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''girmāwī''
His Imperial Majesty Imperial Majesty (''His/Her Imperial Majesty'', abbreviated as ''HIM'') is a style used by Emperors and Empresses. It distinguishes the status of an emperor/empress from that of a King/Queen, who are simply styled Majesty. Holders of this style h ...
, spoken= am , ጃንሆይ ''djānhoi''
Your Imperial Majesty
(lit. "O steemedroyal"), alternative= am , ጌቶቹ ''getochu''
Our Lord (familiar)
(lit. "Our master" (pl.)) yohanes Yohannes IV (
Tigrinya (; also spelled Tigrigna) is an Ethio-Semitic language commonly spoken Eritrea and in northern Ethiopia's Tigray Region by the Tigrinya and Tigrayan peoples. It is also spoken by the global diaspora of these regions. History and literatur ...
: ዮሓንስ ፬ይ ''Rabaiy Yōḥānnis'';
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 Bezbiz; born ''Lij'' Kassa Mercha; 11 July 1837 – 10 March 1889) was Emperor of Ethiopia from 1871 to his death in 1889 at the Battle of Gallabat, and
king King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...
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 ...
from 1869 to 1871.


Origin and rise to power

On the side of his father,
Mercha Wolde Kidan ''Shum Tembien'' Mercha Wolde Kidan (, ''Mərcha Wäldä Kidan''; 1820s – 1864/65) was the ruler of Tembien, a province of Tigray, and father of Kasa Mercha (later ''atse'' Yohannes IV). Mercha had his seat at Melfa in the mountainous Degwa Te ...
, Yohannes descended from the ruling dynasty of Tembien where both his father and grandfather bore the traditional title of ''šum Tembien'', while his mother, Silas Dimtsu, was a daughter of ''balgäda'' Demsu of Enderta and Tabotu Woldu of Agame, hence a niece of Sabagadis Woldu. He thus descended from the ruling families of Tembien, Agame and Enderta. Yohannes Solomonic lineage is through his paternal grandmother Woizero Workewoha KaleKristoss of Adwa, the granddaughter of Ras
Mikael Sehul Mikael Sehul (born Blatta Mikael; 1692 – 1784) was a nobleman who ruled Ethiopia for a period of 25 years as regent of a series of weak emperors. He was also a Ras or governor of Tigray 1748–71 and again from 1772 until his death. He was a m ...
and his wife Aster Iyasu, daughter of Empress Mentewab and Melmal Iyasu, who was a Solomonic prince and nephew of Emperor Bakaffa. Therefore Yohannes is descendent from the Gondar-Branch of the Solomonic Dynasty. The story of the first half of his life is poorly documented. Even the date of his birth is uncertain; various sources place it between 1831 and 1837. The available sources merely indicate that he was the youngest of his siblings, that he had a seriously ailing childhood, that he received some church education, and that he was initiated to manhood after killing some wild animals (lions and/or elephants) for trophies. The first mention of his appearance in the political arena comes up in connection with his visit to the imperial court of Tewodros in 1864-65 in the company of his brothers, Gugsa and Maru. Gugsa was given the title of ''däjazmač'', and Maru that of ''fit’awrari''. The lowest title, of ''balambaras'', was bestowed upon Kaśa, who was subsequently assigned to administer a sub-district within the governorship of his elder brother, Gugsa. Shortly after their return to Tigray, Kaśa rebelled against the rule of Tewodros. What prompted his rebellion is not well established. Often two explanations, which are not essentially contradictory, are forwarded by the sources: the first is related to his dissatisfaction with the rank and function given to him by the sovereign, while the second interprets his rebellion as a response to the appeal of ''abunä'' Salama who in 1867 wrote from prison to many notables condemning his perceived injustices of Tewodros. In any case, for some time his (together with his followers) retired to the eastern lowlands and found refuge among the Afar, from which ethnic group he married a Muslim after she had been baptized with the name Tebaba Sellasie. Returning to the highlands, he raised more men and began his military campaign: in the years 1864-67, he consecutively defeated ''šum serye'' Gebre Mikael, '' däjazmač'' Barya'u Gebre Sadeq of Adwa and ''däjazmač''
Tekle Giyorgis Tekle Giyorgis may refer to *Tekle Giyorgis I (c.1751–1817), Emperor of Ethiopia *Tekle Giyorgis II Tekle Giyorgis II ( Ge’ez: ተክለ ጊዮርጊስ, born Wagshum Gobeze (Amharic: ዋግሹም ጎበዜ), died 1873) was Emperor of Ethi ...
