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59-591: The Mekwanint were officials who had been granted specific offices in the Abyssinian government or court. Higher ranks from the title of Ras descending through to Balambaras were also bestowed upon members of the Mekwanint . A member of the Mesafint , however, would traditionally be given precedence over a member of the Mekwanint of the same rank. For example, Ras Mengesha Yohannes , son of Emperor Yohannes IV and thus

118-596: A duke . The combined title of Leul Ras ( Amharic : ልዑል ራስ) was given to the heads of the cadet branches of the imperial dynasty, such as the Princes of Gojjam, Tigray and the Selalle sub-branch of the last reigning Shewan Branch. An Emebet Hoy (እመቤት ሆይ ’əmäbēt hōy , "Great Royal Lady") was a title reserved for the wives of those bearing the title of Leul Dejazmach and other high ranking women of royal blood. Alternatively, an Emebet (እመቤት ’əmäbēt , "Royal Lady")

177-436: A legacy of Tigrayan identity and autonomy. Indeed, his son leul ras Seyoum Mengesha and his grandson, leul ras Mengesha Seyoum were able to gain the governorship of Tigray, each at different stages of the history of this region (sometimes also partitioned among several governors, relatives of Mengesha Yohannes), until the 1974 Revolution. Mengesha Seyoum played then a role as the leader of an anti- Derg oppositional party,

236-436: A member of the Mesafint , would have outranked Ras Alula Engida , who was of humble birth and therefore a member of the Mekwanint , even though their ranks were equal. There were also parallel rules of precedence, primarily seniority based on age, on offices held, and on when they each obtained their titles, which made the rules for precedence rather complex. Combined with the ambiguous position of titled heirs of members of

295-646: A member of the Gondar-Lasta branch of the Solomonic-Zagwe Imperial House and the Shewan nobility was also invested with the title of Abeto by the Crown Council of Ethiopia in 2019. Ras ( Amharic : ራስ , romanized :  ras , lit.   'head', compare with Arabic Rais ) – One of the powerful non-imperial titles; historian Harold G. Marcus equates this to

354-441: A part in the plot that eventually removed Emperor Iyasu V from the throne in 1916, replacing him with Empress Zauditu , the price for Zauditu's elevation was a divorce from Taytu's nephew Ras Gugsa Welle , who became governor of Begemder . Zauditu, Menelik II's daughter by yet another previous marriage, had always been close to Empress Taytu and invited Taytu to live with her. Although Taytu declined she resumed advising rulers "in

413-466: A powerful enough position to say "Absolutely not" ( Imbi ) to people and issues he just did not want to personally offend or refuse. When Menelik's health began to decline around 1906, Taytu began to make decisions on his behalf, angering her rivals for power through her appointment of favorites and relatives to most of the positions of power and influence. As a means to curb her family's political influence at court, Menelik selected Sabla Wangel Hailu as

472-529: A rock of submission on his shoulder. They approached, prostrated themselves, and asked for forgiveness. Menelik simply declared them pardoned. Following their allegiance with Menelik, they returned to Tigray, where Bahta Hagos initiated the rebellion against the Italians. Mengesha then led his army against the Italians at the Battle of Coatit , where his force was rebuffed. Another skirmish led by Fitawrari Gebeyehu,

531-481: A viable bid for the Imperial throne. Instead, the throne was assumed by Negus Menelik of Shewa . Ras Mengesha refused to submit to Menelik and later even flirted with joining the new Italian colony of Eritrea . He hoped that the Italians would support his rebellion against Emperor Menelik. However, encroachments by the Italians into his native Tigray, their previous enmity to his father Yohannes, and recognition that

590-479: Is regarded as the founder of one of the two senior cadet branches of the Ethiopian Imperial Solomonic Dynasty . Taytu Betul Taytu Betul ( Amharic : ጣይቱ ብጡል Ṭaytu Bəṭul  ; baptised as Wälättä Mikael; 1851 – 11 February 1918) was Empress of Ethiopia from 1889 to 1913 and the third wife of Emperor Menelik II . An influential figure in the anti-colonial resistance during

