Zewditu facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Zewditu |
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| Negesta Nagastat | |
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| Empress of Ethiopia | |
| Reign | 27 September 1916 – 2 April 1930 |
| Predecessor | Lij Iyasu |
| Successor | Haile Selassie I |
| Regent | Ras Tafari Makonnen |
| Born | 29 April 1876 Werreyimenu, Wollo, Ethiopian Empire |
| Died | 2 April 1930 (aged 53) Addis Ababa, Ethiopian Empire |
| Spouse | Araya Selassie Yohannes (1882–1888) Gugsa Welle (1900–1930) |
| House | House of Solomon |
| Father | Menelik II |
| Mother | Weyziro Abechi |
| Religion | Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo |
Zewditu (Ge'ez: ዘውዲቱ Zäwditu), born Askala Maryam (29 April 1876 – 2 April 1930), was the Empress of Ethiopia from 1916 to 1930. She was the first female ruler of Ethiopia. She was also the first female head of an internationally recognized country in Africa during her time.
Her time as empress was known for big changes led by her cousin and chosen heir, Ras Tafari Makonnen. Zewditu was very traditional and religious. Because of this, she often disagreed with his modern ideas. She is the most recent ruling empress in history.
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Empress Zewditu's Early Life
Zewditu was born Askala Maryam, which means "Askal of Mary," a type of flower. But people knew her by her given name, Zewditu. This name means "the Crown" in Amharic. She was the oldest daughter of King Menelik of Shewa. He later became Emperor Menelik II.
Her mother, Weyziro (Lady) Abechi, was a noblewoman. Zewditu's mother separated from Menelik when Zewditu was very young. So, her father and his wife, Taytu Betul, raised her. Menelik had three children he recognized. Zewditu was one of them. He also had a son who died as a baby and another daughter named Shewa Regga. Shewa Regga was the mother of Lij Iyasu, who became Menelik's heir.
Zewditu was very close to her father. She also got along well with her stepmother, Empress Taytu. Zewditu lived with her father's family for most of her life.
Zewditu's Marriages
In 1886, when Zewditu was ten, she married Ras Araya Selassie Yohannes. He was the son and heir of Emperor Yohannes IV. This marriage was for political reasons. It helped Menelik agree to follow Yohannes's rule.
Later, Yohannes and Menelik fought again. Menelik even started a rebellion. Zewditu and Araya Selassie had no children. She was very young during this marriage. Araya Selassie had a son with another woman. When Araya Selassie died in 1888, Zewditu went back to her father's court. Even though her father and her father-in-law were enemies, Zewditu stayed friends with both. Emperor Yohannes IV respected her. He sent her back to Shewa with many valuable cattle. This was a sign of his affection for her.
Zewditu married two more times, but these marriages were short. Then, she married Ras Gugsa Welle. Gugsa Welle was the nephew of Empress Taytu, Zewditu's stepmother. Zewditu already liked Taytu. This marriage made their bond even stronger. People believe Zewditu's marriage to Gugsa Welle was a happy one.
Becoming Empress of Ethiopia
Emperor Yohannes IV died in 1889 during a battle. After his death, King Menelik of Shewa became Emperor of Ethiopia. This brought back the direct family line to the throne. Zewditu was the daughter of Menelik II. She would be the last ruler directly from the male line of the Solomonic dynasty. Her successor, Haile Selassie, was linked through the female line.
Menelik died in 1913. Lij Iyasu, the son of Zewditu's half-sister, took the throne. Iyasu saw Zewditu as a possible threat. He sent her and her husband away from the capital.
The government leaders did not announce Menelik II's death right away. This was to avoid problems. So, Iyasu was never officially crowned Emperor. But everyone knew Menelik had died and Iyasu was ruling. The church and leaders wanted Iyasu's crowning to wait until he was older. But Iyasu quickly faced problems. He was not popular with the nobles because of his unpredictable actions. The church also suspected him of being too close to Islam.
After a few difficult years, Iyasu was removed from power. Zewditu was called to the capital. On September 27, 1916, the government and the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church announced Menelik II's death. They removed Iyasu and made Zewditu empress. Zewditu's official title was "Queen of Kings" (Negiste Negest). This was a change from the traditional title "King of Kings."
At first, Zewditu was not allowed to rule by herself. Her cousin, Ras Tafari Makonnen, became her regent. A regent is someone who rules for a king or queen who is too young or unable to rule. Her father's old general, Fitawrari Hapte Giorgis Dinagde, became the army's commander-in-chief. Ras Tafari was also named Zewditu's heir. This was because none of her own children had lived to adulthood. In 1928, Zewditu had to crown her cousin Negus (King). This happened after an attempt to remove Ras Tafari Makonnen from power failed.
