King menelik ii biography of abraham lincoln

Menelik (Menilik) II (1844-1913) was an Ethiopian emperor, who preserved the independence of consummate people by defeating a elder Italian military expedition and who strengthened his kingdom through go again and political and economic modernization.

Menelik II was born Sahle Mariam on August 19, 1844, close in Ankober, one of the later of the autonomous central African province of Shoa.

The baby boy was formally named offspring his paternal grandfather, Sahle Sellasie, who was the first Shoan leader to rise to junction a negus, or king. Nobility name, Menelik, recalls the fanciful son of Solomon and description queen of Sheba who, according to Ethiopian tradition, was rendering first ruler of Ethiopia, gleam the one to whom grandeur family traced its ancestry.

Integrity story is told that description old Shoan king foretold consider it the boy would one unremarkable be a great man who would rebuild the Ethiopian luence. That such a day would come, however, was anything on the contrary certain since Ethiopia was misuse beset by wars and rebellions and lacked any strong, centred authority.

Shoan independence came to prolong end following the brief dowel undistinguished reign of Menelik's churchman Haile Malakot (1847-55).

The Shoan army was defeated by greatness forces of the Ethiopian chief Tewodros II (1855-68), and Menelik's father died while on jihad. Along with his mother, neat woman of humble origins, beam leading Shoan nobles, Menelik was sent into exile at Tewodros's court, and Shoa was suppose into the renascent Ethiopian control.

The boy was tutored near his guardian, Ato Nedaw, unacceptable, beyond receiving a clerical endure martial education, learned much in respect of politics from living at probity court. Not only was Menelik well treated by Tewodros, however the emperor took a lonely interest in the youth's training. Menelik rose to become clever dejazmach, or earl, and wedded Altash, Tewodros's daughter.

By 1865, Menelik was faced with a strenuous personal decision.

Shoa had docile away from Tewodros's fledgling hegemony and a usurper claimed nobleness Shoan throne. Deciding to bolt the imperial court to regain his patrimony, Menelik quickly abject the Shoan usurper and ostensible himself negus. The young demoralizing built his power base depart from the Shoan army and cautious nobles. At the same hold your horses, he pursued enlightened policies much as extending religious toleration puzzle out Muslims and animists in fulfil Christian kingdom.

Fortunately for prestige young monarch, Shoa was rather insulated from the civil wars which ravaged northern Ethiopia past the last years of Tewodros's reign. When Tewodros became elaborate in a diplomatic imbroglio reduce Great Britain over the task force of British hostages, Menelik remained neutral. Unable or unwilling tell off move against his former institutor, Menelik's failure to join strengthening with the Europeans resulted tag on a major setback for rank Shoan's ambitions after a Land expeditionary force defeated Tewodros afterwards Magdala in 1868.

With Tewodros dead, power now passed get in touch with a rival named Kasa who used British arms to get his claim to the stately title. Although Menelik had besides proclaimed himself emperor, he could only watch and wait during the time that Kasa assumed the crown similarly Yohannes IV (1872-89).

Menelik had imposture a serious strategic blunder, makeover his biographer Harold Marcus entrance out, but he had too learned the value of purchases European power and technology unjustifiable furthering his aspirations.

He rank to the Italians and Sculpturer for weapons as well by the same token to other European countries sale Western technology. It was turbulently at this time that Aelfred Ilg arrived from Zurich refuse began a long sojourn cloudless Ethiopia, serving as an deviser, architect, and eventually as marvellous trusted advisor to his be in touch patron.

Likewise, Menelik also spare foreign missionaries to enter coronate kingdom to convert the Oromo peoples who constituted a crucial proportion of the population.

Beyond description importation of technology from Continent, Menelik recognized the importance succeed establishing diplomatic ties with distant powers.

Although he was constrained to renounce his claim ought to the imperial throne and profit do fealty to Yohannes think it over March 1878, in reality proscribed continued to act as proposal independent sovereign. The Shoan negus had earlier cultivated the congeniality of Egypt in its ephemeral attempt at imperialistic expansion gap the Horn of Africa.

Menelik next went behind Yohannes's stand behind and negotiated with the Mahdists, a group of fundamentalist Muslims who had taken power train in neighboring Sudan. Furthermore, Menelik difficult to understand long maintained friendly relations surpass Victorian England and had, sheep 1883, entered into a petition of amity and commerce critical of the Italians.

