Susenyos I facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Susenyos Iሱስንዮስ |
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King Susenyos I of Ethiopia receives the Latin Patriarch Afonso Mendes
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| Emperor of Ethiopia | |||||||||
| Reign | 1607–1632 | ||||||||
| Coronation | 18 March 1608 | ||||||||
| Predecessor | Yaqob | ||||||||
| Successor | Fasilides | ||||||||
| Born | 1571, 1572, or 1575 Gojjam, Ethiopian Empire |
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| Died | 17 September 1632 (aged 59–60) | ||||||||
| Consort | Waled Sa'ala | ||||||||
| Issue | Kanafra Krestos Fasilides Claudius Markos Wangelawit Malakotawit Galilawit |
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| Dynasty | House of Solomon | ||||||||
| Religion |
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Susenyos I (Ge'ez: ሱስንዮስ Sūsinyōs; born around 1571-1575 – died September 17, 1632) was an important Emperor of Ethiopia. He ruled from 1606 to 1632. He was part of the Solomonic dynasty, a royal family that claimed to be descended from King Solomon.
Susenyos was also known as Susenyos the Catholic. This is because he made Catholic Christianity the official religion of Ethiopia for a short time. His reign was a period of big changes and challenges for the Ethiopian Empire.
Contents
Early Life and Challenges
Susenyos had a tough start to life. When he was a boy, a group called the Oromos captured him. They also killed his father, Fasil. Susenyos was held captive for over a year.
Luckily, he was rescued in 1585 by a military leader named Dejazmach Asbo. This rescue happened during a campaign led by Emperor Sarsa Dengel, who was Susenyos's uncle.
Growing Up and Fighting for Power
After his rescue, Susenyos was looked after by the Dowager Empress Admas Mogasa. She was the mother of Emperor Sarsa Dengel. She made sure he got an education. She also helped him get back his family's land in Gojjam so he could support himself.
After Emperor Sarsa Dengel died, his young son Yaqob became emperor. Some powerful nobles saw older princes like Susenyos as threats. They wanted to keep power for themselves. So, Susenyos and other princes were forced to leave the country.
Susenyos became like a wandering rebel prince, known as a shifta. He and his loyal followers hid in areas like Gojjam and Shewa. From there, he led a small fighting group. He also married Wald Saala, a princess from a powerful Christian family. This marriage helped him gain more control and influence in the region. He spent a lot of time fighting Oromo raids in his father's home province of Gojjam.
In 1604, some nobles declared Susenyos king. However, another group brought his cousin Yaqob back to the throne. The fight for power continued.
Becoming Emperor
Susenyos finally became Emperor after defeating his rivals. First, he defeated Za Selasse, and then Emperor Yaqob in a battle in 1607. After his defeat, Za Selasse at first supported Susenyos. But they later had a disagreement, and Za Selasse was put in prison. He escaped but was eventually killed.
In 1608, a person pretending to be the dead Emperor Yaqob appeared. This caused some trouble because Yaqob's body was never found after the battle. The pretender covered part of his face, claiming battle wounds. The governor of Tigray, Sela Krestos, fought against this rebel. Even after three defeats, the pretender kept escaping into the mountains.
Protecting the Borders
While this was happening, Emperor Susenyos also had to deal with Oromo raiding parties. After an early defeat, Susenyos gathered his forces and pushed them back. The Oromo then teamed up with other groups and attacked Begemder. Susenyos called his generals and defeated them in a big battle in January 1608. His chronicle says 12,000 Oromo were killed, while Susenyos lost only 400 men.
With the Oromo threat handled, Susenyos focused on the pretender. He traveled to Axum and was officially crowned Emperor on March 18, 1608. Even with this, he couldn't catch the pretender himself. His servant, Amsala Krestos, eventually got two brothers who were part of the rebellion to kill the pretender.
Conflicts with Sennar
Susenyos also had conflicts with the Sennar Sultanate to the west. At first, the ruler of Sennar, Abd al-Qadir II, recognized Susenyos's power. But later, his successor, Badi I, broke these ties. He sent insulting gifts and an army to raid the border areas.
The conflict grew when a governor named Aleko fled to Sennar with some of Susenyos's horses. Susenyos complained, but Badi refused to respond.
In 1615, Susenyos took control of the Kingdom of Fazughli, a border area near Sennar. He sent priests there to bring back Orthodox Christianity. The war continued in 1618-1619. Susenyos sent three of his generals to attack the Sennar border from different directions. One general, Welde Hawaryat, even captured and looted the town of Atbara on the Nile River.
