Alula Engida
Encyclopedia
Ras Alula Engida was a general and Ethiopia
n politician. He was one of the important leaders of the Ethiopian armies of the 19th century and was described by Haggai Erlich
as the greatest leader whom Abyssinia produced since the death of Emperor Tewodros II
in 1868, and was referred to by Europeans as "the Garibaldi of Abyssinia". He participated in many battles for the independence of Ethiopia, most importantly Dogali
and Adwa.
, 15 miles south of Abiy Addi
, the son of Engda Eqube, a farmer of modest origins. Haggai Erlich relates a story about Alula's childhood -- "well known throughout Tigre": a group of people carrying baskets of bread to a wedding ceremony were stopped by a group of children led by the future Ras, who demanded to know where they were going. "To the Castle of Ras Alula Wadi Qubi," they mockingly replied. "Thereafter," concludes Erlich, "his friends and the people of Mannawe nicknamed him Ras Alula."
At first Alula attached himself to the distingushed Ras Araya Dimtsu, hereditary chief of Enderta
who was lord of the land his father farmed; before long he gained the attention of Ras Araya's successful nephew, Dejazmach Kassa Mercha (the future emperor Yohannes IV
), who made him his elfegn kalkay ("chamberlain and doorkeeper"). Erlich records an oral tradition that the young Alula distinguished himself by being the one who captured Tekle Giyorgis
in the battle where Emperor Yohannes crushed his opponent (11 July 1871). In spite of his humble backgrounds, Alulua succeeded in climbing the ladder of the feudal hierarchy.
He had three children by his first wife Wozero B'tweta, whom he later divorced. His second marriage to Wozero Amlesu, the daughter of Ras Araya Demtsu was purely for political reasons, to improve his legitimacy with the local aristocracy, who did not hide their disapproval at seeing the son of a peasant reach this stature.
Alula demonstrated his military skill in the Battle of Gundet and Gura, which were fought in November 1875 and March 1876 respectively, where he routed the Egypt
ian forces. Emperor Yohannes badly needed a man with these skills at the moment, for Ras Wolde Mikael was in revolt in Hamasien
; Alula was promoted to Ras and sent to deal with this unruly aristocrat, who fled to Bogos. On 9 October 1876, the Emperor Yohannes IV made Alula governor of Mereb Mellash and Midri Bahri (today part of Eritrea). That same year the new Ras moved his family and following to Asmara, where he built a palace at the top of a hill in the middle of that town. From Asmara, he devoted himself to defending the northern borders of Ethiopia against the Italians, the Anglo-Egyptian forces, and later the Mahdi
sts.
, concluded in 1884, the United Kingdom
recognized Bogos and Massawa
as possessions of Ethiopia in return for Ras Alula's help evacuating the Egyptian garrisons of Amedeb, Algeden, Keren
, Ghirra, and Gallabat
which had been isolated by the Mahdists, and because of these successes the British once more asked for his help against the Mahdists under Osman Digna
.
Ras Alula prepared for his campaign against the Mahdists, despite the opposition of certain local leaders who did not accept his rule. Nevertheless Alula advanced into the territory of the Bogos, then entered Keren in September 1885, where he stayed for ten days, then marched on Kufit.
At Kufit, Osman Digna's forces were annihilated, but the Ethiopians also suffered significant losses: the commanders Blatta Gebru and Aselafi Hagos were killed, and Ras Alula himself was wounded.
gave Ras Alula very little time to recover from the battle. As part the European Scramble for Africa
, at this time the Italians took control of the Red Sea
coasts, occupying Massawa and Sahati with the tacit approval of the British, which was a violation of the Hewett Treaty.
