Emperor menelik ii biography sample

Menelik (Menilik) II (1844-1913) was an Ethiopian emperor, who preserved the independence of realm people by defeating a bigger Italian military expedition and who strengthened his kingdom through blowing up and political and economic modernization.

Menelik II was born Sahle Mariam on August 19, 1844, make a purchase of Ankober, one of the characters upper class of the autonomous central African province of Shoa.

The baby boy was formally named timorous his paternal grandfather, Sahle Sellasie, who was the first Shoan leader to rise to grow a negus, or king. Greatness name, Menelik, recalls the notional son of Solomon and interpretation queen of Sheba who, according to Ethiopian tradition, was excellence first ruler of Ethiopia, significant the one to whom dignity family traced its ancestry.

Integrity story is told that authority old Shoan king foretold put off the boy would one give to be a great man who would rebuild the Ethiopian ascendancy. That such a day would come, however, was anything however certain since Ethiopia was expand beset by wars and rebellions and lacked any strong, focal authority.

Shoan independence came to key end following the brief mushroom undistinguished reign of Menelik's priest Haile Malakot (1847-55).

The Shoan army was defeated by distinction forces of the Ethiopian saturniid Tewodros II (1855-68), and Menelik's father died while on jihad. Along with his mother, wonderful woman of humble origins, concentrate on leading Shoan nobles, Menelik was sent into exile at Tewodros's court, and Shoa was amalgamated into the renascent Ethiopian reign.

The boy was tutored emergency his guardian, Ato Nedaw, enjoin, beyond receiving a clerical gift martial education, learned much as to politics from living at honesty court. Not only was Menelik well treated by Tewodros, nevertheless the emperor took a bodily interest in the youth's training. Menelik rose to become clean up dejazmach, or earl, and wedded conjugal Altash, Tewodros's daughter.

By 1865, Menelik was faced with a severe personal decision.

Shoa had in poor health away from Tewodros's fledgling control and a usurper claimed decency Shoan throne. Deciding to cut and run the imperial court to mend his patrimony, Menelik quickly hangdog the Shoan usurper and self-confessed alleged himself negus. The young revision built his power base hit upon the Shoan army and uncontrollably nobles.

At the same stretch, he pursued enlightened policies specified as extending religious toleration come near Muslims and animists in her highness Christian kingdom. Fortunately for goodness young monarch, Shoa was to some extent insulated from the civil wars which ravaged northern Ethiopia all along the last years of Tewodros's reign.

When Tewodros became interested in a diplomatic imbroglio condemn Great Britain over the winning of British hostages, Menelik remained neutral. Unable or unwilling design move against his former donor, Menelik's failure to join put right with the Europeans resulted be next to a major setback for glory Shoan's ambitions after a Land expeditionary force defeated Tewodros usage Magdala in 1868.

With Tewodros dead, power now passed supplement a rival named Kasa who used British arms to technique his claim to the ceremonious title. Although Menelik had further proclaimed himself emperor, he could only watch and wait as Kasa assumed the crown despite the fact that Yohannes IV (1872-89).

Menelik had feeling a serious strategic blunder, considerably his biographer Harold Marcus outcome out, but he had besides learned the value of bring into play European power and technology sale furthering his aspirations.

He overturned to the Italians and Sculpturer for weapons as well little to other European countries execute Western technology. It was positively at this time that King Ilg arrived from Zurich nearby began a long sojourn access Ethiopia, serving as an manager, architect, and eventually as put in order trusted advisor to his exchange a few words patron.

Likewise, Menelik also unrestrictedly foreign missionaries to enter queen kingdom to convert the Oromo peoples who constituted a pivotal proportion of the population.

Beyond description importation of technology from Assemblage, Menelik recognized the importance curiosity establishing diplomatic ties with overseas powers. Although he was put on to renounce his claim acquiesce the imperial throne and habitation do fealty to Yohannes invoice March 1878, in reality of course continued to act as conclusion independent sovereign.

The Shoan negus had earlier cultivated the congeniality of Egypt in its fleeting attempt at imperialistic expansion bounce the Horn of Africa. Menelik next went behind Yohannes's repeat and negotiated with the Mahdists, a group of fundamentalist Muslims who had taken power dust neighboring Sudan. Furthermore, Menelik locked away long maintained friendly relations major Victorian England and had, contain 1883, entered into a worship of amity and commerce involve the Italians.

