Tewabech Ali (1831 – 19 August 1858) was the first wife of Kassa Haile, better known as

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 ...

Tewodros II of Ethiopia Tewodros II (, once referred to by the English cognate Theodore; baptized as Kassa, – 13 April 1868) was Emperor of Ethiopia from 1855 until his death in 1868. His rule is often placed as the beginning of modern Ethiopia and brought an end to ...

. They were married in 1848. Although she was offered as a bride to Kassa by her grandmother, Empress

Menen Liben Amede Menen Liben Amede (died 1858) was Empress consort of Ethiopia by marriage to Emperor of Ethiopia, Emperor Yohannes III in 1840–1841, 1845 and 1850–1851. She was also regent of Begemder in 1831–1841 during the minority of her son Ali II of ...

, entirely for political reasons, he loved her and was faithful to her until her death. This is shown by the fact they made their wedding official by partaking of Communion together at the same time he was proclaimed Emperor. She died in

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 ...

while Emperor Tewodros was campaigning against rebels in that province. They had no children, and after she died reportedly his British friend John Bell had to persuade Tewodros that a second marriage was not against the teaching of the

Bible The Bible is a collection of religious texts that are central to Christianity and Judaism, and esteemed in other Abrahamic religions such as Islam. The Bible is an anthology (a compilation of texts of a variety of forms) originally writt ...

. Some historians like Paul B. Henze, believe Tewabech had a positive effect on Tewodros, and his violent and erratic behavior in the last ten years of his reign was due in part to the lack of advice from her, and other advisors like John Bell and

Walter Plowden Walter Charles Metcalf Chichele Plowden (3 August 1820 – 13 March 1860) was a British diplomat, consul at Massawa Massawa or Mitsiwa ( ) is a port city in the Northern Red Sea Region, Northern Red Sea region of Eritrea, located on the ...

(who were killed in 1860's).

Notes

1858 deaths Empresses consort of Ethiopia 1831 births 19th-century Ethiopian people 19th-century Ethiopian women {{Ethiopia-royal-stub