skibriye
Emperor Yohannes IV
Emperor Yohannes IV was born Kassa Mercha, son of Dejazmatch Mercha, Shum of Tembien, and his wife Woizero Silass. As Dejazmatch Kassa Mercha of Tembien and Tigrai, he was an instrumental ally of the British in thier campaign against Emperor Tewodros II. He refused to aknowledge his brother-in-law Tekle Giorgis II as the rightful Emperor, and defeated him at the Battle of Assam just outside Adowa, on July 11th, 1871, after fighting for only two hours. January 21,1872, at the Cathedral of St. Mary of Zion at Axum, Kassa Mercha was crowned Emperor Yohannis IV, King of Kings of Ethiopia. Following his victory over Tekle Giorgis II, Yohannes turned to his other rival Menelik of Shewa and was preparing to invade Shewa when it's King submitted and recognized Yohannis as Emperor. In return, Yohannes confirmed Menelik's title as King of Shewa and overlord of Wollo. Yohannes IV's official capital was Debre Tabor, but he speant significant time in both Mekelle and Adowa in his native Tigrai.
Yohannes IV as part of the settlement with Shewa called the Council of Boru Meda to resolve theological issues that had risen in the Orthodox Church and which threatened the unity of the national faith. As a result of the Council, the Sost Lidet doctrine which was strongest in Shewa at the time was declared a heresy and those clerics who refused to renounce it were sentenced to having their tounges cut out. At the same time, Yohannes ordered the muslims of Wollo to convert to Christianity or have their lands confiscated. Ras Mohammed Ali of Wollo converted promptly and was baptized with the new name of Michael, with the Emperor as his godfather.
Yohannes IV's approach to governance of the Ethiopian Empire was far more liberal and federal than that of Tewodros II. He allowed his vassal Kings, Menelik of Shewa and Tekle Haimanot of Gojjam, a large amount of autonomy even to the point of allowing them to send and receive representatives from foriegn states. However he was constantly threatened by rebellions by one or the other of the two Kings.
He defeated the invading Egyptian forces of Khedive Ismail twice, first at Gundat (also called Guda-Gude)on the morning of November 16, 1875; and then again at a three day battle at Gura from March 7th to 9th, 1876.
Following the defeat of the Egyptians at the hands of the Mahdists, Yohannes IV was prevailed upon by his old friends the British to allow Egyptian forces to evacuate from the Sudan through Ethiopia to their port colony of Massawa. In exchange, the British promised that in the event that the Egyptians had to evacuate their possesions on the Red Sea coast to defend Egypt from the Mahdi, the British would guarantee the interests of the Emperor of Ethiopia in the area. This was formalized by the signing of the Hewitt Treaty at Adowa. This act earned Yohannes IV the emnity of the Mahdi. However, when the Egyptians did evacuate Massawa, the British allowed the port to be occupied by the Italians much to the anger of Yohannes IV. Even Menelik of Shewa who was cultivating the Italians as allies for his planned rebellion against the Emperor was taken aback. Once established at Massawa, the Italians began to encroach on the highlands by occupying Sa'ati and further leading to confrontation with Ras Alula, Yohannes IV's governor of Mereb Melash who defeated a small Italian force at Dogali. The Emperor brought his huge army to confront the Italians at Sa'ati, but then abandoned this campaign when news arrived that the Kings of Gojjam and Shewa had launched a rebellion. Yohannes crushed the Gojjami army and ravaged the Kingdom, and was preparing to invade Shewa to do the same there, when news arrived that the Mahdists had sacked Gondar and burned it's ancient churches. Yohannes IV abandoned the Shewan campaign and marched north to confront the Mahdists at Mettema.
Empeor Yohannes IV was mortally wounded by a sniper while fighting the Mahdists of the Sudan at Mettema on March 11th, 1889. After he died, the Mahdists cut the head from his body and paraded it through Omdurman and Khartoum. He is the last crowned monarch in the world to have died in battle.