649-491: The Ethiopian Democratic Union , which dates back to the mid-1970s. The confusion over Ras Mengesh's parentage is due to the fact that his mother Wolete Tekle Haymanot Tomcho ( Woizero Tekle) was betrothed to Dejazmatch Gugsa. On the death of Ras Arya Sellassie, son and heir of Yohannes, the title of Ras was conferred on Mengesha and the army of Ras Araya Sellassie was transferred under his command. It

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708-445: The Mekwanint , Emperor Haile Selassie, as part of his programme of modernising reforms, and in line with his aims of centralising power away from the Mesafint , replaced the traditional system of precedence with a simplified, Western-inspired system that gave precedence by rank, and then by seniority based when the title had been assumed – irrespective of how the title was acquired. Although several kings of Aksum used this style, until

767-472: The Second World War – around the same time the name Abyssinia fell out of use in favour of Ethiopia in the west. Leul or Leoul ( Ge'ez : ልዑል lə‘ul , "Prince") was a princely style used by sons and grandson of Ethiopia's dynastic monarchs. It is equivalent to that of Your Highness and was formerly only used as a form of address. The term was introduced as an official title in 1916 by

826-618: The Solomonic Dynasty through Emperor Susenyos I . Taytu's uncle was the Amhara warlord Wube Haile Maryam who governed the Semien and Tigray princedom. There are no records indicating that Empress Taytu attended school; however, she was taught to read and write in Amharic and Ge'ez . This is a rarity, considering that it was unlikely for women to be educated at the time. It is believed that she

885-475: The " Negus of Shewa", " Negus of Gojjam", and so forth. During and after the reign of Menelik II virtually all of the titles either lapsed into the Imperial crown or were dissolved. In 1914, after having been appointed " Negus of Zion" by his son Lij Iyasu , Mikael of Wollo , in consideration of the hostile feelings this provoked among much of the nobility in northern Ethiopia (particularly Le'ul Ras Seyoum Mengesha , whose family had resented being denied

944-669: The Emperor was in the plural, as was his own speech; Haile Selassie , for instance, referred to himself in the first-person plural at all times, even in casual conversation and when speaking in French (however this was not the case when he spoke in English, in which he was not fully fluent). The Negesta Nagastat ( Ge’ez : ንግሥተ ነገሥታት nəgəstä nägästât ) was Empress Regnant in her own right, literally "Queen of Kings", or "Queen of Queens", or "female ruler of an empire." Zewditu (reigned 1917–1930)

1003-705: The Empire from its Eritrean colony, she marched north with the Emperor and the Imperial Army, commanding a force of cannoneers at the historic Battle of Adwa that resulted in a humiliating defeat for Italy in March 1896. This victory was the most significant of any African army battling European colonialism. Menelik II and Taytu Betul were temporarily in possession of 4,000 prisoners of war. Menelik, who often prevaricated and postponed unpleasant decisions by answering "Yes, tomorrow" ( Ishi, nega ), found it useful to have his wife be in

1062-644: The Left and one of the Right. These were later merged into one office, which became the supreme grade of Ras , "Ras Betwadad". Marcus equates the style to an earl . Lij ( Amharic : ልጅ , romanized :  ləj , lit.   'child') – Title issued at birth to sons of members of the Mesafint, the hereditary royal nobility. Taken from the 1998 book, Ethiopia Reaches Her Hand Unto God: Imperial Ethiopia’s Unique Symbols, Structures, and Role in

1121-581: The Mereb Mellash, and aimed at the control of entire Tigray. In the meanwhile, Mengesha Yohannes and his Tigrayan vassals had revolted against atse Menelik II. Italian attempts to instigate them were, nonetheless, short-lived. The Italians' non-committed stance, coupled with Mengesha Yohannes's hesitant attitude finally convinced him to end his rebellion, even against the opposition of his counsellors and his military supporters, such as ras Alula. In June 1894, Mengesha Yohannes ultimately dropped his claims to

