Hezqeyas

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For the early 18th century pretender to the Ethiopian throne, see Atse Hezqeyas.
Hezqeyas
Emperor of Ethiopia
Reign26 July 1789 – January 1794
PredecessorTekle Giyorgis I
SuccessorTekle Giyorgis I
Died13 September 1813
DynastyHouse of Solomon
FatherIyasu III

Hezqeyas (died 13 September 1813)[1] was Emperor of Ethiopia from 26 July 1789 to January 1794, and a member of the Solomonic dynasty. He was the son of Iyasu III.

Reign

Hezqeyas was brought down from the Royal prison on

Fitawrari Ikonyan Dejazmach of Damot.[3]

According to

Qegnazmach Gualej had occupied it; they defeated Gualej who fled to Sar Weha.[6]

For much of the first year of Hezqeyas' rule the Ras Betwodded

Fitawrari Sadiq, and the Jantirar Yasufe.[7] When he was able to resolve these challenges, he supported the Emperor Hezqeyas by sending the Maqet Azmach Wolde Mikael to assist him.[8] Despite this, although the majority of the great lords supported Hezqeyas, Tekle Haymanot made his own appointments from his refuge in Gojjam, undermining Hezqeyas' authority, "for the Kingdom was split in two."[9]

The following year Tekle Giyorgis had a falling out with his primary supporter Ras Tekle Yosadiq; Tekle Giyorgis fled Gojjam, seeking the support of another noble, Dejazmach

rainy season of 1790 at Filakit Gereger before returning to Gondar.[11] The only action emperor Hezqeyas took that the chronicler felt was worth recording in 1791 was to send a general's robe to Ras Aligaz and spend the rainy season in Gondar.[12]

It appears that in 1792 Emperor Hezqeyas acted against his primary supporter, Ras Aligaz: that year Hezqeyas,

Ethiopian church were defeated. "And on the coming of the Galla all that was what was done."[13] Not long after this, Haile Wand Bewossen went to Emakina and freed Tekle Giyorgis; they proceeded to Lalibela where the Emperor resided for a while, apparently mustering his supporters. When Hezqeyas heard that his rival had left Emakina, he advanced at the head of an army from Gondar, first to Tsenjana, then to the house of Dejazmach Haile Eshte where they were joined by Ras Aligaz, where they "took counsel together."[14]

Several battles then followed, ending with Hezqeyas fleeing to Dengel Ber. The restored Emperor Tekle Giyorgis then met with his supporters to decide on their next step, but a lack of consensus led to Tekle Giyorgis going to

Royal Enclosure.[16]

Hezqeyas made one last attempt to retain the throne, before the end of 1793, entering Gondar with the support of Qegnazmach Mare'ed, Dejazmach Gugsa, and Dejazmach Aklog. However, Hezqeyas immediately returned to Ras Aligaz's camp, while Mar'ed and Aklog remained in Gondar for one more month before leaving for their provinces.[17]

The Royal chronicle notes Hezqeyas met his son the Emperor

Egwale Seyon in 1802, as he was travelling from Zage to Gondar. His son then escorted him for the rest of his journey and conducted him to the house of the Ichege.[18] The traveler Henry Salt notes that Hezqeyas was still alive at the time of his visit to northern Ethiopia in 1809/1810.[19]

Notes

  1. ^ Nathaniel Pearce, The Life and Adventures of Nathaniel Pearce, J.J. Halls (editor) (London, 1831), vol. 1 p. 141
  2. H. Weld Blundell
    , The Royal chronicle of Abyssinia, 1769–1840 (Cambridge: University Press, 1922), pp. 392f
  3. ^ Weld Blundell, Royal chronicle, p. 396
  4. ^ E.A. Wallis Budge, A History of Ethiopia: Nubia and Abyssinia (1928) (Oosterhout, the Netherlands: Anthropological Publications 1970), p. 479
  5. ^ Weld Blundell, Royal chronicle, pp. 398ff
  6. ^ Weld Blundell, Royal chronicle, pp. 402–404
  7. ^ Weld Blundell, Royal chronicle, p. 393
  8. ^ Weld Blundell, Royal chronicle, pp. 398–404
  9. ^ Weld Blundell, Royal chronicle, p. 401
  10. ^ Weld Blundell, Royal chronicle, p. 412
  11. ^ Weld Blundell, Royal chronicle, p. 415
  12. ^ Weld Blundell, Royal chronicle, p. 418
  13. ^ Weld Blundell, Royal chronicle, pp. 421f
  14. ^ Weld Blundell, Royal chronicle, pp. 424–426
  15. ^ Weld Blundell, Royal chronicle, p. 421
  16. Richard K. P. Pankhurst
    , History of Ethiopian Towns (Wiesbaden: Franz Steiner Verlag, 1982), vol. 1 p. 177
  17. ^ Weld Blundell, Royal chronicle, p. 428
  18. H. Weld Blundell
    , The Royal chronicle of Abyssinia, 1769–1840 (Cambridge: University Press, 1922), p. 473
  19. ^ Henry Salt, A Voyage to Abyssinia and Travels into the Interior of that Country, 1814 (London: Frank Cass, 1967), p. 474.
Regnal titles
Preceded by Emperor of Ethiopia
1789–1794 		Succeeded by
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