The following is a list of rulers and heads of state of Ethiopia since the Zagwe dynasty. Kings of Axum and Dʿmt are listed separately due to numerous gaps and large flexibility in chronology.
(Names in italics indicate rulers who were usurpers or not widely recognized)
| Term | Birth Name | Throne Name | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zagwe dynasty (9th/10th century - 1270) | |||
| There is no current consensus on the precise terms of the rulers of the Zagwe dynasty. | |||
| Mara Takla Haymanot | |||
| Tatadim | |||
| Jan Seyum | |||
| Germa Seyum | |||
| Yemrehana Krestos | |||
| Kedus Harbe | |||
| 1189 to 1229 | Gebre Mesqel Lalibela | ||
| Na'akueto La'ab | |||
| Yetbarak | |||
| Mairari | |||
| Harbai | |||
| Solomonic dynasty | |||
| 1270 to 1285 | Yekuno Amlak | Tasfa Iyasus | |
| 1285 to 1294 | Yagbe'u Seyon | Salomon I | |
| 1294 to 1295 | Senfa Ared IV | ||
| 1295 to 1296 | Hezba Asgad | ||
| 1296 to 1297 | Qedma Asgad | ||
| 1297 to 1298 | Jin Asgad | ||
| 1298 to 1299 | Saba Asgad | ||
| 1299 to 1314 | Wedem Arad | ||
| 1314 to 1344 | Amda Seyon I | Gabra Masqal I | |
| 1344 to 1372 | Newaya Krestos | Sayfa Ar`ed | |
| 1372 to 1382 | Newaya Maryam | Wedem Asfare; or Gemma Asfare |
|
| 1382 to 1413 | Dawit I | ||
| 1413 to 1414 | Tewodros I | Walda Ambasa | Ruled 9 months |
| 1414 to 1429 | Yeshaq I (Isaac) |
Gabra Masqal II | |
| 1429 to 1430 | Andreyas (Andrew) |
Ruled 4 or 6 months. | |
| 1430 to 1433 | Takla Maryam | Hezba Nan | |
| 1433 | Sarwe Iyasus | Mehreka Nan | |
| 1433 to 1434 | Amda Iyasus | Badel Nan | Ruled 8 months. |
| 1434 to 1468 | Zara Yaqob | Kuestantinos I (Constantine I) |
Dating becomes certain here |
| 1468 to 1478 | Baeda Maryam I | ||
| 1478 to 1494 | Eskender | Constantine II | |
| 1494 | Amda Seyon II | Ruled 6 or 7 months. | |
| 1494 to 1508 | Na'od | ||
| 1508 to 1540 | Dawit II (David II) |
Lebna Dengel | |
| September 3, 1540 to March 23, 1559 | Gelawdewos (Claudius) |
Asnaf Sagad I | |
| 1559 to 1563 | Menas | Admas Sagad I | |
| 1563 to 1597 | Sarsa Dengel | Malak Sagad I | |
| 1597 to 1603 | Yaqob (Jacob) |
Malak Sagad II | |
| 1603 to 1604 | Za Dengel | Asnaf Sagad II | |
| 1604 to 1606 | Yaqob (Jacob) |
Malak Sagad II | Restored |
| 1606 to 1632 | Susenyos | Malak Sagad III | Crowned March 18, 1608 |
| 1632 to 1667 | Fasilides (Basilides) |
`Alam Sagad | |
| 1667 to 1682 | Yohannes I (John I) |
A'ilaf Sagad | |
| 19 July 1682 to 13 October 1706 |
Iyasu I (Iyasu the Great) |
Adyam Sagad II | |
| 1685 | Yeshaq Iyasu ? | A rebel | |
| 27 March 1706 to 30 June 1708 |
Tekle Haymanot I | Le`al Sagad | |
| September 1707 | Amda Seyon | A rebel | |
| 1 July 1708 to 14 October 1711 |
Tewoflos (Theophilus) |
Walda Ambasa | |
| 1709 to July 1710 | Nebahne Yohannes | A rebel | |
| 14 October 1711 to 19 February 1716 | Yostos (Justus) |
Sahay Sagad | Not of the Solomonic dynasty; overthrew Tewoflos. |
| 8 February 1716 to 18 May 1721 | Dawit III | Adabar Sagad | |
| 18 May 1721 to 1730 | Bakaffa | Asma Sagad or Masih Sagad |
