Hezqeyas of Ethiopia
Encyclopedia
Hezqeyas or Hezekiah was niguse negest
(26 July 1789 – January 1794) of Ethiopia
, and a member of the Solomonic dynasty
. He was the son of Iyasu III
.
by Azaj Dagale and Kantiba Ayadar, who made him Emperor, while the reigning Emperor, Tekle Giyorgis
, was in the field campaigning against several revolts. Tekle Giyorgis started from Aringo
to suppress this threat, but the Dejazmaches Amade and Ali Borshe, with detachments of Ras Aligaz's
followers, met him at the village of Salam, and tried to encircle his army; Tekle Giyorgis managed to escape and crossed over the Abay to find refuge in Gojjam
. Meanwhile, one of the first acts of Hezqeyas made as emperor was to appoint Ras Haile Yosadiq governor of Gojjam
and Fitawrari Ikonyan Dejazmach of Damot
.
According to E. A. Wallis Budge
, in the early years of his reign Hezqeyas provided a refuge for Selasse, who had raided Tigray
. Hezqeyas made raids towards the frontier with Sennar, which he plundered and lay waste to. However the Royal Chronicle provides a different narrative. Shortly after his elevation Emperor Tekle Giyorgis marched on Gondar, and upon learning of his advance Hezqeyas fled from the city. When Hezqeyas reached Kemekem
, he was joined there by Dejazmach Hailu Eshte, Fitawrari Ikonyan, Dejazmach Hailu Terbenos, and others; reinforced, Hezqeyas marched back to Gondar and Tekle Giyorgis abandoned the city, proceeding to Gojjam by way of Dengel Ber
, where he was joined by Ras Haile Yosadiq, and together they marched on Gondar. But once there, at the last moment Tekle Giyorgis declined to engage Hezqeyas in battle and instead proceeded to Mount Wehni
, where he released his relatives from the Royal prison. Hezqeyas' supporters attempted to restore him to Gondar, but found Qegnazmach Gualej had occupied it; they defeated Gualej who fled to Sar Weha.
For much of the first year of Hezqeyas' rule the Ras Betwodded Aligaz
could not directly intervene to support this emperor because he had his hands full consolidating his own position: he faced armed resistance to succeeding his brother Ras Ali
, including members of his own family such as Dejazmach Alula, the Fitawrari Sadiq, and the Jantirar
Yasufe. When he was able to resolve these challenges, he supported the Emperor Hezqeyas by sending the Maqet Azmach Wolde Mikael to assist him. Despite this, although the majority of the great lords supported Hezqeyas, Tekle Haymanot made his own appointments from his refuge in Gojjam, undermining Hezqeyas' authority, "for the Kingdom was split in two."
The following year Tekle Giyorgis had a falling out with his primary supporter Ras Tekle Yosadiq; Tekle Giyorgis fled Gojjam, seeking the support of another noble, Dejazmach Gadlu, who refused to receive him; Tekle Giyorgis then turned to Ras Aligaz for help who responded positively, but once Tekle Haymanot arrived at Aligaz's palace at Filakit Gereger
he was imprisoned at Emakina. Hezqeyas then spent the rainy season of 1790 at Filakit Gereger before returning to Gondar. The only action emperor Hezqeyas took that the chronicler felt was worth recording in 1791 was to send a general's robe to Ras Aligaz and spend the rainy season in Gondar.
It appears that in 1792 Emperor Hezqeyas acted against his primary supporter, Ras Aligaz: that year Hezqeyas, Abuna
Yosab and Ichege Wolde Iyasus held a council where they declared that they will "not submit to the Galla
" -- a clear reference to either Aligaz or his family; the Royal Chronicle records that later that year a battle was fought near Gondar where the Emperor and the two leaders of the Ethiopian church were defeated. "And on the coming of the Galla all that was what was done." Not long after this, Haile Wand Bewossen went to Emakina and freed Tekle Giyorgis; they proceeded to Lalibela
where the Emperor resided for a while, apparently mustering his supporters. When Hezqeyas heard that his rival had left Emakina, he advanced at the head of an army from Gondar, first to Tsenjana, then to the house of Dejazmach Haile Eshte where they were joined by Ras Aligaz, where they "took counsel together."
