This article lists the emperors of Ethiopia, from the founding of the Ethiopian Empire and the Solomonic dynasty in 1270 by Yekuno Amlak, until the Ethiopian Revolution of 1974 when the last emperor was deposed.
Earlier kings of the Dʿmt, Axum and Zagwe kingdoms are listed separately due to numerous gaps and large flexibility in chronology.
For legendary and archeologically unverified rulers of Ethiopian tradition, see Regnal lists of Ethiopia and 1922 regnal list of Ethiopia.
Names in italics indicate rulers who were usurpers or not widely recognized.
Name | Lifespan | Reign start | Reign end | Notes | Family | Image |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Yekuno Amlak
| Died 19 June 1285 | 10 August 1270 | 19 June 1285 | Descendant of Dil Na'od | Solomonic | |
Yagbe'u Seyon
| Died 1294 | 19 June 1285 | 1294 | Son of Yekuno Amlak | Solomonic | |
Senfa Ared IV
| 1294 | 1295 | Son of Yagbe'u Seyon | Solomonic | ||
Hezba Asgad
| 1295 | 1296 | Son of Yagbe'u Seyon | Solomonic | ||
Qedma Asgad
| 1296 | 1297 | Son of Yagbe'u Seyon | Solomonic | ||
Jan Asgad
| 1297 | 1298 | Son of Yagbe'u Seyon | Solomonic | ||
Saba Asgad
| 1298 | 1299 | Son of Yagbe'u Seyon | Solomonic | ||
Wedem Arad
| Died 1314 | 1299 | 1314 | Brother of Yagbe'u Seyon | Solomonic | |
Amda Seyon I
| Died 1344 | 1314 | 1344 | Son of Wedem Arad | Solomonic | |
Newaya Krestos
| Died 1372 | 1344 | 1372 | Son of Amda Seyon I | Solomonic | |
Newaya Maryam
| Died 1382 | 1372 | 1382 | Son of Newaya Krestos | Solomonic | |
Dawit I
| Died 6 October 1413 | 1382 | 6 October 1413 | Son of Newaya Krestos | Solomonic | |
Tewodros I
| Died 1414 | 12 October 1413 | 23 June 1414 | Son of Dawit I | Solomonic | |
Yeshaq I
| Died 1429 | 1414 | September 1429 | Son of Dawit I | Solomonic | |
Andreyas
| Died March 1430 | September 1429 | March 1430 | Son of Yeshaq I | Solomonic | |
Takla Maryam
| Died 1433 | March 1430 | June 1433 | Son of Dawit I | Solomonic | |
Sarwe Iyasus
| Died 1433 | June 1433 | November 1433 | Son of Takla Maryam | Solomonic | |
Amda Iyasus
| Died June 1434 | November 1433 | June 1434 | Son of Takla Maryam | Solomonic | |
Zara Yaqob
| 1399 – 26 August 1468 (aged 69) | 19/20 June 1434 | 26 August 1468 | Son of Dawit I | Solomonic | |
Baeda Maryam I
| 1448 – 8 November 1478 (aged 30) | 26 August 1468 | 8 November 1478 | Son of Zara Yaqob | Solomonic | |
Eskender
| 15 July 1471 – 7 May 1494 (aged 22) | 1478 | 7 May 1494 | Son of Baeda Maryam I | Solomonic | |
Amda Seyon II
| c. 1487 – 26 October 1494 (aged ≈ 7) | 1494 | 26 October 1494 | Son of Eskender | Solomonic | |
Na'od
| Died 31 July 1508 | 1494 | 31 July 1508 | Son of Baeda Maryam I | Solomonic | |
Dawit II or Libne Dengel
| 1501 – 2 September 1540 (aged 39) | 1508 | 2 September 1540 | Son of Na'od | Solomonic | |
Gelawdewos
| 1521/1522 – 23 March 1559 (aged 38–37) | 3 September 1540 | 23 March 1559 | Son of Dawit II | Solomonic | |
Menas
| Died 1 February 1563 | 1559 | 1 February 1563 | Son of Dawit II | Solomonic | |
Sarsa Dengel
| 1550 – 4 October 1597 (aged 47) | 1563 | 4 October 1597 | Son of Menas | Solomonic | |
Yaqob
| c. 1590 – 10 March 1606 | 1597 1604 | September 1603 10 March 1606 | Son of Sarsa Dengel | Solomonic | |
Za Dengel
| Died 24 October 1604 | September 1603 | 24 October 1604 | Nephew of Sarsa Dengel | Solomonic | |
Susenyos I
| 1572 – 17 September 1632 (aged 60) | 1606 | 17 September 1632 | Grandson of Dawit II | Solomonic |
