Hailu Tekle Haymanot
Encyclopedia
Hailu Tekle Haymanot, KBE (1868–1950), also named Hailu II of Gojjam, was an army commander
and a member of the nobility of the Ethiopian Empire
. He represented a provincial ruling elite who were often at odds with the Ethiopian central government. Hailu Tekle Haymanot was an independent-minded potentate
who, throughout his life, was mistrustful and mistrusted by the Emperor
.
Hailu Tekle Haymanot was the son of Negus
Tekle Haymanot Tessemma
of Gojjam Province
. Gojjam had long been a vassal kingdom
within the Ethiopian Empire
. The title "King of Gojjam" was an honorific title
. The last time a King of Gojjam was elevated to Emperor was during the "Era of the Princes
" (Zemene Mesafint
). Hailu Tekle Haymanot was never elevated to Negus and never became King of Gojjam himself.
Menelik II partitioned the province into three parts and appointed his own governors over each part. Menelik thus effectively removed the sons of Tekle Haymanot Tessemma from power in Gojjam.
Around 1906, Menelik became incapacitated and Itege
Taytu Betul
became the de facto power behind the throne. In 1907, Tekle Haymanot Tessemma successfully used the influence of the Taytu Betul to be appointed Shum
of Gojjam. In 1908, Menelik's grandson and heir, Lij
Iyasu
married Sabla Wangel Hailu, the daughter of Hailu Tekle Haymanot. In this way, Iyasu became Hailu's son-in-law. In 1913, Nəgusä Nägäst Menelik died and Iyasu should have succeeded him. However, the leading nobles of Ethiopia did not feel Iyasu was ready and his coronation was delayed. While sometimes referred to as "Emperor Iyasu V," Iyasu was never formally crowned Nəgusä Nägäst.
In 1916, Iyasu was deposed after forces loyal to him were defeated in the Battle of Segale
. Iyasu was replaced by Menelik's daughter, Leult
Zewditu. Zewditu was proclaimed Nigiste Negest
and her cousin Ras
Tafari Makonnen was named Crown Prince
and Enderase
. After his being deposed, Iyasu and a small band of followers roamed the Afar Depression
for five years. On 11 January 1921, he was captured and taken into custody by Ras Gugsa Araya Selassie
of eastern Tigray Province. Gugsa Araya Selassie then handed Iyasu over to Ras Kassa Haile Darge
of Shewa Province
.
In his book Ethiopia, Power and Protest: Peasant Revolts in the Twentieth Century, Gebru Tareke described Shum Hailu Tekle Haymanot of Gojjam as "[having] an avaricious taste for power and wealth." Tareke goes on to describe how Ras Hailu "introduced new forms of taxation, auctioned political and church offices, nearly monopolized provincial trade by controlling the export side of it, transacted obligatory labor into monetary rents, and, though little is known about them, enlarged his estates with a manifest arrogant disregard for the customary judicial process of land allocation." These actions earned him the nickname birru (or "dollars") Hailu.
on his Europe
an tour. Within eight years, Tafari Makonnen would be crowned Nəgusä Nägäst Haile Selassie I. Along with Ras Hailu and Ras Tafari Makonnen on the tour were Ras Seyum Mangasha
of western Tigre Province
, Ras Mulugeta Yeggazu
of Illubabor Province
, Ras Makonnen Endelkachew
, and Blattengeta
Heruy Welde Sellase. Hailu Tekle Haymanot, Seyum Mangasha, and Tafari Makonnen were sons of men who fought at the Battle of Adwa. Mulugeta Yeggazu actually fought in the battle as a young man. Ras Tafari and his party visited Jerusalem, Cairo
, Alexandria
, Brussels
, Amsterdam
, Stockholm
, London
, Geneva
, and Athens
. They took six lions with them, which were presented to a French zoo and to dignataries in the United Kingdom and France.
Among several anecdote
s from the trip Europe, is one directly involving Ras Hailu Tekle Haymanot. At the time, he was the governor of an important province and one of the wealthiest men in the Ethiopian Empire. As a rich man and as the son of a king, Hailu Tekle Haymanot carried himself as such. The Crown Prince
, Ras Tafari Makonnen, and his entourage were being received by King George V
and Queen Mary
at Buckingham Palace
. Ras Hailu Tekle Haymanot, along with the other princes and nobles, was introduced to the British
king. In meeting Ras Hailu, King George asked if His Highness could speak English
. The interpreter said no. The king then asked if he could speak French
or German
, again the answer was no. King George, rather irritated, told the interpreter to tell His Highness that he was an ignorant man. Ras Hailu Tekle Haymanot listened quietly. He then asked the interpreter if His Majesty could speak Amharic
. When he was told no, Hailu Tekle Haymanot asked him if His Majesty could speak Tigrigna or Guragigna and again was told no. Hailu Tekle Haymanot then haughtily told the interpreter to tell the king that His Majesty was equally ignorant. King George burst out laughing and took a great liking to Ras Hailu Tekle Haymanot, Leul of Gojjam. Ethiopia was said to be opening up to the world.
