Ethiopian Cultural Center in Belgium የኢትዮጵያ ባህል ማእከል በቤልጅየም

NEWSLETTERS ቁጥር –20 May 23, 2021

TABLE OF CONTENTS BRIEF HISTORY OF ¨/The Decline of and Zemene Mesafint PAGE 1-5 አጭር ግጥም ከሎሬት ጸጋዬ ገ/መድህን ገጽ 6 ሳምንታዊ የኮቪድ 19 መረጃ ገጽ 6-7 ------

Brief Part 10: The Decline of Gondar and The Zemene Mesafint (The Era of the Princes; 1769 – 1855) For about 200 years, Ethiopia passed through turmoil caused by the aggressiveness of the Muslim states, the far-reaching migrations of the Oromo and the disruptive influence of the Portuguese. These episodes left the empire much weakened andfragmented by the mid-seventeenth century. One result was the emergence of regional lords who are essentially independent of the throne, although in principle subject to it. In this issue of the newsletter, we will briefly describe the major events and decisive characters that shaped the course of Ethiopian history until the rise of Tewodros II in 1855.

The Gondar period produced a flowering Indian textile and European furniture. of architecture and art that lasted for more Gondar enjoyed the veritable status of a than a century. For the 18 th century fashion capital to the extent that it was Ethiopian royal chroniclers, Gondar, as a described in the 1840s by two French city, was the first among the cities that captains as the “Paris de l’Abyssinie” fulfilled all desires. Imperial Gondar where ladies and gentlemen wore dresses thrived on war chests, trade and revenue of dazzling whiteness, had good taste, from feudal taxation. Local aristocracy polite and distinguished manners. lived the high life and enjoyed luxury Nevertheless, Gondar monarchs never goods in the castle’s enclosure. When the regained full control over the wealth and Yemenite Ambassador visited the castle manpower that the nobility had usurped of in 1648 he was impressed by during the long wars against Gragn and “beds glittering with gold and magnificent then the Oromo. But this was hardly the sofas inlaid with pieces of jewelry and problem that started during Gondarine gems”. Travelers of the 18 th century also period. In fact all imperial expansions of described the presence of precious mirrors the Ethiopian state was never

from Venice, gilt and ivory decorations in accompanied by the establishment of an 1 age

addition to immense quantity of the finest effective administrative structure. Thus P website https://www.ethiopianculturalcenter.be/ Email ;[email protected] facebook: የኢትዮጵያ ባህል ማእከል በቤልጅየም/ Ethiopian Cultural Center in Belgium

Ethiopian Cultural Center in Belgium የኢትዮጵያ ባህል ማእከል በቤልጅየም the relation between the monarch and The genesis of the Zemene Mesafint can subjects was at all times loose – which be traced to the reign of Iyasu II (1730– often enabled regional chiefs to challenge 1755; throne name: Berhan Seged; the central authority. This came to head meaning "He to Whom the Light when, from the second quarter of the Bows"). Iyasu II ascended the eighteenth century, the political structure throne as a child, allowing his mother, of the Ethiopian kingdom fractured and Empress to play a major role as actual government rested in the hands of his Regent from 1723 to 1730. Mentewab, an array of local warlords and a succession had herself crowned as co-ruler in 1730, of puppet kings. becoming the first woman to be crowned The period known as the Zemene in this manner in Ethiopian history (throne Mesafint was a period in Ethiopian history name: Berhan Mogassa; meaning between the mid-18 th and mid-19 th Glorifier of Light). Thus, as his regent and centuries, which witnessed violent later co-ruler, the new emperor had his struggle for power and influence between shrewd and capable mother, Dowager dominant regional classes. The country Empress Mentewab (queen mother and was divided into several regions with no grandmother, 1730-1769), a second wife effective central authority. It was a period of from Qwara region. Empress in which the Emperors from the Mentewab wielded unprecedented power were reduced to little over government throughout the reign of more than figureheads confined to the her son. However, as a young emperor and capital city of Gondar – a succession of women co-ruler the imperial duo were not about 23 nominal Emperors held the in a position to lead military campaigns in throne during this period. There was no the vast territory left behind by Bakaffa. powerful authority uniting and controlling This probably enabled some regional lords the warring princes and provincial kings to feel independent and be emboldened who continuously fought each other. They enough to influence the center. Soon after competed to extend their own territory at assuming power, the queen made sure that each other’s expense and be seen as the her kinsmen from Qwara were given guardians of whoever was the current important palace positions and named her nominal King of Kings enthroned at brother Wolde Lul as Ras. Mentewab also Gondar. The beginning of this period is used the attempted coup by the traditional commonly set on the date Ras Mikael nobility in 1735-1736 as a pretext to place Sehul deposed Emperor Iyoas I (1769) Qwarans at the high command in the and its end to Kassa’s coronation as army. To obtain Oromo support, she Emperor Tewodros II (1855), after he married Iyasu II to Wubit (Welete militarily defeated all his rival princes. Bersabe), the daughter of an important Full imperial power was once again in the Wello chief, who came to the capital with

