Dynastic marriage for at least the last half millennium, for which relatively good documentation is available, played a major, and well-attested, role in Ethiopian political life. Imperial rulers effected a number of important dynastic and other unions which freely transcended divisions of religion, ethnicity and class. The early sixteenth century Portuguese traveller Francisco Alvares, generally a reliable informant, writing of the Shewa-based Christian monarchs prior to the reign of Emperor Na’od (1494-1506), claimed that they “always had five or six…
Readers will recall that Emperor Sarsa Dengel’s half Beta Esra’el, or Falasha, son Ya’qob was overthrown by the nobles and army, but was later recalled to power. Now read on! Yaq’ob’s second reign was even shorter than the first, for his power was shortly afterwards challenged by Abeto, or Prince, Susneyos, the notable future Emperor of that name (1607-1632), who defeated and killed him in battle, in February or March 1607. His two reigns, though short, were, however, not unimportant….
Readers will recall that Emperor Sarsa Dengel had four sons by his Beta Esra’el, or Falasha consort (or concubine) Emabet Harago. Now read on. After Za-Maryam’s death (mentioned in last week’s issue), the aging Emperor Sarsa Dengel informed the great lords that he had once more resolved to give the empire to his nephew Za-Dengel.That at least is what the Jesuit Pero Paes claims, apparently on the basis of information received from the monarch’s son-in-law Ras Atenatwos. The Emperor Nearing…