Embet Ilen (c.1801 – 1851) was a high-born woman and political leader during the Zemene Mesafint in present-day

Eritrea Eritrea ( ; ti, ኤርትራ, Ertra, ; ar, إرتريا, ʾIritriyā), officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa region of Eastern Africa, with its capital and largest city at Asmara. It is bordered by Ethiopia ...

. The mother of

Woldemichael Solomon Ras Woldemichael Solomon ( ti, ወልደሚካኤል ሰሎሙን) served as the Ras (Duke) Hamasien during the 19th century. Raesi Woldemichael was born in Hazega village in Hamassien. He is from the wider Tigrinya ethnic group, the eldest son o ...

, Embet Ilen "was without any doubt the most emancipated woman in Marab-Millash ( highland Eritrea) in the nineteenth century." Embet Ilen was given in marriage to Ayte Selomon, the eldest son of Kantiba Zar'ay, ruler of

Hazzega Hazega ( ti, ሃዘጋ) is a small village in Central Eritrea located in the Maekel/Central Region or the former province of Hamasien. It is located approximately north-west from the capital city, Asmara, and south-east of Keren. It is an entir ...

. After acceding to office in the mid-1820s, Selemon attacked Tse'azzega. Swiftly defeated, he fled to Gura'e. After two unsuccessful attempts to avenge her husband's defeat, Ilen allied with Shum-Agame Subagadis, who appointed Ilen governor of

Hamasen Hamasing () or is a historic urban area of Kaohsiung, Taiwan. It is located in the southern end of Gushan District between the foot of Ape Hill and Yancheng District, another historic quarter. History The name ''Hamasing'' was derived from J ...

, but then himself died in 1831. Ilen kept her office by managing to ally with

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 ...

. In the late 1840s she gave up her regency to her son,

. However, after being blamed for the murder of an old enemy, Kantiba Woldegaber, she was unable to find a safe place to live in exile.

References

1800s births 1851 deaths 19th-century Eritrean people {{Eritrea-bio-stub