Bahr negus

Important regional offices

• Tigray Mekonnen (ትግራይ መኰንን təgray mäkʷanən) – Governor of the province of Tigray during the Middle Ages, ranked fourth in the imperial order of precedence after the néguí. Also known as Yaqqabe sénsénya ("keeper of the fly whisks") on account of his role at the imperial coronation, during which the Tégre mäkwännén together with the Nebura ed stood at the entrance of Aksum Seyon and prevented the emperor from entering until the old ritual was completed. Other districts included
• Bahr Negus (ባሕር ንጉሥ bahər nəgus, or Bahr Negash, "Ruler of the Sea"), – Ruler of the Medri Bahri, territories north of the Mareb River and adjacent to the Red Sea, a powerful official. As a result of the revolts of Bahr negus Yeshaq, this office lost much of its power. Although men are mentioned as holding this office into the 19th century, they held minimal influence.
• Gojjam Negash (ጎጃም ነጋሽ) - Ruler of Gojjam referred to as "The Lord of Lords" junior only to the Tsahife Lam of Amhara. A senior military title abolished somewhere during the Era of the Princes.
• Jantirar (ጃንጥራር Jant’rar) – Title reserved for the males of the family who ruled over the mountain fortress of Ambassel in Bete Amhara (now Debub Wollo Zone). The title of Jantirar is among the oldest in the Ethiopian Empire. Menen Asfaw, empress consort of Haile Selassie, was the daughter of Jantirar Asfaw.
• Merid Azmach (መርዕድ አዝማች märəd ’azmač, "Fearsome Commander" or "supreme general") – This title is related to "Dejazmach" or "Qeñazmach" above. Beginning in the 18th century, this came to denote the rulers of Shewa until Sahle Selassie dropped it in favor of the title of Negus. Later revived in 1930 in Wollo for Crown Prince Asfaw Wossen (later Amha Selassie I).
• Mesfina Harar (መስፍነ ሐረር mäsfinä ḥarar) – Duke of Harar. Hereditary title created in 1930 for Emperor Haile Haile Selassie's. second son, Prince Makonnen. (The wife of the Mesfin was properly titled Sefanit, but was more commonly referred to as the Mesfinit). Upon the death of the Prince, his son, Prince Wossen Seged, was elevated to the title of Mesfin Harar and would currently be second in line to the throne if Ethiopia were still a monarchy, after Prince Zera Yacob.
• Nebura ed (ንቡረ እድ nəburä ’əd, one put in office through the laying of hands") – civil governor of Axum reserved for the clergy. Also called Liqat Aksum. Because of the historical and symbolic importance of this city, the rules of precedence promulgated in 1689 ranked the Nebura ed above all provincial governors. Indeed, when the title was granted with Ras Warq (the right to wear a coronet), it was higher than even the title of Ras. Although a civil title granted by the Emperor, it was usually conferred on a clergyman because Axum was regarded as the holiest site in the empire for Ethiopian Orthodoxy. The title Nebure ed was also granted to the administrator of the Church of St. Mary at Addis Alem, founded by Menelik II west of Addis Ababa. However, the Nebure ed of Addis Alem was much further down the hierarchy than the Nebura ed of Axum, and was not accorded the Ras Warq.
• Shum Agame (ሹም ዓጋመ Shum Agame) - Governor of Agame in Tigray, and hereditary in the family of DejazmachSabagadis Woldu, a major figure of the Zemene Mesafint (Era of the Princes) period. RasSebhat Aregawi, a longtime rival of the family of Emperor Yohannes IV was one of the more famous of the Shum Agame.
• Shum Tembien (ሹም ተምቤን šum tembien) – Governor of Tembien district of Tigray. Emperor Yohannes IV was the son of Shum Mercha of Tembien.
• Tsahife Lam (ጻሕፈ ላም) - a title given the governors of the Bete Amhara, Damot, and Shawa provinces. The Tsahafe Lam of Amhara was the most senior military officer next to the Emperor.