Qalos of Shire. Barya'u transferred his allegiance to Kaśa whom he served faithfully until he was killed in a battle some ten years later. Tekle Giyorgis (who had killed Kaśa's mother, Silass) fell in battle, and Kaśa subsequently assumed his title of ''däjazmač''. Kaśa then formed an alliance with ''wag šum'' Gobez Gebre Medhin of Lasta against Tewodros and began to harass the imperial representatives on both side of the
Mareb Marib ( ar, مَأْرِب, Maʾrib; Old South Arabian: 𐩣𐩧𐩨/𐩣𐩧𐩺𐩨 ''Mryb/Mrb'') is the capital city of Marib Governorate, Yemen. It was the capital of the ancient kingdom of '' Sabaʾ'' ( ar, سَبَأ), which some scholars ...
. He defeated the governors of Selewa and
Kilte Awulaelo Kilte Awulaelo () is one of the Districts of Ethiopia, or ''woredas'', in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Misraqawi Zone, Kilte Awulaelo is bordered on the south by the Debub Misraqawi (Southeastern) Zone, on the west by the Mehakelegn ...
. In
Hamasien The Provinces of Eritrea existed between Eritrea's incorporation as a colony of Italy until the conversion of the provinces into administrative regions. Overview In Italian Eritrea, the Italian colonial administration had divided the colony into e ...
, ''däjazmač'' Haylu Tewolde Medhen, who contemplated resistance, was confined and replaced with ''däjazmač'' (later ''ras'') Woldemichael Solomon who had actively participated in Kaśa's military campaign against the imperial officials in Tigray. The imperial ambitions of Yohannes are consolidated towards the end of the reign of Tewodros II; as early as 1867, he presented himself, during a correspondence with the British, as ruler of Ethiopia.Harold G. Marcus, ''A History of Ethiopia'', University of California Press, 2002, . During the same year, a diplomatic dispute between Tewodros and the British government led the expedition to Abyssinia in order to free the European captives imprisoned there by Tewodros. From February 1868, Yohannes came into contact with British officers, including the commander of the expedition, Sir Robert Napier. Napier sends Major James Augustus Grant, a British explorer, to meet the ruler of Tigray.Harold G. Marcus, ''The life and times of Menelik II: Ethiopia 1844-1913'', Lawrenceville, Red Sea Press, 1995, . Yohannes is then perceived by James as a “weak and easily manipulated man, aspiring to become a great leader of the
Ethiopian Empire The Ethiopian Empire (), also formerly known by the exonym Abyssinia, or just simply known as Ethiopia (; Amharic and Tigrinya: ኢትዮጵያ , , Oromo: Itoophiyaa, Somali: Itoobiya, Afar: ''Itiyoophiyaa''), was an empire that histori ...
." After three hearings, Yohannes officially agrees to help Napier. It facilitates the provisioning of the troops by installing markets near the main camp sites.Harold G. Marcus, ''The life and times of Menelik II: Ethiopia 1844-1913'', Lawrenceville, Red Sea Press, 1995, . Yohannes assures the British that he will help them “with all ispower." Yohannes undertakes to protect the supply routes from the coast to Magdala and to repress those who disturb the
telegraph Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages where the sender uses symbolic codes, known to the recipient, rather than a physical exchange of an object bearing the message. Thus flag semaphore is a method of telegraphy, whereas p ...
.Harold G. Marcus, ''The life and times of Menelik II: Ethiopia 1844-1913'', Lawrenceville, Red Sea Press, 1995, . In return, Yohannes asked Napier during a meeting on February 28, 1868, for the participation of British forces in his fight against Wagshoum Gobeze. Napier refused but maintained the possibility, after the campaign, of military assistance which Yohannes and his 10,000 men “greatly needed."Harold G. Marcus, ''The life and times of Menelik II: Ethiopia 1844-1913'', Lawrenceville, Red Sea Press, 1995, . On April 10, 1868, the expeditionary force arrived at the foot of Magdala and, three days later, after refusing to surrender to the British, the Nəgusä nägäst Tewodros II committed suicide. Napier's victory and the ease with which the expedition reached Magdala was made possible by Yohannes.Harold G. Marcus, ''The life and times of Menelik II: Ethiopia 1844-1913'', Lawrenceville, Red Sea Press, 1995, . The British officers themselves admit that they were "lucky" to have obtained the cooperation of the leader of Tigray. A report written by one of the British officers stating that: “The British army could not have reached Magdala during this season, without having received the help of the chiefs and the people of the country”. in return turn for the help that Yohannes provided the British, he received military equipment, estimated at 500,000
