Regnal Lists Of Ethiopia

Regnal lists of Ethiopia are recorded lists of monarchs who are claimed by tradition to have ruled Ethiopia. These lists are often recorded on manuscripts or orally by monasteries and have been passed down over the centuries.

Many surviving physical regnal lists, as well as recorded oral lists, chronicle the line of kings beginning with Menelik I to the Solomonic dynasty. In Ethiopian tradition, Menelik is believed to be the son of queen Makeda (the Biblical Queen of Sheba) and king Solomon. The rulers that followed Menelik were the kings of Axum, the Zagwe dynasty and the Solomonic dynasty. Some monarchs who ruled before Menelik are recorded in different Ethiopian traditions. These regnal lists were used to prove the longevity of the Ethiopian monarchy and to provide legitimacy for the Solomonic dynasty until its fall from power in 1974.

Traditions

Ethiopian traditions record a range of different monarchs from earlier times whose existence has not been verified by modern-day archeology. Their stories and legends may have elements of truth but it is unclear to what extent this is the case. Numerous king lists have been recorded either on manuscripts or via oral tradition. However, surviving information on the kings prior to the reign of emperor Yekuno Amlak (1270–1285) is often scattered, incomplete or contradictory. The king lists that do refer to pre-1270 Ethiopia rarely match completely with one another. This variation is likely because the lists were compiled over a long time period across several different monasteries. It is also possible that the variations in succession order could be due to tampering with the lists after the 13th century that resulted from "dynastic quarrels" and "ideological re-readings" of the Axumite regnal lists.

Carlo Conti Rossini suggested the lists were compiled in the fourteenth or fifteenth centuries following the restoration of the Solomonic dynasty and were compiled from Arabic documents, inscriptions on coins and monuments, and, in the case of some names, from South Arabian mythology.

Notable legendary Ethiopian monarchs include:

* Arwe – Mythical serpent king who ruled for 400 years before being killed by Angabo.
* Angabo – A king of non-royal birth who killed the evil serpent Arwe, and was the father or ancestor of Makeda, the Queen of Sheba.
* Ethiopis – A king who was said to have inspired the name of the country of Ethiopia.
* Makeda – The biblical queen of Sheba who, according to Ethiopian tradition, is believed to be the mother of Menelik I.
* Menelik I – Son of the queen of Sheba and king Solomon of Israel and founder of the Solomonic dynasty in the 10th century BC. Much information on this king comes from the 14th century text ''Kebra Nagast'', however he remains historically unverified. In reality, the Solomonic dynasty began in 1270 AD with the reign of Yekuno Amlak.
* Abreha and Atsbeha – Two brothers who supposedly brought Christianity to Ethiopia, however their existence is doubted by some historians. Some scholars believe that the story of Abreha and Atsbeha may in fact be based on the Axumite kings Ezana and Saizana.
* Gudit – Legendary queen who supposedly laid waste to the Kingdom of Axum. Her deeds are recorded in oral tradition, but the various stories about her occasionally have differing or conflicting details.

Regnal list variations

Historian Manfred Kropp noted that numerous regnal lists exist that date back to the 13th century and these are reliable documents. However, for the period before this there are only legendary memories of the Axumite rulers. Regnal lists were created to provide a connection between the Solomonic dynasty and the legendary Axumite kings while skipping the Zagwe dynasty. Such lists were written for the purpose of proving the legitimacy of the ruling Solomonic emperors and had information drawn from chronicles held in monasteries. Kropp believed that Ethiopian regnal lists were intended to fill in the gaps between major events, such as the meeting of Makeda and Solomon, the arrival of Frumentius and the beginning of the Zagwe dynasty. The great variation in names and order between regnal lists was likely because this process took place across several different monasteries and were also passed on orally.

Not all names on the regnal lists are Abyssinian in origin. Some names originate from South Arabian mythology, the religious language of Alexandria, and Greco-Roman sources, and transformed into local Abyssinian/Ethiopian forms.