Name | Lifespan | Reign start | Reign end | Notes | Family | Image |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Fasilides
| 20 November 1603 – 18 October 1667 (aged 63) | 1632 | 18 October 1667 | Son of Susenyos I | Solomonic | |
Yohannes I
| c. 1640 – 19 July 1682 (aged ≈ 42) | 18 October 1667 | 19 July 1682 | Son of Fasilides | Solomonic | |
Iyasu I
| 1654 – 13 October 1706 (aged 52) | 19 July 1682 | 13 October 1706 | Son of Yohannes I | Solomonic | |
Yeshaq Iyasu | Died 1685 | 1685 | 1685 | Claimed to be grandson of Susenyos I | Claimed Solomonic | |
Tekle Haymanot I
| 28 March 1684 – 30 June 1708 (aged 24) | 27 March 1706 | 30 June 1708 | Son of Iyasu I | Solomonic | |
Amda Seyon | Died September 1707 | September 1707 | September 1707 | Non-dynastic | ||
Tewoflos
| Died 14 October 1711 | 1 July 1708 | 14 October 1711 | Son of Fasilides | Solomonic | |
Nebahne Yohannes | 1709 | July 1710 | Non-dynastic | |||
Yostos
| Died 1716 | 14 October 1711 | 19 February 1716 | Grandson of Iyasu I | Solomonic | |
Dawit III
| 1695 – 18 May 1721 (aged 26) | 8 February 1716 | 18 May 1721 | Son of Iyasu I | Solomonic | |
Bakaffa
| Died 19 September 1730 | 18 May 1721 | 19 September 1730 | Son of Iyasu I | Solomonic | |
Iyasu II
| 21 October 1723 – 27 June 1755 (aged 31) | 19 September 1730 | 27 June 1755 | Son of Bakaffa | Solomonic | |
Hezqeyas | 1736 | 1737 | Solomonic | |||
Iyoas I
| c. 1740 – 14 May 1769 (aged ≈ 29) | 27 June 1755 | 7 May 1769 | Son of Iyasu II | Solomonic |
Name | Lifespan | Reign start | Reign end | Notes | Family | Image |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Yohannes II
| 1699 – 18 October 1769 (aged 70) | 7 May 1769 | 18 October 1769 | Son of Iyasu I | Solomonic | |
Tekle Haymanot II
| 1754 – 7 September 1777 (aged 23) | 18 October 1769 December 1770 | August 1770 13 April 1777 | Son of Yohannes II | Solomonic | |
Susenyos II
| Died c. 1771 | August 1770 | December 1770 | Possibly the illegitimate son of Iyasu II | Solomonic | |
Salomon II
| Died 1782 | 13 April 1777 | 20 July 1779 | Son of Abeto Adigo | Solomonic | |
Tekle Giyorgis I
| c. 1751 – 12 December 1817 (aged ≈ 66) | 20 July 1779 24 April 1788 January 1794 December 1795 4 January 1798 24 March 1800 | 8 February 1784 26 July 1789 15 April 1795 20 May 1796 20 May 1799 June 1800 | Son of Yohannes II | Solomonic | |
Iyasu III
| Died by 1810 | 16 February 1784 | 24 April 1788 | Grandson of Iyasu II | Solomonic | |
Iyasu | Died May 1813 | 1787 | 1788 | In opposition to Iyasu III | Non-dynastic | |
Baeda Maryam | 1787 | 1788 | In opposition to Iyasu III | Non-dynastic | ||
Tekle Haymanot | Died before 1810 | February 1788 | 1789 | In opposition to Iyasu III | Non-dynastic | |
Hezqeyas
| Died 13 September 1813 | 26 July 1789 | January 1794 | Son of Iyasu III | Solomonic | |
Baeda Maryam II
| 1749 – 1833 (aged 84) | 15 April 1795 | December 1795 | Possibly son of Salomon II | Possibly Solomonic | |
Salomon III
| 20 May 1796 20 May 1799 | 15 July 1797 15 July 1799 | Son of Tekle Haymanot II | Solomonic | ||
Yonas
| Died May 1813 | 18 August 1797 | 4 January 1798 | Grandson of Fasilides | Solomonic | |
Demetros
| Died 1802 | 25 July 1799 June 1800 | 24 March 1800 June 1801 | Son of Arqedewos | Non-dynastic | |
Egwale Seyon
| Died 12 June 1818 | June 1801 | 12 June 1818 | Son of Hezqeyas | Solomonic | |
