Parents: Haile Melekot, king of Shewa, and Ijigayehu
Date of Birth: 17 August 1844
House: Solomon
Spouse(s): (1) Altash Tewodros, daughter of Tewodros II, emperor of Ethiopia, then (2) Befana Gatchew, then (3) Taytu Betul, daughter of Betul Haile Maryam and Yewubdar of Gondar
Predecessor: Yohannes IV
Reign: 1889 – 1913
Brief: The illegitimate son of a Ethiopian prince, Menelek was granted permission to inherit the throne of Shewa in 1855 and given the emperor's daughter as a binding contract of loyalty between the two monarchs, but the king was kept in captivity away from his lands. In 1865, he fled Tewodros II's palace and returned to Shewa, incurring the wrath of the emperor, but the Tewodros died soon after. Menelek was distracted in 1868 when his rival claimed the Ethiopian throne as Yohannes IV. For twenty years, Menelek remained silent, maintaing Shewa in relative peace. But in 1889, Yohannes was killed. Though his son was proclaimed his heir, Menelek took the throne through force. Claiming direct male descent from King Solomon, Menelek was recognized later that year as Ethiopian emperor. He was the last direct male descendant of the Solomonic royal line.
Soon after this ascension, Italy tried to trick Menelek into giving away Eritrea in northern Ethiopia. For seven years, the two countries fought until Ethiopia surprisingly defeated the would-be imperialists. He made a diplomatic alliance with Russia in 1893 to provide arms and advisors, but most other European powers were kept out of Ethiopia. Hesitantly, he allowed foreigners back into the country after 1898, but he constantly had to reassert his independence through proclamations and shows of force. Menelek II was a a modernizer and centralizer, who created the first national bank of Ethiopia, introduced a national postal system, allowed the creation of a railroad, and introduced electricity to the land. He even adopted a cabinet government late in his reign to help control the expanding bureaucracy. In 1909, Menelek suffered a mssive stroke and his wife, Taytu Betul, took over as his regent. When he finally died, he was buried quickly on the grounds of the Imperial Palace and a nephew, Lij Iyasu, succeeded him as king.
Date of Death: 12 December 1913
Soon after this ascension, Italy tried to trick Menelek into giving away Eritrea in northern Ethiopia. For seven years, the two countries fought until Ethiopia surprisingly defeated the would-be imperialists. He made a diplomatic alliance with Russia in 1893 to provide arms and advisors, but most other European powers were kept out of Ethiopia. Hesitantly, he allowed foreigners back into the country after 1898, but he constantly had to reassert his independence through proclamations and shows of force. Menelek II was a a modernizer and centralizer, who created the first national bank of Ethiopia, introduced a national postal system, allowed the creation of a railroad, and introduced electricity to the land. He even adopted a cabinet government late in his reign to help control the expanding bureaucracy. In 1909, Menelek suffered a mssive stroke and his wife, Taytu Betul, took over as his regent. When he finally died, he was buried quickly on the grounds of the Imperial Palace and a nephew, Lij Iyasu, succeeded him as king.
Date of Death: 12 December 1913
Successor: Iyasu V
Other Monarchs Who Died Today:
Other Monarchs Who Died Today:
- Carloman II, king of the West Franks (884)
- Selim II, sultan of the Ottoman Empire (1574)
- Stefan, king of Poland (1586)
- Tekle Giyorgis I, emperor of Ethiopia (1817)
- William I, king of the Netherlands (1843)
No comments:
Post a Comment