Emperor of Ethiopia

The Emperor of Ethiopia (Amharic ??? ????, niguse negest, "King of Kings") was the hereditary ruler of Ethiopia until the abolition of the monarchy in 1975. The Emperor was not only the head of state, but the ultimate executive, judicial and legislative power in that country. As noted in a National Geographic Magazine article, Ethiopia is "nominally a constitutional monarchy; in fact a benevolent autocracy."1

History

The Solomonid dynasty ruled Ethiopia until 1974, with only a couple of usurpers. The most significant usurper was Kassa of Kwara, who in 1855 took complete control over Ethiopia and was crowned Tewodros II. After his defeat and demise, another non-Solomonid, Ras Kasai took over as Yohannes IV. Menelik of Shoa, who descended from Solomonic Emperors, ascended following Yohannis IV's death, restoring Solomonid tradition.

Related Topics:
Solomonid dynasty - 1974 - 1855 - Ethiopia - Tewodros II - Yohannes IV

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The most famous of the post-Theodorean Emperors were Yohannes IV and Menelik II. Emperor Menelik II struck a major military victory against Italian invaders in March of 1894 at the Battle of Adwa, the first major victory of an African nation against a colonial power. After Menelik, all emperors were of distaff descent from Solomonids. It is unclear whether any male-line descendants of Solomonid Dynasty survive. Menelik's successors ruled the country until the military coup in 1974 with the exception of the years 1936 - 1941, when the country was under Italian occupation and Victor Emmanuel III claimed the title, a claim which was disputed by the international community.

Related Topics:
Yohannes IV - Menelik II - 1894 - Battle of Adwa - 1974 - 1936 - 1941 - Italian - Victor Emmanuel III

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The position of the Emperor was defined in both of the constitutions adopted during the reign of Haile Selassie: the one adopted on July 16, 1931; and the one of November, 1955.

Related Topics:
Haile Selassie - July 16 - 1931 - 1955

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The last Solomonid monarch to reign over Ethiopia was Amha Selassie, who was offered the throne by the Derg after his father Haile Selassie's deposition September 12, 1974. When Amha Selassie, understandably mistrustful of the Derg, refused to return to Ethiopia to rule, the Derg announced that the monarchy had come to an end March, 1975. The Ethiopian constitution of 1995 confirmed the abolition of the Emperorship. However, in 1993 a group called the "Crown Council of Ethiopia", which includes several descendants of Haile Selassie, claimed that the niguse negest was still in existence, and was the legal head of Ethiopia.

Related Topics:
Amha Selassie - Derg - September 12 - 1974 - 1995

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~