|
| 19 September 1730 to 26 June 1755 | Iyasu II (Joshua II) |
`Alem Sagad | |
| 1736 to 1737 | Hezqeyas | A rebel | |
| Zemene Mesafint (Era of the Princes) | |||
| 26 June 1755 to 7 May 1769 |
Iyoas (Joas) |
Adyam Sagad | |
| 7 May to 18 October 1769 |
Yohannes II (John II) |
||
| 18 October 1769 to June 1770 | Tekle Haymanot II | Admas Sagad III | |
| June to December 1770 | Susenyos II | ||
| 18 October 1769 to 13 April 1777 | Tekle Haymanot II | Admas Sagad III | Restored |
| 13 April 1777 to 20 July 1779 | Salomon II (Solomon II) |
||
| 20 July 1779 to 8 February 1784 | Tekle Giyorgis | Feqr Sagad | |
| 16 February 1784 to 24 April 1788 | Iyasu III (Joshua III) |
||
| 1787 to 1788 | Iyasu | In opposition to Iyasu III | |
| 1787 to 1788 | Baeda Maryam | In opposition to Iyasu III | |
| February 1788 to 1789 | Tekle Haymanot | In opposition to Iyasu III | |
| 24 April 1788 to 26 July 1789 | Tekle Giyorgis | Feqr Sagad | Restored |
| 26 July 1789 to January 1794 | Hezqeyas (Hezekiah) |
||
| January 1794 to 15 April 1795 | Tekle Giyorgis | Feqr Sagad | Restored |
| 15 April to December 1795 | Baeda Maryam II | ||
| December 1795 to 20 May 1796 | Tekle Giyorgis | Feqr Sagad | Restored |
| 20 May 1796 to 15 July 1797 | Salomon III (Solomon III) |
||
| 18 August 1797 to 4 January 1798 | Yonas (Jonah) |
||
| 4 January 1798 to 20 May 1799 | Tekle Giyorgis | Feqr Sagad | Restored |
| 20 May 1799 to July 15, 1799 | Salomon III (Solomon III) |
Restored | |
| July 25, 1799 to 24 March 1800 | Demetros (Demetrius) |
||
| 24 March to June 1800 | Tekle Giyorgis | Feqr Sagad | Restored |
| June 1800 to June 1801 | Demetros | Restored | |
| June 1801 to 3 June 1818 | Egwale Seyon | Newaya Sagad | |
| 19 June 1818 to 3 June 1821 | Iyoas II (Joas II) |
||
| 3 June 1821 to April 1826 | Gigar | ||
| April 1826 | Baeda Maryam III | ||
| April 1826 to 18 June 1830 | Gigar | Restored | |
| 18 June 1830 to 18 March 1832 | Iyasu IV (Joshua IV) |
||
| 18 March 1832 to 1832 | Gebre Krestos | ||
| 1832 | Sahla Dengel | ||
| 1832 to 8 June 1832 | Gebre Krestos | Restored | |
| October 1832 to 29 August 1840 | Sahla Dengel | Restored | |
| 1832 | Egwale Anbesa | A rebel | |
| 30 August 1840 to October 1841 | Yohannes III (John III) |
||
| October 1841 to 1845 | Sahle Dengel | Restored | |
| 1845 | Yohannes III (John III) |
Restored | |
| 1845 to 1850 | Sahle Dengel | Restored | |
| 1850 to 1851 | Yohannes III (John III) |
Restored | |
| 1851 to 11 February 1855 | Sahle Dengel | Restored | |
| Tewodros Dynasty | |||
| 9 February 1855 to 13 April 1868 | Kassa Hailu | Tewodros II (Theodore II) |
|
| Zagwe Dynasty | |||
| 11 June 1868 to 11 July 1871 | Wagshum Gobeze | Tekle Giyorgis II | |
| Tigray Dynasty | |||
| 11 July 1871 to 9 March 1889 | Kassa Mercha | Yohannes IV (John IV) |
|
| Solomonic Dynasty | |||
| 9 March 1889 to 12 December 1913 | Sahle Maryam | Menelik II | King of Shewa before becoming Emperor |
| 12 December 1913 to 27 September 1916 | Lij Kifle Yaqub | Iyasu V (Joshua V) |
