Early Monarchs in the House of Solomon
Menelik I, First Solomonic King of Kings of Ethiopia
Menelik I was the son of Makeda, Queen of Sheba, and King Solomon of Israel. He was the founder of the Solomonic Dynasty in Ethiopia and is said to be the first monarch to use the title of King of Kings of Ethiopia. Makeda, according to the Kebre Negest, returned from her biblical visit to Jerusalem pregnant with Solomon's son, as did one of her servants (the Zagwe dynasty would later claim to be the descendants of the servant). When her son was born, she raised him as her heir and then sent him to meet his father in Jerusalem when he came of age. After meeting his father, Menelik returned to his homeland. When Menelik returned, Solomon arranged for a copy of the Ark of the Covenant to be made for him to take with him and ordered the eldest sons of all his nobles and priests to go with Menelik. The son of Zadok the High Priest, apparently reluctant to go off to a strange land with just a copy of the Ark, snuck into the temple and exchanged the replica with the real Ark, thereby bringing the Ark of the Covenant to Ethiopia. It is kept at the Cathedral of St. Mary of Zion to this day in a special sanctuary Chapel that only one guardian monk is permited to enter.
Emperor Ezana (Abraha) First Christian Emperor
Ezana was the son of Emperor Ella Amida. During his father's reign, two Syrian youths were shipwrecked on the Red Sea Coast and brought to the Imperial Court. One of them, Adesius, became the trusted cup bearer and food taster for the Emperor, while the other, Fermentius, became his secretary. Upon the death of the Emperor Ella Amida, the widowed Empress begged the two Syrian Christians to remain in the country and help her rule until her son came of age. Fermentius remained and assisted the Empress as well as became the tutor to the young boy Emperor. Fermentius converted Emperor Ezana to Christianity, and when the Emperor came of age, he replaced his coins that bore an emblem of the sun and moon plus his image with new coins that bore the Holy Cross. They are the first coins in the world to bear the Christian emblem. Fermentius went to Alexandria to request that the Patriarch of the See of St. Mark, who at the time was St. Athnathius himself, to appoint the first Bishop of Ethiopia. Patriarch Athnathius sent Fermentius himself back as the first Bishop with the new name of Abune Selamma. This bishop is known to the west as St. Fermentius of the Ethiopians. Ever since this event in the fourth century, Ethiopia has been identified as a Christian state in Africa and one of the oldest Christian states in the world. Ethiopian tradition maintains that Ezana's brother Shezana also served as a co-ruler with his brother, and the brothers are known in Ethiopia commonly as Abraha and Atsbeha. The brothers received a letter from the Byzantine Emperor Constantius that instructed them to expel the bishop Abune Salamma as he did not subscribe to the Arian doctrine supported by the Byzantine Emperor and was a supporter of St. Athenathius, Patriarch of Alexandria, who was the leading opponent of Arianism. The Ethiopian monarchs refused and held fast to the Orthodox doctrine supported by St. Athnathius. Ezana was also a successful soldier and his military victories are recorded in numerous inscriptions at Axum. He is also credited with having brought the Ark of the Covenant from the island of Tana Kirkos in lake Tana to the Cathedral of St. Mary of Zion (which he built), removing it from the custody of the Bete Israel Jews (Falashas) and placing it in the hands of Ethiopian Christians.
Emperor and Saint Gebre Meskel
During the reign of this monarch, St. Yared developed and composed the liturgical music and chants of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church as well as a unique five- note system and notation for Ethiopian music. Emperor Gebre Meskel is said to have been so mesmerized by Yared's music that he accidentally pierced St. Yared's food with his spear while listening to a recital by Yared. Gebre Meskel was a particularly pious Emperor who was himself eventually declared a saint of the Ethiopian Church.
Emperor Kaleb the Great
Emperor Armah, Welcomer of first Moslems
The Emperor Armah is the Ethiopian monarch who was the first ruler to give sanctuary to the first Moslems. Soon after the Prophet Mohammed began his teaching in Arabia, the Kings of the region began to ruthlessly supress and persecute his followers. Many fled across the Red Sea to the Axumite Empire, including members of the Prophet's family. When the pagan Arab kings heard that many Moslem refugees had fled to Ethiopia, they sent messengers to Armah offering a large bounty for the return of these fugitives to them. The Axumite Emperor, hesitant and unsure of the nature of these exiles, had them investigated by his officials and was told that they were simple people who believed in one God and were mostly poor women and children who had thrown themselves at his mercy. After seeing this for himself, he is said to have replied to the Arab Kings, "Even if you were to pay me a mountain of gold, I could not in good conscience betray these people and send them to you." This act was possibly a key event in the survival of the young Islamic religion and the Prophet deeply appreciated this act of compassion. He explicitly instructed his followers to leave the Ethiopians in peace and exempted Ethiopia from Jihad. This in turn allowed Ethiopian Christianity to survive intact as the Nubian Christian kingdoms and the Christians in Egypt succumbed to Moslem conquest. When news that Emperor Armah died reached the Prophet Mohammed in Mecca, it is said that he wept and mourned for him. Moslems and Christians have lived side-by-side in Ethiopia ever since. Relations have not always been smooth, but there has been very little deep-seated hatred or religious atrocity outside of the Gragn era and its aftermath. Muslims refer to Armah as Najashi (a variation of Negasi or Nigus, which means King).
