Susenyos I

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Susenyos I
ሱስንዮስ
Negusa Nagast
Contemporary portrait of King Susenyos I of Ethiopia receiving the Latin Patriarch Afonso Mendes
Emperor of Ethiopia
Reign1607–1632
Coronation18 March 1608[1]
PredecessorYaqob
SuccessorFasilides
Born1571,[2] 1572,[3] or 1575[4]
Gojjam, Ethiopian Empire
Died17 September 1632(1632-09-17) (aged 59–60)
Dangaz, Ethiopian Empire[5]
Burial
Church of Ganata Iyasus, Azazo[5]
ConsortWaled Sa'ala[6]
IssueKanafra Krestos[6]
Fasilides[6]
Claudius[6]
Markos[6]
Wangelawit[6]
Malakotawit[6]
Galilawit[6]
Names
Sisinios, Sisinnius, Socinios,[3] Sociniós,[3] Socinius,[3] Sousnyos[3] Susənyos, Susénius,[3] Susenyos,[4] Sūsĕnyōs,[3] Susinyos,[3] Susneus[3] or Susneyos[2]
Regnal name
Seltan Sagad and Malak Sagad III
DynastyHouse of Solomon
Religion
  • Oriental Orthodox (1571–1622)
  • Roman Catholic (1622–1632)
This article contains
Ethiopic text. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols
instead of Ethiopic characters.
Ruins of Susenyos Palace

Susenyos I (

throne names were Seltan Sagad and Malak Sagad III.[note 2]

He was the son of

Abeto Fasil, as well as the grandson of Abeto Yakob and the great-grandson of Dawit II. As a result, while some authorities list Susenyos as a member of the Solomonic dynasty, others consider him—rather than his son, Fasilides
—as the founder of the Gondar line of the dynasty (which is, however, ultimately a subset of the Solomonic dynasty).

The life of Susenyos is known through his chronicle, written by several official writers (sehafe te’ezaz). The Jesuits, who were closely associated with Susenyos’s reign, also left numerous documents on their mission in Ethiopia.[4]

Jesuit who lived in Ethiopia during Susenyos reign, described the emperor as "tall with the features of a man of quality, large handsome eyes, and an ample and well groomed beard. He wore a tunic of crimson velvet down to the knee, breeches of the Moorish style, a sash or girdle of many large pieces of fine gold, and an outer coat of damask of the same colour, like a capelhar."[7]

Ancestry

Of

Abeto Yaeqob, who in turn was the son of King Dawit II (r. 1507–1540).[9][4][2]

Susenyos was the youngest of his mother's five sons. His brothers Se'ela Krestos, Make'd Krestos, Yamana Krestos and Afa Krestos held the most important posts during his reign.[10][3]

Early life

As a boy, a group of marauding

Dejazmach Asbo in 1585 in a military campaign against the Oromos led by Emperor Sarsa Dengel, his uncle.[2][4]

Upon his rescue, Susenyos was entrusted to the care of Dowager Empress (Queen mother)

great-aunt of Susenyos. So that he could support himself, the queen mother, returned to him the lands (gult) previously held by his father in Gojjam.[2][4]

Struggle for the throne

After the death of Emperor

Wogera perceived older princeses such as Susenyos as potential successors, and thus as legitimate threat to their own ambitions to exercise power during Yaqob's minority. Susenyos and other would be claimants were forced into exile.[2][11][12] As a wandering shifta prince, Susenyos with a few faithful followers took refuge in Gojjam and Shewa, and led a guerrilla war from Walaqa. His control over this territory was strengthened earlier through his marriage, around 1595, to Wald Saala, a princess from the ancient Christian family of the rulers of Walaqa and Mahrabete. Susenyos spent most of this period as shifta in his father's province of Gojjam fighting off raids by Oromos. When Susenyos went to Walaqa, he helped the governor against the Oromo who were invading the province at the time. However, Susenyos soon abandoned the governor and joined the Oromo in their attack on the province. Once the Oromo accepted him Susenyos took control of Walaqa. From the latter province he went to Debra Selalo, where he impressed some Oromo bands who soon flocked to his standard. With his new Oromo followers, he pillaged Christian peasants on mountain tops in Shewa and returned to Walaqa, where he mercilessly looted a large commercial caravan. Whenever and wherever the Christian peasants revolted against him he attacked them with his Oromo bands and he settled them in the territory of the peasants.[13][4][2][14]

