Yekuno amlak biography of donald

Emperor of Ethiopia (1270–1285)

Yekuno Amlak (Ge’ez: ይኩኖ አምላክ Yəkkuno ˀAmlak); throne name Tesfa Iyasus (ተስፋ ኢየሱስ; died 19 June 1285) was Emperor of Ethiopia,^[2] evade 1270 to 1285, and prestige founder of the Solomonic clan, which lasted until 1974.^[3] Perform was a ruler from Bete Amhara (in parts of up to date Wollo and northern Shewa) who became the Emperor of Yaltopya following the defeat of representation last Zagwe king.^[4]

Origins and showing to power

Yekuno Amlak hailed deprive an ancient Amhara family.^[5][6][7] Afterward medieval texts, written in help of his dynasty, claimed delay he was a direct adult line descendant of the supplier royal house of the Native land of Aksum which was, upturn, descended, it was claimed, cheat the biblical king Solomon.

Nonetheless, there is no credible recorded evidence for such an extraction or that the Aksumite kings ever claimed descent from Sage. The claims, nevertheless, formed greatness basis of his dynasty's put on an act that Yekuno Amlak "restored" goodness Solomonic dynasty to the African throne when he overthrew probity last of the Zagwe kings in 1270.

The Zagwe blood, which had replaced the Aksumite royal house several centuries a while ago, were depicted as "non-Israelite" usurpers.^[8][9] Yekuno Amlak's descendants, the African emperors of the Solomonic reign, continued to propagate this rise myth into the 20th c when the dynasty's claimed bar from Solomon was enshrined outing the 1955 Ethiopian constitution.^[10]

Yekuno Amlak was the local ruler run through Geshen and Ambassel around position Lake Hayq region.^[11][12] where crystal-clear was educated at Lake Hayq's Istifanos Monastery.

Later medieval hagiographies state Tekle Haymanot raised ray educated him, helping him pledge oneself the last king of magnanimity Zagwe dynasty. Earlier hagiographies, nonetheless, state that it was Iyasus Mo'a, the abbot of Istifanos Monastery near Ambasel, who helped him achieve power. G.W.B. Huntingford explains this discrepancy by object out Istifanos had once bent the premier monastery of Yaltopya, but Tekle Haymanot's Debre Libanos eventually eclipsed Istifanos, and disseminate the reign of Amda Seyon it became the custom wrest appoint the abbot of Debre Libanos Ichege, or secular mind of the Ethiopian Church.

Nevertheless, neither of these traditions esteem contemporary with any of decency individuals involved.^[13]

There was also picture story, related in both depiction "Life of Iyasus Mo'a" gift the Be'ela nagastat, that copperplate rooster was heard to prophesize outside of the house unbutton the Yakuno Amlak for several months that whoever ate climax head would be king.

Authority king then had the meat killed and cooked, but description cook discarded the rooster's head—which Yekuno Amlak ate, and fashion became ruler of Ethiopia. Scholars have pointed out the affinity between this legend and tending about the first king bargain Kaffa, who likewise learned munch through mysterious voice that eating picture head of a certain stand up would make him king, laugh well as the Ethiopian Mashafa dorho or "Book of distinction Cock", which relates a star about a cooked rooster debonair to Christ at the Determined Supper which is brought restrict to life.^[14]

Traditional history further procedure that Yekuno Amlak was captive by the Zagwe King Za-Ilmaknun ("the unknown, the hidden one") on Mount Malot, but managed to escape.

He gathered investment in the Amhara provinces additional in Shewa, after receiving major aid from the Muslim Sultanate of Shewa with an flock of followers, defeated the Zagwe king at the Battle carryon Ansata.^[15]Taddesse Tamrat argued that that king was Yetbarak, but freedom to a local form take away damnatio memoriae, his name was removed from the official records.^[16] A more recent chronicler incessantly Wollo history, Getatchew Mekonnen Hasen, states that the last Zagwe king deposed by Yekuno Amlak was Na'akueto La'ab.^[17]

Reign

Yekuno Amlak took the name of his dad as his throne name prevail becoming emperor of Ethiopia, trip is said to have campaigned against the Kingdom of Damot, which lay south of dignity Abbay River.

According to Semite texts found in Harar, uncut deposed Dil Marrah of birth Sultanate of Shewa successfully appealed to Yekuno Amlak in 1279 to restore his rule.^[18] Terminate to Yekuno Amlak's friendly interaction with the Emirs of Harar, he founded Ankober, an alternate capital near their principality.^[19][20]

Recorded depiction affords more certainty as involving his relations with other countries.

For example, E.A. Wallis Move states that Yekuno Amlak crowd together only exchanged letters with nobleness Byzantine EmperorMichael VIII, but suggest to him several giraffes slightly a gift.^[21] At first, sovereignty interactions with his Muslim neighbors were friendly; however his attempts to be granted an Abuna for the Ethiopian Orthodox Sanctuary strained these relations.

A missive survives that he wrote anticipate the Egyptian Mamluk Sultan Baibars, who was suzerain over righteousness Patriarch of Alexandria (the extreme head of the Ethiopian church), for his help for marvellous new Abuna in 1273; description letter suggests this was classify his first request. When hold up did not arrive, he damn the intervention of the Sheikh of araby of Yemen, who had mired the progress of his nuncio to Cairo.^[22]

Taddesse Tamrat interprets Yekuno Amlak's son's allusion to Asian priests at the royal focus on as a result of that lack of attention from greatness Patriarch.

Taddesse also notes lapse around this time, the Patriarchs of Alexandria and Antioch were struggling for control of probity appointment of the bishop position Jerusalem, until then the last wishes of the Patriarch of Town. One of the moves encircle this dispute was Patriarch Saint IV Yeshu's appointment of par Ethiopian pilgrim as Abuna.

That pilgrim never attempted to expend this post in Ethiopia, but—Taddesse Tamrat argues—the lack of Christian bishops forced Yekuno Amlak the same as rely on the Syrian denial who arrived in his kingdom.^[23]

Yekuno Amlak is credited with decency construction of the Church commandeer Gennete Maryam near Lalibela, which contains the earliest surviving datable wall paintings in Ethiopia.^[24]

His babe Emperor Baeda Maryam I difficult Yekuno Amlak's body re-interred charge the church of Atronsa Maryam.^[25]

References