''Dejazmach'' Birru Aligaz was a nobleman of 19th century

Ethiopia Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the ...

during the

Zemene Mesafint The Zemene Mesafint ( gez, ዘመነ መሳፍንት ''zamana masāfint'', modern: ''zemene mesāfint'', variously translated "Era of Judges," "Era of the Princes," "Age of Princes," etc.; named after the Book of Judges) was a period in Ethiop ...

. As ''

Dejazmach Until the end of the Ethiopian Empire, Ethiopian monarchy in 1974, there were two categories of nobility in Ethiopia and Eritrea. The Mesafint ( gez, መሳፍንት , modern , singular መስፍን , modern , "prince"), the hereditary nobility, ...

'', he held the governorships of different districts such as

Lasta Lasta (Amharic: ላስታ ''lāstā'') is a historic district in northern Ethiopia. It is the district in which Lalibela is situated, the former capital of Ethiopia during the Zagwe dynasty and home to 11 medieval rock-hewn churches. Its original ...

and

Dembiya Dembiya ( Amharic: ደምቢያ ''Dembīyā''; also transliterated Dembea, Dambya, Dembya, Dambiya, etc.) is a historic region of Ethiopia, intimately linked with Lake Tana. According to the account of Manuel de Almeida, Dembiya was "bounded on E ...

and was made governor of

Dawunt Dawunt (Amharic: ዳውንት) is a woreda in Amhara Region, Ethiopia. Part of the Semien (North) Wollo Zone, Dawunt is bordered on the south by the Checheho River which separated it from the Debub Wollo Zone, on the west by the Semien Gondar Z ...

Wollo Wollo (Amharic: ወሎ) was a historical province of northern Ethiopia that overlayed part of the present day Amhara, Afar, and Tigray regions. During the Middle Ages this region was known as Bete Amhara and had Amhara kings. Bete Amhara had ...

in 1842 by ''

Ras Ras or RAS may refer to: Arts and media * RAS Records Real Authentic Sound, a reggae record label * Rundfunk Anstalt Südtirol, a south Tyrolese public broadcasting service * Rás 1, an Icelandic radio station * Rás 2, an Icelandic radio stati ...

'' Ali II of Yejju. He was the son of Ras Aligaz

Abba Seru Gwangul Abba Seru Gwangul (died 1778) was a Son of Aba Getiye. Aba Getiye was a descendant of Sheikh Omar, most commonly referred to as a Wara Sheh, which means "Sons of the Sheikh". The Wara Sheh began to have prominence with the emergence of Aba Gwangul ...

, and had a son called Dejazmach Zegeye. In late 1841, ''Dejazmach''

Wube Haile Maryam Wube Haile Maryam of Semien, (1799-1867), also called by his title ''Dejazmach'' Wube, Webé; his name is also given in European sources as ‘‘Ubie’’. Wube was one of the major figures of 19th century Ethiopia, during the closing decades o ...

, governor of Tigray and Semien, who was regarded as one of the most powerful lords of the time, set out to

Debre Tabor Debre Tabor ( am, ደብረ ታቦር, lit. "Mount Tabor") is a town and woreda in north-central Ethiopia. Located in the Debub Gondar Zone of the Amhara Region, about 100 kilometers southeast of Gondar and 50 kilometers east of Lake Tana, ...

to depose ''Ras'' Ali II from his position as

Enderase Until the end of the Ethiopian monarchy in 1974, there were two categories of nobility in Ethiopia and Eritrea. The Mesafint ( gez, መሳፍንት , modern , singular መስፍን , modern , "prince"), the hereditary nobility, formed the upper ...

. ''Ras'' Ali II escaped after being defeated, but the victors, who were celebrating their victory fully believing that their enemy was defeated, were surprised by ''Dejazmach'' Birru Aligaz, who was ''Ras'' Ali's uncle. ''Dejazmach'' Birru routed the victors, captured Dejazmach Wube, and helped ''Ras'' Ali II regained title. For his help, ''Dejazmach'' Birru was made governor of Dawunt in Wello in 1842. Eleven years after the

Battle of Debre Tabor The Battle of Debre Tabor was a conflict during the ''Zemene Mesafint'' in 1842 initiated by ''Dejazmach'' Wube Haile Maryam to overthrow ''Ras'' Ali II as Regent of the Emperor of Ethiopia and gain control of Ethiopia. This confused battle was ...

,'' Dejazmach'' Birru Aligaz led a force that consisted of several ''Dejazmachs'' that included ''Dejazmach'' Wube Haile Mariam’s troops, against Kassa Hailu, the future

Emperor Tewodros II An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereignty, sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), ...

, at the Battle of Takusa. According to Sven Rubenson, on April 12, 1853, Kassa Hailu fought four ''Dejazmachs'' and killed two: ''Dejazmach'' Birru Aligaz and ''Dejazmach'' Belew.Rubenson, Sven (1966). ''King of Kings: Tewodros of Ethiopia.'', p. 42

References

{{Reflist 19th-century Ethiopian people Warlords of the Zemene Mesafint Year of birth uncertain History of Ethiopia