Tekle Giyorgis I of Ethiopia
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Tekle Giyorgis I (Ge'ez ተክለ ጊዮርጊስ "Plant of Saint George," died 1825) was Emperor of Ethiopia intermittently between 20 July 1779 and June 1800, and a member of the Solomonic dynasty. He was the son of Yohannes II and the brother of Tekle Haymanot II.
Tekle Giyorgis gained and lost the Imperial throne five times after Ras Wolde Selassie and Ras Kefla Adyam called him down from the royal prison at Wehni and made him Emperor in 1779. He proved unpopular at first, and until he was deposed for the first time in 8 February 1784 by Ras Abeto of Gojjam, he was forced at times to seek a safe haven from Ras Wolde Selassie. Eventually he could not exert his authority in any part of his realm. Budge notes that he "withdrew from Godjam and went to Afarwanat, where he fought a battle and was defeated, and then fled to 'Ambasell."[1]
Before Ras Ali restored Tekle Giyorgis as Emperor on 24 April 1788, two rivals for the throne had appeared: Iyasus and Baeda Maryam, supported by rivals of Ras Ali. Until he lost the throne 26 July 1789, Tekle Giyorgis was one of five Emperors ruling in Ethiopia in the years of 1788 and 1789 — the other two being Iyasus III and Tekle Haymanot.[2]
In January 1794, Tekle Giyorgis defeated the warlord Ras Haile, and once again was Emperor. He went to the province of Dembiya in the northwestern part of Begemder to seek the support of Dejazmach Gadelu, but the Dejazmach would not receive him; however, Ras Aligaz the brother of Ras Ali and who had a large army encamped at Tchat Weha did receive him, and with his help Tekle Giyorgis was able to hold onto the throne until 15 April 1795.[3]
Tekle Giyorgis was restored as Emperor a fourth time 20 May 1796, and remained Emperor until 15 July 1797. His fifth period as emperor was from 4 January 1798 to 20 May 1799, and his last ran from 24 March 1800 into June of that year.
Richard Pankhurst states that Tekle Giyorgis erected Debre Metmaq Maryam church in Gondar, the last example of Imperial patronage in that city in that century.[4]
[edit] Notes
- ^ E. A. Wallis Budge, A History of Ethiopia: Nubia and Abyssinia, 1928 (Oosterhout, the Netherlands: Anthropological Publications, 1970), p. 477
- ^ Budge, A History of Ethiopia, p. 478
- ^ Budge, A History of Ethiopia, p. 479
- ^ Richard P.K. Pankhurst, History of Ethiopian Towns (Wiesbaden: Franz Steiner Verlag, 1982), p. 179.
| Preceded by Salomon II |
Emperor of Ethiopia 1779–1784 |
Succeeded by Iyasu III |
| Preceded by Iyasu III |
Emperor of Ethiopia 1788–1789 |
Succeeded by Hezqeyas |
| Preceded by Hezqeyas |
Emperor of Ethiopia 1794–1795 |
Succeeded by Baeda Maryam II |
| Preceded by Baeda Maryam II |
Emperor of Ethiopia 1795/1796–1796/1797 |
Succeeded by Salomon III |
| Preceded by Yonas |
Emperor of Ethiopia 1797/1798–1799 |
Succeeded by Salomon III |
| Preceded by Demetros |
Emperor of Ethiopia 1800–1800 |
Succeeded by Demetros |
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