Pounds sterling Sterling (abbreviation: stg; Other spelling styles, such as STG and Stg, are also seen. ISO code: GBP) is the currency of the United Kingdom and nine of its associated territories. The pound ( sign: £) is the main unit of sterling, and ...
, including: 6
mortars Mortar may refer to: * Mortar (weapon), an indirect-fire infantry weapon * Mortar (masonry), a material used to fill the gaps between blocks and bind them together * Mortar and pestle, a tool pair used to crush or grind * Mortar, Bihar, a villag ...
, 6 Howitzer, approximately 900
muskets A musket is a muzzle-loaded long gun that appeared as a smoothbore weapon in the early 16th century, at first as a heavier variant of the arquebus, capable of penetrating plate armour. By the mid-16th century, this type of musket gradually dis ...
and rifles, ammunition, powder and 585,480 primers percussion. This armament is added to the already important arsenal of Yohannes.Harold G. Marcus, ''A History of Ethiopia'', University of California Press, 2002, . After the Magdala expedition, the British disengaged completely and Yohannes offers of cooperation were rejected or ignored. Even after his seizure of imperial power, he failed to arouse the interest of the British.Bahru Zewde, ''A History of Modern Ethiopia, 1855-1991'', James Currey, Londres, 2002, . Nevertheless, the Napier expedition had an impact on the struggle for power; in addition to military equipment, a British instructor, John C. Kirkham, agrees to stay in Ethiopia to train the troops of Yohannes. He is responsible for training the troops of Yohannes and preparing them for the use of modern weapons received from the British. According to the Historian
Bahru Zewde Bahru Zewde (born 1947 in Addis Ababa) is an Ethiopian historian and author. He writes extensively about modern Ethiopian history (1855 to the present) and is now an emeritus professor at Addis Ababa University where he once served as the Head of t ...
, the combination of new weapons and the training provided by John Kirkham determined the fight against
Tekle Giyorgis Tekle Giyorgis may refer to *Tekle Giyorgis I (c.1751–1817), Emperor of Ethiopia *Tekle Giyorgis II Tekle Giyorgis II ( Ge’ez: ተክለ ጊዮርጊስ, born Wagshum Gobeze (Amharic: ዋግሹም ጎበዜ), died 1873) was Emperor of Ethi ...
.Bahru Zewde, ''A History of Modern Ethiopia, 1855-1991'', James Currey, Londres, 2002, . Following the death of Tewodros, Gobeze Gebre Medhin, had himself crowned as ''nəgusä nägäst'' Tekle Giyorgis II. He successfully suppressed rebellions of ''ras'' Wolde Maryam of Begemender and Fares Ali of Yejju. Yohannes however, refused to acknowledge the new metropolitan ''abunä'' Atnatyos sent from Alexandria in June 1869, and kept him in his dominion. However, Tekle Giyorgis is not fooled and he quickly understands Yohannes' intentions. Although having a way more larger army in numbers, Tekle Giyorgis does not have the modern weapons which Yohannes have. In addition to that, his troops include many soldiers from Tigray and he fears their change of camp in favor of Yohannes.Harold G. Marcus, ''The life and times of Menelik II: Ethiopia 1844-1913'', Lawrenceville, Red Sea Press, 1995, . Thus, Tekle Giyorgis seeks the collaboration of Menelik in order to consolidate a purely numerical advantage. However, the Negus of Shewa refuses to join in the fight, preferring to see the two great Warlords confront each other and tire each other.Harold G. Marcus, ''The life and times of Menelik II: Ethiopia 1844-1913'', Lawrenceville, Red Sea Press, 1995, . Finally, on 11 July 1871, Tekle Giyorgis confronted Kaśa 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 ...
, but was defeated and confined to Enda Abba Selma, Tembien, where he would die two years later. on 21 January 1872 Yohannes was crowned in
Aksum Axum, or Aksum (pronounced: ), is a town in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia with a population of 66,900 residents (as of 2015). It is the site of the historic capital of the Aksumite Empire, a naval and trading power that ruled the whole regio ...
as Yohannes IV by ''abunä'' Atnatyos. His seal also changed from "...''nəgusä mäkanənt''" ('head of the notables') to "...''nəgusä Səyon, nəgusä nəguśt zä Ityopya''" ('King of Zion, King of Kings of Ethiopia').