Although he had collaborated with the British against the Mahdists, Ras Alula chief interest was to guarantee Ethiopian sovereignty, which made him very wary towards the English whom he suspected supported the Italians' encroachments. His mistrust is clearly expressed in a conversation carried out with Augustus B. Wylde, the former British vice consul at Jeddah
, who recorded these words in a dispatch to the Manchester Guardian:
Upon returning to Asmara, Alula mobilized 5,000 men and marched from Ghinda
towards Sahati. It is unclear whether Ras Alula was acting on his own initiative in this instance, or at the orders of his Emperor. Discussing the battle later, he insisted that he was following orders; contemporary Ethiopian documents support Ras Alula's claim. However in a 9 March 1887 letter to Queen Victoria, Emperor Yohannes wrote that his general had first spent two weeks investigating the Italian presence, then demanded that the Italians either evacuate their positions outside of Massawa or fight.
Before attacking the Italians, he notified Emperor Yohannes of his intentions, which is expressed to Harrison, who had accompanied the admiral Hewett during the negotiations of the treaty, declaring to him that the British had not honored their word.
To Marcopolo Bey
Ras Alula wrote that the Italians were in Massawa, and to the Consul Sumagn de France, he warned that he would destroy the Italian forces if they did not leave Ethiopian territory. But the Italians believed that it was "the divine will that the Italians come to Massawa". In October 1886, the forces of Alula appeared near Sahati and Massawa.
By December 1886, confrontation with the Italians was inevitable. The first clash took place 25 January 1887 at Sahati, where the Ethiopians were repulsed with heavy casualties; Alula rallied his troops and the next day annihilated the Italian relief column at Dogali
. The commander of the Italian forces, colonel Tommaso De Cristofori was killed in this battle, along with 400 soldiers and 22 officers.
(also known as the Battle of Metemma) was fought on the western Ethiopian border. Here the Emperor Yohannes was wounded and killed, and his head taken by the Mahdists as a trophy, in spite that the Ethiopians almost carry the day. Emperor Yohannes' death led to a period of political turmoil in Ethiopia. Although Yohannes on his deathbed had named his son Ras Mengesha as his heir, and begged Ras Alula and his other nobles to support him, within a matter of weeks Menelik II was recognized throughout Ethiopia as the new emperor. Meanwhile Ras Alula found himself isolated, his patron dead, and the steady Italian advance from the coast having deprived him of his power base beyond the Mareb River
.
Menelik II of Shewa was crowned emperor only a few months after the battle. The Italian Count Pietro Antonelli, who represented his country in Ethiopia, hastened to Wuchale
where he negotiated a treaty
with Menelik, which gave official Ethiopia recognition to Italian possession of all of the land the Italians occupied. A few months later, they used this treaty to declare Eritrea their African colony.
Following the Treaty of Wuchale, the Italians continued to extend to the west not only around Teseney
and Agordat
, but also around Adwa
. Unknown to Emperor Menelik, the Italian version of the treaty had language making Ethiopia a protectorate of Italy, and the Italian actions were in preparation for its enforcement on his empire and making it a colony. When Emperor Menelik learned of this treachery, he renounced the treaty which led to the First Italo-Abyssinian War
, and as the bitter news spreads through Ethiopia the major nobility and military figures, including Ras Alula, unanimously joined him. The conflict has its climax at the Battle of Adwa on 1 March 1896.
In this battle, Alula was on the left side of the Ethiopian positions, on the heights of Adi Abune, supported by Ras Makonnen, and Ras Mikael
. The forces of Ras Sebhat and Dejazmach Hagos Tafari likewise joined Ras Alula and Ras Mengesha.
Augustus Wylde, a contemporary of the events, described Ras Alula's invaluable contribution to this critical battle:
During the battle itself, Ras Alula was assigned to watch the Gasgorie Pass and block the arrival of Italian reinforcements coming from Adi Quala
.
