Yonas(Ge'ez:ዮናስ; died May 1813) wasEmperor of Ethiopiafrom 18 August 1797 to 4 January 1798, and a member ofSolomonic dynasty.He was the son of Letezum, and the grandson of the EmperorFasilides.[1]
| Yonas | |
|---|---|
| Emperor of Ethiopia | |
| Reign | 18 August 1797 – 4 January 1798 |
| Predecessor | Salomon III |
| Successor | Tekle Giyorgis I |
| Died | May 1813 Gojjam,Ethiopian Empire |
| Dynasty | House of Solomon |
| Father | Letezum |
| Religion | Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo |
Reign
editAccording toE. A. Wallis Budge,Yonas was a figurehead, proclaimed Emperor byRasIsra'el of Begemder, and deposed byGugsa,a chieftain of theYejju Oromo people.[2]However, theRoyal Chroniclerecords that he was proclaimed Emperor after the Emperor who controlledGondar,Salomon III,had been defeated by the rebelBalambarasAsserat,who forced him to flee Gondar.[1]However, during Yonas' reign the realm was afflicted by afaminein which "more men died than could be numbered." Yonas' son Mafu died 7 November, then his wife Esther, both apparently from this famine. Lacking any support or rationale for his rule, the major warlords of the time --RasMare'ed,DejazmachHailu Eshte,DejazmachWolde Selassie,andRasGuebra-- all successfully petitioned to EmperorTekle Giyorgisto return from exile inWaldebbaand become ruler once again. Upon learning of Tekle Giyorgis' approach when he was still one day's march away, Yonas fled to sanctuary in theAbuna's palace.[3]
After months of hiding in the Abuna's palace, Yonas became a potential pawn whenWaheldu,the brother of Asserat and also in conflict with the major warlords, attempted to have Yonas brought to him and used as his own candidate for Emperor. Tekle Giyorgis managed to foil this plot by giving amnesty to Yonas, and had him and Yonas' brother Goshu, "dwell with him in friendship" in theRoyal Enclosure.[4]
By 1802, he was a prisoner inLasta.[5]Henry Saltis reported to have met with his son Fasilidas in Adowa 16 September 1805, and who "seemed anxious to have a private conversation [with Salt], but was prevented."[6]Nathaniel Pearcereports that Yonas was living in exile inGojjamat the time of his death, and died penniless "without leaving sufficient even to purchase a coffin to receive... [his] remains, or money enough forfettartortoscar."[7]
References
edit- ^abH. Weld Blundell,The Royal chronicle of Abyssinia, 1769-1840(Cambridge: University Press, 1922), p. 446
- ^E.A. Wallis Budge,A History of Ethiopia: Nubia and Abyssinia,1970 (Oosterhout, the Netherlands: Anthropological Publications, 1970), p. 479
- ^Weld Blundell,The Royal chronicle,pp. 447f
- ^Weld Blundell,The Royal chronicle,p. 453
- ^Weld Blundell,The Royal chronicle,p. 471
- ^John J. Halls,Life and Correspondence of Henry Salt,(London, 1834), vol. 1 p. 120
- ^Nathaniel Pearce, J.J. Halls. ed.The Life and Adventures of Nathaniel Pearce(London, 1831), vol. 1, pp. 124f. Pearce heard of Yonas' death on 7 June, but did not record the exact date it occurred.