Internal policy

The principle of Yohannes's internal policy was to continue the legacy of Tewodros II by trying to unite Ethiopia. To ensure the realization of this policy, he toured each region and appointed governors, usually from the local nobility, regardless of their former attitudes toward him, as long as they submitted and expressed to him their unflinching loyalty. He thus managed, as the contemporary English vice-consul put it, "to hold the scales of justice with a firm and even hand"; "it was in 1884 the boast of King Yohannes that a child could pass through his dominions unharmed". In the first six years of his reign, he succeeded in achieving the unity of the predominantly Christian provinces, including Wag and Lasta, Semien and Begemder,
Sayint Sayint () is a woreda in Amhara Region, Ethiopia. It is named after the historical district of Amhara Sayint which was located in the same area. Part of the South Wollo Zone, Sayint is bordered on the south by Debre Sina and Mehal Sayint, on the ...
, Gojjam, Wollo and Shewa. He crowned Menelik King of Shewa in 1878 and
Tekle Haymanot Abune Tekle Haymanot ( Ge'ez: አቡነ ተክለ ሃይማኖት; known in the Coptic Church as Saint Takla Haymanot of Ethiopia; 1215 – 1313) was an Ethiopian saint and monk mostly venerated as a hermit. He was the Abuna of Ethiopia who fo ...
King of Gojjam and Kaffa in 1881 and encouraged them to expand their empire to the south, east, and west. However, this advice created rivalry between the two regional kings, which came to a climax in the
Battle of Embabo The Battle of Embabo was fought 6 June 1882, between the Shewan forces of ''Negus'' Menelik and the Gojjame forces of ''Negus'' Tekle Haymanot. The forces fought to gain control over the Oromo areas south of the Gibe River.Shinn, p. 67 The Go ...
in June 1882. Yohannes reprimanded both of them for fighting without his permission, punished them by taking away a province from the jurisdiction of each of them and defined the direction of territories to be conquered by each of the two kings. In the first ten years Yohannes had no fixed capital for his empire. He camped for about two and half months in Aksum at the time of his coronation, but there is no indication that he would make it the imperial capital. It seems that he intended to revive the tradition of a mobile capital of medieval Ethiopia. There were, nonetheless, three centers which he frequented: Adwa where he usually celebrated
Meskel Meskel ( gez, መስቀል, Mesk’el) is a Christian holiday in the Ethiopian Orthodox and Eritrean Orthodox churches that commemorates the discovery of the True Cross by the Roman Empress Helena (Saint Helena) in the fourth century. Meskel occ ...
, Amba Chara and Semera, both of which were located in Begemder. In the early 1880s, however, he chose
Mekelle Mekelle ( ti, መቐለ, am, መቀሌ, mäqälle, mek’elē) or Mekele is a special zone and capital of the Tigray Region of Ethiopia. Mekelle was formerly the capital of Enderta awraja in Tigray. It is located around north of the Ethiopi ...
as his center where he had a palace erected by an Italian craftsman, Giacomo Naretti.