Emperor Anbassa Widim and the Fall of the Axumite Empire
During the long reign of Anbassa Widim, a Jewish (Falasha or Bete Israel) woman named Yodit led an uprising that swept much of the land and fought to eliminate Christian hegemony and regain custody of the Ark of the Covenant for the Ethiopian Jews. Upon the death of Yodit, Anbassa Widim was restored breifly, but following his death, the weakened dynasty fell, and were replaced by the Zagwe dynasty.
The Zagwe Dynasty
Following the fall of the Solomonic Dynasty, the throne was assumed by a new royal house known as the Zagwe Dynasty, founded by Emperor Mara Tekle Haimanot. These Emperors were said to have been of Agew origin and the name Zagwe is believed to be derived from the words Ze Agew (which means "of Agew"). Although what is known as Agew Midir (land of the Agews) is located in modern day Gojjam, the Agew are known to have occupied a much wider area in earlier times and been a major ethnic group in the Empire. Over the centuries, they have assimilated more and more into the Amhara ethnicity which surrounded them and are now indistinguishable for the most part, except for the very few remaining Agew who still speak their distinct language. The new dynasty from its origins had difficulties with establishing its legitimacy. It is said to have claimed decent from King Solomon through the maid servant of the Queen of Sheba who according to the Kibre Negest was also impregnated by the Israelite king at the same time. They also claimed an even older lineage by claiming descent from Moses through his Ethiopian wife. Nonetheless, they seem to have always suffered from a perception of a lack of legitimacy, especially since the Solomonic descendants of the Axumite Emperors continued in existance in Shewa. The Zagwes moved the capital of the Empire from Axum to the south into the district of Lasta and a town called Roha. This town would be renamed for the greatest of the Zagwe Emperors, Lalibela, who would build the great rock hewn churches that are still in use today as places of worship and pilgrimage. Below is a list of the Zagwe Emperors and the dates of their reigns. Several of them would later be canonized by the Coptic and Ethiopian Orthodox Churches.
Emperor Mara Tekle Haimanot, reigned 916 - 919
Emperor Tatadim, reigned 919 - 959
Emperor Jan Seiyoum, reigned 959 - 999
Emperor Germa Seiyoum, reigned 999 - 1039
Saint and Emperor Yemrehana Christos, reigned 1039 – 1079
Saint and Emperor Harbe, reigned 1079 - 1119
Saint and Emperor Lalibela, reigned 1119 - 1159
Saint and Emperor Na'akuto Le'Ab, reigned 1159 - 1207
Emperor Yetbarek, reigned 1207 - 1247
Emperor Mairari, reigned 1247 - 1262
Emperor Harbe II, reigned 1262 - 1270
The Solomonic Dynasty was restored in 1270 when the founding Abbot of Debre Libanos Monastery, Saint Tekle Haimanot, convinced Harbe II to step aside and allow the Solomonic heir, Yekonu Amlak, to assume the Imperial Throne rather than face a humiliating military defeat. Legend states that Harbe II took religious vows and became a monk, and his heir was the one who received the settlement from the new Emperor and became the first Wagshum, with the district of Wag as his hereditary fief. The descendants of the Zagwe Emperors bore the title of Wagshum from the year 1270 right up to the revolution of 1974. The Abdication Settlement not only granted the district of Wag and the hereditary title of Wagshum, but it also granted the Wagshums the right to be seated on a silver throne one step bellow the golden throne of the Emperor. They were entitled to have the great negarit drum beaten for them in salute on great occasions and also during military campaigns -- just like the Emperor. They were also granted the privilege of being seated in the Imperial presence so long as the Emperor was also seated. They were treated with princely deference by all and deeply revered in Lasta and Wag. The Solomonic Emperors honored this agreement until the fall of the Ethiopian monarchy 804 years later.