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
n politician. He was one of the important leaders of the Ethiopian armies of the 19th century and was described by Haggai Erlich
Haggai Erlich
Haggai Erlich is professor emeritus at Tel Aviv University and an academic adviser at the Open University of Israel where he is the head of Middle Eastern History studies...
as the greatest leader whom Abyssinia produced since the death of Emperor Tewodros II
Tewodros II of Ethiopia
Tewodros II was the Emperor of Ethiopia from 1855 until his death....
in 1868, and was referred to by Europeans as "the Garibaldi of Abyssinia". He participated in many battles for the independence of Ethiopia, most importantly Dogali
Battle of Dogali
The Battle of Dogali was fought on 26 January 1887 between Italy and Ethiopia in Dogali near Massawa, in present-day Eritrea.On his own initiative, Ras Alula Engida, then governor of Emperor Yohannes IV, had attacked the Italian-controlled town of Sahati on the day prior...
and Adwa.
Early years
Alula was born in Mennawe, a village in TembienTembien
Tembien is one of the former provinces of Ethiopia. It is a mountainous area of that country.The name Tembien has also been used for:*Tembien, an Italian 600-Serie Adua class submarine sunk in World War II...
, 15 miles south of Abiy Addi
Abiy Addi
Abiy Addi is a town in north central Ethiopia, and was capital of the former province of Tembien before that province was incorporated into Tigray...
, the son of Engda Eqube, a farmer of modest origins. Haggai Erlich relates a story about Alula's childhood -- "well known throughout Tigre": a group of people carrying baskets of bread to a wedding ceremony were stopped by a group of children led by the future Ras, who demanded to know where they were going. "To the Castle of Ras Alula Wadi Qubi," they mockingly replied. "Thereafter," concludes Erlich, "his friends and the people of Mannawe nicknamed him Ras Alula."
At first Alula attached himself to the distingushed Ras Araya Dimtsu, hereditary chief of Enderta
Enderta
Enderta may refer to:* Enderta province, a historic subdivision of Ethiopia* Enderta, a woreda within the Tigray Region of Ethiopia...
who was lord of the land his father farmed; before long he gained the attention of Ras Araya's successful nephew, Dejazmach Kassa Mercha (the future emperor Yohannes IV
Yohannes IV of Ethiopia
Yohannes IV , born Lij Kassay Mercha Ge'ez, was Emperor of Ethiopia from 1872 until his death.-Early life:...
), who made him his elfegn kalkay ("chamberlain and doorkeeper"). Erlich records an oral tradition that the young Alula distinguished himself by being the one who captured Tekle Giyorgis
Tekle Giyorgis II of Ethiopia
Tekle Giyorgis II was of Ethiopia from 1868 to 1872....
in the battle where Emperor Yohannes crushed his opponent (11 July 1871). In spite of his humble backgrounds, Alulua succeeded in climbing the ladder of the feudal hierarchy.
He had three children by his first wife Wozero B'tweta, whom he later divorced. His second marriage to Wozero Amlesu, the daughter of Ras Araya Demtsu was purely for political reasons, to improve his legitimacy with the local aristocracy, who did not hide their disapproval at seeing the son of a peasant reach this stature.
Alula demonstrated his military skill in the Battle of Gundet and Gura, which were fought in November 1875 and March 1876 respectively, where he routed the Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
ian forces. Emperor Yohannes badly needed a man with these skills at the moment, for Ras Wolde Mikael was in revolt in Hamasien
Hamasien
Hamasien was the name of an histoical province including and surrounding Asmara, now part of modern Eritrea. The region has been divided and distributed amongst the modern Maekel, Debub, Northern Red Sea, Gash-Barka and Anseba regions....
; Alula was promoted to Ras and sent to deal with this unruly aristocrat, who fled to Bogos. On 9 October 1876, the Emperor Yohannes IV made Alula governor of Mereb Mellash and Midri Bahri (today part of Eritrea). That same year the new Ras moved his family and following to Asmara, where he built a palace at the top of a hill in the middle of that town. From Asmara, he devoted himself to defending the northern borders of Ethiopia against the Italians, the Anglo-Egyptian forces, and later the Mahdi
Mahdi
In Islamic eschatology, the Mahdi is the prophesied redeemer of Islam who will stay on Earth for seven, nine or nineteen years- before the Day of Judgment and, alongside Jesus, will rid the world of wrongdoing, injustice and tyranny.In Shia Islam, the belief in the Mahdi is a "central religious...
sts.