1180-519: The Modern World, by Gregory R. Copley, International Strategic Studies Association, published here online by The Crown Council of Ethiopia] Ethiopian Aristocratic And Court Titles Ras Mengesha Yohannes Ras Mengesha Yohannes ( Tigrinya : መንገሻ ዮሓንስ ; 1868 – 1906) was governor of Tigray and a son of Emperor Yohannes IV (r. 1872–89). His mother was Welette Tekle Haymanot wife of dejazmach Gugsa Mercha . Ras Araya Selassie Yohannes

1239-520: The Northern region of the country. Such places include: Semien , Begemeder , Lasta , Yejju , Wello and Tigray . Her aristocratic lineage dates back to 1607–32, descending from the daughter of Emperor Susneyos. Her great-grandfather, Ras Gebre of Simien, ruled for 44 years during the period known as the Zemene Mesafint, or the "Era of the Princes". His fame was acknowledged through two measures. He

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1298-475: The Tribe of Judah") always preceded the titles of the Emperor. It was not a personal title but rather referred to the title of Jesus and placed the office of Christ ahead of the Emperor's name in an act of Imperial submission. Until the reign of Yohannes IV , the Emperor was also Neguse Tsion ( Ge'ez : ንጉሠ ጽዮን , nəgusä tsiyon , "King of Zion"), whose seat was at Axum , and which conferred hegemony over much of

1357-470: The care of her stricken husband, Taytu faded from the political scene. Taytu and Menelik did not have any children. Menelik died in 1913 and was succeeded by his grandson from a daughter of a previous liaison, Lij Iyasu . Taytu was banished to the old Palace at Entoto , next to the St. Mary's church she had founded years before, and where her husband had been crowned Emperor. While some believe Taytu may have played

1416-449: The conservative faction at court that resisted the modernists and progressives who wanted to develop Ethiopia along western lines and bring modernity to the country. According to the historians, she was always consulted by the Emperor prior to making important decisions. Thus, Empress Taytu was a key player in the conflict over the Treaty of Wuchale with Italy , which she tore up. Empress Taytu

1475-535: The eastern half and Ras Seyoum the western half. Eventually Mengesha's son Ras Seyoum was made Leul of all Tigray in succession to his father after the death of his cousin Ras Gugsa Araya and after the treason of Gugsa Araya's son, Dejazmatch Haile Selassie Gugsa . In 1935, Haile Selassie Gugsa joined forces with the Italian invaders when they conquered Ethiopia and occupied the country . Ras Mengesha

1534-452: The energy of Mengesha Yohannes's camp to unite the region under his authority. Quickly, instead atse Menelik II was proclaimed emperor in November 1889. Ras Mengesha Yohannes, however, had the strong military and political backing of Yohannes's chief military general ras Alula Engada . Additionally, he had inherited a considerable number of armaments and soldiers that had long bolstered

1593-520: The enhanced dignity of "Imperial Highness". Abetohun ( Amharic : አቤቶኹን abētōhun ) or Abeto ( Amharic : አቤቶ abētō , "Prince") – Title reserved for males of imperial ancestry. The title fell into disuse by the late 19th century. Lij Iyasu attempted to revive the title as Abeto-hoy ( Amharic : አቤቶ ሆይ , "Great Prince"), and this form is still used by the current Iyasuist claimant Girma Yohannes Iyasu . Lij Tedla Melaku, an influential Ethiopian philosopher, monarchist, and

1652-591: The family's footsteps by also acquiring a high position in the region. As the half-brother of Taytu's father, Degazmach Wube was responsible for ruling the Tigray province. Taytu had two brothers (Ras Welle Betul & Temru Betul) and two sisters. In her fourth and final marriage, Taytu Betul married King Menelik of Shewa , who would later become Emperor of Ethiopia . Taytu is acknowledged to have wielded considerable political power both before and after she and Menelik were crowned Emperor and Empress in 1889. She led

1711-495: The first Itege to be crowned by the Emperor at church rather than at the Palace. Her coronation took place on the second day of the emperor's coronation holiday. Menen Asfaw became the first Itege to be crowned by the archbishop on the same day and during the same ceremony as her husband, Haile Selassie . The Itege was entitled to the dignity of Girmawit ("Her/Your Imperial Majesty"). A Negus ( Ge'ez : ንጉሥ nəgus , "king")