E. A. Wallis Budge commented that any written information on the period of Ethiopian history before the 13th century was "incomplete" and "untrustworthy". However, he felt that this was because any regnal lists or chronological works held in Axum were likely burned or destroyed before Yekuno Amlak ascended the throne in 1270. Budge noted that numerous regnal lists were known to exist in which the number and order of kings were rarely the same. He felt that it was clear that the chronographers of Abyssinia from the 13th and 14th centuries "did not know how many kings had reigned over heir countryfrom the time of Makeda ..or the exact order of succession". Budge theorized that while the regnal lists showed evidence that they were based on legend and tradition, some parts of the list suggested that the scribes did indeed "aveaccess to chronological and historical documents of some kind", including Coptic and Arabic texts which were possibly brought over by monks fleeing Egypt and Nubia during the time of the Arab conquests. Some lists began with Adam or David.

Two European missionaries in the 16th and 17th centuries, Pedro Páez and Manuel de Almeida, visited Ethiopia and personally saw two different regnal lists on which they based their respective writings on the history of Ethiopia. The manuscripts likely dated to before 1620. Both Páez and de Almeida stated that the Ethiopian emperor lent them books from the church of Axum containing the regnal lists. European travellers James Bruce, Henry Salt and Carlo Conti Rossini all published different regnal lists in Europe between the late 18th and early 20th centuries. The lists were written based on information gathered from local Ethiopian scribes. These regnal lists contain a list of names from Menelik I to Dil Na'od, but both the names and order of kings only occasionally overlap between the different lists, and there are numerous kings who appear on one list but are omitted from another. There are also at least two manuscripts held in the British Museum that contain differing regnal lists covering the same lineage of monarchs. Budge theorised that the existence of multiple regnal lists were to due to rival claimants to the throne.

Studies and comparisons of the regnal lists

August Dillmann wrote an article comparing Ethiopian regnal lists in 1853. Dillman compared three lists and simply named them as A, B and C. Dillmann believed that list A was the longest because it included all rulers, regents, co-regents, pretenders and even heads of individual parts of the empire, while lists B and C only had the most important names.

Carlo Conti Rossini attempted to co-ordinate and compare the large number of different Ethiopian regnal lists, bringing together 86 different lists from libraries in Ethiopia and Italian Eritrea. The lists were divided into eight groups based on similarities and number of kings, and they were categorized by the letters A to H. Rossini's list A, B and C match Dillmann's C, B and A respectively.

Across Rossini's different lists, no name appears on all lists and no individual list contains all recorded names. The most common names to appear on the lists are Menelik I, Bazen, Abreha and Atsbeha and Gebre Meskel..

Rossini categorised the lists as follows:

Monarchs who reigned before Menelik I

The reign of Menelik I is traditionally dated to the 10th century BC, due to being the son of Solomon and the Queen of Sheba (Makeda), as stated in the ''Kebra Nagast''. Multiple lists exist that chronicle Menelik's lineage through both his mother and father. While Solomon's descent is recorded in the Bible, traditions around Makeda's ancestry are more varied. She is usually assumed to be a descendant of Angabo, who saved Ethiopia from a mythical serpent king named Arwe. Another tradition attempts to link Ethiopia with an even more remote past by claiming the monarchy descended from Ham.

Arwe Dynasty

According to Ethiopian tradition, an evil serpent named Arwe ruled Ethiopia before he was defeated by Angabo, ancestor of Menelik I. Most traditions state that Arwe ruled for 400 years. However, a different tradition recorded by E. A. Wallis Budge instead claimed that "20 or 30 kings" descended from Arwe ruled in Tigray for 400 years.

Angabo Dynasty

After killing Arwe, Angabo became the new king of Ethiopia. Some traditions relate that he reigned for 200 years and was followed by three further kings before Makeda ascended the throne.

All rulers of this dynasty were included on the 1922 regnal list as part of the "Agdazyan" or "Ag'azyan" dynasty. In most cases their reign lengths were shortened to be more realistic.

Biblical List from Adam to Solomon

This regnal list chronicles kings who ruled before Menelik I, but relies on Biblical chronology, particularly from the Book of Genesis. This list essentially serves as a document of the lineage of Menelik through his father Solomon.

The following list was included in E. A. Wallis Budge's book ''A History of Ethiopia (Volume I)'' and was quoted from two manuscripts; One held in the British Museum and another held in the Bibliothèque nationale de France, which was published in René Basset's 1882 book ''Études sur l'histoire d'Éthiopie''. The names of these kings also appear in the 14th-century text ''Kebra Nagast''. Budge believed this list had "no historical value" and was only intended to fill the gap from Adam to Solomon.

