Egwale Seyon facts for kids

Egwale Seyon (pronounced Eg-WAH-lay See-YON) was an Emperor of Ethiopia. His throne name was Newaya Sagad. He ruled from June 1801 until his death on June 12, 1818. Egwale Seyon was a member of the Solomonic dynasty, a very old line of rulers in Ethiopia. His father was Hezqeyas.

Becoming Emperor and His Family

For a while, many different people held the title of Emperor in Ethiopia. This was because powerful leaders from different regions had a lot of influence. Two important leaders, Ras Wolde Selassie from Tigray and Ras Gugsa of Yejju, helped bring this period of quick changes to an end. They worked together to make Egwale Seyon the new Emperor.

To strengthen his position, Egwale Seyon married Walatta Iyasus. She was the sister of Ras Gugsa. Egwale Seyon and Walatta Iyasus had five children together. An explorer named Henry Salt visited Ras Wolde Selassie in 1809. He noted that the Emperor's brother, Kenyazmach Iyasu, was also there as a guest.

Life as Emperor

A historical record called The Royal Chronicle of Abyssinia tells us about Egwale Seyon's rule. Early in his reign, he went on a short military trip to Wegera with Ras Gugsa. During this trip, he met his father, Hezqeyas. After this, Egwale Seyon never left the city of Gondar.

The chronicler wrote that not much happened in the country. There were no big changes, good or bad. This was because Ras Gugsa, an Oromo leader, had a lot of power over the Emperor. He was the real authority.

From 1803 onwards, Egwale Seyon's time as Emperor was filled with constant civil wars. These battles were mainly a struggle between three powerful figures: Ras Gugsa, Ras Zewde from Gojjam, and Ras Wolde Selassie.

Egwale Seyon himself was attacked twice in Gondar, in 1804 and 1808. These attacks were led by a leader named Balambaras Asserat. He had support from Oromo armies living south of the Abay River.

After the death of a religious leader, Abuna Yosab III, in 1803, Ras Gugsa took valuable items from church properties. However, Ras Zewde made him return some of what his men had stolen. A few years later, Ras Zewde tried to remove Egwale Seyon from power. He wanted to put the former Emperor Tekle Giyorgis back on the throne. But when Ras Gugsa arrived on February 24, 1809, Ras Zewde's army refused to fight. Ras Zewde had to escape on foot.

Henry Salt observed that Egwale Seyon lived "neglected at Gondar." He had only a small group of servants and not much money. Salt noted that the Emperor did not have much wealth, power, or influence in the country. It seemed that the idea of royalty was almost forgotten during this time. Nathaniel Pearce, another observer, said that Egwale Seyon was "always very sickly and of a weak constitution."

Helping the Community

Even with all the challenges, Egwale Seyon did achieve one important thing. He supported the Debre Berhan Selassie Church. This church is famous for its beautiful paintings. Egwale Seyon's support is shown by the many portraits of him found in the church.