Emperor Yohannes IV
Emperor Yohannes IV was born Kassa Mercha, son of Dejazmatch Mercha, Shum of Tembien, and his wife Woizero Silass. As Dejazmatch Kassa Mercha of Tembien and Tigrai, he was an instrumental ally of the British in thier campaign against Emperor Tewodros II. He refused to aknowledge his brother-in-law Tekle Giorgis II as the rightful Emperor, and defeated him at the Battle of Assam just outside Adowa, on July 11th, 1871, after fighting for only two hours. January 21,1872, at the Cathedral of St. Mary of Zion at Axum, Kassa Mercha was crowned Emperor Yohannis IV, King of Kings of Ethiopia. Following his victory over Tekle Giorgis II, Yohannes turned to his other rival Menelik of Shewa and was preparing to invade Shewa when it's King submitted and recognized Yohannis as Emperor. In return, Yohannes confirmed Menelik's title as King of Shewa and overlord of Wollo. Yohannes IV's official capital was Debre Tabor, but he speant significant time in both Mekelle and Adowa in his native Tigrai.
Yohannes IV as part of the settlement with Shewa called the Council of Boru Meda to resolve theological issues that had risen in the Orthodox Church and which threatened the unity of the national faith. As a result of the Council, the Sost Lidet doctrine which was strongest in Shewa at the time was declared a heresy and those clerics who refused to renounce it were sentenced to having their tounges cut out. At the same time, Yohannes ordered the muslims of Wollo to convert to Christianity or have their lands confiscated. Ras Mohammed Ali of Wollo converted promptly and was baptized with the new name of Michael, with the Emperor as his godfather.
Yohannes IV's approach to governance of the Ethiopian Empire was far more liberal and federal than that of Tewodros II. He allowed his vassal Kings, Menelik of Shewa and Tekle Haimanot of Gojjam, a large amount of autonomy even to the point of allowing them to send and receive representatives from foriegn states. However he was constantly threatened by rebellions by one or the other of the two Kings.
He defeated the invading Egyptian forces of Khedive Ismail twice, first at Gundat (also called Guda-Gude)on the morning of November 16, 1875; and then again at a three day battle at Gura from March 7th to 9th, 1876.
Following the defeat of the Egyptians at the hands of the Mahdists, Yohannes IV was prevailed upon by his old friends the British to allow Egyptian forces to evacuate from the Sudan through Ethiopia to their port colony of Massawa. In exchange, the British promised that in the event that the Egyptians had to evacuate their possesions on the Red Sea coast to defend Egypt from the Mahdi, the British would guarantee the interests of the Emperor of Ethiopia in the area. This was formalized by the signing of the Hewitt Treaty at Adowa. This act earned Yohannes IV the emnity of the Mahdi. However, when the Egyptians did evacuate Massawa, the British allowed the port to be occupied by the Italians much to the anger of Yohannes IV. Even Menelik of Shewa who was cultivating the Italians as allies for his planned rebellion against the Emperor was taken aback. Once established at Massawa, the Italians began to encroach on the highlands by occupying Sa'ati and further leading to confrontation with Ras Alula, Yohannes IV's governor of Mereb Melash who defeated a small Italian force at Dogali. The Emperor brought his huge army to confront the Italians at Sa'ati, but then abandoned this campaign when news arrived that the Kings of Gojjam and Shewa had launched a rebellion. Yohannes crushed the Gojjami army and ravaged the Kingdom, and was preparing to invade Shewa to do the same there, when news arrived that the Mahdists had sacked Gondar and burned it's ancient churches. Yohannes IV abandoned the Shewan campaign and marched north to confront the Mahdists at Mettema.
Empeor Yohannes IV was mortally wounded by a sniper while fighting the Mahdists of the Sudan at Mettema on March 11th, 1889. After he died, the Mahdists cut the head from his body and paraded it through Omdurman and Khartoum. He is the last crowned monarch in the world to have died in battle.