The last king, 'Ebna Hakim, does not appear in the Bible and is meant to be Menelik I, the son of Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. The name Ebna Hakim translates to "Son of the Wise Man" (i.e. Solomon) in Arabic.

The ''Kebra Nagast'' lists an additional king named 'Orni between Hezron and Aram, who was the son of Hezron and father of Aram. Budge believed this king to be Oren, son of Jerahmeel.

Biblical Hamitic List

Another Ethiopian tradition claims that the Ethiopian monarchy was descended from Ham, son of the Biblical prophet Noah. While Ham is not included in the Biblical regnal list mentioned above, a claimed genealogy from Ham to the founders of Axum does exist. According to this tradition, Axum was founded within a century after the Great Flood. This genealogy chronicles kings descending from Ham who represent Ethiopia and Axum. E. A. Wallis Budge called this dynasty the "Dynasty of Kush" and referred to the Angabo dynasty as the "Native African dynasty".

Enno Littmann recorded a tradition from an Ethiopian priest named Gabra Wahad, who stated the following:

Monarchs from Menelik I to Bazen

Beginning with Menelik I, Ethiopian regnal lists begin to diverge on the exact order of succession. Only a few rulers' names are consistently recorded across all lists. This section looks at rulers who are named as reigning between Menelik I and Bazen, who began his reign eight years before the birth of Jesus. Despite tradition claiming that Menelik ruled in the 10th century BC, the reign lengths provided on most lists do not allow for a sufficient number of monarchs to have reigned over a span of ten centuries.

Spanish Missionary Pedro Páez believed that the reason for the differences in names on various lists was because the Ethiopian emperors used different names prior to their accession to the throne, and some lists used their regnal names while others listed their birth names. This was supposedly done in imitation of Menelik I, who was named David when he was crowned. E. A. Wallis Budge theorised that the existence of multiple king lists suggest that these represent rival claimants to the throne.

Lists recorded by Páez, James Bruce, August Dillmann and Carlo Conti Rossini, as well as the 1922 regnal list, are all in agreement that Christ was born in the eighth year of Bazen's reign, a statement that is also clear on one of the British Museum manuscripts recorded by E. A. Wallis Budge. If one was to calculate backwards from the Bazen's reign, then Henry Salt's list would date Menelik I's reign to 128–99 BC, over 9 centuries after the traditional 10th century BC dating of Menelik's reign. If the same was done for Bruce's list, then Menelik's reign would be pushed back nearly a century earlier but would still fall far short of the 10th century BC dating. The 1922 regnal list attempted to correct this by combining various monarchs into a longer list that allows Menelik to be firmly dated to the 10th century BC.

Variation 1

This table contains names from the following recorded lists:

* The second regnal list recorded by Spanish missionary Pedro Páez in 1620. He believed this list contained the regnal names for the kings. This list omits the kings named Wazeha and Hazer that appear on the other lists in this table.
* A list recorded by Scottish traveller James Bruce in his book '' Travels to Discover the Source of the Nile'' (1790). He had gathered information for his regnal list from local scribes, though did not believe they were trustworthy or that his regnal list was complete.
* The first regnal list recorded by English Egyptologist Henry Salt in his book ''A Voyage to Abyssinia'' (1814). Most kings have the "Za" prefix in front of their names on this list. This list omits the kings named Kalaz, Satiyo, Filiya and Aglebu that appear on the other lists in this table.
* Two regnal lists recorded by French travellers Edmond Combes and Maurice Tamisier in their 1838 book ''Voyage en Abyssinie''. The lists appear to be an amalgamation of other previously published lists. The first list is similar to James Bruce's list, but adds the prefix "Za" to most names, and adds the name "Awseyo" which is missing from Bruce's list, as well as omitting the names "Birwas" and "Mahasi", who both appear on Bruce's list. The second list omits the names from "Kalaz" to "Aglebu" that appear on most other lists in this table.
* August Dillmann's List A (1853), which he compiled from multiple sources. On this list, Menelik is preceded by Arwe and the dynasty of Angabo.
* The first of two manuscripts held in the British Museum published in E. A. Wallis Budge's ''A History of Ethiopia: Nubia and Abyssinia Volume I'' (1928). This manuscript was filed under Oriental No. 821, fol. 28b. Most kings have the "Za" prefix in front of their names on this list.