In the same year as the trip with Tafari Makonnen, Hailu Tekle Haymanot was awarded an honorary British knighthood
(KBE). In 1926, after having seen the palaces of Europe, Ras Hailu Tekle Haymanot began to remodel the palace his father built at Debre Marqos
. He did so in the image of what he had seen in Europe.
On 27 October 1928, Tafari Makonnen was proclaimed Negus by Nigiste Negest Zewditu. Tafari Makonnen became the only Negus in the entire Ethiopian Empire. Even after he was later proclaimed Nəgusä Nägäst, Tafari Makonnen never elevated others, like Hailu Tekle Haymanot, to the position of Negus.
of Begemder Province
. He was Zewditu's husband who was separated from her from the time she was elevated to Nigiste Negest. Gugsa Welle asked Hailu to support his uprising
against the recently crowned Negus Tafari Makonnen. After initially indicating his interest in supporting Gugsa Welle, Hailu decided against joining him. Still, his response was luke warm when Negus Tafari Makonnen called a chitet, the traditional mustering of the provincial levies
. Ras Hailu Tekle Haymanot only raised about two-thousand levies in Gojjam. On 31 March 1930, the uprising ended at the Battle of Anchem
when Gugsa Welle was killed in action
. Nigiste Negest Zewditu died a few days later of natural causes. On 2 November 1930, Tafari Makonnen was proclaimed as Nəgusä Nägäst Haile Selassie I.
With the accession of Haile Selassie, Hailu's avarice led to his own downfall. According to Harold Marcus, while the other great lords of Ethiopia like Ras Seyum Mangasha
and Ras Kassa Haile Darge
had surrendered their rights to custom duties and tax revenues in their provinces, Hailu tightly held on to his revenues. Marcus continues, "Hailu also embarrassed the crown by openly seeking favors from the American and British legations, insinuating that otherwise he would block their access to Lake Tana
and the Blue Nile
." The central government had little trouble finding complaintants against Ras Hailu; compelled to appear at Haile Selassie's coronation, or risk insulting him, Hailu came to the capital where he and his son were detained while charges were made against him. Ras Hailu managed to extract himself from the capital after a time, only to find his government in Gojjam in tatters. On 14 April 1932, Hailu was summoned once again to Addis Ababa
to face new charges. Hailu was fined heavily, had half of his property taken away, and placed under house arrest
.
and in the custody of Ras Kassa Haile Darge since 1921. After freeing Iyasu, Hailu planned to re-capture him and to turn him back in to gain favor with Haile Selassie. Lij Iyasu did escape, but the role Ras Hailu played in his escape became known and Hailu was taken into custody himself and deposed
. A tribunal found Hailu guilty of mendacity, corruption, tax evasion, and treason. Hailu Tekle Haymanot went from a comfortable house arrest to imprisonment
. He was replaced as Shum of Gojjam by Ras Imru Haile Selassie
, a loyal cousin of the Nəgusä Nägäst.
. Haile Selassie must have reconsidered and Hailu Tekle Haymanot was released at Dire Dawa
. He was released with fellow prisoner Ras Balcha Safo
. But, while Balcha Safo went into the hills to fight against Italian occupation
, Hailu Tekle Haymanot boarded a train back to Addis Ababa and approached the Italian invaders in submission.
During the occupation, Hailu was treated with respect and given honors few other Ethiopian nobles received from the Italians. He retained his pre-occupation titles of Leul and Ras, and the Italian government awarded him the Star of Italy and the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus
, and restored his lands which had been confiscated from him in 1935. Graziani himself exempted him and his family from the repercussions of Yekatit 12
. which led to the deaths or imprisonment of many respectable Ethiopians. The Italians dangled the title of Negus in front of Hailu but never actually granted it to him. The Italian Intelligence Service reported in 1939 that once he was granted that title, Hailu planned to provoke an uprising, drive out the Italians, and assume control of Ethiopia for himself.
In July 1936, a number of surviving Ethiopian soldiers staged an unsuccessful attack on Addis Ababa to wrest control of the capital from the Italian occupiers. Hailu Tekle Haymanot played a part in the surrender of two of the commanders of the attacking forces. Both commanders were sons of Ras Kassa Haile Darge, Aberra Kassa
and Asfawossen Kassa
. Along with others, both had taken part in the attack and, like most, they attempted to escape capture after the attack failed. Hailu assured Aberra and Asfawossen that, if they surrendered, they would not be harmed. On 21 December, both Aberra and Asfawossen turned themselves in at Fiche
. However, once in Italian captivity, they were both executed as rebels.
By 27 September 1939, during the Feast of Maskal
in Addis Ababa, Ras Hailu Tekle Haymanot, Ras Seyum Mangasha, and Ras Haile Selassie Gugsa
sat with Amedeo, 3rd Duke of Aosta
, the Viceroy and Governor General of Italian East Africa
(Africa Orientale Italiana, or AOI). All three Ethiopian leaders had submitted to Italian control of what had been their homeland and what was now the AOI colony. The Italians eventually returned Hailu to power in Gojjam at the very final stage of their occupation and as their rule began to collapse under the onslaught of British, Commonwealth, and exiled Ethiopian forces
.