Iyoas II
| Died 3 June 1821 | 14 June 1818 | 3 June 1821 | Son of Hezqeyas | Solomonic | |
Gigar
| c. 1745 – 26 November 1832 (aged ≈ 87) | 3 June 1821 April 1826 | April 1826 18 June 1830 | Possibly son of Iyasu II | Possibly Solomonic | |
Baeda Maryam III | April 1826 | April 1826 | Non-dynastic | |||
Iyasu IV
| 18 June 1830 | 18 March 1832 | Son of Salomon III | Solomonic | ||
Gebre Krestos
| 18 March 1832 1832 | 1832 8 June 1832 | Allegedly a descendant of Fasilides | Allegedly Solomonic | ||
Sahle Dengel
| 1778 – 11 February 1855 (aged 77) | 1832 October 1832 October 1841 1845 1851 | 1832 29 August 1840 1845 1850 11 February 1855 | Brother of Gebre Krestos | Solomonic | |
Egwale Anbesa | 1832 | 1832 | Non-dynastic | |||
Yohannes III
| c. 1797 – c. 1873 (aged ≈ 76) | 30 August 1840 1845 1850 | October 1841 1845 1851 | Son of Tekle Giyorgis I | Solomonic |
Name | Lifespan | Reign start | Reign end | Notes | Family | Image |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Tewodros II
| c. 1818 – 13 April 1868 (aged ≈ 50) | 11 February 1855 | 13 April 1868[a] | Son of Haile Giorgis Wolde Giorgis | Solomonic | |
Tekle Giyorgis II
| 1836 – 21 June 1873 (aged 36–37) | 11 June 1868 | 11 July 1871 | Son of Wagshum Gebre Medhin | Solomonic[b] |
Tigrayan line
Name | Lifespan | Reign start | Reign end | Notes | Family | Image |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Yohannes IV
| 11 July 1837 – 10 March 1889 (aged 51) | 11 July 1871 | 10 March 1889[c] | Son of Dejazmatch Mercha Wolde Kidan | Solomonic |
Shewan line
Name | Lifespan | Reign start | Reign end | Notes | Family | Image |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Menelik II[d]
| 17 August 1844 – 12 December 1913 (aged 69) | 10 March 1889 | 12 December 1913 | Son of Negus Haile Melekot | Solomonic | |
Lij Iyasu[e]
| 4 February 1895 – 25 November 1935 (aged 40) | 12 December 1913 | 27 September 1916 | Grandson of Menelik II | Solomonic | |
Zewditu[g]
| 29 April 1876 – 2 April 1930 (aged 53) | 27 September 1916 | 2 April 1930[h] | Daughter of Menelik II | Solomonic | |
Haile Selassie[i][j][k]
| [1][2] | 23 July 1892 – 27 August 1975 (aged 83)2 April 1930[l] | 12 September 1974[m] | Son of Ras Makonnen Wolde Mikael | Solomonic | |
Amha Selassie[n][o]
| [7] | 27 July 1916 – 17 January 1997 (aged 80)12 September 1974 | 21 March 1975[8] | Son of Haile Selassie | Solomonic |
Name | Lifespan | Reign start | Reign end | Notes | Family | Image |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Victor Emmanuel III
| 11 November 1869 – 28 December 1947 (aged 78) | 14 May 1936[9] | De jure renounced the title in November 1943[10] (de facto loss of control in April 1941[11]) | King of Italy, proclaimed Emperor of Ethiopia after Italian victory in the Second Italo-Ethiopian War; the title was contested by Haile Selassie in exile. Italian defeat in the East African campaign of World War II, and later Italian capitulation, ended Italian pretensions of rulership over Ethiopia. | Savoy |
Timeline (post–Zemene Mesafint)
See also
- Emperor of Ethiopia
- President of Ethiopia
- Prime Minister of Ethiopia
- List of royal consorts of Ethiopia
- Zera Yacob Amha Selassie
- Girma Yohannes Iyasu
- Crown Council of Ethiopia
- Ethiopian aristocratic and court titles
- List of rulers of Shewa
- History of Ethiopia
Notes
- ^ Committed suicide at the end of the Battle of Magdala.