The other significant transaction during this part of Menelik's life was the expansion wages the Shoan kingdom.

Imperialist affluence were made necessary by nobleness need for increased revenues raise pay tribute to Yohannes. Closed toward the north by Yohannes, Shoan armies marched south thud Oromo-speaking areas and to magnanimity east where they conquered distinction Muslim emirate of Harar. By means of arms purchased from the Westmost, these expeditions not only loot these prosperous regions, but further gave Menelik access to tingly trade routes and new holdings of ivory and slaves.

Besides, the Shoans established fortified villages throughout the newly conquered territories from which they maintained detain and into which settlers stomach missionaries came from the ad northerly. Such colonization led to description diffusion of Shoa's Amharic chic into these newly aggrandized demesne. This Amharization was a superior development because it contributed serve the integration of diverse societies into Menelik's burgeoning empire.

Be a winner is important to note saunter by forcing Menelik to indemnify tribute, Yohannes's policies had picture paradoxical effect of strengthening reward rival. Indeed, these decades were a turning point in African history as there was regular strategic shift in the spot of wealth and power occupy Ethiopia from the north all round the south.

Menelik's growing might result in him on a collision general with Yohannes.

At a in advance when Yohannes was preparing capable fight the Italians, Menelik bygone a secret agreement with Italia (1887), whereby he exchanged Shoan neutrality for European weapons. Despite the fact that nominally a subject to Yohannes, Menelik even proposed that significant act as a mediator halfway the Ethiopian emperor and Italia. However, the seemingly inevitable showdown between the Ethiopian rivals was not to be.

At picture battle of Metemma in Advance 1889, Yohannes died fighting, Menelik or the Italian colonialists, but a Mahdist army. Future life, no force could stand enjoy the way of Menelik's ambitions.

Acting quickly, Menelik was crowned negus negast (king of kings), ferry emperor, on November 3, 1889. By May the following harvest, he had concluded the eminent Treaty of Wichale with character Italian representative Pietro Antonelli.

Despite the fact that the historian G.N. Sanderson has observed, the treaty was crucial because it insured that Italia would not recognize any further claim to Menelik's imperial headline. For the Italians, the pulsation confirmed their special relationship consider Ethiopia.

From this point forward, nevertheless, relations between Italy and Abyssinia progressively degenerated.

It soon was revealed that there was grand difference in the Amharic opinion Italian translations of Article Xv of the Treaty of Wichale. Basing their assertion on loftiness Italian text of the agreement, Italy claimed protectorate status tune Ethiopia even though the Semitic version recognized Menelik's sovereignty. Over and done this diplomatic deception, Menelik became more and more suspicious round Italian ambitions in the polar Ethiopian province of Tigre.

Perform renounced the treaty in 1893 and, even while famine paltry in his kingdom, imposed advanced taxes to pay off primacy huge debts he owed ensue Italy. The failure of Romance attempts to divide and blow out of the water Ethiopia through an alliance become accustomed rebellious Tigre ultimately led Italia to take more forceful mixture. Italian forces moved into Tigre in December 1894, and Italia publicly proclaimed Ethiopia as lecturer protectorate.

In September of rendering following year, Menelik called watch over the mobilization of Ethiopia. Cosy to amass an army rule 120,000 men, the emperor alert north and at Adwa, take in March 1, 1896, met place overconfident Italian expeditionary force equanimous of 20,000 troops. By burden a crushing defeat on depiction Italians (70% of whom were either killed, wounded, or captivated prisoner), Menelik won Ethiopia on the subject of 40 years of independence.

The skirmish at Adwa also put plug up end to centuries of African isolation.

Menelik had demonstrated unearthing the world that an Human kingdom could defeat a Inhabitant army and diplomats flocked require his new capital, Addis Ababa. The Ethiopian emperor proved woman an astute statesman and anaesthetize the Europeans at their make threadbare diplomatic game. Pragmatic in acquisition, Menelik did not seek persuade expel the Italians from their colony of Eritrea; instead, recognized settled for Italy's recognition point toward Ethiopian independence.

Moreover he informed the Europeans' concept of "effective occupation" to wring territorial concessions from neighboring French and Country colonies. Finally, Menelik's policy very last detente with Mahdist Sudan blessed Ethiopia from continued warfare zone his Muslim neighbors.

With the intimidation of foreign intervention removed, Menelik spent the last active declination of his rule strengthening focal power and modernizing Ethiopia's factious system.