In 1941, after Emperor Haile Selassie returned to power in Ethiopia, Ras Hailu Tekle Haymanot again switched sides and handed Gojjam over to the Emperor. However, he first made sure that Italian forces had safely evacuated Gojjam. Hailu returned to Addis Ababa with Haile Selassie. He was forbidden from leaving Addis Ababa, but was accorded all the dignities of a senior prince of the Imperial dynasty and head of the House of Gojjam. In the words of Gebru Tareke, he "languished in well-merited obscurity until his death in 1950," which "put the final nail in the coffin of the provincial ruling elite, who had been grudgingly yielding ground to the centralists since the closing decade of the nineteenth century."
His funeral was attended by the Emperor and his family and he was accorded a state funeral.
Woizero
Assalafetch Wolde Hanna. Assalafetch Wolde Hanna was a cousin of Itege Taytu Betul and, on 12 April, Assalafetch and Hailu Tekle Haymanot were wed. It was her third marriage and his second. They had no children together and the marriage ended in divorce.
Hailu Tekle Haymanot had eight (non-simultaneous) wives and numerous children. His sons included Mammo Hailu and Alam Seged Hailu.
Army of the Ethiopian Empire
Armies of the Ethiopia have existed since earliest times. Ethiopia maintained a sizable contingent of her forces in her Sabbean Garrisons which expanded out to project power over colonies in Yemen and to protect Caravans or trade routes....
and a member of the nobility of the Ethiopian Empire
Ethiopian Empire
The Ethiopian Empire also known as Abyssinia, covered a geographical area that the present-day northern half of Ethiopia and Eritrea covers, and included in its peripheries Zeila, Djibouti, Yemen and Western Saudi Arabia...
. He represented a provincial ruling elite who were often at odds with the Ethiopian central government. Hailu Tekle Haymanot was an independent-minded potentate
Potentate
Potentate is an informal term for a person with potent, usually supreme, power.-Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine:...
who, throughout his life, was mistrustful and mistrusted by the Emperor
Emperor of Ethiopia
The Emperor of Ethiopia was the hereditary ruler of Ethiopia until the abolition of the monarchy in 1974. The Emperor was the head of state and head of government, with ultimate executive, judicial and legislative power in that country...
.
Biography
LeulEthiopian aristocratic and court titles
Until the end of the monarchy in 1974, there were two categories of nobility in Ethiopia: the Mesafint or princes, hereditary nobles, formed the upper echelon of the ruling class; while the Mekwanint were the appointed nobles, often of humble birth, who formed the bulk of the nobility...
Hailu Tekle Haymanot was the son of Negus
Negus
Negus is a title in Ge'ez, Tigrinya, Tigre and Amharic, used for a king and at times also a vassal ruler in pre-1974 Ethiopia and pre-1890 Eritrea. It is subsequently used to translate the word "king" in Biblical and other literature...
Tekle Haymanot Tessemma
Tekle Haymanot of Gojjam
Tekle Haymanot Tessemma, also Adal Tessemma, Tekle Haymanot of Gojjam, and Tekle Haimanot of Gojjam, was an army commander and a member of the nobility of the Ethiopian Empire.- Biography :...
of Gojjam Province
Gojjam
Gojjam was a kingdom in the north-western part of Ethiopia, with its capital city at Debre Marqos. This region is distinctive for lying entirely within the bend of the Abbay River from its outflow from Lake Tana to the Sudan...
. Gojjam had long been a vassal kingdom
Vassal state
A vassal state is any state that is subordinate to another. The vassal in these cases is the ruler, rather than the state itself. Being a vassal most commonly implies providing military assistance to the dominant state when requested to do so; it sometimes implies paying tribute, but a state which...
within the Ethiopian Empire
Ethiopian Empire
The Ethiopian Empire also known as Abyssinia, covered a geographical area that the present-day northern half of Ethiopia and Eritrea covers, and included in its peripheries Zeila, Djibouti, Yemen and Western Saudi Arabia...
. The title "King of Gojjam" was an honorific title
Honorific
An honorific is a word or expression with connotations conveying esteem or respect when used in addressing or referring to a person. Sometimes, the term is used not quite correctly to refer to an honorary title...
. The last time a King of Gojjam was elevated to Emperor was during the "Era of the Princes
Zemene Mesafint
The Zemene Mesafint was a period in Ethiopian history when the country was rent by conflicts between warlords, the Emperor was reduced to little more than a figurehead confined to the capital city of...
" (Zemene Mesafint
Zemene Mesafint
The Zemene Mesafint was a period in Ethiopian history when the country was rent by conflicts between warlords, the Emperor was reduced to little more than a figurehead confined to the capital city of...
). Hailu Tekle Haymanot was never elevated to Negus and never became King of Gojjam himself.