Several battles then followed, ending with Hezqeyas fleeing to Dengel Ber. The restored Emperor Tekle Giyorgis then met with his supporters to decide on their next step, but a lack of consensus led to Tekle Giyorgis going to Wegera and Dejazmach Gabriel going to Begemder
late in 1793. The Royal Chronicle records that towards the end of his reign one of the warlords, Dejazmach Wolde Gabriel, entered Gondar and "made appointments and dismissals without leave of the Negus [Hezqeyas]." A few months later the disgruntled Balambaras Asserat entered the capital city to expel the Dejazmach, and in the fighting his men set fire to the Gan Takal, part of the Royal Enclosure.
Hezqeyas made one last attempt to retain the throne, before the end of 1793, entering Gondar with the support of Qegnazmach Mare'ed, Dejazmach Gugsa
, and Dejazmach Aklog. However, Hezqeyas immediately returned to Ras Aligaz's camp, while Mar'ed and Aklog remained in Gondar for one more month before leaving for their provinces.
The Royal chronicle notes Hezqeyas met his son the Emperor Egwale Seyon
in 1802, as he was travelling from Zage to Gondar. His son then escorted him for the rest of his journey and conducted him to the house of the Ichege. The traveler Henry Salt
notes that Hezqeyas was still alive at the time of his visit to northern Ethiopia in 1809/1810.
Emperor of Ethiopia
The Emperor of Ethiopia was the hereditary ruler of Ethiopia until the abolition of the monarchy in 1974. The Emperor was the head of state and head of government, with ultimate executive, judicial and legislative power in that country...
(26 July 1789 – January 1794) of Ethiopia
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...
, and a member of the Solomonic dynasty
Solomonic dynasty
The Solomonic dynasty is the Imperial House of Abyssinia. Its members claim lineal descent from King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, the latter of whom tradition asserts gave birth to the first King Menelik I after her Biblically described visit to Solomon in Jerusalem .-Overview:The dynasty, a...
. He was the son of Iyasu III
Iyasu III of Ethiopia
Iyasu III or Joshua III was of Ethiopia, and a member of the Solomonic dynasty. He was the son of Abeto Azequ, and the grandson of Iyasus II....
.
Reign
Hezqeyas was brought down from the Royal prison on WehniWehni
Wehni is the name of one of the mountains of Ethiopia where most of the male heirs to the Emperor of Ethiopia were interned, usually for life. It was the last one the three such mountains -- or amba -- said to have been used for this purpose, the other two being Debre Damo and Amba Geshen.From...
by Azaj Dagale and Kantiba Ayadar, who made him Emperor, while the reigning Emperor, Tekle Giyorgis
Tekle Giyorgis I of Ethiopia
Tekle Giyorgis I was Emperor of Ethiopia intermittently between 20 July 1779 and June 1800, and a member of the Solomonic dynasty...
, was in the field campaigning against several revolts. Tekle Giyorgis started from Aringo
Aringo
Aringo is a frazione in the Province of L'Aquila in the Abruzzo region of Italy....
to suppress this threat, but the Dejazmaches Amade and Ali Borshe, with detachments of Ras Aligaz's
Aligaz of Yejju
Aligaz of Yejju was a Ras of Begemder, and Inderase of the Emperor of Ethiopia. He was the son of Abba Seru Gwangul and brother of Ali I of Yejju; he became both Ras and Inderase following Ali's death. Aligaz had a son, Goje....
followers, met him at the village of Salam, and tried to encircle his army; Tekle Giyorgis managed to escape and crossed over the Abay to find refuge in Gojjam
Gojjam
Gojjam was a kingdom in the north-western part of Ethiopia, with its capital city at Debre Marqos. This region is distinctive for lying entirely within the bend of the Abbay River from its outflow from Lake Tana to the Sudan...
. Meanwhile, one of the first acts of Hezqeyas made as emperor was to appoint Ras Haile Yosadiq governor of Gojjam
Gojjam
Gojjam was a kingdom in the north-western part of Ethiopia, with its capital city at Debre Marqos. This region is distinctive for lying entirely within the bend of the Abbay River from its outflow from Lake Tana to the Sudan...
and Fitawrari Ikonyan Dejazmach of Damot
Damot
Damot was a medieval kingdom in what is now Ethiopia, and tributary to the Ethiopian Empire. Originally located south of the Abay and west of the Muger River, under the pressure of Oromo attacks the rulers were forced to resettle north of the Abay in southern Gojjam between 1574 and 1606.Its...