Religious policy

Yohannes inherited the empire encumbered with three religious questions which provoked him to seek a solution: the internal dissensions of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church (EOC), Islam, and Christian foreign missionary activities. He regarded all of them as menaces to the unity and stability of the state. By 1878, Yohannes was ready to tackle the problems by summoning a council at Boru Meda, Wollo. Most of the high dignitaries and notables of Ethiopia were present at the council. The leading theologians of the three major disputing groups of the EOC — ''Karra'' (predominant in the north), ''Sägga'' or ''Śost Lədät'' (prevalent in Begemeder and Shewa) and ''Qəbat'' (based in Gojjam and Lasta) — tried to defend their respective doctrines. Yohannes readily accepted corrections made by a notable on procedural matters. Apparently, he had a long-prepared plan for the council, as he had a letter from the patriarch of Alexandria read out at the end of the disputation which endorsed the imperial tenet. The policy transcended Yohannes's reign, though there were indications that the suppressed tenets had by no means been eradicated.


Foreign policy


War with Ottoman Egypt

Throughout his reign, Yohannes was embroiled in military struggles on his northern frontiers. First was from Khedive
Isma'il Pasha Isma'il Pasha ( ar, إسماعيل باشا ; 12 January 1830 – 2 March 1895), was the Khedive of Egypt and conqueror of Sudan from 1863 to 1879, when he was removed at the behest of Great Britain. Sharing the ambitious outlook of his gran ...
of
Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Medit ...
, who sought to bring the entire Nile River basin under his rule. The Egyptians flirted with encouraging Menelik of Shewa against the King, but earned Menelik's enmity by marching from the port of
Zeila Zeila ( so, Saylac, ar, زيلع, Zayla), also known as Zaila or Zayla, is a historical port town in the western Awdal region of Somaliland. In the Middle Ages, the Jewish traveller Benjamin of Tudela identified Zeila (or Hawilah) with the Bibl ...
and occupying the city-state of
Harar Harar ( amh, ሐረር; Harari: ሀረር; om, Adare Biyyo; so, Herer; ar, هرر) known historically by the indigenous as Gey (Harari: ጌይ ''Gēy'', ) is a walled city in eastern Ethiopia. It is also known in Arabic as the City of Saint ...
on 11 October 1875. Both Menelik and Yohannes had regarded
Harar Harar ( amh, ሐረር; Harari: ሀረር; om, Adare Biyyo; so, Herer; ar, هرر) known historically by the indigenous as Gey (Harari: ጌይ ''Gēy'', ) is a walled city in eastern Ethiopia. It is also known in Arabic as the City of Saint ...
as a renegade province of Ethiopia, and Egyptian seizure of the Emirate was not welcome to either of them. The Egyptians then marched into northern Ethiopia from their coastal possessions around the port of Massawa. Yohannes pleaded with the British to stop their Egyptian allies and even withdrew from his own territory in order to show the Europeans that he was the wronged party and that the Khedive was the aggressor. However, Yohannes soon realized that the Europeans would not stop the Khedive of Egypt and so he gathered up his armies and marched to meet the Egyptian force. The two armies met at Gundet (also called Guda-gude) on the morning of 16 November 1875. The Egyptians were tricked into marching into a narrow and steep valley and were wiped out by Ethiopian gunners surrounding the valley from the surrounding mountains. Virtually the entire Egyptian force, along with its many officers of European and North American background, were killed. News of this huge defeat was suppressed in Egypt for fear that it would undermine the government of the Khedive. A new Egyptian force was assembled and sent to avenge the defeat at Gundet. The Egyptians were defeated again at the Battle of Gura (7–9 March 1876), where the Ethiopians were led again by the Emperor, and his loyal general, the capable (and future ''Ras'') Alula Engida. This victory was followed by Menelik's submission to Yohannes on 20 March 1878, and in return, Yohannes recognized Menelik's hereditary right to the title of King (''Negus'') of Shewa, and re-crowned him on 26 March. Yohannes took this opportunity to tie the Shewan King more closely to him by arranging for Menelik's daughter
Zewditu , spoken = ; ''djānhoi'', lit. ''"O steemedroyal"'' , alternative = ; ''getochu'', lit. ''"Our master"'' (pl.) Zewditu ( gez, ዘውዲቱ, born Askala Maryam; 29 April 1876 – 2 April 1930) was Empress of Ethiopia from 1916 to 19 ...
(the future Empress of Ethiopia in her own right), to be married to his own son and heir, ''Ras'' Araya Selassie. Emperor Yohannes also convened a general council of the
Ethiopian Church The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church ( am, የኢትዮጵያ ኦርቶዶክስ ተዋሕዶ ቤተ ክርስቲያን, ''Yäityop'ya ortodoks täwahedo bétäkrestyan'') is the largest of the Oriental Orthodox Churches. One of the few Chris ...
at Boru Meda later in 1878, which brought an end to the ongoing theological dispute in the local church; Christians, Muslims, and pagans were given respectively two, three and five years to conform to the council's decisions. Non-Christians were forbidden from participating in the government unless they converted and were baptized; the Muslims were given three months, while the pagans had to become Christians immediately. "Having concluded that Wollo was worth a mass," as Harold Marcus wryly puts it, his retainer ''Ras'' Mohammed of Wollo became disobedient of the tax rules, which he and the entire Wollo refused to pay tax to the government in which Emperor Yohannes had discovered, ''Ras'' Mohammed was conspiring with the Turks the Ottoman empire because of his Muslim affiliation. ''Ras'' Mohammed was brought to Emperor Yohannes and was confronted of his conspiracy in helping the Muslim colonizer and to bring down the Judeo Christian empire. ''Ras'' Mohammed was siding with Muslim Affiliates of Turkey. After meeting with King Yohannes and in learning that if he were to assist the Turks, in the end, he and the rest of Ethiopia would become a slave to the Arab/Muslim world. ''Ras Mohammed'' then chose to become a Christian to later inherit a Christian name (later ''Negus'')
Mikael of Wollo ''Negus'' Mikael of Wollo (born Mohammed Ali, 1850 – 8 September 1922), was an army commander and a member of the nobility of the Ethiopian Empire. He was the father of the "uncrowned" Emperor Lij Iyasu, and the grandfather of Empress Menen, w ...
, the Emperor stood as his godfather at his baptism. The new convert was given Menelik of Shewa's other daughter, Shewarega Menelik, as his wife. Yohannes went one step further and pressured Menelik to expel all of the Roman Catholic missionaries from Shewa. However this time, instead of a single Archbishop, he requested that Patriarch Cyril send four to serve the large number of Christians in Ethiopia, who arrived in 1881. They were led by ''Abuna'' Petros as Archbishop, ''Abuna'' Matewos for Shewa, ''Abuna'' Luqas for
Gojjam Gojjam ( ''gōjjām'', originally ጐዛም ''gʷazzam'', later ጐዣም ''gʷažžām'', ጎዣም ''gōžžām'') is a historical province in northwestern Ethiopia, with its capital city at Debre Marqos. Gojjam's earliest western boundary ex ...
and ''Abuna'' Markos for
Gondar Gondar, also spelled Gonder (Amharic: ጎንደር, ''Gonder'' or ''Gondär''; formerly , ''Gʷandar'' or ''Gʷender''), is a city and woreda in Ethiopia. Located in the North Gondar Zone of the Amhara Region, Gondar is north of Lake Tana on t ...
. ''Abuna'' Markos died shortly after arriving, so his diocese was included with that of ''Abuna'' Atnatewos. It was the first time that the Coptic Patriarch of Alexandria had appointed four Bishops for Ethiopia.