Variation 2

This version of the line of succession does not contain reign lengths.

This table contains names from the following recorded lists:

* The second regnal list recorded by English Egyptologist Henry Salt in his book ''A Voyage to Abyssinia'' (1814), which he considered to be a "corrupt" list. This list does not include the king named Awseyo and mistakenly combines Tomai and Zagdur into one king.
* August Dillmann's List B (1853). This list claims that each king was the father of the next.
* A list recorded by French Orientalist René Basset in his book ''Études sur l'histoire d'Éthiopie'' (1882). This list claimed that each king was the son of the previous king.
* A translation of ''The Life of Takla Haymanot'' by E. A. Wallis Budge (1906). Each king is the son of the previous king on this list.
* The second of two manuscripts held in the British Museum published in E. A. Wallis Budge's ''A History of Ethiopia: Nubia and Abyssinia Volume I'' (1928). This manuscript was filed under Oriental No. 821, fol. 36a. Budge regarded this manuscript to be the most authoritative.

Variation 3

This variation does not include reign lengths. Many names appear on variations 1 and 2, but some names are unique to this version.

The following list is included in this table:

* The first regnal list recorded by Pedro Páez in 1620. He believed this list contained the birth names of the kings. Some kings have the prefix "Za" placed in front of their names.

Variation 4

This variation does not include reign lengths for most kings. Many names on this version can be found on variation 2, but some names are unique and some names from variation 2 have been omitted completely. The names and order is similar to variation 2, but it does not include Warada Nagash (unless he can be equated with Walda Mehrat), swaps the order of Bawaris and Bawawel, and moves Hande further down the succession order.

The following list is included in this table:

* One regnal list included in a book titled ''History of the Kings of Dabra Yahanes'' (1903), edited by Italian orientalist Carlo Conti Rossini.

Variation 5

This variation does not include reign lengths and has only been attested on one known list dated to the 16th century. This variation has a notably smaller number of rulers between Menelik I and Bazen compared to other versions.

The table includes names from Carlo Conti Rossini's "List F".

Summary of the regnal lists (Menelik I to Bazen)

Monarchs who reigned between Bazen and Abreha and Atsbeha

These lists name the monarchs who ruled after Bazen up to Abreha and Atsbeha, brothers who are credited in Ethiopian tradition with being the first rulers to convert to Christianity. Tradition recorded that Bazen's reign began in 8 BC and Ethiopia converted to Christianity in the 4th century. However, the reign lengths on some king lists push Abeha and Atsbeha's reign into the 5th century instead.

Variation 1

This table compares the following regnal lists:

* The second regnal list recorded by Pedro Páez in 1620, which he believed listed regnal names.
* One regnal list recorded by English Egyptologist Henry Salt in his book ''A Voyage to Abyssinia'' (1814). Most rulers have the "Za" prefix in front of their names on this list except for Herka and all rulers after Hadus, who instead have the "El" prefix. Asgwagwa has a combination of both and is styled as "Za Elasguaga".
* A regnal list recorded by French travellers Edmond Combes and Maurice Tamisier in their 1838 book ''Voyage en Abyssinie''. This list is heavily drawn from Henry Salt's list, and even moves Abreha and Atsbeha to after the reign of "Semera" as Salt had suggested doing in order to align their reign with the traditional date of Axum's conversion to Christianity.
* A regnal list recorded by German explorer Eduard Rüppell in his book ''Reise in Abyssinien'' (1840).
* August Dillmann's List A (1853), which was compiled from multiple sources.
* The first of two manuscripts from the British Museum published by E. A. Wallis Budge in 1928. This manuscript was filed under Oriental No. 821, fol. 28b. The names on this list have the "Za" prefix, with all names from Asgwagwa to Ahywa (except for Besi Sawesa, Wakana and Hadus) additionally being preceded by the "Ela" prefix.
A noticeable problem with these lists is that over 400 years pass between the end of Bazen's reign and the beginning of Abreha and Atsbeha's reign. This pushes their joint reign to the early 5th century, a whole century after the traditional early 4th century date for the Christianisation of Ethiopia. Because of this, Henry Salt deliberately altered the placement of Abreha and Atsbeha on his list so that the thirteenth year of their joint reign would fall correctly on the date when Christianity was introduced to Ethiopia instead of contradicting this tradition. His suggested alteration placed Abreha and Atsbeha after king El Semera. Salt noted that one chronicle explicitly stated that 330 years had passed between the birth of Christ and the thirteenth year of Abreha's reign, when Christianity was introduced. This is the same period of time which is quoted in other Ethiopian chronicles. However the same chronicle makes a "very striking error" by placing Abreha after El Ahiawya and thus suggesting that his thirteenth year of rule took place 465 years after the birth of Christ. As a result, Salt's personal king list alters the order slightly by placing Abreha and Atsbeha much further up the king list (the table below however retains the order of his original source). Salt believed that the five rulers of his list from El Ahiawya to Seladoba "should robablybe also removed" altogether, which is why E. A. Wallis Budge did not name them when quoting Salt's king list. Salt additionally believed that there should only be one king named Ameda, though his list names two kings of this name.