.
According to E. A. Wallis Budge
E. A. Wallis Budge
Sir Ernest Alfred Thompson Wallis Budge was an English Egyptologist, Orientalist, and philologist who worked for the British Museum and published numerous works on the ancient Near East.-Earlier life:...
, in the early years of his reign Hezqeyas provided a refuge for Selasse, who had raided Tigray
Tigray Province
Tigray was a province of Ethiopia. The Tigray Region superseded the province with the adoption of the new constitution in 1995. The province of Tigre merged with its neighboring provinces, including Semien, Tembien, Agame and the prominent Enderta province and towards the end of 19th century it...
. Hezqeyas made raids towards the frontier with Sennar, which he plundered and lay waste to. However the Royal Chronicle provides a different narrative. Shortly after his elevation Emperor Tekle Giyorgis marched on Gondar, and upon learning of his advance Hezqeyas fled from the city. When Hezqeyas reached Kemekem
Kemekem
Kemekem is one of the 105 woredas in the Amhara Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Debub Gondar Zone, Kemekem is bordered on the south by the Reb which separates it from Fogera, on the west by Lake Tana, on the north by the Semien Gondar Zone, and on the east by Ebenat...
, he was joined there by Dejazmach Hailu Eshte, Fitawrari Ikonyan, Dejazmach Hailu Terbenos, and others; reinforced, Hezqeyas marched back to Gondar and Tekle Giyorgis abandoned the city, proceeding to Gojjam by way of Dengel Ber
Dengel Ber
Dengel Ber is a town in western Ethiopia. Located on the southwestern shore of Lake Tana in the Semien Gondar Zone of the Amhara Region, this town has a latitude and longitude of . Access to this town includes track roads to both Shawra and Kunzela and weekly service by the Bahir Dar-Gorgora ferry...
, where he was joined by Ras Haile Yosadiq, and together they marched on Gondar. But once there, at the last moment Tekle Giyorgis declined to engage Hezqeyas in battle and instead proceeded to Mount Wehni
Wehni
Wehni is the name of one of the mountains of Ethiopia where most of the male heirs to the Emperor of Ethiopia were interned, usually for life. It was the last one the three such mountains -- or amba -- said to have been used for this purpose, the other two being Debre Damo and Amba Geshen.From...
, where he released his relatives from the Royal prison. Hezqeyas' supporters attempted to restore him to Gondar, but found Qegnazmach Gualej had occupied it; they defeated Gualej who fled to Sar Weha.
For much of the first year of Hezqeyas' rule the Ras Betwodded Aligaz
Aligaz of Yejju
Aligaz of Yejju was a Ras of Begemder, and Inderase of the Emperor of Ethiopia. He was the son of Abba Seru Gwangul and brother of Ali I of Yejju; he became both Ras and Inderase following Ali's death. Aligaz had a son, Goje....
could not directly intervene to support this emperor because he had his hands full consolidating his own position: he faced armed resistance to succeeding his brother Ras Ali
Ali I of Yejju
Ali I of Yejju was a Ras of Begemder, and following the death of Ras Mikael Sehul, Regent of the Emperor of Ethiopia. He was the son of Abba Seru Gwangul, chieftain of the Yejju Oromo, and Gelebu Faras....
, including members of his own family such as Dejazmach Alula, the Fitawrari Sadiq, and the Jantirar
Jantirar
Jantirar is a title of the Ethiopian Empire. It is borne historically by the head of the family holding the mountain fortress of Amba Sel in Ethiopia, similar to Wagshum, the heridary ruler of the province of Wag, and unlike other aristocratic titles like Meridazmach or Ras...
Yasufe. When he was able to resolve these challenges, he supported the Emperor Hezqeyas by sending the Maqet Azmach Wolde Mikael to assist him. Despite this, although the majority of the great lords supported Hezqeyas, Tekle Haymanot made his own appointments from his refuge in Gojjam, undermining Hezqeyas' authority, "for the Kingdom was split in two."
