Kidane Kale (reigned c. 1718 - c. 1744; literal meaning: "Beginning, Word"), better known as Abuye, was a
Meridazmach
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 ...
of
Shewa
Shewa ( am, ሸዋ; , om, Shawaa), formerly romanized as Shua, Shoa, Showa, Shuwa (''Scioà'' in Italian language, Italian), is a historical region of Ethiopia which was formerly an autonomous monarchy, kingdom within the Ethiopian Empire. The ...
, an important
Amhara noble of
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 ...
. He was the son of
Sebestyanos.
Harold G. Marcus
Harold may refer to:
People
* Harold (given name), including a list of persons and fictional characters with the name
* Harold (surname), surname in the English language
* András Arató, known in meme culture as "Hide the Pain Harold"
Arts a ...
is less definite on this, calling him Sebestyanos' "brother or his son". Marcus, ''The Life and Times of Menelik II: Ethiopia 1844-1913'' (Lawrenceville: Red Sea Press, 1995), p. 8 Abir states that he ruled for 25 years, although noting that
William Cornwallis Harris
Major Sir William Cornwallis Harris (baptised 2 April 1807 – died 9 October 1848) was an English military engineer, artist and hunter.
Life and career Early life
The son of James Harris of Wittersham, Kent, he entered Addiscombe Milita ...
claims he ruled for 15 years, Coulbeaux for 25 (from 1725 to 1750), and
Rochet d'Hericourt for 60. His wife was Woizero Tagunestiya, daughter of Mama Rufa'el, Governor of Mamameder.
Abuye succeeded on the death of his father, and made his capital at
Har Amba
Har or HAR may refer to:
People
* Har Bilas Sarda (1867-1955), Indian academic, judge and politician
* Har Sharma (1922–1992), Indian cricket umpire
Mythology
* Hár and Hárr, among the many names of Odin in Norse mythology
* Horus, an Eg ...
. Sebestyanos had died "by a curious accident", according to Levine. Abuye had been rebuilding some of the churches destroyed by
Ahmad Gragn
Ahmad ibn Ibrahim al-Ghazi ( so, Axmed Ibraahim al-Qaasi or Axmed Gurey, Harari: አሕመድ ኢብራሂም አል-ጋዚ, ar, أحمد بن إبراهيم الغازي ; 1506 – 21 February 1543) was an imam and general of the Adal Sultana ...
, one of which was in
Doqaqit dedicated to St. Michael. Part of the ceremony required the
tabot
''Tabot'' ( Ge'ez ታቦት ''tābōt'', sometimes spelled ''tabout'') is a Ge'ez word referring to a replica of the Tablets of Law, onto which the Biblical Ten Commandments were inscribed, used in the practices of Orthodox Tewahedo Christians ...
in the church in
'Ayne, where his father was living, and it was secretly removed to
Doqaqit. Sebestyanos saw this as an act of rebellion, and set forth to capture and discipline his son; however, in the ensuing battle one of Qedami Qal's servants accidentally killed the Meridazmach.
[Donald N. Levine, ''Wax and Gold: Tradition and Innovation in Ethiopia Culture'' (Chicago: University Press, 1972), p. 33]
Because his father Sebestyanos refused to give homage to the
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 monarchy, hereditary ruler of the Ethiopian Empire, from at least the 13th century ...
, shortly after Abuye came to power he was confronted with an attack by the army of Emperor
Iyasus II. Although Abuye survived this threat unharmed, sources differ on the details. Abir reports one version, that intermediaries arranged an agreement where in exchange for tribute Abuye was officially invested with the title of Meridazmach;
[Abir, p. 147.] Marcus elaborates on this version, adding that Emperor Iyasu was more concerned about suppressing the
Wollo Oromo
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 ...
"closer to his center of power.
[ Levine notes that a second version claims that Abuye met the Imperial army and defeated it.][
Abuye continued the military consolidation of the ]Christian
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
principalities around him, and battling the Oromo invaders. According to Johann Ludwig Krapf
Johann Ludwig Krapf (11 January 1810 – 26 November 1881) was a German missionary in East Africa, as well as an explorer, linguist, and traveler. Krapf played an important role in exploring East Africa with Johannes Rebmann. They were the first ...
, Abuye defeated the ruler of Menz
Menz or Manz ( am, መንዝ, romanized: ''Mänz'') is a former subdivision of Ethiopia, located inside the boundaries of the modern Semien Shewa Zone of the Amhara Region. William Cornwallis Harris described Menz as lying "westward" of Gedem bu ...
, Gole, and annexed that district to Shewa.''Journals of the Rev. Messrs. Isenberg and Krapf, Missionaries of the Church Missionary Society, Detailing their proceedings in the kingdom of Shoa, and journeys in other parts of Abyssinia, in the years 1839, 1840, 1841 and 1842''
(London, 1843), p. 299 He died fighting the Karayu Oromo
The Karrayyu (also Kerrayu, Karrayyuu) are an Oromo clan inhabiting the Awash Valley banks of Abadir and Merti area in central Ethiopia. They are pastoralists. Karrayyu neighbor the Afar and Argobba people. It is believed the extinct Harla ethn ...
south of Yifat
Yifat ( he, יִפְעַת, more accurately romanized as "Yif'at") is a kibbutz in Galilee, northern Israel. Located adjacent to the town Migdal HaEmek and short distances from the cities of Afula and Nazareth. It falls under the jurisdiction of J ...
, and was buried in his capital Doqaqit.
Notes
{{DEFAULTSORT:Qal, Qedami
Rulers of Shewa
18th-century Ethiopian people
1744 deaths
Year of birth uncertain
1710s births