''
Ras Bitwoded'' Tessema Nadew (died 10 April 1911)
horse name
A horse name is a secondary noble title or a popular name for members of Ethiopian royalty
Royalty may refer to:
* Any individual monarch, such as a king, queen, emperor, empress, etc.
* Royal family, the immediate family of a king or queen r ...
Abba Qamaw
was an Ethiopian military commander and a government official who on 28 October 1909 was proclaimed as Ethiopia's future ''Balemulu Enderase'' (
Regent
A regent (from Latin : ruling, governing) is a person appointed to govern a state '' pro tempore'' (Latin: 'for the time being') because the monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of the monarchy ...
Plenipotentiary
A ''plenipotentiary'' (from the Latin ''plenus'' "full" and ''potens'' "powerful") is a diplomat who has full powers—authorization to sign a treaty or convention on behalf of his or her sovereign. When used as a noun more generally, the wor ...
)
[''Bālemulu'' literally means "fully empowered" or "wholly authorised", thus distinguishing it from the general use of ''Enderase'', that being a representative or lieutenant of the Emperor to fiefs or vassals, essentially a Governor-General or ]Viceroy
A viceroy () is an official who reigns over a polity in the name of and as the representative of the monarch of the territory. The term derives from the Latin prefix ''vice-'', meaning "in the place of" and the French word ''roy'', meaning " ...
, by which term provincial governors in the late Imperial period were referred.) to
Lij Iyasu
''Lij'' Iyasu ( gez, ልጅ ኢያሱ; 4 February 1895 – 25 November 1935) was the designated Emperor of Ethiopia from 1913 to 1916. His baptismal name was Kifle Yaqob (ክፍለ ያዕቆብ ''kəflä y’aqob''). Ethiopian emperors traditio ...
, upon the latter's appointment as heir to the throne by
Emperor
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), ...
Menelik II
, spoken = ; ''djānhoi'', lit. ''"O steemedroyal"''
, alternative = ; ''getochu'', lit. ''"Our master"'' (pl.)
Menelik II ( gez, ዳግማዊ ምኒልክ ; horse name Abba Dagnew ( Amharic: አባ ዳኘው ''abba daññäw''); 17 ...
. He died in 1911, predeceasing Menelik and thus never assuming that office. He previously served as governor of
Illubabor Province
Illubabor (Amharic: ኢሉባቦር) was a province in the south-western part of Ethiopia, along the border with Sudan. The name Illubabor is said to come from two Oromo words, "Illu" and "Abba Bor(a)". "Illu" is a name of a clan, and "Abba Bor ...
, the campaign of re-conquest for which he had led, and fought in the
Battle of Adwa
The Battle of Adwa (; ti, ውግእ ዓድዋ; , also spelled ''Adowa'') was the climactic battle of the First Italo-Ethiopian War. The Ethiopian forces defeated the Italian invading force on Sunday 1 March 1896, near the town of Adwa. The de ...
.
Ancestry
Of
Amhara descent
Tessema Nadew was the son of
Ato Nadew Abba Baher and
Woyzero Qonjit Debneh. His father, Nadew Abba Baher, was
Menelik II
, spoken = ; ''djānhoi'', lit. ''"O steemedroyal"''
, alternative = ; ''getochu'', lit. ''"Our master"'' (pl.)
Menelik II ( gez, ዳግማዊ ምኒልክ ; horse name Abba Dagnew ( Amharic: አባ ዳኘው ''abba daññäw''); 17 ...
’s tutor as well as the commander in chief of Menelik’s army in the 1870s. Nadew was made
Dejazmach
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 ...
in 1878, and he was one of the leading royal counselors until his death in late 1886. Because of his father’s distinguished career, Tessema (also a cousin of
Emperor Menelik II
, spoken = ; ''djānhoi'', lit. ''"O steemedroyal"''
, alternative = ; ''getochu'', lit. ''"Our master"'' (pl.)
Menelik II ( gez, ዳግማዊ ምኒልክ ; horse name Abba Dagnew (Amharic: አባ ዳኘው ''abba daññäw''); 17 ...
) was eased into a favored position at Menelik’s court, and later became an advisor and close friend of his majesty.