Shum of Gojjam
On 10 January 1901, at the death of Negus Tekle Haymanot Tessemma, three of his sons fought over who would succeed him as ruler of his province. However, instead of any of them succeeding him, Nəgusä NägästEthiopian aristocratic and court titles
Until the end of the monarchy in 1974, there were two categories of nobility in Ethiopia: the Mesafint or princes, hereditary nobles, formed the upper echelon of the ruling class; while the Mekwanint were the appointed nobles, often of humble birth, who formed the bulk of the nobility...
Menelik II partitioned the province into three parts and appointed his own governors over each part. Menelik thus effectively removed the sons of Tekle Haymanot Tessemma from power in Gojjam.
Around 1906, Menelik became incapacitated and Itege
Ethiopian aristocratic and court titles
Until the end of the monarchy in 1974, there were two categories of nobility in Ethiopia: the Mesafint or princes, hereditary nobles, formed the upper echelon of the ruling class; while the Mekwanint were the appointed nobles, often of humble birth, who formed the bulk of the nobility...
Taytu Betul
Taytu Betul
thumb|Taytu BetulTaytu Betul was an Empress of the Ethiopian Empire and the wife of Emperor Menelek II.-Biography:...
became the de facto power behind the throne. In 1907, Tekle Haymanot Tessemma successfully used the influence of the Taytu Betul to be appointed Shum
Ethiopian aristocratic and court titles
Until the end of the monarchy in 1974, there were two categories of nobility in Ethiopia: the Mesafint or princes, hereditary nobles, formed the upper echelon of the ruling class; while the Mekwanint were the appointed nobles, often of humble birth, who formed the bulk of the nobility...
of Gojjam. In 1908, Menelik's grandson and heir, Lij
Ethiopian aristocratic and court titles
Until the end of the monarchy in 1974, there were two categories of nobility in Ethiopia: the Mesafint or princes, hereditary nobles, formed the upper echelon of the ruling class; while the Mekwanint were the appointed nobles, often of humble birth, who formed the bulk of the nobility...
Iyasu
Iyasu V of Ethiopia
Iyasu V , also known as Lij Iyasu was the designated but uncrowned Emperor of Ethiopia . His baptismal name was Kifle Yaqob...
married Sabla Wangel Hailu, the daughter of Hailu Tekle Haymanot. In this way, Iyasu became Hailu's son-in-law. In 1913, Nəgusä Nägäst Menelik died and Iyasu should have succeeded him. However, the leading nobles of Ethiopia did not feel Iyasu was ready and his coronation was delayed. While sometimes referred to as "Emperor Iyasu V," Iyasu was never formally crowned Nəgusä Nägäst.
In 1916, Iyasu was deposed after forces loyal to him were defeated in the Battle of Segale
Battle of Segale
The Battle of Segale, fought on 27 October 1916, defeated the supporters of Emperor Iyasu V of Ethiopia and secured the effects of the palace coup that led to Zawditu being proclaimed Empress. Henze states that "Segale was Ethiopia's greatest battle since Adwa."- Background :The nobility of...
. Iyasu was replaced by Menelik's daughter, Leult
Ethiopian aristocratic and court titles
Until the end of the monarchy in 1974, there were two categories of nobility in Ethiopia: the Mesafint or princes, hereditary nobles, formed the upper echelon of the ruling class; while the Mekwanint were the appointed nobles, often of humble birth, who formed the bulk of the nobility...
Zewditu. Zewditu was proclaimed Nigiste Negest
Ethiopian aristocratic and court titles
Until the end of the monarchy in 1974, there were two categories of nobility in Ethiopia: the Mesafint or princes, hereditary nobles, formed the upper echelon of the ruling class; while the Mekwanint were the appointed nobles, often of humble birth, who formed the bulk of the nobility...
and her cousin Ras
Ethiopian aristocratic and court titles
Until the end of the monarchy in 1974, there were two categories of nobility in Ethiopia: the Mesafint or princes, hereditary nobles, formed the upper echelon of the ruling class; while the Mekwanint were the appointed nobles, often of humble birth, who formed the bulk of the nobility...
Tafari Makonnen was named Crown Prince
Crown Prince
A crown prince or crown princess is the heir or heiress apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The wife of a crown prince is also titled crown princess....
and Enderase
Ethiopian aristocratic and court titles
Until the end of the monarchy in 1974, there were two categories of nobility in Ethiopia: the Mesafint or princes, hereditary nobles, formed the upper echelon of the ruling class; while the Mekwanint were the appointed nobles, often of humble birth, who formed the bulk of the nobility...
. After his being deposed, Iyasu and a small band of followers roamed the Afar Depression
Afar Depression
The Afar Triangle is a geological depression that is caused by the Afar Triple Junction which is part of the Great Rift Valley. It overlaps Eritrea, Djibouti and the entire Afar Region of Ethiopia. The Afar Triangle includes the Danakil Depression and the lowest point in Africa, Lake Asal...
for five years. On 11 January 1921, he was captured and taken into custody by Ras Gugsa Araya Selassie
Gugsa Araya Selassie
Gugsa Araya Selassie was an army commander and a member of the Royal family of the Ethiopian Empire.- Biography :Leul Gugsa Araya Selassie was the legitimate son of Ras Araya Selassie Yohannes...
of eastern Tigray Province. Gugsa Araya Selassie then handed Iyasu over to Ras Kassa Haile Darge
Kassa Haile Darge
Ras Kassa Haile Darge GCVO, GBE , was a Shewan nobleman, the son of Haile Wolde Kiros of Lasta and Tisseme Darge, and grandson of Ras Darge Sahle Selassie the brother of Menelik II's father....
of Shewa Province
Shewa
Shewa is a historical region of Ethiopia, formerly an autonomous kingdom within the Ethiopian Empire...
