''Ras'' Araya Selassie Yohannes ( ''araya səllase yohannəs''; "

horse name A horse name is a secondary nobility, noble title or a popular name for members of Ethiopian royal family, royalty; in some cases the "horse names" are the only name known for a ruler. They take the form of "father of X", where "X" is the name of ...

" Abba Deblaq) (1869/70 – 10 June 1888) was a son of

Emperor The word ''emperor'' (from , via ) can mean the male ruler of an empire. ''Empress'', the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), mother/grandmother (empress dowager/grand empress dowager), or a woman who rules ...

Yohannes IV Yohannes IV ( Tigrinya: ዮሓንስ ፬ይ ''Rabaiy Yōḥānnes''; horse name Abba Bezbiz also known as Kahśsai; born ''Lij'' Kahssai Mercha; 11 July 1837 – 10 March 1889) was Emperor of Ethiopia from 1871 to his death in 1889 at the ...

from his wife Masitire Selassie, a daughter of a Muslim Afar chieftain whom he married after she was Christened. Araya was nominated Crown Prince. Araya was the first husband of

Zewditu Zewditu (, born Askala Maryam; 29 April 1876 – 2 April 1930) was Empress of Ethiopia from 1916 until her death in 1930. She was officially renamed Zewditu at the beginning of her reign as Empress of Ethiopia. Once she succeeded the throne af ...

(later Empress), the daughter of ''atse''

Menelik II Menelik II ( ; horse name Aba Dagnew (Amharic: አባ ዳኘው ''abba daññäw''); 17 August 1844 – 12 December 1913), baptised as Sahle Maryam (ሣህለ ማርያም ''sahlä maryam'') was king of Shewa from 1866 to 1889 and Emperor of Et ...

, having married her in January 1883. He was given the command of

Wollo Wollo (Amharic: ወሎ) was a historical province of northern Ethiopia. During the Middle Ages this province name was Bete Amhara and it was the centre of the Solomonic emperors. Bete Amhara had an illustrious place in Ethiopian political and ...

province at the time of his wedding. Because of a revolt raised in Wollo due to the death of ''dejazmach'' Amda Sadiq, chief of Tekaledere, in a quarrel with Araya's followers, Yohannes IV decided to appoint ''ras'' Mikael Ali, the traditional claimant to the lordship of Wollo. ''Ras'' Araya was transferred to

Begemder Begemder (; also known as Gondar or Gonder) was a province in northwest Ethiopia. The alternative names come from its capital during the 20th century, Gondar. Etymology A plausible source for the name ''Bega'' is that the word means "dry" in t ...

and Dembaya in May 1886. In 1887–88, when the country was facing the Italian threat, he was commander of 40,000 troops near Adwa. Araya died in his youth from

smallpox Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by Variola virus (often called Smallpox virus), which belongs to the genus '' Orthopoxvirus''. The last naturally occurring case was diagnosed in October 1977, and the World Health Organization (W ...

, when the Emperor was returning from a campaign against the Italians at Seati (Battle of Dogali). His only son, by a ''weyzero'' Negesit, a lady from Wollo, was ''leul ras'' Gugsa Araya.

Biography

Early life

''Leul'' Araya Selassie Yohannes was born in Enderta, a part of

Tigray The Tigray Region (or simply Tigray; officially the Tigray National Regional State) is the northernmost Regions of Ethiopia, regional state in Ethiopia. The Tigray Region is the homeland of the Tigrayan, Irob people, Irob and Kunama people. I ...

in Ethiopia in 1869/70, the legitimate son of

Yohannes IV of Ethiopia Yohannes IV ( Tigrinya: ዮሓንስ ፬ይ ''Rabaiy Yōḥānnes''; horse name Abba Bezbiz also known as Kahśsai; born ''Lij'' Kahssai Mercha; 11 July 1837 – 10 March 1889) was Emperor of Ethiopia from 1871 to his death in 1889 at the ...

. Mengesha Yohannes was his illegitimate half brother. He was granted the title of ''Ras'' in 1872 and was the governor of Enderta from 1872 to 1882.

Rise to Power

On 24 October 1882, the fifteen-year-old ''Leul'' Araya Selassie Yohannes married six-year-old ''Leult''

, eldest daughter of ''Negus'' Menelik of

Shewa Shewa (; ; Somali: Shawa; , ), formerly romanized as Shua, Shoa, Showa, Shuwa, is a historical region of Ethiopia which was formerly an autonomous kingdom within the Ethiopian Empire. The modern Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa is located at it ...

. The marriage was political, having been arranged when Menelik agreed to submit to Yohannes' rule. In 1882 ''Ras'' Araya was granted the title of ''Negus'' of Tigray and Wollo. In 1883, Araya Selassie Yohannes was made ''Shum'' of

Wollo Province Wollo (Amharic: ወሎ) was a historical province of northern Ethiopia. During the Middle Ages this province name was Bete Amhara and it was the centre of the Solomonic emperors. Bete Amhara had an illustrious place in Ethiopian political and ...

Marcus, ''A History of Ethiopia'', p. 80 and, in 1886, he was made ''Shum'' of

and Dembiya. In 1885, Araya Selassie Yohannes fathered a son, Gugsa Araya Selassie. The mother's identity is unknown.

Death

On 10 June 1888, while in

Mek'ele Mekelle (), or Mek'ele, is a List of zones of Ethiopia, special zone and capital city, capital of the Tigray Region of Ethiopia. Mekelle was formerly the capital of Enderta province, Enderta Awrajja, awraja in Tigray Province, Tigray. It is locate ...

gathering an army for his father, Araya Selassie Yohannes died of

. He was buried at Medhane Alem Church.

Honors

Grand Collar of the Order of the Seal of Solomon (1875)

Legacy

Familial rivalry between the two lines of descent from Emperor Yohannes IV proved to be a difficult issue for Emperor Menelik II and his successors.

Tigray Province Tigray Province (), also known as Tigre ( tigrē), was a historical province of northern Ethiopia that overlayed the present day Afar and Tigray regions. Akele Guzai borders with the Tigray province. It encompassed most of the territories of T ...

was divided between ''Ras'' Gugsa Araya Selassie, the son of ''Ras'' Araya Selassie Yohannes, and ''Ras'' Seyum Mangasha, the son of ''Ras'' Mangasha Yohannes. Gugsa Araya Selassie ruled the eastern half of Tigray and Seyum Mangasha ruled the western half.

Notes

;Footnotes ;Citations

References

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Araya Selassie Yohannes 19th-century births 1888 deaths People from Tigray Region Ethiopian military personnel Ethiopian nobility Ethiopian princes Ethiopian Royal Family 19th-century Ethiopian people Deaths from smallpox Sons of emperors Heirs apparent who never acceded