Ethiopian Empire

• 1. Solomonic Dynasty Origins

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  In 1270, a young Amhara nobleman named Yekuno Amlak rose to power in Bete Amhara. He defeated the Zagwe king at the Battle of Ansata and claimed descent from King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba through the Kebra Nagast text. This legendary lineage replaced the Agaw kingdom of the Zagwe dynasty that had ruled since the fall of Aksum in the tenth century AD. Yekuno Amlak promised to make the Orthodox Church semi-independent while enjoying friendly relations with neighboring Muslim Makhzumi rulers. He ordered the construction of the church of Genneta Maryam as a testament to his rule. His son Yagbe'u Seyon succeeded him in 1285 and wrote letters to the Mamluke Sultan Qalawun requesting an abuna for the Ethiopian Orthodox Church.

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• 2. Medieval Expansion And Conflict

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  Emperor Amda Seyon I conducted many campaigns between 1314 and 1344 against Muslim enemies to the east. He invaded the Sultanate of Ifat, killing its sultan and sacking the capital while taking livestock and slaves. These wars shifted the balance of power in favor of Christians for the next two centuries. Emperor Dawit I later declared all Muslims surrounding regions to be enemies of the Lord after raids by Sa'ad ad-Din II. The Ethiopian army besieged Zeila on the coast of Somaliland and killed the Sultan ending the Ifat Sultanate. Zara Yaqob established himself on the throne in 1434 and launched strong campaigns against pagan worship within the church. He defeated Adalite forces at the Battle of Gomit and founded Debre Berhan after seeing a miraculous light in the sky.

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• 3. Gondarine Cultural Renaissance

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  In 1636, Emperor Fasilides founded Gondar as a permanent capital which became a highly stable commercial center. This period saw profound achievements in Ethiopian art including diptychs triptychs murals and illuminated manuscripts mostly with religious motifs. The royal complex Fasil Ghebbi was constructed along with forty-four churches around Lake Tana. The reign of Iyasu the Great from 1682 to 1706 marked a major period of consolidation. Embassies were dispatched to Louis XIV's France and to Dutch India during this era. Notable philosophers like Zera Yacob and Walda Heywat emerged from this cultural flowering before political turmoil returned after his death.

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• 4. Modernization And Colonial Resistance

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  Emperor Menelik II resided in Addis Ababa and subjugated many peoples including Kaffa Welayta Harar and other kingdoms by 1898. Through a resounding victory over Italians at the Battle of Adwa in 1896 he ensured Ethiopia's independence using modern imported weaponry. Haile Selassie was coronated as Emperor on the 2nd of November 1930 and introduced Ethiopia's first written constitution on the 16th of July 1931. He abolished slavery throughout the empire on the 27th of August 1942 imposing severe penalties including death for slave trading. The United Nations adopted Resolution 390 (V) on the 2nd of December 1950 establishing the federation of Eritrea into Ethiopia with its own parliament.

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• 5. Italian Occupation And Liberation

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  In 1935 Italian soldiers under Marshal Emilio De Bono began what is known as the Second Italo-Ethiopian War. Italian troops used sulfur mustard chemical warfare dropping it in bombs spraying it from airplanes and spreading it in powdered form. One hundred fifty thousand chemical casualties were reported mostly from mustard gas during this conflict. Addis Ababa was occupied on the 5th of May 1936 before an Italian victory was declared on the 9th of May 1936. Haile Selassie fled to Bath England where he stayed at a hotel purchasing Fairfield House to spend his time in exile. British forces helped him organize his army within seven months launching a military campaign in January 1941 which returned him to the throne on May 5th of that year.

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• 6. Social Structure And Economy

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  According to Bahrey there were ten social groups in feudal Ethiopia including monks debtera lay officials men at arms lords hereditary landowners farm laborers traders artisans wandering singers and soldiers called chewa. Gold cubes weighing 3.2 grams each dated to the medieval period served as currency near Mount Yerer. In 1905 Menelik II established the first bank Bank of Abyssinia following concession from British occupied National Bank of Egypt. Between 1960 and 1970 Ethiopia enjoyed an annual 4.4% growth rate in per capita and gross domestic product. The GDP around 1934 was $1.3 billion before dropping drastically due to the Second Italo-Ethiopian War.

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• 7. Revolution And Monarchy End

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  The government's failure to respond adequately to the 1973 Wollo famine led to a revolt in February 1974 by the army and civilian populace. A group of military officers formed the Coordinating Committee of the Armed Forces Police and Territorial Army known as the Derg in June. Emperor Haile Selassie gave the Derg key concessions to arrest military and government officials at every level. The Derg deposed and imprisoned the Emperor on the 12th of September 1974 choosing Lieutenant General Aman Andom to be acting head of state. The monarchy was formally abolished in March 1975 and Marxism-Leninism was proclaimed the new ideology of the state. Emperor Haile Selassie died under mysterious circumstances on the 27th of August 1975 while his personal physician was absent.

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