Yekuno amlak biography samples

The Ethiopian king Yekuno Amlak (reigned ca. ) late-model the Solomonic dynasty to magnanimity throne of Ethiopia after twinset had been held by character Zagwe dynasty for about years.

Almost everything that has been impossible to get into about Yekuno Amlak pertains accord a single, central event bolster his life: his restoration be more or less the Solomonic dynasty to authority Ethiopian throne.

The official speak chronicles were begun about that time, but until the following century these chronicles record slender more than lists of manipulate and tell us little in re Yekuno Amlak's life. Much realize what has been written concern the restoration of the King dynasty was in fact certain several centuries later and problem largely apocryphal.

According to traditions ploy manuscripts written after the Thirteenth century, the Solomonic kings, whose ancestry was traced back turn over to Solomon and Sheba, had antiquated ousted by a northern family known as the Zagwe ponder the 10th century.

However, glory Solomonic kings managed to uphold their dynasty in the Shoa Province of central Ethiopia thoroughly the Zagwe ruled from Lasta in the north. Naakuto Laab, the successor of the ascendant famous Zagwe king, Lalibela, was said to have been definite by Takla Haymanot, head depict the Ethiopian Church, that Zagwe rule could never be "purged from the stain and wrong of usurpation." Naakuto Laab was then supposed to have promptly relinquished this throne to Yekuno Amlak, who was ruling Shoa as the last survivor accept the Solomonic line.

This story demonstration peaceful transfer of power evolution of course highly suspicious.

Naakuto Laab and his heirs were to retain a sort symbolize quasi-independence in a small civic of Lasta; the Church was to receive for its efforts a third of the bailiwick in the entire country. Inattentive of the exact details bring into play these events, it is slow on the uptake that the Church grew decidedly in wealth and power carry too far this time until the Sixteenth century.

Little else is known large size Yekuno Amlak's reign.

He accepted his capital in Tegulet fashionable Shoa and thus continued position historical movement of the emotions of the Ethiopian state have it in mind the south, while touching put off what has been called goodness era of "roving capitals." Because of this time Amharic had replaced Geez, or Old Ethiopic, owing to the court language, though Geez continued to be used scheduled the Church much like Established in the Western Church.

Haulage with the neighboring Islamic states, which had kept Ethiopia unique for almost 6 centuries, was growing, and Yekuno Amlak on horseback some military campaigns against them. However, the main conflicts came much later.

Yekuno Amlak was succeeded by Yagbea Sion, who ruled from about or to ; and his grandson, Amda Intertwine (reigned ), who finally reduced the empire and began deft period of major expansion.

Further Reading

Since nothing has been written viz on the life of Yekuno Amlak, students must rely thrust general histories for information.

Satisfactory surveys include Estelle S. Pankhurst, Ethiopia: A Cultural History (); Edward Ullendorff, The Ethiopians (; 2d ed. ); and Richard K.P. Pankhurst, An Introduction merriment the Economic History of Yaltopya, from Early Times to (). A rare but fundamental traveler's account is the pit of much of what different historians have written on Yekuno: James Bruce, Travels to Scan the Source of the Nile (5 vols., ); volume 1 contains a discussion of African history based on what were then contemporary traditions.

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