War with Sudan

When
Muhammad Ahmad Muhammad Ahmad ( ar, محمد أحمد ابن عبد الله; 12 August 1844 – 22 June 1885) was a Nubian Sufi religious leader of the Samaniyya order in Sudan who, as a youth, studied Sunni Islam. In 1881, he claimed to be the Mahdi, ...
proclaimed himself the
Mahdi The Mahdi ( ar, ٱلْمَهْدِيّ, al-Mahdī, lit=the Guided) is a messianic figure in Islamic eschatology who is believed to appear at the end of times to rid the world of evil and injustice. He is said to be a descendant of Muhammad w ...
(a prophesied Islamic leader who would precede the Day of Judgement), and incited Sudan into a long and violent revolt, his followers successfully drove part of the Egyptian garrisons out of Sudan and isolated the rest at
Suakin Suakin or Sawakin ( ar, سواكن, Sawákin, Beja: ''Oosook'') is a port city in northeastern Sudan, on the west coast of the Red Sea. It was formerly the region's chief port, but is now secondary to Port Sudan, about north. Suakin used to b ...
and at various posts in the south. Yohannes agreed to British requests to allow these Egyptian soldiers to evacuate through his lands, with the understanding that the
British Empire The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts e ...
would then support his claims on important ports like Massawa on the
Red Sea The Red Sea ( ar, البحر الأحمر - بحر القلزم, translit=Modern: al-Baḥr al-ʾAḥmar, Medieval: Baḥr al-Qulzum; or ; Coptic: ⲫⲓⲟⲙ ⲛ̀ϩⲁϩ ''Phiom Enhah'' or ⲫⲓⲟⲙ ⲛ̀ϣⲁⲣⲓ ''Phiom ǹšari''; ...
to import weapons and ammunition in the event that Egypt was forced to withdraw from them. This was formalized in a treaty signed with the British at Adwa known as the Hewett Treaty. According to the treaty, the Ethiopians would allow the Egyptians to safely evacuate out of certain cities such as
Kassala Kassala ( ar, كسلا) is the capital of the state of Kassala in eastern Sudan. Its 2008 population was recorded to be 419,030. Built on the banks of the Gash River, it is a market town and is famous for its fruit gardens. Many of its inhabit ...
, which aggravated the Mahdists even more. ''Ras'' Alula defeated an invading Mahdist army at the Battle of Kufit on 23 September 1885. About the same time,
Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
took control of the port of Massawa, frustrating Ethiopian hopes and angering Yohannes. Yohannes attempted to work out some kind of understanding with the Italians, so he could turn his attention to the more pressing problem of the Mahdists, although ''Ras'' Alula took it upon himself to attack Italian units that were on both sides of the ill-defined frontier between the two powers. Domestic problems increased when the Neguses of both Gojjam and Shewa rebelled against Yohannes, and the Emperor had to turn his attention from the encroaching Italians to deal with his rebellious vassals. Yohannes brutally crushed the Gojjame rebellion, but before he could turn his attention to Shewa news arrived that the Mahdist forces had sacked
Gondar Gondar, also spelled Gonder (Amharic: ጎንደር, ''Gonder'' or ''Gondär''; formerly , ''Gʷandar'' or ''Gʷender''), is a city and woreda in Ethiopia. Located in the North Gondar Zone of the Amhara Region, Gondar is north of Lake Tana on t ...
and burned its holy churches. He marched north from Gojjam to confront the armies of the Mahdi.


Death

Yohannes was killed by Mahdist Sudanese at the Battle of Gallabat that took place on 9–10 March 1889 in Metemma near the Sudanese border. Evidence suggests that Emperor Yohannes had acted rashly and had made himself vulnerable, going beyond enemy lines in a range of enemy shots as victory was going to his side. Mortally wounded from a gunshot, he had been carried to his tent, where he announced that his nephew ''Ras'' Mengesha was actually his natural son, and named him his heir (his elder son ''Ras'' Araya Selassie had died a few years earlier). He died hours later. Although the Ethiopian army had almost annihilated their opponents in this battle, hearing that their ruler had been slain shattered their morale and they were scattered by the nearly beaten Sudanese army. Yohannes's body was carried back to Tigray guarded by a small party, who were overtaken by the Mahdist troops of Zeki Tummal near the
Atbara River The Atbarah River ( ar, نهر عطبرة; transliterated: Nahr 'Atbarah), also known as the Black Nile, is a river in northeast Africa. It rises in northwest Ethiopia, approximately 50 km north of Lake Tana and 30 km west of Gond ...
, who captured the sovereign's body. Augustus B. Wylde, who claimed to have heard the story from a priest who managed to escape the slaughter, wrote how Yohannes' uncle ''Ras'' Areya stood beside the body of his dead master with "a few of his soldiers and the bravest of the king's servants, who had lost their all, and had no more prospects to live for". : ''Ras'' Areya was last seen standing alongside the box containing the king's body, after having expended all his ammunition, with his shield and sword in his hands, defending himself, till at last he was speared by a Dervish from behind, and died fighting gamely, "like the fine old warrior that he was".Augustus B. Wylde, ''Modern Abyssinia'' (London: Methuen, 1901), p. 43 According to Wylde, as he saw death come ''Ras'' Areya announced "that he was now old and done for, that his time had come, and it was useless at his age to serve another master that he knew little about, and it was better to die like a man fighting unbelievers, than like a mule in a stable." The Mahdists brought the Emperor's body back to their capital at Omdurman, where the head was put on a pike and paraded through the streets. On 2 May of the same year 1889, Emperor Menelik signed then the
Treaty of Wuchale The Treaty of Wuchale (also spelled Treaty of Ucciale; it, Trattato di Uccialli, am, የውጫሌ ውል) was a treaty signed between the Ethiopian Empire and the Kingdom of Italy. The signing parties were King Menelik II of Shewa, acting as ...
with the Italians which later on led to the Battle of Adwa.