hands of one leader and the history of many followers. As a result of this official

modern Ethiopia began. rapprochement, the Oromo begin to play 2

an ever- increasing role in the affairs of the

age P website https://www.ethiopianculturalcenter.be/ Email ;[email protected] facebook: የኢትዮጵያ ባህል ማእከል በቤልጅየም/ Ethiopian Cultural Center in Belgium

Ethiopian Cultural Center in Belgium የኢትዮጵያ ባህል ማእከል በቤልጅየም kingdom, especially in the military sense. considerable forces from Yejju. When a In time, Iyasu II relied upon Oromo real conflict and a bloodbath became military units to help counter challenges to imminent, Mentewab summoned Mikael their authority from the traditional nobility Sehul (the powerful governor of Tigray and for purposes of campaigning in far- and, later, her son-in-law) to Gondar in flung Oromo territory. By the late order to save the Solomonic state. Upon eighteenth century, the Oromo were arriving, he was made Ras, promising to playing an important role in political mediate the dispute between the two affairs as well. At times during the first queens and their followers. Mentewab half of the 18 th century, Afaan Oromo had hoped that he would land firmly on was the primary language at court, and her side, but instead Ras Mikael Oromo leaders came to number among the proceeded to destroy the power of both the highest nobility of the kingdom. Qwarans and Yejjus in quick succession. Mentewab’s arrangement of the marriage Mikael Sehul then continued to work of her son to Wubit brought its own behind the scenes to undermine the house serious consequences at a later stage. that had rebuilt in 1270. Because Iyasu II gave precedence to his Emperor Iyoas, alarmed at his growing mother and allowed her every prerogative power, formed a coalition of anti-Tigray as a crowned co-ruler, his wife Wubit forces and ordered Ras Mikael back to his suffered in obscurity. But she waited province. The Ras disobeyed and, in for the accession of her own son to make January 1769, marched against his master, a bid for the power wielded for so long by whom he defeated, deposed and then her mother-in-law and her relatives from assassinated, ushering in almost a century Qwara Province. When Iyoas (Iyasu II’s of feudal anarchy and mayhem, the son; reigned 1755-1769) assumed the Zemene Mesafint, which lasted until throne upon his father’s sudden death, the 1855. aristocrats of Gondar were stunned to find Ras Mikael thus consolidated his position that he more readily spoke in the Oromo as Gondar’s most powerful warlord and a language rather than in Amharic and ruthless puppet master, but the murder of favored his mother’s Yejju relatives over Iyoas sparked the armed reaction from a the Qwarans of his grandmothers family. group of Amhara and Oromo lords. Ras Furthermore, Wubit, who believed that it Mikael’s response was unleashing of a was her turn to serve as regent, thwarted period of terror in Gondar in 1770 when Mentewab’s attempted to continue in her even high churchmen were executed, but role during the reign of her grandson failed to control the countryside. Finally, Iyoas. forces of a coalition of envious Amhara The conflict between these two queens led and Oromo lords, Fasil of Damot, Goshu to Mentewab summoning her Qwaran of Amhara, and Wond Bewossen of

relatives and their forces to Gondar for Begemdir, defeated the Ras Mikael Sehul

support. Wubit responded by summoning in 1971 at the Three battles of Sarbakusa 3

her own Oromo relatives and their

age P website https://www.ethiopianculturalcenter.be/ Email ;[email protected] facebook: የኢትዮጵያ ባህል ማእከል በቤልጅየም/ Ethiopian Cultural Center in Belgium