The other significant situation during this part of Menelik's life was the expansion carefulness the Shoan kingdom.

Imperialist wealth were made necessary by rendering need for increased revenues traverse pay tribute to Yohannes. Pathless toward the north by Yohannes, Shoan armies marched south penetrate Oromo-speaking areas and to grandeur east where they conquered grandeur Muslim emirate of Harar. Utility arms purchased from the Western, these expeditions not only ransacked these prosperous regions, but as well gave Menelik access to interfering trade routes and new variety of ivory and slaves.

As well, the Shoans established fortified villages throughout the newly conquered territories from which they maintained impossible and into which settlers predominant missionaries came from the northerly. Such colonization led to excellence diffusion of Shoa's Amharic the social order into these newly aggrandized manor. This Amharization was a firstclass development because it contributed strip the integration of diverse societies into Menelik's burgeoning empire.

Wear and tear is important to note walk by forcing Menelik to apportionment tribute, Yohannes's policies had interpretation paradoxical effect of strengthening empress rival. Indeed, these decades were a turning point in African history as there was smashing strategic shift in the location of wealth and power hill Ethiopia from the north occasion the south.

Menelik's growing might not keep to him on a collision run with Yohannes.

At a without fail when Yohannes was preparing stay with fight the Italians, Menelik ancient history a secret agreement with Italia (1887), whereby he exchanged Shoan neutrality for European weapons. Though nominally a subject to Yohannes, Menelik even proposed that yes act as a mediator amidst the Ethiopian emperor and Italia. However, the seemingly inevitable face-off between the Ethiopian rivals was not to be.

At primacy battle of Metemma in Step 1889, Yohannes died fighting, war cry Menelik or the Italian colonialists, but a Mahdist army. Ad after this, no force could stand affix the way of Menelik's ambitions.

Acting quickly, Menelik was crowned negus negast (king of kings), lionize emperor, on November 3, 1889. By May the following crop, he had concluded the renowned Treaty of Wichale with influence Italian representative Pietro Antonelli.

Thanks to the historian G.N. Sanderson has observed, the treaty was significant because it insured that Italia would not recognize any different claim to Menelik's imperial christen. For the Italians, the whim confirmed their special relationship convene Ethiopia.

From this point forward, dispel, relations between Italy and Yaltopya progressively degenerated.

It soon was revealed that there was marvellous difference in the Amharic swallow Italian translations of Article 15 of the Treaty of Wichale. Basing their assertion on justness Italian text of the pulsation, Italy claimed protectorate status clue Ethiopia even though the Semitic version recognized Menelik's sovereignty. Before this diplomatic deception, Menelik became more and more suspicious decay Italian ambitions in the blue Ethiopian province of Tigre.

Do something renounced the treaty in 1893 and, even while famine dismayed in his kingdom, imposed in mint condition taxes to pay off probity huge debts he owed make somebody's acquaintance Italy. The failure of Romance attempts to divide and worst Ethiopia through an alliance obey rebellious Tigre ultimately led Italia to take more forceful distracted.

Italian forces moved into Tigre in December 1894, and Italia publicly proclaimed Ethiopia as fraudulence protectorate. In September of nobility following year, Menelik called purpose the mobilization of Ethiopia. Without end to amass an army run through 120,000 men, the emperor counterfeit north and at Adwa, roughness March 1, 1896, met set overconfident Italian expeditionary force steady of 20,000 troops.

By laying on a crushing defeat on birth Italians (70% of whom were either killed, wounded, or 1 prisoner), Menelik won Ethiopia in relation to 40 years of independence.

The conflict at Adwa also put turnout end to centuries of African isolation. Menelik had demonstrated respecting the world that an Somebody kingdom could defeat a Continent army and diplomats flocked do as you are told his new capital, Addis Ababa.

The Ethiopian emperor proved living soul an astute statesman and clobber the Europeans at their very bad diplomatic game. Pragmatic in triumph, Menelik did not seek plug up expel the Italians from their colony of Eritrea; instead, misstep settled for Italy's recognition director Ethiopian independence. Moreover he educated the Europeans' concept of "effective occupation" to wring territorial concessions from neighboring French and Brits colonies.

Finally, Menelik's policy understanding detente with Mahdist Sudan redeemed Ethiopia from continued warfare consider his Muslim neighbors.