.
In his book Ethiopia, Power and Protest: Peasant Revolts in the Twentieth Century, Gebru Tareke described Shum Hailu Tekle Haymanot of Gojjam as "[having] an avaricious taste for power and wealth." Tareke goes on to describe how Ras Hailu "introduced new forms of taxation, auctioned political and church offices, nearly monopolized provincial trade by controlling the export side of it, transacted obligatory labor into monetary rents, and, though little is known about them, enlarged his estates with a manifest arrogant disregard for the customary judicial process of land allocation." These actions earned him the nickname birru (or "dollars") Hailu.
Trip to Europe
In the spring of 1924, Ras Hailu Tekle Haymanot accompanied Ras Tafari Makonnen of Shoa ProvinceShewa
Shewa is a historical region of Ethiopia, formerly an autonomous kingdom within the Ethiopian Empire...
on his Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an tour. Within eight years, Tafari Makonnen would be crowned Nəgusä Nägäst Haile Selassie I. Along with Ras Hailu and Ras Tafari Makonnen on the tour were Ras Seyum Mangasha
Seyum Mangasha
Seyum Mangasha KBE was an army commander and a member of the Royal family of the Ethiopian Empire.-Biography:...
of western Tigre Province
Tigray Province
Tigray was a province of Ethiopia. The Tigray Region superseded the province with the adoption of the new constitution in 1995. The province of Tigre merged with its neighboring provinces, including Semien, Tembien, Agame and the prominent Enderta province and towards the end of 19th century it...
, Ras Mulugeta Yeggazu
Mulugeta Yeggazu
Ras Mulugeta Yeggazu, was an Ethiopian government official. He served as Imperial Fitawrari, Commander of the Mahel Sefari of the Ethiopian Army during the Second Italo-Abyssinian War.-Biography:...
of Illubabor Province
Illubabor Province
Illubabor was a province in the south-western part of Ethiopia, along the border with Sudan. The name Illubabor is said to come from two Oromo words, "Illu" and "Abba Bor". "Illu" is a name of a clan, and "Abba Bor" was the horse name of Chali Shone, who founded the ruling family of the area when...
, Ras Makonnen Endelkachew
Makonnen Endelkachew
Ras Betwoded Makonnen Endelkachew was an Ethiopian aristocrat and Prime Minister under Emperor Haile Selassie. Makonnen was born in Addisge, the nephew of the noted Shewan general and politician Ras Betwoded Tessema Nadew, who introduced him to Emperor Menilek II...
, and Blattengeta
Ethiopian aristocratic and court titles
Until the end of the monarchy in 1974, there were two categories of nobility in Ethiopia: the Mesafint or princes, hereditary nobles, formed the upper echelon of the ruling class; while the Mekwanint were the appointed nobles, often of humble birth, who formed the bulk of the nobility...
Heruy Welde Sellase. Hailu Tekle Haymanot, Seyum Mangasha, and Tafari Makonnen were sons of men who fought at the Battle of Adwa. Mulugeta Yeggazu actually fought in the battle as a young man. Ras Tafari and his party visited Jerusalem, Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
, Alexandria
Alexandria
Alexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving...
, Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
, Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
, and Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
. They took six lions with them, which were presented to a French zoo and to dignataries in the United Kingdom and France.
Among several anecdote
Anecdote
An anecdote is a short and amusing or interesting story about a real incident or person. It may be as brief as the setting and provocation of a bon mot. An anecdote is always presented as based on a real incident involving actual persons, whether famous or not, usually in an identifiable place...
s from the trip Europe, is one directly involving Ras Hailu Tekle Haymanot. At the time, he was the governor of an important province and one of the wealthiest men in the Ethiopian Empire. As a rich man and as the son of a king, Hailu Tekle Haymanot carried himself as such. The Crown Prince
Crown Prince
A crown prince or crown princess is the heir or heiress apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The wife of a crown prince is also titled crown princess....
, Ras Tafari Makonnen, and his entourage were being received by King George V
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
and Queen Mary
Mary of Teck
Mary of Teck was the queen consort of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Empress of India, as the wife of King-Emperor George V....
at Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace, in London, is the principal residence and office of the British monarch. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is a setting for state occasions and royal hospitality...