Battle of Kufit
In the Hewett TreatyWilliam Nathan Wrighte Hewett
Vice Admiral Sir William Nathan Wrighte Hewett VC, KCB, KCSI was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.-Life:Hewett was born at Brighton to Dr. William Hewett,...
, concluded in 1884, the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
recognized Bogos and Massawa
Massawa
Massawa, also known as Mitsiwa Massawa, also known as Mitsiwa Massawa, also known as Mitsiwa (Ge'ez ምጽዋዕ , formerly ባጽዕ is a city on the Red Sea coast of Eritrea. An important port for many centuries, it was ruled by a succession of polities, including the Axumite Empire, the Umayyad Caliphate,...
as possessions of Ethiopia in return for Ras Alula's help evacuating the Egyptian garrisons of Amedeb, Algeden, Keren
Keren, Eritrea
Keren is the second largest city in Eritrea. It is situated about 91 kilometers northwest of Asmara. The town serves as the capital of the Anseba region, and is home to the Bilen ethnic group.-History:...
, Ghirra, and Gallabat
Gallabat
Gallabat is a village in the Sudanese state of Al Qadarif. It lies at one of the country's border crossing points with Ethiopia; on the other side of the border is Ethiopia's corresponding border village Metemma.-History:...
which had been isolated by the Mahdists, and because of these successes the British once more asked for his help against the Mahdists under Osman Digna
Osman Digna
Osman Digna was a follower of the Mahdi in Sudan, and hailed from the Hadendoa tribe of the Beja people. His birthplace is unknown; Suakin was said to be the town where he was born. When he was called Osman Ali, Osman Digna lived in Alexandria, Egypt, where he dealt in the selling of slaves...
.
Ras Alula prepared for his campaign against the Mahdists, despite the opposition of certain local leaders who did not accept his rule. Nevertheless Alula advanced into the territory of the Bogos, then entered Keren in September 1885, where he stayed for ten days, then marched on Kufit.
At Kufit, Osman Digna's forces were annihilated, but the Ethiopians also suffered significant losses: the commanders Blatta Gebru and Aselafi Hagos were killed, and Ras Alula himself was wounded.
Battle of Dogali
However events beyond Tigray or the Horn of AfricaHorn of Africa
The Horn of Africa is a peninsula in East Africa that juts hundreds of kilometers into the Arabian Sea and lies along the southern side of the Gulf of Aden. It is the easternmost projection of the African continent...
gave Ras Alula very little time to recover from the battle. As part the European Scramble for Africa
Scramble for Africa
The Scramble for Africa, also known as the Race for Africa or Partition of Africa was a process of invasion, occupation, colonization and annexation of African territory by European powers during the New Imperialism period, between 1881 and World War I in 1914...
, at this time the Italians took control of the Red Sea
Red Sea
The Red Sea is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. The connection to the ocean is in the south through the Bab el Mandeb strait and the Gulf of Aden. In the north, there is the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Gulf of Suez...
coasts, occupying Massawa and Sahati with the tacit approval of the British, which was a violation of the Hewett Treaty.
Although he had collaborated with the British against the Mahdists, Ras Alula chief interest was to guarantee Ethiopian sovereignty, which made him very wary towards the English whom he suspected supported the Italians' encroachments. His mistrust is clearly expressed in a conversation carried out with Augustus B. Wylde, the former British vice consul at Jeddah
Jeddah
Jeddah, Jiddah, Jidda, or Jedda is a city located on the coast of the Red Sea and is the major urban center of western Saudi Arabia. It is the largest city in Makkah Province, the largest sea port on the Red Sea, and the second largest city in Saudi Arabia after the capital city, Riyadh. The...