His one-time ally and cousin, Emperor Za Dengel, led a large army against Susenyos and his Oromo supporters in Walaqa. Susenyos fled with his Oromo warriors and Za-Dengel had to be content with the large amounts of loot he took from them. Once the Emperor returned to Gojjam, Susenyos followed him. While crossing the Abay Susenyos met the Liban Oromo from among whom about 400 cavalry joined him on his march on Gojjam. After the death of Emperor Za Dengel on December 13 1604, Susenyos was proclaimed Emperor on December 14 1604 by a faction led by Ras Atnatewos, however Za Selasse's faction restored his cousin Yaqob to the throne.[2][10]

Reign

Susenyos became Emperor following the defeat of first Za Selasse, then on 10 March 1607

Battle of Hadiya.[17]

In 1608, a rebel appeared near

Hamasien.[16]
: 290–292 

Meanwhile, Emperor Susenyos was preoccupied with raiding parties of the Oromo. An initial encounter with the

Qegnazmach Julius and Kifla Krestos to join him with their troops, and defeated the raiders at Ebenat on 17 January 1608. According to James Bruce, the Royal Chronicle of Susenyos reports 12,000 Oromo were killed while only 400 on the Emperor's side were lost.[16]: 292–296  With the Oromo threat dealt with, Susenyos now could turn his attention to Yaqob the pretender; he marched to Axum by way of the Lamalmo and Waldebba, where he was formally crowned Emperor 18 March 1608, in a ceremony described by João Gabriel, the captain of the Portuguese in Ethiopia.[16]: 296–300  Despite this act legitimizing his rule, Susenyos had no luck capturing the pretender, and was forced to leave the task to his servant Amsala Krestos. Amsala Krestos induced two brothers who had joined the rebellion to assassinate Yaqob the pretender, who then sent the dead man's head to Susenyos. Without a scarf obscuring his features, writes Bruce, "it now appeared, that he had neither scars in his face, broken jaw, nor loss of teeth; but the covering was intending only to conceal the little resemblance he bore to king Jacob, slain, as we said before, at the battle of Lebart."[16]
: 299f 

Sennar War

vasselage, and giving a trained falcon. Similarly, his brother and successor Adlan I maintained the relationship, giving a number of fine horses as a present.[18] Badi I of Sennar, son of Abd al-Qadir II and successor of Adlan I, however, outraged by the shelter given in Chilga to his father by the Ethiopians, severed these ties, sending as an insult two lame horses and an army led by the Nail Weld Ageeb from Atbara, to pillage the border areas.[15]
: 298 

The hostilities between the two kingdoms increased when the governor of the Mazaga, Aleko, who was a servant of Emperor Susenyos, fled to Sennar with a number of the Emperor's horses and kettledrums.[19] Susenyos complained of this to Badi, who refused to reply; further insulting him.

In 1615, Susenyos, this time allied with the Nail Weld Ageeb,

Bahr Negus Gebre Mariam to attack Mandara, whose queen controlled a strategic caravan road from Suakin.[15]: 303  Bahir Negash was successful in capturing Queen Fatima, who was brought back to Susenyos palace in Danqaz, and renewed submission to the Empire.[15]
: 305 

According to his Royal Chronicle, Susenyos hence made his power felt along his western frontier from Fazogli, north to Suakin.[22]

Catholicism

Susenyos' reign is perhaps best known as the brief period in Ethiopian history when

Jesuit missionaries his favor by a number of land grants, most importantly those at Gorgora, located on a peninsula on the northern shore of Lake Tana
.

In 1613, Susenyos sent a mission heading for Madrid and Rome, led by Jesuit priest António Fernandes. The plan was to head south, in an attempt to reach Malindi, a port on the Indian Ocean in what is Kenya today, hoping to break through the effective blockade that the Ottoman conquests had created around the Ethiopian Empire by sailing all the way around the southern tip of Africa. However, they failed to reach Malindi, due to delays caused by local Christians hostile to the mission.

