa, mother of Iyasu II and grandmother of Iyoas I. She was also known officially by her baptismal name of Welete Giyorgis (Daughter of St. ... Bakaffa was negus negust (throne name Asma Sagad, later Masih Sagadwas) (May 18, 1721 - 1730) of Ethiopia, and a member of the Solomonid dynasty. ... The Agame (fruitful) district is located in northern Ethiopia. ... Mikael Sehul (Tigrigna Mikael the Astute; his name at birth was Blatta Mikael; c. ...

Dejazmach Kassai was a sworn enemy of Emperor Tewodros II, and gave logistical and political support to the British forces who arrived to defeat Emperor Tewodros in 1868. In gratitude, the British gave Dejazmatch Kassai a large number of modern firearms as they withdrew following their victory at Magdala. This helped him to control the province of Tigray, and he became one of the three most powerful princes in Ethiopia (the others being Wagshum Gobeze of Lasta and Wag i.e the future Emperor Tekle Giyorgis II, and Sahle Maryam King of Shewa i.e the future Emperor Menelek II), each of whom vied to become sole ruler, and who could claim to be descended from the Solomonic kings. Dejazmach Kassai's rivalry with the Wagshum was further complicated by the fact that Dejazmatch Kassai's sister, Dinqinesh Mercha, was married to Wagshum Gobeze. Ethiopian aristocratic and religious titles used in Ethiopia until the end of the Monarchy in 1974. ... Tewodros II (also known as Theodore II) (born Kassa Hailu) (1818-1868) was an emperor of Ethiopia. ... 1868 (MDCCCLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a leap year starting on Friday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ... Magdala (tower) was a small village in Galilee, which seems to have been the birthplace of Mary Magdalene, or Mary of Magdala, in the Christian New Testament. ... Map of Ethiopia highlighting the Tigray region. ... Tekle Giyorgis II (born Wagshum Gobeze; died 1873) was negus negust of Ethiopia (1868 - 1872). ... Shewa (also spelled Shoa) is a historical region of Ethiopia. ... Emperor Menelek 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. ... Dinqinesh Mercha (1815 - August 1907) was Empress-Consort of Emperor Tekle Giyorgis II of Ethiopia. ...

In 1868, Wagshum Gobeze proclaimed himself Emperor Tekle Giyorgis II of Ethiopia at Soqota in his district of Wag. Due to the fact that the Abuna of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church had died shortly before, there was no one to crown the new Emperor. In an effort to get Kassai to recognize this title, Tekle Giyorgis gave his brother-in-law the title of Reese Masafint, "Re-ese Mekwanint", or "first among the nobles", premier duke. Dejazmach Kassai promptly started using the title, but still did not recognize Tekle Giyorgis' new rank and refused to pay homage to him. Abuna is the title of the metropolitan bishop or head of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. ... The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church is an Oriental Orthodox church in Ethiopia that was part of the Coptic Church until it was granted its own Patriarch by Cyril VI, the Coptic Pope, in 1959. ...

Tekle Giyorgis made the first move, crossing the Takazze River in 1871 in a campaign against Kassai. Relying on the training the British adventurer John Kirkham had given his troops, Dejazmach Kassai met the erst-while Emperor near Adowa on July 11 of that year, capturing and deposing his attacker; Tekle Giyorgis died in captivity the next year. The Atbarah River in northeast Africa rises in northwest Ethiopia, approximately 50 km north of Lake Tana and 30 km west of Gondar. ... 1871 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... John Charles Kirkham (c. ... Adowa (also spelled Aduwa, Adwa or Adua) is a highland town in Ethiopia. ... July 11 is the 192nd day (193rd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 173 days remaining. ...

Kassai had long prepared for this day, and had gathered the funds to pay the Coptic Patriarch of Alexandria to appoint a new Archbishop over the Ethiopian Church, Abuna Atnatewos, in accordance with custom; Atnatewos arrived in June 1869 along with two other bishops, Matewos for Shewa, and Petros for Gojjam. It was the first time that the Coptic Patriarch of Alexandria had appointed three Bishops for Ethiopia. Atnatewos then crowned Kassai emperor January 12, 1872 at Axum. He took the name and title of Emperor Yohannes IV, King of Zion and King of Kings of Ethiopia, becoming the first emperor crowned in that historic city since Fasilidos in 1632. Ras Adal of Gojjam soon after submitted to Yohannes and recognized him as Emperor, and was rewarded with the title of Negus of Gojjam, and the new name of Tekle Haymanot. The following list contains all the Popes who have held sway over the Coptic Orthodox Church since the Council of Chalcedon. ... The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church is an Oriental Orthodox church in Ethiopia that was part of the Coptic Church until it was granted its own Patriarch by Cyril VI, the Coptic Pope, in 1959. ... 1869 is a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... Gojjam, or Gojam, was a province in the north-eastern part of Ethiopia, with its capital city at Debra Markos. ... January 12 is the 12th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Axum, properly Aksum, is a city in Tigray, northern Ethiopia, located at 14°07. ... Fasilidos or Basilides (throne name `Alam Sagad) was negus (1632 - October 18, 1667) of Ethiopia, and a member of the Solomonid dynasty. ... See also: 1632 (novel) Events February 22 - Galileos Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems is published July 23 - 300 colonists for New France depart Dieppe November 8 - Wladyslaw IV Waza elected king of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth after Zygmunt III Waza death November 16 - Battle of Lützen... Negus is the Amharic word for king. The term negus negust means king of kings, or Emperor. ...