, who recorded these words in a dispatch to the Manchester Guardian:
Ghinda
Ghinda is a town in the Northern Red Sea region of Eritrea. It lies between Asmara and Massawa.-Overview:Ghinda is a major fruit and vegetable growing area and a centre for Tigre Muslims. It lies near the springs of Sabarguma...
towards Sahati. It is unclear whether Ras Alula was acting on his own initiative in this instance, or at the orders of his Emperor. Discussing the battle later, he insisted that he was following orders; contemporary Ethiopian documents support Ras Alula's claim. However in a 9 March 1887 letter to Queen Victoria, Emperor Yohannes wrote that his general had first spent two weeks investigating the Italian presence, then demanded that the Italians either evacuate their positions outside of Massawa or fight.
Before attacking the Italians, he notified Emperor Yohannes of his intentions, which is expressed to Harrison, who had accompanied the admiral Hewett during the negotiations of the treaty, declaring to him that the British had not honored their word.
To Marcopolo Bey
Bey
Bey is a title for chieftain, traditionally applied to the leaders of small tribal groups. Accoding to some sources, the word "Bey" is of Turkish language In historical accounts, many Turkish, other Turkic and Persian leaders are titled Bey, Beg, Bek, Bay, Baig or Beigh. They are all the same word...
Ras Alula wrote that the Italians were in Massawa, and to the Consul Sumagn de France, he warned that he would destroy the Italian forces if they did not leave Ethiopian territory. But the Italians believed that it was "the divine will that the Italians come to Massawa". In October 1886, the forces of Alula appeared near Sahati and Massawa.
By December 1886, confrontation with the Italians was inevitable. The first clash took place 25 January 1887 at Sahati, where the Ethiopians were repulsed with heavy casualties; Alula rallied his troops and the next day annihilated the Italian relief column at Dogali
Battle of Dogali
The Battle of Dogali was fought on 26 January 1887 between Italy and Ethiopia in Dogali near Massawa, in present-day Eritrea.On his own initiative, Ras Alula Engida, then governor of Emperor Yohannes IV, had attacked the Italian-controlled town of Sahati on the day prior...
. The commander of the Italian forces, colonel Tommaso De Cristofori was killed in this battle, along with 400 soldiers and 22 officers.
Battle of Gallabat
By 1888 the Sudanese Italians and dervishes were ready to renew their attacks. In March 1889, the Battle of GallabatBattle of Gallabat
The Battle of Gallabat was fought 9–10 March 1889 between the Mahdist Sudanese and Ethiopian forces. It is a critical event in Ethiopian history because Nəgusä Nägäst Yohannes IV was killed in this battle...
(also known as the Battle of Metemma) was fought on the western Ethiopian border. Here the Emperor Yohannes was wounded and killed, and his head taken by the Mahdists as a trophy, in spite that the Ethiopians almost carry the day. Emperor Yohannes' death led to a period of political turmoil in Ethiopia. Although Yohannes on his deathbed had named his son Ras Mengesha as his heir, and begged Ras Alula and his other nobles to support him, within a matter of weeks Menelik II was recognized throughout Ethiopia as the new emperor. Meanwhile Ras Alula found himself isolated, his patron dead, and the steady Italian advance from the coast having deprived him of his power base beyond the Mareb River
Mareb River
The Mareb River , is a river flowing out of central Eritrea. Its chief importance is defining part of the boundary between Eritrea and Ethiopia between the point where the Mai Ambassa enters the river at to the confluence of the Balasa with the Mareb at .According to the Statistical Abstract of...
.
Menelik II of Shewa was crowned emperor only a few months after the battle. The Italian Count Pietro Antonelli, who represented his country in Ethiopia, hastened to Wuchale
Wuchale
Wuchale is a town in northern Ethiopia. Located about 40 kilometers north of Dessie in the Debub Wollo Zone of the Amhara Region, this town has a latitude and longitude of and an elevation of 1711 meters...
where he negotiated a treaty
Treaty of Wuchale
Treaty of Wuchale was a treaty signed by King Menelik II of Shewa, later the Emperor of Ethiopia with Count Pietro Antonelli of Italy in the town of Wuchale, Ethiopia, on 2 May 1889...
with Menelik, which gave official Ethiopia recognition to Italian possession of all of the land the Italians occupied. A few months later, they used this treaty to declare Eritrea their African colony.