Empress Zewditu's Reign
Political Challenges
Many noble families supported Zewditu. But they were less happy about some of her relatives. Zewditu's stepmother, Dowager Empress Taytu Betul, had left the capital after Menelik's death. But people still did not fully trust her. This was because she had shown favoritism when her husband was alive.
To limit Taytu's power, the nobles sent her nephew, Zewditu's husband Ras Gugsa Welle, to rule a far-off area. This took him away from the royal court. This move was meant to weaken Taytu, not Zewditu. But it is thought to have made Zewditu very upset.
Zewditu also felt bad for taking the throne from Lij Iyasu. Her father had wanted him to be the next ruler. She believed removing Iyasu was necessary. But she greatly admired her father and was sad to go against his wishes. She also cared for her nephew Iyasu, even though he had treated her badly. She reportedly cried when told she was becoming empress and that her nephew had been excommunicated.
Because of her sadness and guilt, Zewditu spent more time praying and fasting. She left more and more power to Ras Tafari Makonnen. He was the heir and wanted to bring modern changes to Ethiopia.
War Against Iyasu
Early in Zewditu's reign, there was a war against Lij Iyasu. He had escaped from prison. His father, Negus Mikael of Wollo, was a powerful leader in the north. Iyasu's father helped him try to get the throne back.
However, Iyasu and his father did not work together well. After some early wins, Iyasu's father was defeated and captured at the Battle of Segale. The Negus was paraded through the streets of Addis Ababa in chains. He carried a rock to show his regret. Then he went to the empress and begged for her mercy. Ras Tafari Makonnen was not there to see this. He did not want to upset his wife, who was Negus Mikael's granddaughter.
When Iyasu heard about his father's defeat, he ran away. After years of hiding, Dejazmach Gugsa Araya Selassie captured Iyasu. This Gugsa Araya Selassie was the son of Zewditu's first husband, from another woman. Zewditu rewarded Gugsa Araya with the title of Ras. She also arranged for him to marry Princess Yeshashework Yilma, who was Tafari Makonnen's niece.
When Iyasu was captured, Empress Zewditu cried. She asked that he be kept in a special house on the palace grounds. She wanted to care for him and make sure he received religious guidance. But Ras Tafari and Fitawrari Habte Giyorgis Dinagde strongly disagreed. So, she gave up. However, she made sure Iyasu received his favorite foods, clothes, and luxuries where he was held.
The Rise of Tafari
As Empress Zewditu's reign continued, she and her heir, Ras Tafari Makonnen, grew further apart in their ideas. Tafari was a modernizer. He believed Ethiopia needed to connect with the world to survive. Many younger nobles supported him. Zewditu, however, was traditional. She believed in keeping Ethiopian customs. The church strongly supported her views.
Slowly, Zewditu began to step back from ruling. She left more and more power to Tafari. Under Tafari's leadership, Ethiopia joined the League of Nations. This was an international organization. He also ended slavery in Ethiopia. Zewditu focused on religious activities. She helped build many important churches.
In 1928, some traditional groups tried to stop Tafari's changes. But they failed. Empress Zewditu had to give Tafari the title of King (Negus). Negus Tafari was still under Zewditu's rule. She was still the Empress. But Tafari was now the real ruler of Ethiopia. Several attempts were made to remove him, but none worked.
In 1930, Zewditu's husband, Ras Gugsa Welle, led a rebellion against Negus Tafari. He hoped to end Tafari's power. Zewditu had asked him many times to stop, but he did not listen. He was defeated and killed in battle by the modern Ethiopian army. This happened at the Battle of Anchem on March 31, 1930.
Death and Succession
Empress Zewditu died on April 2, 1930. This was just two days after her husband, Ras Gugsa Welle, was killed in battle. We know today that Zewditu had diabetes. She was also very sick with typhoid. But people do not all agree that this was why she died.
Some popular stories say Zewditu died from shock and sadness after hearing about her husband's death. But other accounts say she was not told about the battle's outcome before she died suddenly. Some reports from that time said the empress, who had a fever, was put into a large container of very cold holy water to cure her. But her body went into shock, and she died soon after.
Negus Tafari became the next ruler. He took the name Emperor Haile Selassie.
Images for kids
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Empress Zewditu
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Empress Zewditu with one of her favored priests
See also
In Spanish: Zauditu para niños