[
]
Military and administrative career
Governor of Guma and Illubabor
Tessema Nadew was made governor, or Shum of the defunct kingdoms of Gumma and Illubabor in 1886.[ He conquered the small kingdom of Guma in 1886 and executed its leader Abba Fogi, Abba Fogi's son and heir, Firrisaa managed to flee.][
Tessema Nadew faced resistance in Illubabor by the local Oromo ruler, or ''Moti'', Fatansa Illu, who refused to continue vassalage nor pay tributes, and ceased to recognize Tessema's authority as an imperial overseer. Fatansa appealed in vain to Kumsa Mereda of Leqa Nekemte and ]Abba Jifar II
''Moti'' Abba Jifar II ( om, Mootii Abbaa Jifaar; 1861 – 1932) was King of the Gibe Kingdom of Jimma (r. 1878–1932).
Reign
Abba Jifar II was king of Jimma, and the son of Abba Gomol and Queen Gumiti. He had several wives: Queen Limmiti ...
of Jimma
Jimma () is the largest city in southwestern Oromia Region, Ethiopia. It is a special zone of the Oromia Region and is surrounded by Jimma Zone. It has a latitude and longitude of . Prior to the 2007 census, Jimma was reorganized administrativ ...
(who both by that time had accepted Ethiopian suzerainty over their lands) for assistance, as his forces' shields and spears were no match for the imperial army, which was well armed with modern firearms. Tessema Nadew led the re-conquest of Illubabor in 1889, defeated Fatansa Illu's forces, and permanently ended Illubabor autonomy.[
]
Battle of Adwa and submission of Aussa
A noted warrior, he fought in the Battle of Adwa
The Battle of Adwa (; ti, ውግእ ዓድዋ; , also spelled ''Adowa'') was the climactic battle of the First Italo-Ethiopian War. The Ethiopian forces defeated the Italian invading force on Sunday 1 March 1896, near the town of Adwa. The de ...
in 1896, Tessema was also assigned together with other generals to neutralize the Afar people
The Afar ( aa, Qafár), also known as the Danakil, Adali and Odali, are a Cushitic-speaking ethnic group inhabiting the Horn of Africa. They primarily live in the Afar Region of Ethiopia and in northern Djibouti, as well as the entire southern co ...
and prevent them from helping the Italians during the course of the First Italo-Ethiopian War
The First Italo-Ethiopian War, lit. ''Abyssinian War'' was fought between Italy and Ethiopia from 1895 to 1896. It originated from the disputed Treaty of Wuchale, which the Italians claimed turned Ethiopia into an Italian protectorate. Full-sc ...
in 1895–1896. The show of Abyssinian force dissuaded the Afar sultan Mahammad Hanfare of the Sultanate of Aussa
The Sultanate of Aussa was a kingdom that existed in the Afar Region in eastern Ethiopia in the 18th and 20th centuries.
It was considered to be the leading monarchy of the Afar people, to whom the other Afar rulers nominally acknowledged primac ...
from honouring his treaties with Italy, and instead Hanfare secured a modicum of autonomy within the Ethiopian Empire by accepting Menelik's indirect rule after the war.[
]
Conquest of Kaffa and Aari
Immediately after Ethiopia’s victory over Italy at the Battle of Adwa, Tesemma participated in the nine-month campaign to subdue the Kingdom of Kafa. Kafa was finally annexed in 1897.[
In 1897, ]Dejazmach
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 ...
Tessema Nadew with two thousand cavalary and infantry under his command, led the first wave in the campaign against the Baaka, a sub-group of the Aari people
Aari or Ari are a tribal Omotic people indigenous to Omo Valley of Ethiopia. According to 2007 census there are 289,835 ethnic Aari in Ethiopia, which makes up around 0.29% of the country's total population. Nearly all Aari speak the South Omoti ...
. The Imperial Ethiopian army approached the Baaka by beating the ceremonial drum negarit. The Baaka on their part blew their horn trumpets shoora and prepared themselves to confront Tessema's army. Conflict began under the beats of the war drum and blowing of horns. The Baaka warriors fought the army of Tesemma in three battles. The first battle was around Boshkoro in Maaleland. The second battle took place around Waati (what was later to be a customs check point known locally as kella). The third fighting took place in Bakko (then known as Adir). The Aari lost all three of these battles.
