The Battle of Ansata was fought in the year 1270 AD between the forces of
Yekuno Amlak
Yekuno Amlak ( Ge’ez: ይኩኖ አምላክ); throne name Tasfa Iyasus (ተስፋ ኢየሱስ; died 19 June 1285) was Emperor of Ethiopia, and the founder of the Solomonic dynasty, which lasted until 1974. He was a ruler from Bete Amhara (i ...
, future
emperor of Ethiopia
The emperor of Ethiopia ( gez, ንጉሠ ነገሥት, nəgusä nägäst, " King of Kings"), also known as the Atse ( am, ዐፄ, "emperor"), was the hereditary ruler of the Ethiopian Empire, from at least the 13th century until the abolitio ...
, and
Yetbarak
Yetbarak ( Ge’ez: ይትባረክ) was King of Zagwe dynasty. According to Taddesse Tamrat, he was the son of Lalibela.
History
Tradition states that Yetbarak ascended to the throne after his father King Lalibela had taken the crown away from ...
of the
Zagwe dynasty
The Zagwe dynasty ( Ge'ez: ዛጔ ሥርወ መንግሥት) was an Agaw medieval dynasty that ruled the northern parts of Ethiopia and Eritrea, after the historical name of the Lasta province. Centered at Lalibela, it ruled large parts of the ...
. The forces of Yekuno Amlak had received assistance from the
Gafat
The Gafat language is an extinct South Ethiopic language once spoken by the Gafat people along the Blue Nile in Ethiopia, and later, speakers pushed south of Gojjam in what is now East Welega Zone. Gafat was related to the Harari language and E ...
whose commander was an unnamed
Muslim called "The
Malassay
A Malassay ( Harari: መለሳይ ''Mäläsay'') was a member of the elite infantry units that formed the Adal Sultanate's household troops. According to Manfred Kropp, Malassay were the Harari armed forces.
Etymology
Malassay appears to refer ...
" and from Sultan Dil Gamis of the
Sultanate of Shewa
The Makhzumi dynasty also known as Sultanate of Shewa or Shewa Sultanate, was a Muslim kingdom in present-day Ethiopia. Its capital Walale was situated in northern Hararghe in Harla country. Its territory extended possibly to some areas west of ...
, giving the Amhara rebels an advantage over the Zagwe. After defeating his army, Yekuno Amlak pursued Yetbarak, the king of Zagwe, into the church of Saint Qirqos at Ansata, slaying him.
References
Ansata
Ansata
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