Egwale Anbesa proclaimed himself ''

nəgusä nägäst The emperor of Ethiopia (, "King of Kings"), also known as the Atse (, "emperor"), was the hereditary ruler of the Ethiopian Empire, from at least the 13th century until the abolition of the monarchy in 1975. The emperor was the head of state ...

'' of

Ethiopia Ethiopia, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country located in the Horn of Africa region of East Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the north, Djibouti to the northeast, Somalia to the east, Ken ...

in 1832. According to the ''Royal chronicles of Abyssinia'', he was a Christian

Oromo Oromo may refer to: * Oromo people, an ethnic group of Ethiopia and Kenya * Oromo language, an Afroasiatic language See also * *Orma (clan), Oromo tribe *Oromia Oromia (, ) is a Regions of Ethiopia, regional state in Ethiopia and the homelan ...

, unrelated to the Solomonic dynasty. His claim to the Imperial throne was first supported by Ali Faris, who was campaigning at the time against Ras Ali II; Ras Ali defeated Ali Faris, who fled to his home amongst the Raya Oromo, leaving Egwale Anbesa behind. A prophecy current at the time stated that a king named "Theodore" would arise, and bring peace and plenty to the country. Egwale Anbesa, who had been living until that time as a wandering

monk A monk (; from , ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a man who is a member of a religious order and lives in a monastery. A monk usually lives his life in prayer and contemplation. The concept is ancient and can be seen in many reli ...

, went to the convent on the Qaha River near

Gondar Gondar, also spelled Gonder (Amharic: ጎንደር, ''Gonder'' or ''Gondär''; formerly , ''Gʷandar'' or ''Gʷender''), is a city and woreda in Ethiopia. Located in the North Gondar Zone of the Amhara Region, Gondar is north of Lake Tana on ...

and sounded a horn, declaring that he was that Theodore. That evening Sahla Dengel left the palace and went to where Egwale Anbesa was, and cut off his head, and set it in a tree at Adababay. Egwale Anbesa's only known supporter, who had been with him at his death, became the Emperor's slave, while the pretender's cross and habit were taken back to the palace, and displayed to all visitors.Weld Blundell, ''Royal chronicle'', p. 489;

References

Year of birth unknown 1832 deaths 19th-century emperors of Ethiopia 19th-century Christian monks 19th-century murdered monarchs Monarchs in Ethiopia Oromo people People murdered in Ethiopia Deaths by decapitation 19th-century murders in Ethiopia 1832 crimes in Africa People murdered in 1832 {{Ethiopia-royal-stub