Never crowned; deposed by nobles with the sanction of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church |
| 27 September 1916 to 2 April 1930 | Askala Maryam | Zauditu, Empress | ♀ |
| 2 April 1930 to 2 May 1936 | Tafari Makonnen | Emperor Haile Selassie | Crowned 2 November 1930 |
| Italian occupation | |||
| 9 May 1936 to 5 May 1941 | Victor Emmanuel III of Italy, Claimed title "Emperor of Ethiopia" | Almost universally unrecognized. Renounced title in 1943. | |
| Solomonic Dynasty | |||
| 5 May 1941 to 12 September 1974 | Tafari Mekonnen | Haile Selassie | Restored; later deposed by the Derg |
| 12 September 1974 to 17 February 1997 | Asfa Wossen | Amha Selassie | Designated by the Derg, did not take office (Proclaimed Emperor-in-Exile April 1989, died February 1997) |
| Tenure | Incumbent | Affiliation | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Government of the Provisional Military Administrative Council (Derg) | |||
| 12 September 1974 to 17 November 1974 | Aman Mikael Andom, Chairman of the Provisional Military Administrative Council | Mil | |
| 17 November 1974 to 28 November 1974 | Mengistu Haile Mariam, Chairman of the Provisional Military Administrative Council | Mil | 1st Term |
| 28 November 1974 to 3 February 1977 | Tafari Benti, Chairman of the Provisional Military Administrative Council | Mil | |
| 11 February 1977 to 10 September 1987 | Mengistu Haile Mariam, Chairman of the Provisional Military Administrative Council | Mil/EWP | 2nd Term |
| Tenure | Incumbent | Affiliation | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| People's Democratic Republic of Ethiopia | |||
| 10 September 1987 to 21 May 1991 | Mengistu Haile Mariam, President | EWP | |
| 21 May 1991 to 27 May 1991 | Tesfaye Gebre Kidan, acting President | EWP | |
| Ethiopia ኢትዮጵያ (Ityop’iya) | |||
| 27 May 1991 to 28 May 1991 | Tesfaye Gebre Kidan, acting President | EWP | |
| 28 May 1991 to 22 August 1995 | Meles Zenawi, interim President | TPLF/EPRDF | |
| Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia | |||
| የኢትዮጵያ ፈደራላዊ ዲሞክራሲያዊ ሪፐብሊክ (Ityop’iya Federalawi Demokrasiyawi Ripeblik) | |||
| 22 August 1995 to 8 October 2001 | Negasso Gidada, President | OPDO | |
| 8 October 2001 to present | Girma Wolde-Giyorgis Lucha, President | EPRDF | |
| AAPO | All-Amhara People's Organisation |
| EPRDF | Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front |
| OPDO | Oromo People's Democratic Organization Oromo regionalist |
| TPLF | Tigrayan People's Liberation Front Tigray regionalist |
| EPRP | Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Party socialist, 1974-1991 |
| EWP | Workers' Party of Ethiopia Communist Party - only legal party 1984-1990, renounced Marxist-Leninism 7 March 1990 |
| MEISON | All-Ethiopia Socialist Movement 1976-1991, socialist, only legal party 1976-1978 |
| WSLF | Western Somali Liberation Front Ogaden regionalist, Somali separatist 1974-1989 |
| n-p | non-partisan |
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