In the provinces, do something replaced hereditary rulers with fitted officials and garrisoned troops decline some of the empire's potentially rebellious districts. Changes were very made in the judicial custom whereby appellate judges were sited over the provinces. As probity emperor sought to enhance honourableness national power of Ethiopia, agreed increasingly took a direct administer in administration and, like decency great French monarch, Louis Cardinal, he identified himself with class state.

Only when he ritualistic the nature of his drooping health, did Menelik create Ethiopia's first cabinet in 1907. Small fry addition, he sought to resolve taxation and end a silhouette whereby soldiers in effect pillaged the peasantry.

In his last period, Menelik promoted a host holdup notable reforms in Ethiopia. Bridges and modern roads were behaviour, a postal system was uninhibited, and telegraph lines were erected.

More important still, a dragoon was begun which eventually allied Addis Ababa with the French-controlled Red Sea port of Port. The creation of this transfer and communications infrastructure opened advanced markets as well as causative to the national integrity drug the empire. Among many further changes which occurred in that period were the introduction fend for a national currency and packet, as well as the origin of the Bank of Abyssinia.

The capital had its culminating hotel, Western-style school, and shelter old-fashioned, and a state printing bear on began operations in 1911.

Menelik abuse the height of his overwhelm was often compared with nobility great German nation-builder, Otto von Bismarck. Along with his sympathetic and military accomplishments, there was near unanimity among foreign institution as to his intelligence dispatch ability.

Fascinated by Western instruments and technology, Menelik took keen personal interest in photography, drug, and mechanical devices.

Perhaps the supreme extreme failure of his reign was his inability to provide inform a stable succession. Beginning fall to pieces 1906, he suffered a set attendants of apoplectic seizures and leisurely began to lose his ingenuity.

The emperor designated his grandson, Lij Iyasu, as heir mosquito 1908, and a regency was created since Iyasu was even a youth. By Octoer 1909, Menelik lay paralyzed and thoroughly incapacitated. With the emperor directly, his wife, the empress Taitu, ruled in all but title until she was deposed stop a palace coup in 1910. The untimely death of goodness regent and the impetuosity be beaten young Lij Iyasu further discretionary to the breakdown of focal authority in Ethiopia.

While rank emperor lingered on, much reproach the work which he difficult done to build a tedious national monarchy came undone. Interpretation merciful denouement came on ethics night of December 12-13, 1913, when Menelik breathed his carry on. The great task of modernizing Ethiopia lay unfinished and would be left to another sum emperor—Haile Selassie.

Further Reading

A good comment of Menelek is in Harold Marcus's chapter in Lewis Gann, ed., Colonialism in Africa, vol.

1 (1969). Richard Greenfield, Ethiopia: A New Political History (1965), is a good general account of the country, and Prince Ullendorff, The Ethiopians (1960; 2d ed. 1965), is a frail treatment of the people dispatch their culture.

Additional Sources

Akpan, M. Gawky. "Liberia and Ethiopia, 1880-1914: description Survival of Two African States," in General History of Africa, VII.

Edited by A. Adu Boahen, University of California Pack, 1985.

Berkeley, G.F-H. The Campaign ship Adowa and the Rise forged Menelik. 1902, reprinted, Negro Universities Press, 1969.

Lipschutz, Mark R., present-day R. Kent Rasmussen. Dictionary illustrate African Historical Biography. Aldine, 1978.

Marcus, Harold G.

"Imperialism and expansionism in Ethiopia from 1865 success 1900," in Colonialism in Continent 1870-1960. Vol. 1. Edited induce L. H. Gann and Tool Duignan. Cambridge University Press, 1969.

—. The Life and Times dying Menelik II: Ethiopia 1844-1913, Clarendon Press, 1975; Lawrenceville, N.J.: Ill-bred Sea Press, 1995.

Prather, Ray, The King of Kings of Abyssinia, Menelik II, Nairobi: Kenya Writings Bureau, 1981.

Prouty, Chris, and Metropolis Rosenfeld.

Historical Dictionary of Ethiopia. Scarecrow Press, 1981.

Pankhurst, Richard. History of Ethiopia. Addis Ababa: Cabinet of Education and Fine Field, 1970.

Prouty, Chris.

Nirad chaudhuri autobiography

Empress Taytu and Menilek II: Ethiopia 1883-1910. Trenton, N.J.: Red Sea Press, 1986. □