1770-483: The first phase, in the years 1894–95, the Italians made a number of incursions into northern Ethiopia. Mengersha Yohannes was then responsible for defending the northern borders. He was beaten in the two battles of Kweatit (1894), Senafe (Eritrea) and Debre Hayle (1895): in early 1896 he even retreated from his stronghold Mekelle , but kept the Italians busy until a united Ethiopian army was gathered to face them. Ras Mengesha Yohannes played an even more important role in

1829-423: The former foreign minister Blatten Geta Heruy Wolde-Selassie ; it was first applied to Dejazmatch Tafari and his wife Princess Menen, who were respectively designated Leul-Ras and Le'elt Woizero. Le'elt ( Ge'ez : ልዕልት lə‘əlt , "Princess"). This title came into use in 1916 upon the enthronement of Zewditu . Reserved at birth for daughters of the monarch and patrilineal granddaughters. Usually bestowed on

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1888-418: The hands of the Italians. His proposal to sustain the war to push the Italians out of Eritrea was played down by the Emperor, who focused on the control of his own realm. Menelik officially rewarded Mengesha Yohannes with 300,000 silver dollars and married him to Kafay Wele Batul of Yejju, atege Taytu's niece. The marriage was meant to cement further the bonds between the houses of Tigray, Shewa, and Yejju. It

1947-461: The heir-presumptive Lij Iyasu 's wife, as her family had no ties to Taytu's. Taytu was widely resented for her alleged Gonderine xenophobia and nepotism, and the nobility of Shoa and Tigray, along with the Wollo relatives of Lij Iyasu conspired to remove her from state responsibility. In 1910, she was forced from power, and a regency under Ras Tessema Nadew took over. Instructed to limit herself to

2006-407: The imperial throne and officially submitted to atse Menelik II, ostensibly in expectation of the title of negus of Tigray. Menelik, in turn, appointed him governor, not negus of Tigray. For a while, Mengesha Yohannes demonstrated his loyalty. The conflict subsequently developing between the Italians and Menelik, gave him the opportunity to prove his indispensability to the central government. During

2065-471: The late 19th-century Scramble for Africa , she, along with her husband, founded the modern Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa in 1886. According to Raymond Jonas, Taytu Betul (or Taitu) was born in Semien , North Gondar , Ethiopian Empire. Scholarly consensus is that she was born at about 1851. Taytu's father, Ras Betul Haile Maryam , was part of the ruling family of Semien that claimed to be descendants of

2124-536: The next phase of the conflict. Together with ras Alula, he was largely responsible for organizing and running the intelligence of Menelik II. He exploited his local connections, gathered intelligence and rendered a fairly outstanding command of the Tigrayan army. All these inputs had a crucial role in deciding the outcome of the battle of Adwa in 1896, which ended up as a grim loss to the Italians. Despite Mengesha Yohannes's retention of "Tigray proper", Eritrea remained in

2183-490: The north of the Empire. The Emperor was referred to by the dignities of the formal Girmawi ( Ge'ez : ግርማዊ , gərəmawi , "His Imperial Majesty"), in common speech as Janhoy ( Ge'ez : ጃንሆይ janihoy , "Your [Imperial] Majesty", or lit. "sire"), in his own household and family as Getochu (our Master in the plural ), and when referred to by name in the third person with the suffix of Atse (effectively "Emperor", i.e. Atse Menelik). All formal speech concerning

2242-475: The power of Yohannes IV. However, historians cast doubts on Mengesha Yohanens's basic military prowess and leadership skills to mobilize the available resources and prevail over rivals, in contrast to his predecessor Yohannes. Mengesha Yohannes's strong political ambition once nearly pushed him to ally with the Italians, as demonstrated by the Mereb Convention of 1891. By 1890, the Italians had taken control of

2301-450: The restoration of the Solomonic dynasty under Yekuno Amlak , rulers of Ethiopia generally used the style of Negus , although "King of Kings" was used as far back as Ezana of Axum (320's–360 CE/AD). The full title of the Emperor of Ethiopia was Negusa Nagast and Seyoume Igziabeher ( Ge'ez : ሥዩመ እግዚአብሔር ; "Elect of God"). The title Moa Anbessa Ze Imnegede Yehuda ("Conquering Lion of

