Iyoas II ( Ge'ez: ኢዮአስ, died 3 June 1821) was

Emperor of Ethiopia The emperor of Ethiopia ( gez, ንጉሠ ነገሥት, nəgusä nägäst, " King of Kings"), also known as the Atse ( am, ዐፄ, "emperor"), was the hereditary ruler of the Ethiopian Empire, from at least the 13th century until the abolitio ...

from 14 June 1818 to 3 June 1821, and a member of the

Solomonic dynasty The Solomonic dynasty, also known as the House of Solomon, was the ruling dynasty of the Ethiopian Empire formed in the thirteenth century. Its members claim lineal descent from the biblical King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. Tradition asserts ...

. He was the son of Hezqeyas.

Reign

The ''Royal chronicle'' provides very little information about his reign: only the date of his elevation and the year of his death. According to

Nathaniel Pearce Nathaniel Pearce (14 February 1779 – 12 August 1820) was an explorer who spent many years in Abyssinia (present-day Ethiopia) and wrote a journal of his experiences. Early life Pearce was born in East Acton near London, and was educated at ...

, Iyoas was selected Emperor over his nephews Zerobabel and Merrit by Ras Gugsa and '' Kenyazmach'' Akli Meru due to the nephews' bad characters. Prior to his elevation, he had been living as a monk in Waldebba.

Samuel Gobat Samuel Gobat (26 January 1799 – 11 May 1879) was a Swiss Calvinist who became an Anglican missionary in Africa and was the Protestant Bishop of Jerusalem from 1846 until his death. Biography Samuel Gobat was born at Crémines, Canton of Bern, ...

, a near-contemporary of Iyoas, states he was "efficiently sustained by Ras Gugsa, who was his firm support, or rather his superior."Samuel Gobat, ''Journal of Three years' Residence in Abyssinia'', 1851 (New York: Negro Universities Press, 1969), p. 168 With Iyoas' death an interregnum of several months followed.

Notes

1821 deaths 19th-century emperors of Ethiopia 19th-century monarchs in Africa Solomonic dynasty Year of birth unknown {{Ethiopia-royal-stub