Salt theorised that the change of prefix from "Za" to "El" after the reign of Za Elasguaga reflected a change of dynasty. He believed that this theory could be confirmed by the short reigns of Za Baesi Tsawesa, Za Wakena and Za Hadus, who all reigned for a combined total of 1 year, 4 months and 2 days after the first "El" king, El Herka. He believed that the "Za" kings were the "shepherd kings" or "original Ethiopians" before being replaced by a new "race" of kings. Salt suggested that this change may have been caused by colony of Syrians who were placed by Alexander the Great near the mouth of the Red Sea according to an account written by Philostorgius.

An unpublished history of the kings of Axum states that a queen named "Ahiyewa" was the mother of Abreha and Atsbeha and she ruled for three years during the minority of her sons. This confirms that the ruler named "Ahywa" who preceded Abreha and Atsbeha in this line of succession was a queen who ruled as regent during their minority. If Abreha and Atsbeha can be identified with the historical Ezana and Saizana, as Henry Salt did in his list, then this suggests that "Ahywa" is another name for Sofya, wife of Ousanas. A book titled ''Gedle Abreha and Asbeha'' from the Church of Abreha wa-Atsbeha confirms that "Sofya" was one of the names for the mother of Abreha and Atsbeha. The first British Museum manuscript published by Budge however stated that "'Eguālā 'Anbasā" was the name of their mother despite also listing "Ahywa" as their predecessor.

Variation 2

This version of the line of succession does not contain reign lengths.

The following lists are compared in this table:

* The first and third regnal lists recorded by Spanish missionary Pedro Páez in 1620. The third list was treated by Páez as another list of regnal names and is placed directly after the second list in his book.
* The regnal list recorded by Scottish traveller James Bruce in his book '' Travels to Discover the Source of the Nile'' (1790). This list was kept in the monastery of Debre Libanos in Shewa. The list omits the kings named Bahar Asgad and Zaray who are named on the other lists in this table.
* August Dillmann's List C (1853). This list originates from a manuscript which did not name the kings of Axum who reigned between Arwe and Bazen.

According to some chronicles, the father of Abreha and Atsbeha was a king named Seifa Arad. Páez's first list and Bruce's list place this king before Abreha and Atsbeha, but not as their direct predecessor, and the second British Museum manuscript places a similarly named king "Senfa Arad" as their immediate predecessor.

Variation 3

This variation does not include reign lengths. The kings named Bahar Asgad, Germa Asfare, Sharguay, Zaray and Agdur appear in variation 2 lists, but other kings do not.

The following lists are compared in this table:

* August Dillmann's List B (1853). This list claimed that each king was the son of the previous one.
* A list recorded by French Orientalist René Basset in his book ''Études sur l'histoire d'Éthiopie'' (1882). This list claimed that each king was the son of the previous king, except for Saba Asgad, who is listed as a brother of his predecessor Zaray and both of them were sons of Sharguay.
* A translation of ''The Life of Takla Haymanot'' by E. A. Wallis Budge (1906). Each king is the son of the previous king on this list and continues from variation 2 of the list of kings from Menelik I to Bazen.
* The second of two manuscripts held in the British Museum which were published by British archeologist E. A. Wallis Budge in 1928.
The final king, Senfa Arad, is named as the father of Abreha and Atsbeha in some sources.

Variation 4

The following list is included in this table:

* One regnal list included in a book titled ''History of the Kings of Dabra Yahanes'' (1903), edited by Italian orientalist Carlo Conti Rossini.

