Eskender
| Eskender እስክንድር | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emperor of Ethiopia | |||||
| Reign | 8 November 1478 – 7 May 1494 | ||||
| Predecessor | Baeda Maryam I | ||||
| Successor | Amda Seyon II | ||||
| Regent | Queen Romna Wark[1] | ||||
| Born | 15 July 1471 | ||||
| Died | 7 May 1494(aged 22) Tegulet,Ethiopian Empire | ||||
| |||||
| Dynasty | House of Solomon | ||||
| Father | Baeda Maryam I | ||||
| Mother | Romna Wark[1] | ||||
Eskender(Ge'ez:እስክንድር,"Alexander"; 15 July 1471 – 7 May 1494) wasEmperor of Ethiopiaand a member of theSolomonic dynasty.His throne name wasKwestantinos II(Ge’ez: ቈስታንቲኖስ, "Constantine" ). He was the son of EmperorBaeda Maryam Iby his wife Queen Romna. His early years would see the jostling for power between the nobility and the ecclesiastical elite.
During his reign, he was involved with several battles with theAdal Sultanate.At the age of 22, his death led to civil war between the supporters of his son,Amda Seyon IIand his half-brotherNa'od.It was during Eskender's reign that the famedPortugueseenvoyPedro de Covilhamvisited his court and was later forced to stay as an advisor.
Background
[edit]Due to his young age, his authority required aregent.Therefore, a council was formed of his mother Queen Romna, Tasfa Giyorgis (the abbot of the monastery ofLake Hayq), and theBitwodedAmda Mikael.However, Queen Romna withdrew from this arrangement early on, entering a convent nearDebre Libanoswhere she lived until her death. Abbot Tasfa Giyorgis proved no match for the experienced Bitwoded, and according to Taddesse Tamrat Amda Mikael "ruled the kingdom almost single handed."[2]The Bitwoded's rule came to an end around 1486 when a palace coup led by the Emperor's step-grandmother Queen MotherEleniresulted in his deposition and execution. Queen Eleni thereafter played a leading role in the Emperor's government.
Reign
[edit]Eskender's most significant military accomplishment was sackingDakkar,the capital of theAdal Sultanate,when he destroyed houses and places of worship in 1478. As he led his army back home, the larger Adal army under amirMuhammad ibn Azhar ad-Dinovertook them, killing many of his men and taking many prisoners. Eskender was said to have escaped capture only through the assistance of angels, and afterwards he built a church named Debere Meshwa'e (Place of Sacrifice).[3]There is some disagreement over the context of this campaign, one view is presented byJames Bruce,who adds thatZasillus,governor ofAmhara,had been commanded to mobilize the forces in the south while Eskender himself raised levies fromAngotandTigray.According to Bruce, Eskender was responding to the predations ofMahfuzofZeila.[4]More recent scholars, such asRichard Pankhurst,hold that Eskender's sack of Dakkar led to Muhammad seeking peace with the Ethiopians, but he was outmaneuvered by Mahfuz.[3]
There are also conflicting versions of Emperor Eskender's death, which occurred when he was only 22. One source holds he was killed fighting theMaya,a vanished ethnic group known for using poisoned arrows, east ofEnderta.[5]On the other hand, both Bruce and the explorerRichard Burtonwrites that Eskender was assassinated atTegulet:Bruce stating that Zasillus of Amhara was responsible,[6]while Burton claiming that Mahfuz had him assassinated.[7]He was buried in the church ofAtronsa Maryam,which his father had begun construction on.[8]His early death immediately led to civil war. While the court kept the Emperor's death a secret, one major noble, Zasillus, immediately marched to the royal prison ofAmba Geshen,freedNa'od,and proclaimed him Emperor. Another noble Tekle Kristos, who had remained at the Imperial court, championed Eskender's sonAmda Seyon IIas emperor. Although Tekle Kristos' forces defeated the followers of Zasillus, warfare continued through the realm.[9]
European influence
[edit]Europeaninfluence was noticeable during his reign. In a manuscript written by Francesco Suriano (dated to 1482 by Somigli), Suriano describes finding 10Italians"of good repute" residing at Eskender's court, some who had been living there for 25 years. Suriano adds that since 1480, seven more had travelled to the Ethiopian court. They had travelled there "to seek jewels and precious stones", but "since the king did not allow them to return, they were all ill content, although they were all well rewarded, each in accordance with his rank."[10]
It was in the last years of Eskender's reign thatPêro da Covilhãarrived in Ethiopia, as an envoy from kingJohn II of Portugal.However, da Covilhã was not allowed to return toPortugal,and was forced to live out his days in Ethiopia—although as a trusted advisor to the Emperors.
Notes
[edit]- ^abBudge, E. A. Wallis (1928).A History of Ethiopia: Nubia and Abyssinia (Volume 1).London: Methuen & Co. p. 320.
- ^Taddesse Tamrat,Church and State in Ethiopia(Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1972), p. 286.
- ^abRichard Pankhurst,The Ethiopian Borderlands(Lawrenceville: Red Sea Press, 1997), pp. 121f
- ^Bruce,Travels to Discover the Source of the Nile(1805 edition), vol. 3, pp. 144f
- ^G.W.B. Huntingford,The historical geography of Ethiopia from the first century AD to 1704,(Oxford University Press: 1989), p. 109.
- ^Bruce,Travels,vol. 3 pp. 145f
- ^Burton,First Footsteps in East Africa[New York: Praeger, 1966], p. 179)
- ^"Local History in Ethiopia"ArchivedFebruary 28, 2008, at theWayback MachineThe Nordic Africa Institute website (accessed 28 January 2008)
- ^Taddesse Tamrat,Church and State,p. 292.
- ^O.G.S. Crawford,Ethiopian Itineraries, circa 1400-1524(Cambridge:Hakluyt Society,1958), pp. 40-54.