The following year Tekle Giyorgis had a falling out with his primary supporter Ras Tekle Yosadiq; Tekle Giyorgis fled Gojjam, seeking the support of another noble, Dejazmach Gadlu, who refused to receive him; Tekle Giyorgis then turned to Ras Aligaz for help who responded positively, but once Tekle Haymanot arrived at Aligaz's palace at Filakit Gereger
Filakit Gereger
Filakit Gereger is a town in northern Ethiopia. Located in the Semien Wollo Zone of the Amhara Region, this town has a has a latitude and longitude of and an elevation of 2865 meters above sea level...
he was imprisoned at Emakina. Hezqeyas then spent the rainy season of 1790 at Filakit Gereger before returning to Gondar. The only action emperor Hezqeyas took that the chronicler felt was worth recording in 1791 was to send a general's robe to Ras Aligaz and spend the rainy season in Gondar.
It appears that in 1792 Emperor Hezqeyas acted against his primary supporter, Ras Aligaz: that year Hezqeyas, Abuna
Abuna
Also see Leaders of ChristianityAbun is the honorific title used for any bishop of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church as well as of the Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church...
Yosab and Ichege Wolde Iyasus held a council where they declared that they will "not submit to the Galla
Oromo people
The Oromo are an ethnic group found in Ethiopia, northern Kenya, .and parts of Somalia. With 30 million members, they constitute the single largest ethnic group in Ethiopia and approximately 34.49% of the population according to the 2007 census...
" -- a clear reference to either Aligaz or his family; the Royal Chronicle records that later that year a battle was fought near Gondar where the Emperor and the two leaders of the Ethiopian church were defeated. "And on the coming of the Galla all that was what was done." Not long after this, Haile Wand Bewossen went to Emakina and freed Tekle Giyorgis; they proceeded to Lalibela
Lalibela
Lalibela is a town in northern Ethiopia, known for its monolithic churches. Lalibela is one of Ethiopia's holiest cities, second only to Aksum, and is a center of pilgrimage for much of the country. Unlike Aksum, the population of Lalibela is almost completely Ethiopian Orthodox Christian...
where the Emperor resided for a while, apparently mustering his supporters. When Hezqeyas heard that his rival had left Emakina, he advanced at the head of an army from Gondar, first to Tsenjana, then to the house of Dejazmach Haile Eshte where they were joined by Ras Aligaz, where they "took counsel together."
Several battles then followed, ending with Hezqeyas fleeing to Dengel Ber. The restored Emperor Tekle Giyorgis then met with his supporters to decide on their next step, but a lack of consensus led to Tekle Giyorgis going to Wegera and Dejazmach Gabriel going to Begemder
Begemder
Begemder was a province in the northwestern part of Ethiopia. There are several proposed etymologies for this name...
late in 1793. The Royal Chronicle records that towards the end of his reign one of the warlords, Dejazmach Wolde Gabriel, entered Gondar and "made appointments and dismissals without leave of the Negus [Hezqeyas]." A few months later the disgruntled Balambaras Asserat entered the capital city to expel the Dejazmach, and in the fighting his men set fire to the Gan Takal, part of the Royal Enclosure.
Hezqeyas made one last attempt to retain the throne, before the end of 1793, entering Gondar with the support of Qegnazmach Mare'ed, Dejazmach Gugsa
Gugsa of Yejju
Gugsa of Yejju was a Ras of Begemder , and Inderase of the Emperor of Ethiopia. According to Nathaniel Pearce, he took the Christian name of Wolde Mikael. He was the son of Mersu Barentu and Kefey, the sister of Ras Aligaz. Both Bahru Zewde and Paul B...
, and Dejazmach Aklog. However, Hezqeyas immediately returned to Ras Aligaz's camp, while Mar'ed and Aklog remained in Gondar for one more month before leaving for their provinces.
The Royal chronicle notes Hezqeyas met his son the Emperor Egwale Seyon
Egwale Seyon of Ethiopia
Egwale Seyon or Gwalu was of Ethiopia, and a member of the Solomonic dynasty...
in 1802, as he was travelling from Zage to Gondar. His son then escorted him for the rest of his journey and conducted him to the house of the Ichege. The traveler Henry Salt
Henry Salt (Egyptologist)
Henry Salt was an English artist, traveller, diplomat, and Egyptologist.-Biography:Salt, the son of a physician, was born in Lichfield. He trained as a portrait painter, first in Lichfield and then in London under Joseph Farington and John Hoppner. In 1802 he was appointed secretary and...
notes that Hezqeyas was still alive at the time of his visit to northern Ethiopia in 1809/1810.