This line of succession is a condensed version of variations 2 and 3 with the addition of two names, "Ahendir" and "Tazer", and does not list any reign lengths.

Variation 5

This variation does not include reign lengths and has only been attested on one known list dated to the 16th century.

The table includes names from Carlo Conti Rossini's "List F".

Summary of the regnal lists (Between Bazen and Abreha and Atsbeha)

Monarchs from Abreha and Atsbeha to the end of the Axumite kingdom

The following lists chronicle the kings who reigned from Abreha and Atsbeha, the first kings of Axum to convert to Christianity in the 4th century, to the last kings who ruled the kingdom before it fell in the 10th century. Dil Na'od is usually considered the last king of the kingdom, but some lists name monarchs who reigned after him.

The 1922 regnal list attempted to combine the different variations into one line succession dating from 306 to 920 E.C., and did this by placing most of the kings in variation 1 directly after Abreha and Atsbeha and then continuing the line with the kings of variations 2 and 3. This allowed a sufficient number of kings to reign between Abreha and Atsbeha in the early 4th century and Alla Amidas in the late 5th century, and also continue the line of kings into the early 10th century.

Variation 1

This version of the line of succession after Abreha and Atsbeha contains lesser known rulers, and is quoted by writers more rarely. These lists do not go up to the reign of Dil Na'od, but do contain reign lengths for individual monarchs. The approximate time span of these rulers goes from the early 4th century when Abreha and Atsbeha converted to Christianity to the reign of Gebre Meskel in the early or mid-6th century. The reign lengths on Páez's and Dillmann's lists add up to 265–280 years, which may be slightly too long for the gap between the historical reigns of Ezana (one of the likely inspirations for Abreha and Atsbeha) and Gebre Meskel.

The following lists are compared in this table:

* The second regnal list recorded by Spanish missionary Pedro Páez in 1620. A manuscript from Debre Libanos of unknown age has a similar line of succession to this list.
* A regnal list recorded by German explorer Eduard Rüppell in his book ''Reise in Abyssinien'' (1840). Rüppell dated the time period of the kings from Abreha and Atsbeha to Gabra Maskal as 417–714 due to his belief that the Christianisation of Ethiopia had occuried much earlier than the reign of Abreha and Atsbeha.
* August Dillmann's List A (1853), which was compiled from multiple sources.
* A manuscript quoted by E. A. Wallis Budge, who did not specify the origin. He believed these monarchs were "kinglets" who ruled parts of Ethiopia separate from other lines of kings between 360 and 480.

Variation 2

This version of the line of succession after Abreha and Atsbeha includes many notable rulers such as Alla Amidas, Kaleb, Gebre Meskel and Dil Na'od, but does not include reign lengths for most rulers. The time span of these rulers should go from the early 4th century with Abreha and Atsbeha to the 10th century with the end of Dil Na'od's reign. However, only five kings are named between Abreha and Atsbeha and Alla Amidas (who ruled in the late 5th century), an approximate period of over 150 years. The 1922 regnal list resolved this by placing most kings of variation 1 between Abreha and Atsbeha and Amsi.

The following lists are compared in this table:

* The regnal list recorded by English Egyptologist Henry Salt in his book ''A Voyage to Abyssinia'' (1814).
* A regnal list recorded by French travellers Edmond Combes and Maurice Tamisier in their book ''Voyage en Abyssinie'' (1838). This list is heavily influenced by Salt's list, but adds a couple of reign lengths from other lists and has some variation in spelling of names. They claim the total length of time from Gebra Maskal to Del Naad was 350 years and that Del Naad ascended the throne as a minor in 900.
* A regnal list recorded by German explorer Eduard Rüppell in his book ''Reise in Abyssinien'' (1840). He treated the line of kings from Constantinos to Dil Na'od as a continuation of the line of kings from variation 1.
* August Dillmann's List B (1853). This list claimed that each king was the son of the previous king.
* A list published by René Basset in 1882. This list claimed that each king was the son of the previous king.
* A translation of ''The Life of Takla Haymanot'' by E. A. Wallis Budge (1906). Each king is the son of the previous king on this list.
* A manuscript held in the British Museum published by British archaeologist E. A. Wallis Budge (filed under Oriental No. 821) in 1928. French Orientalist René Basset recorded a list of kings that was nearly identical to this manuscript, except that a king named "Geda Jan" reigned between Degna Djan and Anbase Wedem. This additional name is also found on the Paris Chronicle, which otherwise has a similar line of succession to Salt's list. Some historians believe that this king's name was an alternate name for Degna Jan..
The four kings Asfah, Arfad, Amosi and Seladoba reigned for a total of 32 years according to Salt's list, though he personally felt that it was more likely they reigned for a total of 70 years. Salt noted that the kings from Ameda to Dil Na'od did not have reign lengths assigned to them in the chronicles but may have reigned for a total of 354 years. Pedro Páez stated that the next three kings after Abreha and Atsbeha on his regnal list were brothers who reigned together and divided each day into three parts between themselves. A similar story is recorded elsewhere in reference to Abreha, Atsbeha and Shahel.