Descendants

Although a group of Tigrean nobles led by ''Ras'' Alula attempted to promote the claim of ''Ras''
Mengesha Yohannes ''Ras'' Mengesha Yohannes ( ti, መንገሻ ዮሓንስ; 1868 – 1906) was governor of Tigray and a son of ''atse'' Yohannes IV (r. 1872-89). His mother was Welette Tekle Haymanot wife of ''dejazmach'' Gugsa Mercha. ''Ras'' Araya Selassie Y ...
(the "natural" son of Yohannes) as Emperor, many of the dead monarch's other relatives on both the Enderta and Tembien sides of his family objected and went into open rebellion against Mengesha. Many refused to accept ''Ras'' Mengesha as the son of Yohannes, having long known him as his nephew. Tigray was torn assunder by the rebellions of various members of the Emperor's family against Mengesha and each other. Menelik of Shewa took advantage of Tigrean disorder, and after the Italians occupied
Hamasien The Provinces of Eritrea existed between Eritrea's incorporation as a colony of Italy until the conversion of the provinces into administrative regions. Overview In Italian Eritrea, the Italian colonial administration had divided the colony into e ...
, (a district Yohannes IV had bestowed upon ''Ras'' Alula) he was proclaimed Emperor of Ethiopia as
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 ...
. The death of Yohannes reduced the influence of Tigrayans in the Ethiopian government and opened the way for Italians to occupy more districts previously held by Tigrayan nobles. The seizures made by the Italians at this time ultimately resulted in the creation of the colony of Eritrea and the defeat of Italy at 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 ...
at the hands of Emperor Menelik II. The Tigrean nobility retained influence at the Imperial court of Menelik and his successors, although not at the level they enjoyed under Yohannes IV. The descendants of Yohannes ruled Tigray as hereditary Princes until the Ethiopian Revolution and the fall of the monarchy in 1974 ended their rule.


Araya Selassie Yohannes

There are two lines of descent from Yohannes IV, one "legitimate" and one "natural." The legitimate line is through his elder son, ''Ras'' Araya Selassie Yohannes. Araya Selassie Yohannes was born to his wife Wolete Selassie. The son of Araya Selassie Yohannes was ''Ras''
Gugsa Araya Selassie Gugsa Araya Selassie (1885 – 28 April 1932) was an army commander and a member of the royal family of the Ethiopian Empire. Biography ''Leul'' Gugsa Araya Selassie was the legitimate son of ''Ras'' Araya Selassie Yohannes. Araya Selas ...
. His son was the infamous ''Dejazmach'' Haile Selassie Gugsa who governed eastern Tigray in the 1930s and was married to Emperor Haile Selassie's daughter Princess Zenebework Haile Selassie. However, following the death of his wife, ''Dejazmatch'' Haile Selassie Gugsa's relationship with Emperor Haile Selassie deteriorated, and in 1936, ''Dejazmatch'' Haile Selassie became the first high-ranking Ethiopian nobleman to defect to the Italians when the Fascist forces invaded Ethiopia. The people of
Mekelle Mekelle ( ti, መቐለ, am, መቀሌ, mäqälle, mek’elē) or Mekele is a special zone and capital of the Tigray Region of Ethiopia. Mekelle was formerly the capital of Enderta awraja in Tigray. It is located around north of the Ethiopi ...
ransacked his house when this news was revealed. He was elevated to the title of ''Ras'' by the King of Italy. However, following the liberation of Ethiopia in 1941, Haile Selassie Gugsa was placed under house arrest and regarded as a traitor. Emperor Haile Selassie refused to acknowledge the title of ''Ras'' granted to his former son-in-law by the King of Italy, and so he reverted to the title of ''Dejazmatch''. He was freed by the Derg regime in 1974 following the fall of the monarchy. He died shortly thereafter. There are other descendants of Emperor Yohannes IV in this "legitimate" line, but because of the wartime actions of ''Dejazmatch'' Haile Selassie Gugsa, this branch of the family fell into disfavor at the Imperial court and lost its position and influence.


Mengesha Yohannes

The second, "natural" line is through ''Ras''
Mengesha Yohannes ''Ras'' Mengesha Yohannes ( ti, መንገሻ ዮሓንስ; 1868 – 1906) was governor of Tigray and a son of ''atse'' Yohannes IV (r. 1872-89). His mother was Welette Tekle Haymanot wife of ''dejazmach'' Gugsa Mercha. ''Ras'' Araya Selassie Y ...
and is the better-known line. Although ''Ras'' Mengesha Yohannes ended his days under house arrest for his repeated rebelling against Emperor Menelik II. Ras Mengesha's son ''Ras'' Seyoum Mengesha first became governor of western Tigray, and following the treason of his cousin ''Dejazmatch'' Haile Selassie Gugsa, became Governor (''Shum'') of all of Tigray in 1936. He commanded troops against the Italians, but was forced to surrender and spent most of the Italian occupation under house arrest in Addis Ababa. Following the return of Emperor Haile Selassie in 1941, ''Ras'' Seyoum was restored to his governorate of Tigray, recognized as the hereditary Prince of that province. ''Ras'' Seyoum Mengesha was killed during the abortive coup by the Imperial Bodyguard in 1960 and was succeeded by his son ''Ras''
Mengesha Seyoum ''Le'ul Ras'' Mengesha Seyoum (Amharic: መንገሻ ሥዩም; born 7 December 1927) is a member of the imperial family of the Ethiopian Empire. In 1974, the monarchy was abolished by the Derg, a communist military junta. Early life and backgr ...
who served as Governor and hereditary Prince of Tigray until the 1974 Revolution toppled the Ethiopian monarchy. Ras Mengesha Seyoum is married to Princess Aida Desta, a granddaughter of Emperor Haile Selassie and is the current head of the Tigrean branch of the Solomonic dynasty. Mengesha Seyum is the last person alive today who bears the title of ''Leul Ras''.


