Through Egypt, Menelik hoped he could obtain access to the seacoast and a supply of firearms. In 1875 Menelik started communication with the khedive of Egypt hoping he could make them an alley. However, Menelik's ambition to become emperor was too great and was always looking for a way to dethrone Yohannes. Menelik would respond when Yohannes asked him to suppress a revolt and he respected territorial boundaries carved out for him by Yohannes. Kassa went on to become the next emperor in 1872 with the name Yohannes IV.ĭuring Yohannes' nearly two decade rule, Menelik was mostly faithful. When the current emperor, Tekle Giyorgis, attacked Tigray because Kassa had refused to submit, Kassa was able to crush the imperial army because his troops, although outnumbered, were better equipped. After the British finished their campaign, they awarded Kassa Marcha for his cooperation by giving him a number of weapons. When the British had stormed Magdala in 1868, they had done it with the cooperation of a certain Kassa Marcha of Tigray. Wagshum Gobaze, now calling himself Emperor Tekle Giyorgis II, remained emperor for only a short three years, from 1868 to 1871. Menelik had lost his first chance at the imperial throne to Gobaze and will still have to wait until Yohannes' death to become emperor (Gabre-Sellassie, Z. After the British left Magdala, Wagshum Gobaze, the ruler of Amhara, Wag, and Lasta, took Magdala and proclaimed himself emperor. At the last minute, Menelik changed his mind and had his army back off, making the excuse that he would not have his men do battle on Easter. Menelik had asked the British to help him in his plan, but the British did not really care who became the next emperor so they denied him of any assistance. In April 1868, when the British came to dethrone Tewodros in Magdala, Menelik sent an army to Magdala hoping to claim the imperial throne upon Tewodros' fall. Menelik was officially recognized king of Shewa in August of that year. 1998, 176).Īto Bezabeh fled upon the return of Menelik to Shewa in 1865. He would remain the ruler of Shewa for another 24 years before he became emperor upon Yohannes' death in 1889 (Pankhurst, R. Ten years later, in 1865, Menelik escaped Tewodros' imprisonment and, with the help of family and friends, became the ruler of Shewa. Menelik said of Tewodros: "he always loved me as a son" (Marcus 23). He was raised alongside Tewodros' own sons and was given education and training befitting a child of a ruler. At Magdala, Menelik was treated like a prince. In his place, Tewodros had made Ato Bezabeh governor of Shewa (Gabre-Sellassie, Z. Menelik was set to be the next ruler of Shewa but was taken away by Tewodros to Magdala. Haile Menekot died in 1855 after losing a battle to emperor Tewodros (Prouty, C. His father Haile Menekot, was king of Shewa from 1847 to 1855.
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