2360-431: The son and heir of Yohannes, claiming that they were equally entitled to succeed the deceased Emperor. Since Gugsa had the same father and mother as Yohannes, the legitimacy of Mengesha would not have been affected if Yohannes had declared that he had chosen Mengesha, his nephew, as his heir. Mengesha, through his mother, had also additional claim to the Imperial lineage. The only reason for claiming Mengesha as his own son

2419-515: The title by Menelik), who were now technically made subordinate to him, instead elected to use the title of Negus of Wollo. Tafari Makonnen, who later became Emperor Haile Selassie, was bestowed the title of Negus in 1928; he would be the last person to bear the title. Despite this, European sources referred to the Ethiopian monarch as the Negus well into the 20th century, switching to Emperor only after

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2478-403: The two lines of descent from Emperor Yohannes IV proved to be a difficult issue for Emperor Menelik II and his successors. Yohannes IV was survived by his elder " legitimate " son Ras Araya Selassie Yohannes and by his younger "natural" son Mengesha. Ras Araya's son Gugsa Araya , and Ras Mengesha's son Ras Seyoum would for a time divide Tigray between them, with Ras Gugsa Araya ruling

2537-474: The ultimate goal of the Italians was to conquer Ethiopia themselves, led Mengesha Yohannes to finally submit to Menelik II. On 2 June 1894, he and his three major lieutenants went to the new capital at Addis Ababa . Within the newly constructed reception hall of the Grand Palace, the Emperor awaited them. He was seated on his throne with a large crown on his head. Mengesha Yohannes and his lieutenants each carried

2596-445: The vanguard commander of Menelik forces on the way to Adwa, annihilated the Italians at Amba Alagi . The war culminated in 1896, as Mengesha Yohannes and the forces of Tigray fought at the side of Menelik against the Italians at the pivotal Battle of Adwa . In 1899, Mengesha Yohannes rebelled again against Menelik when he was denied the title of Negus of Zion (his descendants would be outraged decades later when Ras Mikael of Wollo

2655-430: The wives of Leul Ras , as well as the monarch's granddaughters in the female line upon their marriages. The notable exception to the rule was Leult Yeshashework Yilma , Emperor Haile Selassie's niece by his elder brother, who received the title with the dignity of "Highness" from Zewditu upon the princess' marriage to Leul Ras Gugsa Araya Selassie in 1918, and then again from her uncle upon his coronation in 1930 with

2714-484: Was a hereditary ruler of one of Ethiopia's larger provinces , over whom collectively the monarch ruled, thus justifying his imperial title. The title of Negus was awarded at the discretion of the Emperor to those who ruled important provinces, although it was often used hereditarily during and after the Zemene Mesafint . The rulers of Begemder , Shewa , Gojjam , Wollo , all held the title of Negus at some point, as

2773-463: Was a title reserved for the unmarried granddaughters of the monarch in the female line (they were generally granted the title of leult upon marriage), and to the daughters of the Leul Ras . Bitwoded ( Amharic : ቢትወደድ , romanized :  bitwädäd , lit.   'beloved') – An office thought to have been created by Zara Yaqob who appointed two of these, one of

2832-501: Was commonly referred to as nigist , translated as "Queen". The 1955 Constitution of Ethiopia excluded women from the succession to the throne so this title was effectively abolished. An Itege ( Amharic : እቴጌ ’ətēgē ) was an Empress Consort . This refers to the wives of reigning emperors. Empresses were generally crowned as consorts by the emperor at the Imperial Palace. However, Taytu Betul , consort of Menelik II, became

2891-490: Was crowned with this title by Lij Iyasu ). Emperor Menelik had Ras Mengesha captured and put under house arrest at the old Shewan royal palace at Ankober . Before 1889, Mengesha Yohannes was considered the Emperor's nephew, but on 9 March 1889 the Emperor on his deathbed, in Metemma , recognized him as his son, from a side-relation with his brother Gugsa's wife. Therefore, some informants still claim that Mengesha Yohannes