Ethiopian Cultural Center in Belgium የኢትዮጵያ ባህል ማእከል በቤልጅየም and imprisoned him for a year, then sent I, who together with his Wara Sheh family him back to Tigray. members became “Enderases” (Regents) During the Era of the Princes, nobody of the and their power dared take the sacred throne by force or reached its peak with Ras Gugsa Mersu, even to lay claim to it. The throne was the founder of Debre Tabor, Yejju’s therefore passed back and forth between dynastic capital. the hands of rulers who were legally Meanwhile in Tigray, Ras Wolde Selassie, Solomonic, but weak and engrossed in opponent of the Oromo-Amhara power, their palace intrigues. They did not was the first Ethiopian local governor to venture beyond the walls of their imperial form contacts with Europeans, city. The real power lay, in the shadow of particularly the British empire through the these puppet rulers. The triumvirate of visits of Lord Valentia, his secretary Fasil, Goshu and Wand Bewossen Henry Salt and Pearce, as described in periodically placed their own emperor on their books. Wolde Selassie, a the throne. More emperors followed as conservative Christian who valued these three fell from power and were Ethiopia’s monarchical traditions, replaced by other strongmen, who hated the Yejju pretenders and, at the constantly elevated and removed beginning of the 19 th century, was emperors. Tekle Giyorgis is famous for probably the main champion of the having been elevated to the throne Solomonic tradition. He inevitably altogether six times. The years from 1771 thought about removing the Oromo to 1784 constituted a sort of interval or a leadership, reuniting Christian Ethiopia transition period between two eras – the and restoring the monarchy. Among the era of the absolute monarchy and the era Amhara and the Tigray leadership, of rule by the Wara Sheh (or Wereseh; or considerable bitterness remained over the people of the Sheikh) rulers of the Yejju two-centuries-long record of helplessness dynasty. The origin of the Yejju people before the Oromo arrived. and their ruling dynasty, the Wereseh, Wolde Selassie tried to harness the largely remains uncertain. Although there general anti-Oromo prejudice to move are different assumptions, an oral tradition against the Yejju by approaching of the Wereseh themselves relates the Dejazmach Gebru of Simien and Ras origin of the ruling family with Sheikh Wossen Seged of . However, Ras Omar. It maintains that during the Gugsa manipulated his control over the campaigns of Ahmed Gragn, a family of Emperor and the Abune to exacerbate the Arabian origin called Weresek or religious differences among his foes and Wereseh, settled in the region of Yejju. In to destroy their unity. In the meantime, the expansion and rule of the region, the Wolde Selassie grew old in his single- Oromo established matrimonial ties with minded opposition to the Yejju, and by the

this family, thus giving rise to the dynasty. time of his death in 1817, Gugsa had

The Oromo Yejju Dynasty stepped on to broken the anti-Oromo front by arranging 4

the stage of Ethiopia history with Ras Ali a matrimonial alliance with Dejazmach

age P website https://www.ethiopianculturalcenter.be/ Email ;[email protected] facebook: የኢትዮጵያ ባህል ማእከል በቤልጅየም/ Ethiopian Cultural Center in Belgium