In addition to the strategic logic behind Susenyos's conversion, some historians point out that the Oromo crisis had undermined the legitimacy of the traditional Ethiopian social order based on feudalism and religious orthodoxy. The monk Bahrey, who wrote a treatise on the Oromo in 1593, attributed their success to the failures of feudalism which had produced too many privileged classes and not enough warriors.[24] Susenyos in his court showed a willingness to break with social as well as tradition. Critics claimed he debased the imperial mystique after abandoning practices such as remaining behind a curtain to protect the emperor from the gaze of commoners and requiring his subjects to prostrate themselves before him. He withdrew privileges given to the sons of nobility and favored Jesuit-educated boys from outlying regions.[25]

Susenyos at last publicly converted to Catholicism in 1622, and separated himself from all of his wives and concubines except for his first wife, Wäld Śäʿala. However, the tolerant and sensitive

Sennar they raised a revolt, calling to their side "all those who were friends to the Alexandrian faith". However, Susenyos had returned to Dembiya before the rebels expected, and quickly killed Julius. Yimena Krestos held out a while longer on Melka Amba in Gojjam, before Af Krestos captured him and brought him to Dankaz where Susenyos had his camp; here the Emperor's brother was tried and sentenced to banishment.[27]

More revolts followed, some led by champions of the traditional

Semien Gonder, at the same time the men of Lasta made a successful raid out of their mountains into Susenyos' territory.[29] When he attempted a second expedition against the rebels in Lasta, Susenyos found his men's morale so low that he was forced to allow them to observe one of the traditional Wednesday fasts—which brought an immediate reproach from the Catholic Patriarch. Although Susenyos eloquently defended himself, Bruce notes that "from this time, it plainly appears, that Socinios began to entertain ideas, at least of the church discipline and government, very opposite to those he had when he first embraced the Romish religion."[30]
Despite this concession to his troops, and despite the fact they reached Melka Krestos' headquarters, his forces fell to an ambush and Susenyos was forced to return to Dankaz with nothing to show for his effort.

Susenyos attempted one more campaign against the rebels, only to find his men mutinous. They saw no end to unrewarding expeditions to Lasta, and when at home confronted by the executions used to enforce Catholicism on Ethiopia. While expressing some skepticism at the matter, Bruce states the Royal Chronicle reports his son told the troops that if they were victorious in Lasta, the Emperor would restore the traditional Ethiopian practices. However, as they marched behind Susenyos to Lasta, his scouts reported that Melka Krestos had descended from Lasta with 25,000 men, and were at hand. On 26 July 1631 the armies clashed; 8,000 of the rebels were dead and Melka Krestos had fled the field. Upon viewing the field of battle, Susenyos' son Fasilides is reported to have said,

These men, whom you see slaughtered on the ground, were neither Pagans nor Mahometans, at whose death we should rejoice—they were Christians, lately your subjects and your countrymen, some of them your relations. This is not victory, which is gained over ourselves. In killing these, you drive the sword into your own entrails. How many men have you slaughtered? How many more have you to kill? We have become a proverb, even among the Pagans and Moors, for carrying on this war, and apostatizing, as they say, from the faith of our ancestors.[31]

Less than a year afterwards, on 14 June 1632 Susenyos made a declaration that those who would follow the Catholic faith were allowed to do so, but no one would be forced to do so any further. At this point, all Patriarch Mendes could do in response was to confirm that this was, indeed, the actual will of the Emperor, his protector. Catholic Ethiopia had come to an end.[32]

Succession

In 1630, after years of rebellion, Sarsa Krestos, Viceroy of Begemder, proclaimed Susenyos' son, Fasilides, as emperor; Sarsa Krestos was promptly captured and hanged. Despite this, father and son stayed on good terms.[33] After announcing his act of toleration, Susenyos abdicated in favor of Fasilides. He was buried at the church of Genneta Iyasus.

Family

Spouse

Susenyos had one official marriage, with Wald Saala, a princess from the ancient Christian family of the rulers of Walaqa and Mahrabete. [5]

Descendants

Despite his marriage to Wald Saala, the monarch sired over twenty sons (who were all put to death by Fasilides) and several daughters by several concubines. Seven of his descendants are mentioned by name in the sources.[5]

  • Kanafra Krestos (born before 1602) was Susenyos's eldest son by a concubine, he died young in 1615/1616 many years before his father.[5]
  • Fasilides was the successor to Susenyos's throne. He was the second son of Susenyos and the eldest by Wald Saala. He reigned as Emperor for over thirty five year.
  • Gelawdewos was his third son. He was the governor of Begemder. In 1640, he was first imprisoned at house arrest then transferred to Wehni after rebelling against his brother Fasilides. He would have 2 sons and 1 daughter, when his daughter died at childbirth he was enraged and had an argument with his brother Fasilides where he exposed his plans uprising against his brother. His future generations that continued governing Begemder until the Zemene Mesfanit where their power was reduced, his current ancestor Ato Abenazer Aberra live a modest private life in Maida Vale, London.
  • Markos was his fourth son, Markos died young before Susenyos in 1626.[5]
  • Wangelawit was Susenyos's eldest daughter. She was married several times, her first marriage was dissolved and she was betrothed to the Bela Krestos, one of her father's retainers. Her third marriage was with nobleman Takla Giyorgis, who was executed in 1628. Wangelawit died in 1652, leaving behind her descendants.[5]
  • Malakotawit was his second daughter. She was the wife Ras Yolyos, once an influential retainer turned rebel. Died leaving behind her descendants.[5]
  • Galilawit was his third daughter. She was married to Takla Giyorgis (who was at one point also married to her older sister Wangelawit). Died with no Children.[5]