Battle of Adwa
Teseney
Teseney , also spelled Tessenei or Tesseney, is a market town in western Eritrea. It lies south-east of Kassala in Sudan, on the Gash River. The city was much fought over in the Eritrean War of Independence during which much of it was destroyed...
and Agordat
Agordat
Agordat is a city in Eritrea. It was the former capital of the now defunct Barka Province of Eritrea .- Overview :...
, but also around Adwa
Adwa
Adwa is a market town in northern Ethiopia, and best known as the community closest to the decisive Battle of Adowa fought in 1896 with Italian troops. Notably, Ethiopian soldiers won the battle, thus being the only African nation to thwart European colonialism...
. Unknown to Emperor Menelik, the Italian version of the treaty had language making Ethiopia a protectorate of Italy, and the Italian actions were in preparation for its enforcement on his empire and making it a colony. When Emperor Menelik learned of this treachery, he renounced the treaty which led to the First Italo-Abyssinian War
First Italo-Abyssinian War
The First Italo-Ethiopian War was fought between Italy and Ethiopia from 1895 to 1896. Ethiopia's military victory over Italy secured it the distinction of being the only African nation to successfully resist European colonialism with a decisive show of force.-Background:On March 25, 1889, the...
, and as the bitter news spreads through Ethiopia the major nobility and military figures, including Ras Alula, unanimously joined him. The conflict has its climax at the Battle of Adwa on 1 March 1896.
In this battle, Alula was on the left side of the Ethiopian positions, on the heights of Adi Abune, supported by Ras Makonnen, and Ras Mikael
Mikael of Wollo
Mikael of Wollo , born Mohammed Ali, was an army commander and a member of the nobility of the Ethiopian Empire. He was the father of the "uncrowned" Emperor Iyasu V. He changed his name to Mikael upon converting to Christianity.- Life :Mohammed Ali, an Oromo, was born in Wollo...
. The forces of Ras Sebhat and Dejazmach Hagos Tafari likewise joined Ras Alula and Ras Mengesha.
Augustus Wylde, a contemporary of the events, described Ras Alula's invaluable contribution to this critical battle:
During the battle itself, Ras Alula was assigned to watch the Gasgorie Pass and block the arrival of Italian reinforcements coming from Adi Quala
Adi Quala
Adi Quala is a market town in Eritrea, lying south of Mendefera near the Ethiopian border, over 2,000m above sea level.-Overview:Adi Quala is known for its tukul church with its frescoes and its mausoleum for the Italian Army soldiers who died at the Battle of Adwa. The town has a population of...
.
Death
Ras Alula could not rest after this victory; less than a year later, on 15 January 1897, he fought against an old rival, Ras Hagos of Tembien. Although Ras Alula was victorious and Ras Hagos killed, Ras Alula was wounded by a gunshot wound in the leg, and died from his wounds 15 February 1897.Memorials to Alula
- The airport in Mek'eleMek'eleMek'ele , also transliterated as Makale, is a city in northern Ethiopia and the capital of the Tigray Region. It is located some 650 kilometers north of the capital, Addis Ababa, at latitude and longitude with an elevation of 2084 meters above sea level...
is named after Ras Alula, and an equestrian statue is dedicated to him in that city. - A hotel in Axoum also bears his name.
- Ethiopian scholar Richard PankhurstRichard Pankhurst (academic)Richard Keir Pethick Pankhurst OBE is a British academic with expertise in the study of Ethiopia.-Early life and education:...
named his son, Alula Pankhurst, after the Ras.
Further reading
- "Ras Alula, the Abyssinian" 12 April 1887 New York Times article
- "Ras Alula dead, An Abyssinian General of Great Ability -- The Son of Peasants" 27 February 1897 New York Times article
External links
- Ras Alula Abba Nega: An Ethiopian and African Hero by Ghelawdewos Araia