Ethiopian Cultural Center in Belgium የኢትዮጵያ ባህል ማእከል በቤልጅየም

Haile Mariam, the new ruler of Simien. Kassa then agreed to a reconciliation with The Yejju Ras and his people remained Ali, whom he served until 1852, when he the masters of the Gonderine monarchy. again revolted. Following a series of Shewa quickly retreated from the national stunning victories by Kassa, Ras Ali II scene to concentrate on internal issues and was decisively defeated by his son-in-law politics as a new ruler, Sahle Selassie (r. Dejazmach Kassa in the Battle of Ayshal 1813-1847) began consolidating his on 29 June 1853 and he lost both the government. The Shewans claimed regentship and his territories. That way, Solomonic legitimacy as descendants of Kassa Haylu ended the Wara Sheh Atse Lebna Dengel. Their early contacts dynasty and the Zemene Mesafint. In 1854 with Europe and its riches served to arm he assumed the title Negus (king), and in them and Ras Sahle Selassie took the title February 1855 the head of the church of Negus (King) but bided his time and crowned him Emperor Tewodros II. Kassa waited for his chance. History would give sought to build an empire with the him this opportunity in the figure of his messianic name of Tewodros II. grandson Menelik. But before this took Tewodros II put an end of the troubled place, another character, Kassa Hailu, Zemene Mesafint by reviving the would put an end to the Zemene Mesafint. traditional monarchy. The reign of The End of Imperial Gondar In the mid-19 Tewodros II ushered in a catastrophe for th century, a major figure in Gondar was Gondar. Tewodros turned his rage against Kassa Haylu, son of a lesser noble from the city several times during the 1860s, Qwara. Beginning about 1840, Kassa blaming the dwellers for supporting rebels alternated between life as a bandit and life or refusing to pay taxes. The emperor as a soldier of fortune for various nobles, repeatedly sent his army against the city, including Ras Ali II, the last of the Yejju burned it down and plundered all the Enderases. Kassa eventually rebelled churches. Tewodros II would bring the against Ali, occupied Gondar in 1847 and booty from the pillaged churches to Debra compelled Ali to recognize him as chief of Tabor, which he proclaimed the new the western frontier areas. Under the Gondar. authority of the influential Empress Menen (Ali’s mother) Kassa was given to be continued… Tewabech, Ali’s daughter, as a bride in order to have influence over him (Kassa came to love his wife and remained faithful to her until her death).

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age P website https://www.ethiopianculturalcenter.be/ Email ;[email protected] facebook: የኢትዮጵያ ባህል ማእከል በቤልጅየም/ Ethiopian Cultural Center in Belgium

Ethiopian Cultural Center in Belgium የኢትዮጵያ ባህል ማእከል በቤልጅየም

ፍቅርን ፈራን

ፈራን ፍቅር ፈራን የነፍስን አንደበት ዘጋን ህብረት ፈራን ፍቅር ፈራን ልጅነት የለገሰንን የፍቅር አምላክ በጥበብ በረቂቅ ያለበሰንን በመለኮት የቀባንን ህብረት ፈራን ፍቅር ፈራን

ሎሬት አርቲስት ጸጋዬ ገ/መድህን

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ቤልጅየም - ሳምንታዊ የኮሮና ቫይረስ ሥርጭት፤(ምንጭ: የማህበረሰብ ጤና ሳይንስ ተቋም - Sciensano) በማህበረሰብ ጤና ሳይንስ ተቋም ሳይንሳኖ ይፋ የተደረገው የኮሮናቫይረስ ወረርሽኝ ስርጭት ሁኔታ የሚያሳዩ አኃዞች ባለፉት ሁለት ሳምንታት ውስጥ የታየውን አዎንታዊ አዝማሚያ ቀጣይነት ያሳያሉ። በቫይረሱ መያዛቸው በምርመራ የተረጋገጠ የሰዎች ቁጥር፣ በኮቪድ- 19 ምክንያት ሆስፒታል መተኛት ያለባቸው ሰዎች እና በበሽታው የሚሞቱ ሰዎች ቁጥሮች አሁንም በተከታታይ ሳምንታት መቀነሳቸውን ቀጥለዋል። በቤልጅየም የማህበራዊ ጤና ሳይንስ ተቋም በሳምንቱ መጨረሻ የዘገበው መረጃ የሚከተለው ነው።

