Tewoflos ( Ge'ez: ቴዎፍሎስ), throne name Walda Anbasa (Ge'ez: ወልደ አንበሳ, died 14 October 1711), was

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

from 1 July 1708 to 14 October 1711, and a member of the Solomonic dynasty. He was the brother of

Iyasu I Iyasu I ( Ge'ez: ኢያሱ ፩; 1654 – 13 October 1706), throne name Adyam Sagad (Ge'ez: አድያም ሰገድ), also known as Iyasu the Great, was Emperor of Ethiopia from 19 July 1682 until his death in 1706, and a member of the Solomonic dy ...

, and one of five sons of

Yohannes I Yohannes I (), also known as Yohannes the Righteous (Ge'ez: ጻድቁ ዮሐንስ), throne name A'ilaf Sagad (Ge'ez: አእላፍ ሰገድ; 1640 – 19 July 1682) was Emperor of Ethiopia from 1667 to 1682, and a member of the Solomonic dynas ...

Reign

Following the murder of his nephew

Tekle Haymanot I Tekle Haymanot I (), throne name Le`al Sagad (Ge'ez: ለዓለ ሰገድ, 28 March 1684 – 30 June 1708) was Emperor of Ethiopia from 27 March 1706 until his death in 1708, and a member of the Solomonic dynasty. He was the son of Iyasu I and E ...

, Tewoflos was brought out of captivity at Mount

Wehni Wehni () is the name of one of the mountains of Ethiopia where most of the male heirs to the Emperor of Ethiopia were interned, usually for life. It was the last of the three such mountains, or ''amba (geology), amba'', said to have been used for ...

and made Emperor. At first he faced a rival in the person of the four-year-old son of his nephew who was supported by the Master of Horse Yohannes and Empress Malakotawit. His nephew's name was Na'od and he was crowned at

Emfraz Enfraz or Infraz (), also called ''Guba'e'' (), or ''Guzara'' () is a historic town and district in northern Ethiopia. Located in the mountainous area overlooking the northeast shore of Lake Tana in the North Gondar Zone of the Amhara Region, it ...

upon the death of

. However, Tewoflos moved quickly by having Yohannes, and several other non-royals accused of aiding in the murder of Tekle Haymanot, arrested then sent into exile. According to

James Bruce James Bruce of Kinnaird (14 December 1730 – 27 April 1794) was a Scottish traveller and travel writer who physically confirmed the source of the Blue Nile. He spent more than a dozen years in North and East Africa and in 1770 became the fir ...

, at first he behaved as if he would not seek vengeance on those thought responsible for the death of his brother Iyasu; but this was a deception, and once this party relaxed their guard he acted. He accused his late nephew Emperor Tekle Haymanot of regicide and patricide, and Tekle Haymanot has been known as ''Irgum'' ("Cursed") ever since. Empress Malakotawit was publicly hanged, while her two brothers were speared to death; Bruce states that in one afternoon a total of 37 persons were executed. Not long afterwards he decided to move against all regicides, and ordered that all who had taken part in the plot that led to the death of his brother Iyasu I be found and executed. Tewoflos also initiated the canonization of his brother Iyasu I. His reign was an unquiet one. In 1709,

Nebahne Yohannes Nebahne Yohannes claimed the imperial title '' nəgusä nägäst'' "King of Kings" of Ethiopia (1709 – July 1710) during the reign of Emperor Tewoflos. According to E. A. Wallis Budge, he was supported by Satuni Yohannes (who had been involved ...

was proclaimed ''nəgusä nägäst'' in a revolt that lasted until July 1710. Tewoflos also found himself compelled to support the doctrine known as ''Wold Qib''; when the monks of

Debre Libanos Debre Libanos () is an Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo monastery, lying northwest of Addis Ababa in the North Shewa Zone (Oromia), North Shewa Zone of the Oromia Region. It was founded in 1284 by Saint Tekle Hay ...

asked the Emperor why he embraced the belief they opposed, he reportedly told them, "It is not because I hate you, but so that

Gojjam Gojjam ( ''gōjjām'', originally ጐዛም ''gʷazzam'', later ጐዣም ''gʷažžām'', ጎዣም ''gōžžām'') is a historical provincial kingdom in northwestern Ethiopia, with its capital city at Debre Markos. During the 18th century, G ...

will be subject to me."Donald Crummey, ''Priests and Politicians'', 1972 (Hollywood: Tsehai, 2007), p. 22 Tewflos died under suspicious circumstances. He was buried at Teda.

Notes

1711 deaths 18th-century emperors of Ethiopia Solomonic dynasty Year of birth unknown {{Ethiopia-royal-stub