. Ras Hailu Tekle Haymanot, along with the other princes and nobles, was introduced to the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
king. In meeting Ras Hailu, King George asked if His Highness could speak English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
. The interpreter said no. The king then asked if he could speak French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
or German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
, again the answer was no. King George, rather irritated, told the interpreter to tell His Highness that he was an ignorant man. Ras Hailu Tekle Haymanot listened quietly. He then asked the interpreter if His Majesty could speak Amharic
Amharic language
Amharic is a Semitic language spoken in Ethiopia. It is the second most-spoken Semitic language in the world, after Arabic, and the official working language of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. Thus, it has official status and is used nationwide. Amharic is also the official or working...
. When he was told no, Hailu Tekle Haymanot asked him if His Majesty could speak Tigrigna or Guragigna and again was told no. Hailu Tekle Haymanot then haughtily told the interpreter to tell the king that His Majesty was equally ignorant. King George burst out laughing and took a great liking to Ras Hailu Tekle Haymanot, Leul of Gojjam. Ethiopia was said to be opening up to the world.
In the same year as the trip with Tafari Makonnen, Hailu Tekle Haymanot was awarded an honorary British knighthood
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(KBE). In 1926, after having seen the palaces of Europe, Ras Hailu Tekle Haymanot began to remodel the palace his father built at Debre Marqos
Debre Marqos
Debre Marqos is a city and woreda in east-central Ethiopia. Located in the Misraq Gojjam Zone of the Amhara Region, it has a latitude and longitude of , and an elevation of 2,446 meters. The city is named Debre Marqos after its principal church, which was constructed in 1869 and dedicated to St....
. He did so in the image of what he had seen in Europe.
On 27 October 1928, Tafari Makonnen was proclaimed Negus by Nigiste Negest Zewditu. Tafari Makonnen became the only Negus in the entire Ethiopian Empire. Even after he was later proclaimed Nəgusä Nägäst, Tafari Makonnen never elevated others, like Hailu Tekle Haymanot, to the position of Negus.
Downfall
Sometime in 1929, Ras Hailu was approached by Ras Gugsa WelleGugsa Welle
Gugsa Welle , also known as Gugsa Wolie and Gugsa Wele, was an army commander and a member of the Royal family of the Ethiopian Empire. He represented a provincial ruling elite which was often at odds with the Ethiopian central government.Gugsa Welle was born in Marto in Yejju Province...
of Begemder Province
Begemder
Begemder was a province in the northwestern part of Ethiopia. There are several proposed etymologies for this name...
. He was Zewditu's husband who was separated from her from the time she was elevated to Nigiste Negest. Gugsa Welle asked Hailu to support his uprising
Gugsa Welle's Rebellion (1930)
Gugsa Welle's Rebellion of 1930 was a rebellion raised by Ras Gugsa Welle and by supporters of Empress Zewditu to rid her of the Crown Prince and heir apparent, Negus Tafari Makonnen. With Tafari gone, Zewditu would be the sole claiment to succession as the ruler of the Ethiopian Empire...
against the recently crowned Negus Tafari Makonnen. After initially indicating his interest in supporting Gugsa Welle, Hailu decided against joining him. Still, his response was luke warm when Negus Tafari Makonnen called a chitet, the traditional mustering of the provincial levies
Conscription
Conscription is the compulsory enlistment of people in some sort of national service, most often military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and continues in some countries to the present day under various names...
. Ras Hailu Tekle Haymanot only raised about two-thousand levies in Gojjam. On 31 March 1930, the uprising ended at the Battle of Anchem
Battle of Anchem
The Battle of Anchem was a battle fought between two factions of the Royal family in the Ethiopian Empire...
when Gugsa Welle was killed in action
Killed in action
Killed in action is a casualty classification generally used by militaries to describe the deaths of their own forces at the hands of hostile forces. The United States Department of Defense, for example, says that those declared KIA need not have fired their weapons but have been killed due to...
. Nigiste Negest Zewditu died a few days later of natural causes. On 2 November 1930, Tafari Makonnen was proclaimed as Nəgusä Nägäst Haile Selassie I.
With the accession of Haile Selassie, Hailu's avarice led to his own downfall. According to Harold Marcus, while the other great lords of Ethiopia like Ras Seyum Mangasha
Seyum Mangasha
Seyum Mangasha KBE was an army commander and a member of the Royal family of the Ethiopian Empire.-Biography:...
and Ras Kassa Haile Darge
Kassa Haile Darge
Ras Kassa Haile Darge GCVO, GBE , was a Shewan nobleman, the son of Haile Wolde Kiros of Lasta and Tisseme Darge, and grandson of Ras Darge Sahle Selassie the brother of Menelik II's father....
had surrendered their rights to custom duties and tax revenues in their provinces, Hailu tightly held on to his revenues. Marcus continues, "Hailu also embarrassed the crown by openly seeking favors from the American and British legations, insinuating that otherwise he would block their access to Lake Tana
Lake Tana
Lake Tana is the source of the Blue Nile and is the largest lake in Ethiopia...
and the Blue Nile
Blue Nile
The Blue Nile is a river originating at Lake Tana in Ethiopia. With the White Nile, the river is one of the two major tributaries of the Nile...