Finally, Susenyos sent another general, Bahir Negash Gebre Mariam, to attack Mandara. This town was important for trade routes. He captured Queen Fatima, who then promised loyalty to the Ethiopian Empire. Susenyos had made his power known all along his western border.
Susenyos and Catholicism
Susenyos's reign is most famous for the time when Catholic Christianity became the official religion of Ethiopia. He became interested in Catholicism partly because of a Portuguese Jesuit priest named Pedro Páez. Susenyos also hoped to get military help from Portugal and Spain.
Years before, in 1541, Portuguese soldiers had helped save the Ethiopian emperor from a Muslim leader. Susenyos hoped for new European soldiers to fight the Oromo and help with constant rebellions. He sent letters to the King of Portugal and the Pope asking for soldiers. He also gave land to the Jesuit missionaries, especially at Gorgora on Lake Tana.
In 1613, Susenyos sent a mission to Madrid and Rome. They tried to sail around Africa to reach Europe, but they failed because local Christians were against their mission.
Some historians believe that the Oromo crisis made Susenyos look for new ideas. The traditional way of life in Ethiopia was struggling. Susenyos was open to new ideas and even changed some old imperial customs. He stopped hiding behind a curtain from commoners and favored Jesuit-educated boys over noble sons.
The Shift to Catholicism
Susenyos publicly became a Catholic in 1622. He kept only his first wife, Wäld Śäʿala. However, the kind Pedro Páez died soon after. He was replaced by Afonso Mendes, a strict Catholic leader.
Mendes arrived in 1624. He was very strict and intolerant. Conflicts and rebellions started quickly after Mendes publicly declared Rome's authority in 1626. He also condemned local practices like the Saturday Sabbath and frequent fasts. Still, some Ethiopians did become Catholic. One report says 100,000 people converted in just two regions.
The most serious rebellion was led by his half-brother Yimena Krestos and his brother-in-law Julius. They wanted to kill Susenyos. While Susenyos was away fighting Sennar, they started a revolt. They called on everyone who supported the traditional Ethiopian faith. But Susenyos returned quickly and killed Julius. Yimena Krestos was later captured and exiled.
More revolts followed, led by people who wanted to protect the traditional Ethiopian Church. One difficult rebellion was by the Agaw people in Lasta. Their leader was Melka Krestos, a distant relative of the Solomonic dynasty. Susenyos's first campaign against them in 1629 failed, and his son-in-law was killed.
Susenyos tried a second time, but his soldiers were very unhappy. They were tired of fighting in Lasta and being forced to follow Catholicism. Susenyos had to let them observe a traditional fast day, which angered the Catholic leader. This showed that Susenyos was starting to have doubts about the strict Catholic rules. Even though they reached Melka Krestos's base, Susenyos's forces were ambushed and had to retreat.
Susenyos tried one more campaign, but his men refused to fight. They saw no end to the difficult expeditions and the harsh punishments for not being Catholic. On July 26, 1631, the armies clashed. Many rebels were killed, and Melka Krestos fled.
Less than a year later, on June 14, 1632, Susenyos made a big announcement. He declared that people could follow the Catholic faith if they wanted, but no one would be forced to do so anymore. This meant the end of Catholic Ethiopia.
Succession and Family
In 1630, after years of fighting, a viceroy named Sarsa Krestos declared Susenyos's son, Fasilides, as the new emperor. Sarsa Krestos was quickly captured and executed. Despite this, Susenyos and Fasilides remained on good terms.
After his declaration of religious tolerance, Susenyos gave up his throne to Fasilides. He was buried at the church of Genneta Iyasus.
Spouse and Children
Susenyos had one official wife, Wald Saala. She was a princess from a powerful Christian family.
Even though he had one official wife, Susenyos had over twenty sons and several daughters with other women. Seven of his children are mentioned by name in historical records:
- Kanafra Krestos: His oldest son, who died young in 1615 or 1616.
- Fasilides: His second son and the oldest with Wald Saala. He became Emperor after Susenyos and ruled for over 35 years.
- Gelawdewos: His third son. He was a governor and was later imprisoned for rebelling against his brother Fasilides.
- Markos: His fourth son, who died before Susenyos in 1626.
- Wangelawit: Susenyos's oldest daughter. She was married several times and died in 1652.
- Malakotawit: His second daughter, who was married to a powerful noble who later became a rebel.
- Galilawit: His third daughter, who was also married to a noble named Takla Giyorgis.
Images for kids
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King Susenyos I of Ethiopia receives the Latin Patriarch Afonso Mendes
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Ruins of Susenyos' palace at Dankaz
See also
In Spanish: Susenyos I de Etiopía para niños