Variation 3

These lists continue the line of kings after Dil Na'od. The kings from Anbase Wedem to Armah are usually placed before Dil Na'od on other lists, but are placed chronologically after him on these lists. Degna Djan is completely omitted from this variation. Bruce believed the short reign of Ayzur followed by the accession of Dil Na'od as an infant, as well as an epidemic disease spreading around Axum, all aided Judith (Gudit) in her conquest and usurption of the throne.

Three regnal lists are compared below:

* The first and third regnal lists quoted by Pedro Páez in 1620.
* The regnal list recorded by Scottish traveller James Bruce in his book '' Travels to Discover the Source of the Nile'' (1790). His list of kings came from a manuscript held in the Debre Libanos in Shewa. His list ends with Dil Na'od.
* August Dillmann's List C (1853).

These lists are similar in most parts, but have notable differences:

* Asfeh I is co-ruler with Arfed and Amsi on Páez's first list, but the other three lists do not state that all three ruled together.
* Páez's third list includes an additional king named "Amiamid" between Alameda and Tazena, whose name could be a duplication of Alameda.
* Armah I and Jan Asfeh are missing from Páez's third list, but appear on the other three lists in this table.
* The queens named Esato and Gudit are considered to be separate individuals on Páez's third list who ruled different areas of Ethiopia, but Dillmann's list C instead considers both of these names to refer to the same queen.
* No women are mentioned on Páez's first list.
* On Páez's first list, Anbase Wedem and Dil Na'od are moved to the end of the list and are placed after Degna Djan and Hezba Nan, neither of whom are found on the other lists in this table. Páez's first list essentially keeps the order of the succession the same as his third list, but alters the order of a few names to match with the order found in the variation two lists mentioned above.
* Dillmann's list mentions a woman named Terdai Gabaz, through whom the Zagwe dynasty was able to rise to power.

Variation 4

This variation does not include reign lengths for most names.

The following list is included in this table:

* A regnal list included in a book titled ''History of the Kings of Dabra Yahanes'' (1903), edited by Italian orientalist Carlo Conti Rossini and quoted by E. A. Wallis Budge. The list is similar to the lists in variation 2 until the reign of Constantinos (Yeshak), after whom the order slightly varies. The kings named Aderaz, Dedem and Geda Jan are not included in this list.

Variation 5

This variation does not include reign lengths and has only been attested on one known list dated to the 16th century.

The table includes names from Carlo Conti Rossini's "List F".

This list is a condensed version of variation 2, with some additional names and changes in regnal order. Notably, Kaleb is missing from this variation.

Rossini's "List G" includes these kings before Gebre Meskel instead: Asfā Sāhel, Asged, Mesēr, Ar'adu, Elā Adobā, Alāmēd, Tāzēnā and Kālēb. The kings from Asfa Sahel to Gabra Maskal are numbered 47 to 55 on list G.

Summary of regnal lists (Christian era)

Zagwe dynasty lists

Ethiopian traditions are in agreement that the Zagwe dynasty ruled at some point after the fall of Axum and directly preceded the Solomonic dynasty, but differ regarding when this dynasty first came to power, how long it remained in power and even the number of kings who ruled.

Ethiopian historian Sergew Hable Selassie noted that there are three main lists of Zagwe kings, known as the short, long and longer lists. He felt that the longer list was probably the most accurate.