Throughout his reign, Yohannes was embroiled in military struggles on his northern frontiers. First was from Khedive Isma'il Pasha of Egypt, who sought to bring the entire Nile River Basin under his rule. The Egyptians flirted with encouraging Menelik of Shewa against the Emperor, but earned Menelik's enmity by marching from the port of Zeila and occupied the city-state of Harrar on October 11, 1875. Both Menelik and Yohannes had regarded Harrar as a renegade province of Ethiopia, and Egyptian seizure of the Emirate was not welcome to either of them. The Egyptians then marched into northern Ethiopia from their coastal possesions around the port of Massawa. Yohannes pleaded with the British to stop their Egyptian allies, and even withdrew from his own territory in order to show the Europeans that he was the wronged party and that the Khedive was the agressor. However, Yohannes soon realized that the Europeans would not stop the Khedive of Egypt and so he gathered up his armies and marched to meet the Egyptian force. Ismail Pasha, known as Ismail the Magnificent (December 31, 1830–March 2, 1895) was khedive of Egypt from 1863 until he was removed at the behest of the British in 1879. ... There is also Nile, a death metal band from South Carolina, USA. The Nile in Egypt Length 6 695 km Elevation of the source 1 134 m Average discharge 2 830 m³/s Area watershed 3 400 000 km² Origin Africa Mouth the Mediterranean Basin countries Uganda - Sudan - Egypt The... Saylac (also Seyla`, Seelaac, Zeila, Zeyla, Zeylac, Zayla, Séyla‘, Seylac, 11. ... Harar, also spelled Harrar, is a city in Ethiopia, situated in the eastern extension of the Ethiopian highlands, about five hundred km from Addis Ababa. ... October 11 is the 284th day of the year (285th in leap years). ... 1875 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Massawa in the 19th century Massawa or Mitsiwa (15° 36′ 33″ N 39° 26′ 43″ E) is a port on the Red Sea coast of Eritrea. ...

The two armies met at Gundat (also called Guda-gude) on the morning of November 16, 1875. The Egyptians were tricked into marching into a narrow and steep valley and were wiped out by Ethiopian gunners surrounding the valley from the surrounding mountains. Virtually the entire Egyptian force, along with its many officers of European and North American background, was killed. News of this huge defeat was suppressed in Egypt for fear that it would undermine the government of the Khedive. A new Egyptian force was assembled and sent to avenge the defeat at Gundat. The Egyptians were defeated again at the battle of Gura (March 7-9, 1876), where the Ethiopians were led again by the Emperor, and his loyal general, the capable (future) Ras Alula. This victory was followed by Menelik's submission to Yohannes March 20, 1878, and in return Yohannes recognized Menelik's hereditary right to the title of king of Shewa, and re-crowned him on March 26. Yohannes took this opportunity to try to tie the Shewan King more closely to him by arranging for Menelik's daughter Zewditu (future Empress of Ethiopia in her own right), to his own son and heir, Ras Araya Selassie. He also arranged for a general council of the Ethiopian Church in which various heresies were stamped out in Gojjam and Shewa. Yohannes also ordered the Moslems of Wollo to convert to Christianity within six months or face forfeiture of their properties. Ras Ali of Wollo became Ras (later King) Michael of Wollo, and the Emperor stood as his Godfather at his baptism. He was given Menelik of Shewa's other daughter, Shewarega Menelik, as his wife. November 16 is the 320th day of the year (321st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 45 days remaining. ... 1876 is a leap year starting on Saturday. ... March 20 is the 79th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (80th in Leap years). ... 1878 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Shewa (also spelled Shoa) is a historical region of Ethiopia. ... March 26 is the 85th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (86th in leap years). ... Empress Zaiditu of Ethiopia Zauditu (also known as Zawditu or Zewditu) (1876 - 1930) was reigning Empress of Ethiopia from 1916 to 1930. ...

