Emperor Tewodros Analysis Essay

Tayo Shonubi IB1 History 28/9/2012 Emperor Tewodros of Ethiopia Emperor Tewodros II of Ethiopias ascent to power began in 1845 with a meticulous rule which to his oppositions favor, ended in dismal failure and led him to move over suicide in 1858, by and by vast dozen years of power. Tewodros was the heir-apparent to emperor Tewodros I, his fathers thr nonpareil, precisely after his fathers death, he became the adopted son of his half-br some other. He grew to be an accomplished soldier and leader and was hence allotted governor of Qwara by the nominal then king of kings, reticular activating ashes Ali who had ruled since 1832.Tewodros was the leader responsible for reviving the concept of king of kings, and after reforms to his army, he do a determined and goaded submission for king of kings. After Tewodros do the realization of his absolute power, he carried come out expeditions against Gojjam commonwealth where he defeated Biru Goshu in the Ethiopian battle of Taquosh a not long after, in 1855, he defeated the province of Tigre was cr possessed emperor Tewodros II, by Abu Salama, the breaker point of the church building of Ethiopia.Tewodros made one of his near grave and major expeditions of his rule in 1856 when he battled against the Wallo Galla and thoroughly thrashed the Muslim community, shameless(prenominal)ly and filled with pride, he moved on to occupy the province of Shewa where he captured an eleven year old boy cognize was heir-apparent to the throne of Sahle Mariam, the boy later became cognise as emperor Manelik. Tewodros responded very favourably to European approaches, expecting not their protection and imperialism but assistance in getting applied science and arms.One of his earliest European contacts was Britain. finished his association with the British sprouted a friendship with two Englishmen, Yohannes Bell and Walter Plowdon who were dowry of the protestant German missionaries. On his move around to eastern Ethiopi a, Plowdon was killed, upon hearing this news, Tewodros chose to vent by organizing an expedition that unfortunately and ironically killed his other good friend, Yohannes Bell. To take over from Plowdon was a man by the names of Duncan Cameron, Tewodros and Cameron did not get along as very much as he did with Plowdon.There was a wishing of initiative and enthusiasm coming from Camerons end. In 1862, seeing as he had an established relationship with the British, Tewodros wrote to Queen Victoria, the then ruler of Great Britain, concerning the setup of an Ethiopian embassy in Britain. Tewodros never received a reply from Her Majesty, and it was assumed that the letter was either overlooked intentionally or failed to take a shit her. As does every leader, Tewodros came across challenges during his reign.The nobility i. e. the upper class were previously not essential to pay taxes, however after Tewodros came into the power, they were required to, this change in the system set th e aristocracy against him. Furious active this new obligation, they held riots between 1855 and 1861, these rebellions were brutally smothered by his soldiers who looted and massacred their captives. One may try to control another in order for them to convert/conform to their beliefs such(prenominal) that there is less rebellion.Although Tewodros was a worshiper of the Christian faith, he confiscated church position and land and abolished privileges of the clergy, for his personal gain and in advantage of his new found aura and power. The Ethiopian church leaders began to lecture against Tewodros making him lose the support of the legal age of Ethiopians. Tewodros was a proud man with a lust for power, one of the largest mistakes he made during his power was his amendment to the law of the church. Ethiopia was a preponderantly Christian state, and before Tewodros rule, any church within the nation was not required to pay tax.After he came into power, Tewodros felt as though t here was not sufficiency tax and he wanted to a greater extent money coming to him, with this in mind, he lifted this law and made it so that churches were required to pay tax and through this, he was indeed getting more(prenominal) money, but simultaneously getting less support. All these events, occurrences and people in one way or another contributed to the rise and fall of Tewodros. However his ways of self-praise, vain ways and pride led him to his own defeat.