Wand Bewossen

Wand Bewossen (died 10 December 1777) is a military figure in Ethiopian history. He was on the losing side in the Battle of Nefas Mewcha (1769), but one of the victorious generals in the Three battles of Sarbakusa (May 1771).[1] For his valor in the Battle of Faggeta (9 December 1769), which included pursuing Fasil for three days after the engagement, he was made governor of Begemder, as well as married to Ayabdar, granddaughter of Ras Mikael Sehul.[2]

Not long after this marriage, Wand Bewossen then desired to wed Weshen Azal, the sister of Hailu Eshte. Hailu would not consent to this marriage: according to Herbert Weld Blundell's translation Hailu considered this alliance bigamous, but Crummy's interpretation of the Ge'ez text is Hailu was more concerned about the incestuous nature of the marriage. Wand Bewsossen then resorted to physical force to Hailu until he finally dropped all of his objections to the alliance.[3] He was killed at Ashawa when he fell from his horse.[4]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ J.M. Reid, Traveller Extraordinary: The Life of James Bruce of Kinnaird (New York: Norton, 1968), pp. 192-203
  2. ^ James Bruce, Travels to Discover the Source of the Nile (1805 edition), vol. 4 p. 410. The Ethiopian chronicles call her Yaweb Dar.
  3. ^ Weld Blundell, The Royal chronicle of Abyssinia, 1769-1840 (Cambridge: University Press, 1922), pp. 316-318; Donald Crummey, "Family and Property amongst the Amhara Nobility", Journal of African History, 24 (1983), p. 213
  4. ^ Weld Blundell, Royal chronicle, p. 331