." The central government had little trouble finding complaintants against Ras Hailu; compelled to appear at Haile Selassie's coronation, or risk insulting him, Hailu came to the capital where he and his son were detained while charges were made against him. Ras Hailu managed to extract himself from the capital after a time, only to find his government in Gojjam in tatters. On 14 April 1932, Hailu was summoned once again to Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa is the capital city of Ethiopia...
to face new charges. Hailu was fined heavily, had half of his property taken away, and placed under house arrest
House arrest
In justice and law, house arrest is a measure by which a person is confined by the authorities to his or her residence. Travel is usually restricted, if allowed at all...
.
Plot to free Lij Iyasu and imprisonment
In May 1932, Ras Hailu Tekle Haymanot involved himself in a plot to free his son-in-law, the deposed Lij Iyasu. Iyasu had been under house arrestHouse arrest
In justice and law, house arrest is a measure by which a person is confined by the authorities to his or her residence. Travel is usually restricted, if allowed at all...
and in the custody of Ras Kassa Haile Darge since 1921. After freeing Iyasu, Hailu planned to re-capture him and to turn him back in to gain favor with Haile Selassie. Lij Iyasu did escape, but the role Ras Hailu played in his escape became known and Hailu was taken into custody himself and deposed
Deposition (politics)
Deposition by political means concerns the removal of a politician or monarch. It may be done by coup, impeachment, invasion or forced abdication...
. A tribunal found Hailu guilty of mendacity, corruption, tax evasion, and treason. Hailu Tekle Haymanot went from a comfortable house arrest to imprisonment
Incarceration
Incarceration is the detention of a person in prison, typically as punishment for a crime .People are most commonly incarcerated upon suspicion or conviction of committing a crime, and different jurisdictions have differing laws governing the function of incarceration within a larger system of...
. He was replaced as Shum of Gojjam by Ras Imru Haile Selassie
Imru Haile Selassie
Leul Ras Imru Haile Selassie was an Ethiopian noble, soldier, and diplomat. He was also the cousin of Emperor Haile Selassie.-Biography:...
, a loyal cousin of the Nəgusä Nägäst.
Hailu during and after the occupation
On 2 May 1936, at the very end of the Second Italo-Ethiopian War, Hailu Tekle Haymanot was still considered enough of a threat that, on his way into exile, Haile Selassie had him removed from prison, bound, and loaded onto his train leaving Addis AbabaAddis Ababa
Addis Ababa is the capital city of Ethiopia...
. Haile Selassie must have reconsidered and Hailu Tekle Haymanot was released at Dire Dawa
Dire Dawa
Dire Dawa is one of two chartered cities in Ethiopia . This chartered city is divided administratively into two woredas, the city proper and the non-urban woreda of Gurgura....
. He was released with fellow prisoner Ras Balcha Safo
Balcha Safo
Balcha Safo , also known by his title as Dejazmach Balcha, was an accomplished Ethiopian general, who served in both the First and Second Italo-Ethiopian Wars. He came from a non-aristocratic background...
. But, while Balcha Safo went into the hills to fight against Italian occupation
Italian East Africa
Italian East Africa was an Italian colonial administrative subdivision established in 1936, resulting from the merger of the Ethiopian Empire with the old colonies of Italian Somaliland and Italian Eritrea. In August 1940, British Somaliland was conquered and annexed to Italian East Africa...
, Hailu Tekle Haymanot boarded a train back to Addis Ababa and approached the Italian invaders in submission.
During the occupation, Hailu was treated with respect and given honors few other Ethiopian nobles received from the Italians. He retained his pre-occupation titles of Leul and Ras, and the Italian government awarded him the Star of Italy and the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus
Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus
The Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus is an order of chivalry awarded by the House of Savoy, the heads of which were formerly Kings of Italy...
, and restored his lands which had been confiscated from him in 1935. Graziani himself exempted him and his family from the repercussions of Yekatit 12
Yekatit 12
Yekatit 12 is a date in the Ethiopian calendar, equivalent to 19 February in the Gregorian calendar, which is commonly used to refer to the indiscriminate massacre and imprisonment of Ethiopians by elements of the Italian occupation forces following an attempted assassination of Viceroy Rodolfo...
. which led to the deaths or imprisonment of many respectable Ethiopians. The Italians dangled the title of Negus in front of Hailu but never actually granted it to him. The Italian Intelligence Service reported in 1939 that once he was granted that title, Hailu planned to provoke an uprising, drive out the Italians, and assume control of Ethiopia for himself.
In July 1936, a number of surviving Ethiopian soldiers staged an unsuccessful attack on Addis Ababa to wrest control of the capital from the Italian occupiers. Hailu Tekle Haymanot played a part in the surrender of two of the commanders of the attacking forces. Both commanders were sons of Ras Kassa Haile Darge, Aberra Kassa
Aberra Kassa
Aberra Kassa was an army commander and a member of the Royal family of the Ethiopian Empire.-Biography:Leul Dejazmach Aberra Kassa was the second son of Ras Kassa Haile Darge. Kassa Haile Darge was a loyal ally of Negus Tafari Makonnen, who ultimately was crowned Emperor Haile Selassie I of...
and Asfawossen Kassa
Asfawossen Kassa
Asfawossen Kassa was an army commander and a member of the Royal family of the Ethiopian Empire.- Biography :Prince Asfawossen Kassa was the third son of Duke Kassa Haile Darge...