- ከMay 12 እስከ 18 ድረስ በነበረው ጊዜ ውስጥ የሚያሳይ ሲሆን ከባለፈው ሳምንት አንጻር ሲታይ በየቀኑ በአማካይ 2,159 ሰዎች በኮሮና ቫይረስ ወደዚህ ክፍል መግባት ያለባቸው ህመምተኞች ቁጥር መያዛቸው ተረግጧል። ይህ ከሳምንት በፊት ካለው በ16 በመቶ ቀንሷል። አሃዝ ጋር ሲነጻጸር በ22 በመቶ ያነሰ ነው። - ሆስፒታል የሚገቡ: ከMay 15 እስከ 21 ድረስ - በአጠቃላይ በአሁን ሰዓት 1,612 የኮሮና ቫይረስ በየቀኑ በአማካይ 127 ህመምተኞች ሆስፒታል ህመምተኞች በተለያዩ ሆስፒታሎች ውስጥ በህክምና ገብተዋል።ይህ ቁጥር ካለፈው ሳምንት ጋር ሲነጻጸር እየተረዱ ይገኛሉ። በዚህ መሰረት ከባለፈው ሳምንት በ12 በመቶ ቀንሷል። ይህም በኮቪድ-19 ምክንያት ጋር ሲነጻጸር በየሆስፒታሉ የሚገኙ አጠቃላይ የኮቪድ- ሆስፒታል የሚገቡ የህመምተኞች ቁጥር ለአራት 19 ህመምተኞች ቁጥር በ16 በመቶ እንደቀነሰ ነው። ተከታታይ ሳምንታት ከፍተኛ መጠን እየቀነሰ መሄዱን ያሳያል። ከእነዚህ ውስጥ 540 ታማሚዎች በጽኑ ሕሙማን ክፍል በከፍተኛ እንክብካቤ ላይ ይገኛሉ። ከነዚህ - የሟቾች ቁጥር: ከMay 12 እስከ 18 በነበረው ውስጥ 354 ታካሚዎች ሰው ሰራሽ የመተንፈሻ እርዳታ ሳምንት በኮሮና ቫይረስ ምክንያት በየቀኑ በአማካይ 20 የሚያስፈልጋቸው ናቸው። ይህ በከፍተኛ እንክብካቤ ሰዎች ህይወታቸውን አጥተዋል። ይህ ቁጥር ከባለፈው ውስጥ ያሉ ታካሚዎች ቁጥር በፍጥነት መቀነሱን ሳምንት ጋር ሲነጻጸር በ12 በመቶ ቀንሷል። በዚህ 6

age P website https://www.ethiopianculturalcenter.be/ Email ;[email protected] facebook: የኢትዮጵያ ባህል ማእከል በቤልጅየም/ Ethiopian Cultural Center in Belgium

Ethiopian Cultural Center in Belgium የኢትዮጵያ ባህል ማእከል በቤልጅየም

መሰረት በምንኖርባት አገራችን አጠቃላይ የሟቾች ይህ 46 በመቶ የሚሆነው የጎልማሳ ህዝብ ቁጥር ቁጥር 24,809 ደርሷል። ነው። ከእነዚህ ውስጥ 1,560,689 የሚሆኑት - እስከ May 20 ድረስ በቤልጅየም ውስጥ ሁለተኛውንም ዙር ክትባት ስለወሰዱ ሙሉ በሙሉ 4,220,285 ሰዎች ቢያንስ የመጀመርያውን ክትባት ተከትበዋል ማለት ነው። ወስደዋል። ማጠቃለያ (እስከ May 21, 2021) የሰው ቁጥር በጠቅላላ ባለፉት 7 ቀናት ባለፉት 14 ቀናት (በየቀኑ አማካይ) (በየቀኑ አማካይ) የህመምተኞች 1,044,612 2,159 (-22%) 2,461 (-20%) የሟቾች 24,809 20 (-37%) 26 (-33%) ሆስፒታል የገቡ 73,271 127 (-12%) 136 (-25%) ምርመራ የተደረገላቸው 13.5 ሚሊዮን 42,200 (-19%) 47,000 (+1%) ======የኢትዮጵያ የኮቪድ 19 ስርጭት

ባለፉት 24 ሰዓታት ውስጥ በተደረገ 4,376 የላቦራቶሪ ናሙና ምርመራ 293 ሰዎች በኮሮና ቫይረስ መያዛቸው ተረጋግጧል። በአጠቃላይ እስካሁን በቫይረሱ የተያዙ ሰዎች ቁጥር 269,194 ደርሷል። በሌላ በኩል 1,677 ሰዎች ከበሽታው ያገገሙ ሲሆን በአጠቃላይ እስካሁን ድረስ 228,757 ሰዎች ከበሽታው አገግመዋል።

ውድ አንባቢያን መልካም ንባብ ሰናይ ሳምንት

7

age P website https://www.ethiopianculturalcenter.be/ Email ;[email protected] facebook: የኢትዮጵያ ባህል ማእከል በቤልጅየም/ Ethiopian Cultural Center in Belgium