The Western Press Falsely Reports the Death of Ethiopia's Emperor Menelik II (1896)
Book Details
Author(s)New York Sun
ISBN / ASINB00WTNVMZI
ISBN-13978B00WTNVMZ2
Sales Rank1,525,687
MarketplaceUnited States 🇺🇸
Description
“The Western Press Falsely Reports the Death of Ethiopia’s Emperor Menelik II (1896)†is an erroneous United States press report of the death of a famous Ethiopian ruler.
Menelik II (1844-1913) ruled Ethiopia as emperor (Negus nagast) from 1889 until 1913. He was the third in a line of notable Ethiopian emperors in the nineteenth century.
Ethiopia was the home of ancient kingdoms. The legendary origins of the Ethiopian imperial line, according to an Ethiopian chronicle called the Kebra Nagast (“The Glory of the Kingsâ€) date back to King Solomon of Israel and Queen Makeda of Sheba. The child of this union was said to have been Menelik I.
By adopting the name “Menelik IIâ€, the nineteenth century emperor, who claimed descent from the Solomonic line, demonstrated the continuity of the legendary lineage.
In ancient times Ethiopia had been home to powerful kingdoms. In ancient times the capital of the Ethiopian kingdom was located at Axum (or Aksum) and the kingdom was considered to be one of the four great powers of the world (along with Rome, Persia, and China). It was during the Axumite period that Christianity became the state religion.
After the fall of the Axumite kingdom, however, Ethiopia descended into intermittent periods of political disorder and disunity, and was attacked by foreign enemies, including hostile Muslim and pagan neighbors. The enemies of the Ethiopian Christian states included Muslim Somali states, and the nomadic pagan Oromo tribes.
In the nineteenth century, however, modern Ethiopia began to take shape under the rule of three powerful emperors. The first of them was Tewodros II (Theodore II). After seizing the imperial throne in 1855, Tewodros led armies against other Ethiopian kings in order to consolidate imperial control over the nation.
Tewodros’ downfall came when he was attacked by a British expedition and committed suicide. After some fighting for the throne, Yohannes IV (John IV) was crowned emperor in 1871. Yohannes IV died fighting the Sudanese Mahdist army.
Yohannes IV was succeeded by Menelik II, the king of Shoa (Shewa). Menelik’s achievements as emperor include preserving Ethiopia’s independence and modernizing the country.
In the First Italo-Ethiopian War (1895-1896), Menelik II defeated the Italian army at the Battle of Aduwa (or Adowa / Adwa) on March 1, 1896. During the battle, Menelik used his much larger army to destroy a smaller Italian force. The Ethiopians benefited from Russian military aid and advice during the war, and possessed artillery and some modern, rapid-firing rifles.
The war had been caused by the Treaty of Wuchale. This treaty was written in Italian and Amharic, but the text in the two languages was different. The Italian version stated that Ethiopia would become an Italian protectorate, while the Amharic version did not. Menelik II refused to accept Italian rule, sparking the armed conflict.
Although Menelik’s victory in the First Italo-Ethiopian War allowed Ethiopia to maintain its independence, the former Ethiopian province of Eritrea was lost to the Italians. Eritrea remained under Italian rule until Italy’s defeat in World War II. Then Eritrea was re-incorporated into Ethiopia. But Eritrean separatists waged a war of independence, and Eritrea became a separate nation in 1993.
Menelik II was interested in modern technology, and introduced western innovations to his empire. He established Ethiopia’s first modern hospital, bank, and postal system. Under his rule, Ethiopia saw the establishment of its first railway, electricity, telephones, telegraph lines, motor cars, and modern plumbing. He was also responsible for founding Ethiopia’s present-day capital, Addis Ababa.
After his death, Menelik was succeeded by Iyasu V, and his daughter Empress Zewditu (also spelled Zauditu). Her successor was Haile Selassie, who ruled as emperor from 1930 until his overthrow in a communist coup in 1974.
Menelik II (1844-1913) ruled Ethiopia as emperor (Negus nagast) from 1889 until 1913. He was the third in a line of notable Ethiopian emperors in the nineteenth century.
Ethiopia was the home of ancient kingdoms. The legendary origins of the Ethiopian imperial line, according to an Ethiopian chronicle called the Kebra Nagast (“The Glory of the Kingsâ€) date back to King Solomon of Israel and Queen Makeda of Sheba. The child of this union was said to have been Menelik I.
By adopting the name “Menelik IIâ€, the nineteenth century emperor, who claimed descent from the Solomonic line, demonstrated the continuity of the legendary lineage.
In ancient times Ethiopia had been home to powerful kingdoms. In ancient times the capital of the Ethiopian kingdom was located at Axum (or Aksum) and the kingdom was considered to be one of the four great powers of the world (along with Rome, Persia, and China). It was during the Axumite period that Christianity became the state religion.
After the fall of the Axumite kingdom, however, Ethiopia descended into intermittent periods of political disorder and disunity, and was attacked by foreign enemies, including hostile Muslim and pagan neighbors. The enemies of the Ethiopian Christian states included Muslim Somali states, and the nomadic pagan Oromo tribes.
In the nineteenth century, however, modern Ethiopia began to take shape under the rule of three powerful emperors. The first of them was Tewodros II (Theodore II). After seizing the imperial throne in 1855, Tewodros led armies against other Ethiopian kings in order to consolidate imperial control over the nation.
Tewodros’ downfall came when he was attacked by a British expedition and committed suicide. After some fighting for the throne, Yohannes IV (John IV) was crowned emperor in 1871. Yohannes IV died fighting the Sudanese Mahdist army.
Yohannes IV was succeeded by Menelik II, the king of Shoa (Shewa). Menelik’s achievements as emperor include preserving Ethiopia’s independence and modernizing the country.
In the First Italo-Ethiopian War (1895-1896), Menelik II defeated the Italian army at the Battle of Aduwa (or Adowa / Adwa) on March 1, 1896. During the battle, Menelik used his much larger army to destroy a smaller Italian force. The Ethiopians benefited from Russian military aid and advice during the war, and possessed artillery and some modern, rapid-firing rifles.
The war had been caused by the Treaty of Wuchale. This treaty was written in Italian and Amharic, but the text in the two languages was different. The Italian version stated that Ethiopia would become an Italian protectorate, while the Amharic version did not. Menelik II refused to accept Italian rule, sparking the armed conflict.
Although Menelik’s victory in the First Italo-Ethiopian War allowed Ethiopia to maintain its independence, the former Ethiopian province of Eritrea was lost to the Italians. Eritrea remained under Italian rule until Italy’s defeat in World War II. Then Eritrea was re-incorporated into Ethiopia. But Eritrean separatists waged a war of independence, and Eritrea became a separate nation in 1993.
Menelik II was interested in modern technology, and introduced western innovations to his empire. He established Ethiopia’s first modern hospital, bank, and postal system. Under his rule, Ethiopia saw the establishment of its first railway, electricity, telephones, telegraph lines, motor cars, and modern plumbing. He was also responsible for founding Ethiopia’s present-day capital, Addis Ababa.
After his death, Menelik was succeeded by Iyasu V, and his daughter Empress Zewditu (also spelled Zauditu). Her successor was Haile Selassie, who ruled as emperor from 1930 until his overthrow in a communist coup in 1974.