Short List

Recorded in Carlo Conti Rossini's work ''Storia d'Etiopia'' (p. 305). Pedro Páez recorded a version with reign lengths and noted this list was likely incomplete. Manuel de Almeida also quoted a list that claimed this dynasty only had 5 kings who ruled for 143 years. A manuscript held in Paris (no. 64) claimed the Zagwe dynasty had 5 kings whose rule began in either 1145 or 1147 and ended in either 1268 or 1270.

Long list

Variation 1

Recorded in Carlo Conti Rossini's work ''Storia d'Etiopia'', Eduard Rüppell's ''Reise in Abyssinien'' and René Basset's ''Études sur l'histoire d'Éthiopie''. Also recorded in the Paris Chronicle and a manuscript held in the British Museum (Or. 821, fol. 28b). The 1922 regnal list of Ethiopia uses a similar list of kings for the Zagwe dynasty, but with some differences in reign length, giving the dynasty a total of 333 years of rule.

James Bruce used this version of this list in his book '' Travels to Discover the Source of the Nile'', though considered Tatadim, Jan Seyum, Germa Seyum, Harbai and Mairari to be descendants of Gudit who ruled at Lasta, while the other six kings were theorised to be Christian according to Bruce.

Variation 2

Recorded in Eduard Rüppell's ''Reise in Abyssinien'' and Carlo Conti Rossini's "La caduta della dinastia Zague" (p. 295). Rüppell's list originated from the Chronicle of Berhan Sagad and stated these kings reigned for a total of 333 years.

Variation 3

Recorded by Carlo Conti Rossini from a text from Dabra Libanos.

Longer list

Descendants of the Axumite line during the Zagwe period

Some regnal lists include names of monarchs who were descended from Dil Na'od and preceded the restoration of the line under Yekuno Amlak. According to Henry Salt, these kings were based in Shewa after the family fled there following the destruction of Axum by Gudit.

The following lists are included in this table:

* A list published in Henry Salt's ''A Voyage to Abyssinia'' (1814). Salt dated their period of rule to 925–1255.
* A list published by René Basset in 1882. This list stated that each king was the son of the previous king, with these kings representing eight generations directly from Dil Na'od to Yekuno Amlak.
* A list published by E. A. Wallis Budge in 1928 in his book ''A History of Ethiopia: Nubia and Abyssinia'' (volume 1).

Alternate variations of the Solomonic line

Beginning with the reign of Yekuno Amlak, the line of rulers becomes more consistently noted and dated across various regnal lists. However, some emperors have been excluded from certain lists:

* The first regnal list quoted by Pedro Páez omitted two of the sons of Yagbe'u Seyon.
* The second regnal list quoted by Pedro Páez omitted Andreyas, who reigned for 6 months in 1429 and 1430. The same regnal list did not name directly the ephemeral sons of Yagbe'u Seyon, but simply stated that two of his sons ruled for three years followed by three grandsons who reigned for two years.
* The 1922 regnal list of Ethiopia omitted Susenyos II, perhaps due to doubts over his legitimacy.

A manuscript from the Debre Damo church provided a slightly altered line of succession from Yekuno Amlak to Lebna Dengel:

The above list omits at least one of the sons of Yagbe'u Seyon. The second Amda Seyon is credited with having "fought ten kings and killed all of them", but this is likely a confusion with Amda Seyon I.

1922 regnal list

The longest regnal list of Ethiopian rulers was written in 1922 and contained 321 names from 4530 BC to 1779 AD. This list combines names from the majority of other regnal lists along with many additional names of rulers of ancient Nubia (which was often called ''Aethiopia'' historically) and ancient Egypt, as well as names that originate from the Biblical, ancient Greek, Coptic and Arabic literature. This regnal list first received attention in the Western world when it was published in Charles Fernand Rey's 1927 book ''In the Country of the Blue Nile'' after he had been given a copy by the Prince regent Tafari Makannon.

See also

* 1922 regnal list of Ethiopia
* List of kings of Axum
* List of emperors of Ethiopia
* List of royal consorts of Ethiopia
* Index of Ethiopia-related articles

Notes

References

Bibliography

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* {{cite journal, last=Tubiana, first=Joseph, title=Quatre généalogies royales éthiopiennes, language=French, journal=Cahiers d'Études Africaines, year=1962, volume=2, issue=7, pages=491–508, jstor=4390812 , url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/4390812

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