Legacy

Yohannes undoubtedly had his weaknesses; they were not his own making, but rather imposed on him either by external pressure or inherited by his deep-seated values and traditional norms. During the eighteen years of his reign, he was preoccupied defending his country against external aggressions perpetrated by the Egyptians, the Italians, and the Mahdists. Yohannes succeeded to a large extent in pacifying the country and expanding the empire by the device of power-sharing and accommodation. Guiding principles of his administration were patience, tolerance, and forgiveness, as well as a tendency to preserve the status quo. Above all, his concerna were focused on promoting peace the external threats rather than promoting his own personal or dynastic gain. The way he shared his authority with Menelik and Tekle Haymanot eventually resulted in undermining his own authority, but it contributed greatly in accelerating the process of reunification of the
Ethiopian Empire The Ethiopian Empire (), also formerly known by the exonym Abyssinia, or just simply known as Ethiopia (; Amharic and Tigrinya: ኢትዮጵያ , , Oromo: Itoophiyaa, Somali: Itoobiya, Afar: ''Itiyoophiyaa''), was an empire that histori ...
. By preserving the status quo in the regional administration, the uncertainty and fear which were prevalent under previous reigns due to constant changes, were reduced. The self-confidence and charitable attitude he displayed toward his vanquished enemies and rivals earned him the high esteem of his subjects. Early in his career after he defeated and seized ''Dejazmatch'' Gabre Mikael of Tsrae, who was responsible for the death of his own mother Woizero Silas Dimtsu, not only did he forgive him, but within a year, Gabre Mikael was reinstated as councilor and appeared as one of the important dignitaries during the mission of Major Grant to Adwa, in February 1868. Subsequently, Gabre Mikael's son, ''Dejazmach'' Birru, also held important posts. ''Ras'' Adal of Gojjam, after he killed his own cousin, ''Ras'' Desta Tedla Guala, the newly appointed governor by Yohannes and submitted to Yohannes and asked for forgiveness, not only was he forgiven but he was given the command over Gojjam and eventually elevated as King of Gojjam and Kefa, under the name of Tekle Haymanot. King Menelik's ambition to seize the imperial crown was clearly evident since his escape from Mäqdalä and return to Shoa, in 1865. The submission of Menelik to Yohannes was not effected until 1878 after Yohannes gained substantial advantage over his rivals in terms of quality and quantity of firearms as a result of the booty gathered in his successive victories over the Egyptian army at Gundet Gurae, in 1875 and 1876, respectively. This advantage remained on Yohannes's side throughout his reign. Despite a repeated pressure from his advisers on two occasions, in 1878, at the time of Menelik's submission and in 1881, after his two vassal kings, Menelik and Teklé Haymanot fought against each other at Embabo, to remove Menelik and replace him if need be, by one of his cousins, such as Meshesha Seifu, Yohannes refused to yield on grounds that he was not going to destroy an effective power, which Menelik diligently built up for the sake of eliminating a possible threat to himself.Finally, Yohannes heard that both his vassal kings have defected and during his campaign in Gojjam, Tekle Haymant confessed that they had concluded an agreement to help one another and rebel against the authority of the Emperor. At this juncture, the temptation was great to cross the Abbay River to Showan territory and eliminate the internal threat. Yohannes's priority, however, was to avert the external threat and he decided to face the Mahdists who had penetrated twice as far as Gonder and burnt the churches, pillaged the country, and enslaved people. Throughout his reign, Yohannes demonstrated selfless devotion to the defense of the territorial integrity of Ethiopian Empire against successive waves of external aggression, by Egyptians, Italians, and Mahdists Sudan. He also strove within the parameters of what was possible in his day to promote the welfare of his people. His devotion to his country and people culminated in the supreme sacrifice of his life at the border of his empire, in the Battle of Metemma.


Full title

"His Imperial Majesty John IV, Conquering Lion of the Tribe of Judah, za'imnaggada yīhūda, nigūsa TSion, nigūsa nagast za'ītyōṗṗyā, siyūma 'igzī'a'bihēr").


References


Further reading

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External links


Yohannes IV


* ttp://www.angelfire.com/ny/ethiocrown/Yohannis.html Imperial Ethiopia Homepages – Emperor Yohannes IV {{DEFAULTSORT:Yohannes 04 Of Ethiopia 1837 births 1889 deaths 19th-century emperors of Ethiopia 19th-century monarchs in Africa Emperors of Ethiopia Monarchs killed in action People from Tigray Region People of the Abyssinian War Ethiopian Oriental Orthodox Christians Ethiopian Orthodox Christians Dogu'a Tembien