References

  1. ^ Budge, E. A. Wallis (1928). A History of Ethiopia: Nubia and Abyssinia (Volume 2). London: Methuen & Co. p. 385.
  2. ^
    ISBN 9780917256011
    .
  3. ^
    OCLC 874381390
    .
  4. ^
    ISBN 9780195382075
    .
  5. ^
    OCLC 1015115240
    .
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h Budge, E. A. Wallis (1928). A History of Ethiopia: Nubia and Abyssinia (Volume 2). London: Methuen & Co. p. 384.
  7. ^ Beckingham, C.F., and G.W.B. Huntingford. 1954. Some Records of Ethiopia, 1593–1646. London: Hakluyt Society, p. 189. Beckingham and Huntingford gloss capelhar as a "kind of short mantle of Moorish origin."
  8. ^ "Shime, Amhara Region, Ethiopia". mindat.org.
  9. ISBN 9781317464006
    .
  10. ^
    OCLC 38767663
    .
  11. ^
    ISBN 9781847011176
    .
  12. ^
    ISBN 9789004335585
    .
  13. ISBN 081081448X
    .
  14. ^ "The Oromo of Ethiopia 1500–1800" (PDF).
  15. ^ a b c d James Bruce, Travels to Discover the Source of the Nile, vol. 2.
  16. ^ a b c d e f g James Bruce, Travels to Discover the Source of the Nile (1805 ed.), vol. 3.
  17. ^ Hassen, Mohammed. Oromo of Ethiopia (PDF). University of London. p. 335.
  18. ^ H. Weld Blundell, The Royal chronicle of Abyssinia, 1769–1840 (Cambridge: University Press, 1922), p. 530
  19. ^ Sir Harold Alfred MacMichael, A History of the Arabs in the Sudan and Some Account of the People who Preceded Them and of the Tribes Inhabiting Darfur (Cambridge, 1922), p. 436
  20. ^ a b Spaulding, Jay. 1974. "The Fate of Alodia". Meroitic Newsletter (15):20–30. Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres.
  21. ^ McMichael, A History of the Arabs, pp. 437–438
  22. Richard Pankhurst
    , The Ethiopian Borderlands (Lawrenceville: Red Sea Press, 1997), p. 369
  23. ^ Bruce, p. 287
  24. ISBN 0-520-08121-8
    .
  25. ISBN 0-8108-2663-1
    .
  26. ^ Pankhurst, The Ethiopians: A History (Oxford: Blackwell, 2001), p. 107
  27. ^ Bruce, pp. 344–350
  28. ^ Bruce, pp. 381–384
  29. ^ Bruce, pp. 390ff
  30. ^ Bruce, p. 398
  31. ^ Bruce, pp. 402ff
  32. ^ Bruce, pp. 403ff
  33. ^ Paul B. Henze, Layers of Time (New York: Palgrave, 2000), pp. 98ff

Notes

  1. ^ Other sources give differing year of birth such as 1571,[2] 1572[3] 1575[4]
  2. ^ Susenyos had the throne names Seltān Sagad and Malak Sagad, each having practically the same meaning.[3]
  3. ^ Shime is located in modern day South Gondar Zone, near Nefas Mewcha then part of Begemder.[8]
  4. ^ Atnatewos[4] is also spelled in different sources as Atenatewos,[2] Athanasius[3]
  5. ^ Keflawahd[11] is also spelled in different sources as Kəfəlä Wahəd[12]
  6. ^ Za Selasse is also spelled in various sources as Za-Selasse[2] and Zä Śəllase[12]

Further reading

  • Richard K. P. Pankhurst. The Ethiopian Royal Chronicles. Addis Ababa: Oxford University Press, 1967.
  • E. A. Wallis Budge. A History of Ethiopia: Nubia and Abyssinia, 1928. Oosterhout, the Netherlands: Anthropological Publications, 1970.
Regnal titles
Preceded by Emperor of Ethiopia
1606–1632 		Succeeded by
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