When Muhammad Ahmad proclaimed himself the Mahdi, and incited Sudan into a long and violent revolt, his followers successfully either drove the Egyptian garrisons out of Sudan, or isolated them at Suakin and at various posts in the south. Yohannes agreed to British requests to allow these Egyptian soldiers to evacuate through his lands, with the understanding that the British Empire would then support his claims on important ports like Massawa on the Red Sea to import weapons and ammunition, in the event that Egypt was forced to withdraw from them. This was formalized in a treaty signed with the British at Adwa known as the Hewit treaty. The immediate result was that the wrath of the Mahdiyah fell upon Ethiopia: Ras Alula defeated an invading Mahdist army at the Battle of Kufit on September 23, 1885. About the same time, Italy took control of the port of Massawa, frustrating Ethiopian hopes and angering Yohannis. Yohannes attempted to work out some kind of understanding with the Italians, so he could turn his attention to the more pressing problem of the Mahdists, although Ras Alula took it upon himself to attack Italian units that were on both sides of the ill-defined frontier between the two powers. Domestic problems increased when the Kings of both Gojjam and Shewa rebelled against Yohannis, and the Emperor had to turn his attention from the encroaching Italians to deal with his rebellious vassal kings. Yohannis brutally crushed the Gojjame rebellion, but before he could turn his attention to Shewa news arrived that the Mahdist forces had sacked Gondar and burned its holy Churches. He marched north from Gojjam to confront the armies of the Mahdi. Image:Mahdi3. ... The Mahdi (Arabic: مهدي, also transliterated as: Mehdi or Mihdi; translated as: guided one), in Islamic eschatology, is the prophesied redeemer of Islam, who will change the world into a perfect society before Yaum al-Qiyamah (the Day of Resurrection or the end times). ... Suakin is a port in north eastern Sudan, on the Red Sea. ... The British Empire was the worlds first global power and the largest empire in history. ... Massawa in the 19th century Massawa or Mitsiwa (15° 36′ 33″ N 39° 26′ 43″ E) is a port on the Red Sea coast of Eritrea. ... Location of the Red Sea The Red Sea (Arabic البحر الأحمر Baḥr al-Aḥmar, al-Baḥru l-’Aḥmar; Hebrew ים סוף Yam Suf; Tigrigna ቀይሕ ባሕሪ QeyH baHri) is a gulf or basin of the Indian Ocean between Africa and Asia. ... September 23 is the 266th day of the year (267th in leap years). ... 1885 is a common year starting on Thursday. ... Gondar (less commonly spelled Gonder) was the old imperial capital of Ethiopia and the historic Begemder province, now part of the Amhara region. ...

Yohannes' life came to an end while he was dealing with another invasion by the followers of Muhammad Ahmad's successor, Abdallahi ibn Muhammad, at the Battle of Metemma on March 9, 1889. Mortally wounded by a sniper during the battle, he had been carried to his tent, where he announced that his nephew Ras Mengesha was actually his natural son, and named him his heir (his elder son Ras Araya Selassie had died a few years earlier). He died a few hours later. Although the Ethiopian army had almost annihilated their opponents in this battle, hearing that their ruler had been slain shattered their morale and allowed the Mahdists to counterattack, scattering their enemy and capturing the body of the emperor. It was brought back to their capital at Omdurman, where the head was put on a pike and displayed. Abdullah Ibn-Mohammed or Abdullah et Taaisha ( 1846 – November 24, 1899), also known as The Khalifa was a Sudanese Dervish General and ruler. ... March 9 is the 68th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (69th in Leap years). ... 1889 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Map of Sudan with Khartoum Map of Ohmdurman with Khartoum and Bahri Omdurman is a city on the river Nile in Sudan, opposite the capital, Khartoum. ...

Although a group of Tigrean nobles led by Ras Alula attempted to promote the claim of Yohannes' son, Ras Mengesha Yohannes, as emperor, many of the dead monarch's other relatives on both the Enderta and Tembien sides of his family objected and went into open rebellion against Mengesha. Tigray was torn assunder by the rebellions of various members of the Emperor's family against Mengesha and each other. Menelik of Shewa took advantage of Tigrean disorder, and after allowing the Italians to occupy Hamasien, Serai and Akale Guzai, districts loyal to Yohannes IV, he was proclaimed Emperor of Ethiopia as Menelik II. Yohannes IV's death brought an end to the influence of Tigrayans to the Ethiopian government, and opened way to Italians to occupy more districts, a colonization that later resulted in Eritrea becoming a separate nationality, as Tigrayans no longer felt so much commonality with Ethiopian empire. 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. ...

Note: sources give both 1821 and 1831 as his year of birth.

Bibliography

• Paul B. Henze. "Yohannes IV and Menelik II: The Empire Restored, Expanded, and Defended" in Layers of Time: A History of Ethiopia. New York: Palgrave, 2000. ISBN 0-312-22719-1
• David Levering Lewis. "Pawns of Pawns" in The Race to Fashoda. New York: Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1987. ISBN 1-55584-058-2

External links

• Yohannes IV
• Ethiopian Treasures - Emperor Yohannes IV, Battle of Metema - Ethiopia
• Emperor Yohannis IV