Fashoda
In March 1898, on Menelik’s orders, Tessema led a large Ethiopian army (with a Russian contingent) from his base in Gore, Illubabor, to join the French soldier Major Jean-Baptiste Marchand
:''for others with similar names, see Jean Marchand
General Jean-Baptiste Marchand (22 November 1863 – 14 January 1934) was a French military officer and explorer in Africa. Marchand is best known for commanding the French expeditionary ...
at Fashoda
Kodok or Kothok ( ar, كودوك), formerly known as Fashoda, is a town in the north-eastern South Sudanese state of Upper Nile State. Kodok is the capital of Shilluk country, formally known as the Shilluk Kingdom. Shilluk had been an independ ...
in the Sudan. It was, however, not Menelik’s intention to assist the French against the British during the Fashoda incident
The Fashoda Incident, also known as the Fashoda Crisis (French: ''Crise de Fachoda''), was an international incident and the climax of imperialist territorial disputes between Britain and France in East Africa, occurring in 1898. A French exped ...
between the two European powers. Menelik’s aim was largely to claim the territories in the Sudanese borderlands for Ethiopia. However, because of disease in the Nile Valley lowlands, Tessema’s army was forced to return to Gore in May before meeting with Marchand in Fashoda. He made, however, Fitawrari Haylu with eight hundred men and three Europeans move further to the confluence of the White Nile and the Sobat rivers, where they planted Ethiopian and French flags.[
]
Bank of Abyssinia
In 1900 Tesemma was promoted from Dejazmach to Ras. After 1900, he spent most of his time as advisor to the board of governors of the Bank of Abyssinia, which opened in 1905.[
]
Regency
In October 1909 he was made Ras Bitwoded (highest ranked Ras) and regent
A regent (from Latin : ruling, governing) is a person appointed to govern a state '' pro tempore'' (Latin: 'for the time being') because the monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of the monarchy ...
to Lij Iyasu
''Lij'' Iyasu ( gez, ልጅ ኢያሱ; 4 February 1895 – 25 November 1935) was the designated Emperor of Ethiopia from 1913 to 1916. His baptismal name was Kifle Yaqob (ክፍለ ያዕቆብ ''kəflä y’aqob''). Ethiopian emperors traditio ...
, Menelik’s designated heir.[ The new regent-designate found his authority undermined by Empress Taytu who tried to manipulate power and consolidate her own position while paralyzed Emperor Menelik was still alive. The Empress insisted that questions from the foreign legations in ]Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa (; am, አዲስ አበባ, , new flower ; also known as , lit. "natural spring" in Oromo), is the capital and largest city of Ethiopia. It is also served as major administrative center of the Oromia Region. In the 2007 census, t ...
be directed to her, not to the regent Tessema. Furthermore, Tessema himself suffered from an illness, which left him appearing helpless and apathetic and would take his life within a year. It took a ''coup d'état
A coup d'état (; French for 'stroke of state'), also known as a coup or overthrow, is a seizure and removal of a government and its powers. Typically, it is an illegal seizure of power by a political faction, politician, cult, rebel group, m ...
'' engineered by a group of aristocrats and the head of the Imperial Bodyguard
Kebur Zabagna or Zebenya ( am, ክቡር ዘበኛ, kəbur zãbãňňya, lit=honorable guard) was the Ethiopian imperial guard. Also known as the First Division, this unit served the dual purposes of providing security for the Emperor of Ethiopi ...
to convince ''Ras'' Tesemma and Habte Giyorgis
''Fitawrari'' Habte Giyorgis Dinagde ( am, ሀብተ ጊዮርጊስ ዲነግዴ; ; 1851 – 12 December 1926) also known by his horse name Abba Mechal was an Ethiopian military commander and government official who, among several other pos ...
to decisively limit the influence of the Empress by forcing her resignation in March 1910. Despite these developments, the imperial government continued to falter: administrators were unwilling to make decisions because Tessema himself might be overthrown, and foreign affairs likewise suffered. Despite this, Harold Marcus notes that the presence of Tessema "did curb ministerial dissensions and intrigues and was a reminder of the existence of central authority."[
]
Legacy
On 10 April 1911, Tessema Nadew died. Shortly after midnight on 11 April Tessema's body was taken to Debre Libanos
Debre Libanos (Amharic: ደብረ ሊባኖስ, om, Dabra libanose) is an Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo monastery, lying northwest of Addis Ababa in the North Shewa Zone of the Oromia Region. It was founded in 1284 by Saint Tekle Haymanot as ...
for immediate burial. Lij Iyasu
''Lij'' Iyasu ( gez, ልጅ ኢያሱ; 4 February 1895 – 25 November 1935) was the designated Emperor of Ethiopia from 1913 to 1916. His baptismal name was Kifle Yaqob (ክፍለ ያዕቆብ ''kəflä y’aqob''). Ethiopian emperors traditio ...
maneuvered himself in the position of regent.[
His son ]Dejazmach
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 ...
Kebede Tessema succeeded him as Governor, or Shum of Illubabor in 1909, after Tessema became regent.[Ruffo, "Border and Border Crossing"]
Notes
References
{{reflist
Ethiopian military personnel
1911 deaths
Year of birth missing