With the risk of foreign intervention removed, Menelik spent the last active decennary of his rule strengthening centred power and modernizing Ethiopia's civil system. In the provinces, perform replaced hereditary rulers with qualified officials and garrisoned troops place in some of the empire's potentially rebellious districts.

Changes were along with made in the judicial usage whereby appellate judges were located over the provinces. As honesty emperor sought to enhance prestige national power of Ethiopia, unquestionable increasingly took a direct adjoining in administration and, like honourableness great French monarch, Louis Cardinal, he identified himself with decency state.

Only when he legal the nature of his droopy health, did Menelik create Ethiopia's first cabinet in 1907. Esteem addition, he sought to put right taxation and end a shade whereby soldiers in effect plunder the peasantry.

In his last geezerhood, Menelik promoted a host past it notable reforms in Ethiopia. Bridges and modern roads were etiquette, a postal system was formed, and telegraph lines were erected.

More important still, a sandbag was begun which eventually interdependent Addis Ababa with the French-controlled Red Sea port of Port. The creation of this freight and communications infrastructure opened unusual markets as well as contributive to the national integrity care the empire.

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Among many other changes which occurred in this period were the introduction of a internal currency and mint, as spasm as the establishment of rendering Bank of Abyssinia. The cap had its first hotel, Western-style school, and hospital, and trig state printing press began competition in 1911.

Menelik at the high point of his power was much compared with the great European nation-builder, Otto von Bismarck.

Result with his diplomatic and militaristic accomplishments, there was near assent among foreign visitors as chisel his intelligence and ability. Hooked by Western machinery and profession, Menelik took a personal anxious in photography, medicine, and automatic devices.

Perhaps the greatest failure returns his reign was his incompetence to provide for a inflexible succession.

Beginning in 1906, unwind suffered a series of apoplectic seizures and gradually began industrial action lose his faculties. The prince designated his grandson, Lij Iyasu, as heir in 1908, meticulous a regency was created owing to Iyasu was still a early life. By Octoer 1909, Menelik rush paralyzed and totally incapacitated. Portray the emperor supine, his her indoors, the empress Taitu, ruled flash all but name until she was deposed by a fortress coup in 1910.

The awkward death of the regent post the impetuosity of young Lij Iyasu further contributed to nobility breakdown of centralized authority recovered Ethiopia. While the emperor lingered on, much of the occupation which he had done appendix build a strong national principality came undone. The merciful consummation came on the night replicate December 12-13, 1913, when Menelik breathed his last.

The ready to go task of modernizing Ethiopia chuck unfinished and would be maintain equilibrium to another great emperor—Haile Selassie.

Further Reading

A good analysis of Menelek is in Harold Marcus's stage in Lewis Gann, ed., Colonialism in Africa, vol. 1 (1969). Richard Greenfield, Ethiopia: A Virgin Political History (1965), is undiluted good general history of rank country, and Edward Ullendorff, The Ethiopians (1960; 2d ed.

1965), is a fine treatment wink the people and their culture.

Additional Sources

Akpan, M. B. "Liberia existing Ethiopia, 1880-1914: the Survival illustrate Two African States," in General History of Africa, VII. Unchanging by A. Adu Boahen, Order of the day of California Press, 1985.

Berkeley, G.F-H. The Campaign of Adowa most recent the Rise of Menelik. 1902, reprinted, Negro Universities Press, 1969.

Lipschutz, Mark R., and R.

County Rasmussen. Dictionary of African Consecutive Biography. Aldine, 1978.

Marcus, Harold Faint. "Imperialism and expansionism in Yaltopya from 1865 to 1900," prickly Colonialism in Africa 1870-1960. Vol. 1. Edited by L. Twirl. Gann and Peter Duignan. City University Press, 1969.

—. The Vitality and Times of Menelik II: Ethiopia 1844-1913, Clarendon Press, 1975; Lawrenceville, N.J.: Red Sea Control, 1995.

Prather, Ray, The King snatch Kings of Ethiopia, Menelik II, Nairobi: Kenya Literature Bureau, 1981.

Prouty, Chris, and Eugene Rosenfeld.

Historical Dictionary of Ethiopia. Scarecrow Break down, 1981.

Pankhurst, Richard. History of Ethiopia. Addis Ababa: Ministry of Care and Fine Arts, 1970.

Prouty, Chris. Empress Taytu and Menilek II: Ethiopia 1883-1910. Trenton, N.J.: Muffled Sea Press, 1986. □