born: 1795
ruled from: 1813 - 1847
died: 1847
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
King Sahle Selassie of Shewa
Born in 1795 as the younger son of Meridazmatch Wossen Seged of Shewa, he had
outmanuvered his elder brother Bakure for the princely throne of Shewa upon their father's
death in 1813. With the aid of his Abichu Oromo allies was able to consolidate Shewan rule
over the Tulama Oromo and over the districts of Bulga and Karayu extending his rule into Arsi
and Gurage. After ensuring that the Wollo Oromo areas to his north would act as a buffer
between his principality and the Yejju domains of the Imperial Regent Ras Ali II, Sahle Selassie
abandoned his old titles of Ras and Meridazmatch proclaiming himself King of Shewa, Yifat, and
the Oromo and Gurage people. The Emperor in Gondar aquieced to this new title although he
had little ability to do otherwise. It was however significant that the increasingly powerful head
of the junior branch of the Imperial Solomonic dynasty should adopt the title of King at a time
that the head of the senior Gondar line (the Emperor) was little more than a puppet of northern
warlords. Sahle Selassie and his heirs would henceforth be regarded as possible contenders for
the Imperial throne itself. This ambition would be realized when his grandson became Emperor
Menelik II.
King Sahle Selassie was close to his mother, Woizero Zenebework, ruler of the districts of Menz
and Tegulet, and she exercised considerable power during his reign and the reign of his son
Haile Melekot. He was married to the equally formidable Woizero Bezabish who ruled over the
districts of Yifat and Bulga. The two queens remained powerful forces in Shewa well into the
reign of his successor. He was succeeded as King of Shewa by his son Haile Melekot. Sahle
Selassie, Nigus of Shewa was the grandfather of Emperor Menelik II, and great grandfather of
both Empress Zewditu and Emperor Haile Selassie. He fathered scores of children by many
women, making the House of Shewa the largest of all the branches of the Imperial Solomonic
Dynasty.
|
|
| |
|
