Amda Seyon (usurper)

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For other people with the name Amda Seyon, see Amda Seyon (disambiguation).

Amda Seyon was the Emperor of Ethiopia for less than one month. Amda Seyon was proclaimed negusä nägäst in September 1707 at Yebala in Gojjam. He made his way to Gondar, where he had himself crowned, and within a short time gained the support of the friends of the late Emperor Iyasu. Emperor Tekle Haymanot quickly returned to the capital that same month, despite the difficulty of travel during the rainy season, and forced the usurper to flee.^[1]

According to James Bruce, it was Tekla Haymanot's kinsman and governor of Gojjam, Dirmen, who had followed Amda Seyon's army out of Gojjam, chased him out of Gondar. Dirman closely followed the usurper as the later led his followers across the Abay River and back to Yebala, then engaged him on the plains of Maitsa. Amda Seyon was killed in the battle, "in the beginning of the engagement, fighting with all of the bravery that could be expected from a man in his circumstances."^[2]

[edit] References

1. ^ Richard P.K. Pankhurst, History of Ethiopian Towns (Wiesbaden: Franz Steiner Verlag, 1982), p. 143.
2. ^ James Bruce, Travels to Discover the Source of the Nile [1805 edition], vol. 4 pp. 12f.

Preceded by Tekle Haymanot I

Emperor of Ethiopia

Succeeded by Tekle Haymanot I