- ^ Claimed the Solomonic lineage through his mother. Also claimed the Zagwe lineage through his father.
- ^ Killed in the Battle of Gallabat.
- ^ Previously King of Shewa from 1855 to 1856, and from 1865 to 1889. Ruled under the regency of Ras Betwoded Tessema Nadew from 1909 to 1911 and Lij Iyasu from 1911 to 1913.
- ^ Never officially crowned as Emperor. Deposed by nobility with the sanction of the Church.
- ^ Lij Iyasu was never referred to as "Iyasu V" or as an emperor during his rule, either by Ethiopians or by foreigners. Thus, in the treaty of commerce signed between the United States and Ethiopia in June 1914, the ruler of Ethiopia is referred to as "His Royal Highness, Prince Lidj Yassou". [1]
- ^ Ruled under the regency of Ras Tafari Makonnen (future Emperor Haile Selassie).
- ^ Died in the immediate aftermath of the Gugsa Wale's rebellion.
- ^ De facto ruler of the country as regent from 1916 to 1930. Crowned as King in the aftermath of the 1928 coup d'état.
- ^ Exiled from 2 May 1936 to 5 April 1941, during the Italian occupation. During that time, the imperial title was claimed by the King of Italy Victor Emmanuel III.
- ^ Briefly deposed during the 1960 coup d'état attempt.
- ^ Crowned on 2 November 1930, at the St. George's Cathedral in Addis Ababa.[3]
- ^ Deposed by the Derg during the Ethiopian Revolution of 1974.[4][5]
- ^ Proclaimed Emperor by the Imperial Guards during the 1960 coup d'état attempt.
- ^ Designated "King" (not Emperor) by the Derg while out of the country,[6] did not take throne.
References
- ^ Alden Whitman (28 August 1975). "Haile Selassie of Ethiopia Dies at 83". The New York Times. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
- ^ "Death of a King". The New York Times. 28 August 1975. Retrieved 9 May 2023.
- ^ "Emperor is Crowned in Regal Splendor at African Capital". The New York Times. 3 November 1930. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
- ^ "REMOVAL IS QUIET". The New York Times. 13 September 1974. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
- ^ Paul Hofmann (13 September 1974). "The Lion at Sunset". The New York Times. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
- ^ "Ethiopian Crown Prince Hears News of Succession on Radio". The New York Times. 13 September 1974. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
- ^ David Orr (2 February 1997). "Funeral brings the royals back to Ethiopia". The Independent. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
- ^ "Ethiopia's Military Government Abolishes Monarchy and Titles". The New York Times. 22 March 1975. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
- ^ Arnaldo Cortesi (15 May 1936). "CHAMBER CONFIRMS EMPIRE FOR ITALY; Cheers for Army and Duce Mark Session Ratifying Ethiopia's Annexation". The New York Times. Retrieved 18 January 2021.
- ^ Indro Montanelli, Mario Cervi, Storia d'italia. L'Italia della guerra civile, RCS, 2003.
- ^ "THE FALL OF ADDIS ABABA". The New York Times. 7 April 1941. Retrieved 18 January 2021.