2950-464: Was his younger half brother. Prior to the Battle of Metemma , Mengesha Yohannes was considered to be a nephew of Emperor Yohannes IV. During the battle, the Emperor was mortally wounded and it was on his deathbed that Mengesha Yohannes was acknowledged as his " natural " son and designated as his heir. This created something of a succession problem. Fighting between various relatives of the slain Emperor split his camp and prevented Mengesha from making

3009-413: Was indisputably the actual son Yohannes. Bairu Tefla, on the other hand, although he is aware of the various sources, which assert that Mengesha was the natural son of Yohannes, has placed him as the son of Gugsa on the ground that "Most of the old people agree that Mengesha was the son of Gugsa, the eldest brother of the sovereign." Even after the submission of Mengesha Yohannes, familial rivalry between

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3068-525: Was obtained at the cost of divorcing his loving wife. Still, Mengesha Yohannes's long expectations of promotion to negus of Tigray were shattered for the second time. Mengesha Yohannes's final and desperate rebellion (in concert with ras Sebhat of Agame ) in 1898 ended with his captivity and confinement at Addis Ababa, starting from 1899, and then in Ankober where he died as a prisoner in 1906. Mengesha Yohannes's controversial political career, however, left

3127-484: Was only on his deathbed, at Metemma, that Yohannes declared to Etchege Tewoflos and the important dignitaries present that Mengesha was not the son of his brother Gugsa, but his. He thus acknowledged him as his son and declared him as his heir. Immediately after this announcement, close relatives of Yohannes, such as Fitawrari Meshesha, son of Maru, Yohannes's brother, and Dejach Bogale Araya, son of Ras Araya Dimtsu , maternal uncle of Yohannes, refused to accept Mengesha as

3186-427: Was responsible for making the communities west of Gondar pay taxes in gold, as well as treating his subjects so well – providing an ample amount of food and drink so that they no longer needed to farm to sustain themselves. Her grandfather, Dejazmach Haile Maryam Gebre , also held a respected title. He governed Simien, where his children Wube, Betul and Merso were born. Additionally, her uncle Degazmach Wube followed in

3245-639: Was simply to reveal the truth, which hitherto was kept secret due to the close association that had existed between Yoahannes's elder brother Dejazmatch Gugsa and Woizero Tekle, the mother of Mengesha. Augusus B. Wylde , a correspondent of the British paper, The Manchester Guardian , who had been in Ethiopia as a member of the Hewett Mission of 1884 and later, soon after the Battle of Adwa of 1896, contends that Mengesha

3304-452: Was strongly attached to Yohannes throughout his life. Dejazmach Mengesha Yohannes was designated by the Emperor as his heir-to-the-throne, and allegedly crowned still on the battlefield of Metemma, but Mengesha Yohannes was not able to claim the throne. In the aftermath of the disastrous battle of Metemma, the Tigrayan ruling families found themselves embroiled in a power struggle that led to a regional civil war. This state of anarchy sapped

3363-477: Was taught diplomacy, politics and economics. Additionally, she understood a language once exclusive to the Ethiopian Orthodox liturgy. Empress Taytu was known to play the begena , which is a 10-string instrument. Her other activities included playing Senterej , Ethiopian chess, and an interest in writing poetry. Of Lasta , Yejju and Tigray descent, her family is claimed to have a ruling foothold in

3422-498: Was the first to motivate the hesitant Emperor and other men to stand up against the Italians. Deeply suspicious of European intentions towards Ethiopia, she was a key player in the conflict over the Treaty of Wuchale with Italy, in which the Italian version made Ethiopia an Italian protectorate, while the Amharic version did not do so. The Empress held a hard line against the Italians, and when talks eventually broke down, and Italy invaded

3481-445: Was the only woman to be crowned in Ethiopia in her own right since ancient times. Rather than take the title itege , which was reserved for empress consorts , Zewditu was given the feminine version of nigusa nigist to indicate that she reigned in her own right. She was accorded the dignity of Girmawit ("[Her] Imperial Majesty") and the title of Siyimta Igzi'abher ( Ge’ez : ሥይምተ እግዚአብሔር səyəmtä ’əgziabhēr , "Elect of God"). She

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