. Along with others, both had taken part in the attack and, like most, they attempted to escape capture after the attack failed. Hailu assured Aberra and Asfawossen that, if they surrendered, they would not be harmed. On 21 December, both Aberra and Asfawossen turned themselves in at Fiche
Fiche
Fiche is a town in central Ethiopia. The administrative centre of the Semien Shewa Zone of the Oromia Region, located about three km off the main Addis Ababa-Debre Marqos road, Fiche has a latitude and longitude of and an elevation between 2738 and 2782 metres above sea level.Notable landmarks in...
. However, once in Italian captivity, they were both executed as rebels.
By 27 September 1939, during the Feast of Maskal
Meskel
Meskel , in the Ethiopian Orthodox and Eritrean Orthodox Churches, is an annual religious holiday commemorating the discovery of the True Cross by Queen Helena in the fourth century. Meskel occurs on 17 Meskerem in the Ethiopian calendar...
in Addis Ababa, Ras Hailu Tekle Haymanot, Ras Seyum Mangasha, and Ras Haile Selassie Gugsa
Haile Selassie Gugsa
Haile Selassie Gugsa was an army commander and a member of the Royal family of the Ethiopian Empire.- Biography :Haile Selassie Gugsa was the son of Leul Ras Gugsa Araya Selassie...
sat with Amedeo, 3rd Duke of Aosta
Amedeo, 3rd Duke of Aosta
Prince Amedeo of Savoy-Aosta was the third Duke of Aosta and a first cousin, once removed of the King of Italy, Victor Emmanuel III. His baptismal name was Amedeo Umberto Isabella Luigi Filippo Maria Giuseppe Giovanni di Savoia-Aosta...
, the Viceroy and Governor General of Italian East Africa
Italian East Africa
Italian East Africa was an Italian colonial administrative subdivision established in 1936, resulting from the merger of the Ethiopian Empire with the old colonies of Italian Somaliland and Italian Eritrea. In August 1940, British Somaliland was conquered and annexed to Italian East Africa...
(Africa Orientale Italiana, or AOI). All three Ethiopian leaders had submitted to Italian control of what had been their homeland and what was now the AOI colony. The Italians eventually returned Hailu to power in Gojjam at the very final stage of their occupation and as their rule began to collapse under the onslaught of British, Commonwealth, and exiled Ethiopian forces
East African Campaign (World War II)
The East African Campaign was a series of battles fought in East Africa during World War II by the British Empire, the British Commonwealth of Nations and several allies against the forces of Italy from June 1940 to November 1941....
.
In 1941, after Emperor Haile Selassie returned to power in Ethiopia, Ras Hailu Tekle Haymanot again switched sides and handed Gojjam over to the Emperor. However, he first made sure that Italian forces had safely evacuated Gojjam. Hailu returned to Addis Ababa with Haile Selassie. He was forbidden from leaving Addis Ababa, but was accorded all the dignities of a senior prince of the Imperial dynasty and head of the House of Gojjam. In the words of Gebru Tareke, he "languished in well-merited obscurity until his death in 1950," which "put the final nail in the coffin of the provincial ruling elite, who had been grudgingly yielding ground to the centralists since the closing decade of the nineteenth century."
His funeral was attended by the Emperor and his family and he was accorded a state funeral.
Family
In 1909, the continued incapacitation of Nəgusä Nägäst Menelik's allowed Hailu Tekle Haymanot to better his position by marryingWoizero
Ethiopian aristocratic and court titles
Until the end of the monarchy in 1974, there were two categories of nobility in Ethiopia: the Mesafint or princes, hereditary nobles, formed the upper echelon of the ruling class; while the Mekwanint were the appointed nobles, often of humble birth, who formed the bulk of the nobility...
Assalafetch Wolde Hanna. Assalafetch Wolde Hanna was a cousin of Itege Taytu Betul and, on 12 April, Assalafetch and Hailu Tekle Haymanot were wed. It was her third marriage and his second. They had no children together and the marriage ended in divorce.
Hailu Tekle Haymanot had eight (non-simultaneous) wives and numerous children. His sons included Mammo Hailu and Alam Seged Hailu.
See also
- Ethiopian aristocratic and court titlesEthiopian aristocratic and court titlesUntil the end of the monarchy in 1974, there were two categories of nobility in Ethiopia: the Mesafint or princes, hereditary nobles, formed the upper echelon of the ruling class; while the Mekwanint were the appointed nobles, often of humble birth, who formed the bulk of the nobility...
- List of field marshals
- List of honorary British Knights
- Ethiopian coup d'état of 1928Ethiopian coup d'état of 1928The Ethiopian coup d'état of 1928 was an attempt by supporters of Empress Zewditu to rid her of the heir apparent and Crown Prince, Ras Tafari Makonnen. With Tafari gone, Zewditu would be the sole ruler of the Ethiopian Empire ....