In Ethiopia, in more recent times, Tewodros massacred left and right, Yohannes II did the same, Minilik had his share. Do you get the gist…. Let us focus on the positive aspect, the bad side of our history can be revealed later when we are in a more stable situation. And even then, let the professionals historians deal with it.
On a final not, let us not forget that there are close to 80 ethnic groups in Ethiopia. Not just Oromos, Amharas and Tigrians. Your propaganda is widespread, your words are as smooth as silk, but your agenda is obvious to those of us who are truly vigilant as His Majesty instructed us to stay. The Socialist collapse of Ethiopia was orchestrated by the same insidious group of apostates that engineered the collapse of Russia, the collapse of the World Trade Center, and is presently hard at work to collapse the World Economy and yes, even our biosphere.
But your plan shall fail. Your works of evil shall doom you to your final judgment. One thing that we Ethiopians need to understand with regards to our history is that history is not perfect, it has its ups and downs. As mentioned, past world leaders like Hitler, Mussolini, Colonial Britain…etc were bad actors because they were venturing out to conquer other countries and destroy other cultures.
Past Ethiopian leaders were defending their way of life and culture. It would have been ideally nice if the whole expansion was carried out using persuasive means like Minilik did with Abba Jiffar, but unfortunately, life is not always as simple.
In short, our leaders had faults we should not ignore, however, the bigger picture is, it is part of the long history of Ethiopia that is unparalleled.. There is no nation on earth that has a clean slate. By comparison, ours, as a country, is way better. In retrospect, and with calm contemplation, we will realize that the bad aspect in our history is actually the price we paid for being an independent nation.
When we say, we are the only country in Africa that was never colonized, there was a price that was paid by our leaders and common Ethiopians.
Never forget that the most costly price we paid though, was the internal fighting amongst ourselves that continues even today.
The root cause of these internal conflicts where to a large extent is the poison that was placed by external historical enemies of Ethiopia. Oromos, the overwhelming majority nation in Ethiopia, whose cultural norms, language rights his Imperial reign destroyed had a politically democratic self-governance called Gada System. He actually destroyed that and converted it into a Feudal exploitation with Amharanization forced Amhara identity and language imposition if one is to survive in Ethiopi policy to suppress and thwart their socio-cultural proliferation.
And yes, even the Western autocratic systems of his time were better. Haile Selassie, long after Europe and the Americans outlawed it, kept the horrible practice of black Slavery in Ethiopia. He was threatened with an invasion by European powers and expulsion from the League of Nations unless he ended Slavery in his own empire which enslaved non-Amhara groups like Oromos, Gumus, Anyuak, etc.
Only then, and even that gradually did he move to stop the practice in Ethiopia. Just imagine, the irony of a black leader being forced by European and White powers to end slavery of blacks.
What a Shame! Thank you for that enlightening comment. Yes, Haile Selassie was the ultimate crook par excellence. To describe such a self hating and corrupt ruler as a pan Africanist is misrepresent history and tell the young generation a cruel fiction. He was ashamed of being identified as an African. In Eritrea, he massacred women, children, farmers and peasants.
And as you eloquently put it, he destroyed an advanced Oromo indigenous democracy the Gadda system to replace it with his archaic feudal order. Very sad indeed! His Imperial Majesty Emperor Haile Selassie I had a Constitution written within the first decade of His reign, enshrining into modern Ethiopian law the illegitimacy of slavery in the Kingdom.
The author clearly does not know that His Imperial Majesty was aware of the interaction between African Americans and Ethiopians and the affinity of those in the West for the African kingdom and the moral theocratic reign of His Imperial Majesty Emperor Haile Selassie I.
I sense an entitled Ethiopian who is forgetting how much money the Imperial family contributed to the education of Ethiopians. I sense a frustration with localized tribal warring that continues through this day for lack of wisdom. I am gathering that in essence the people who were not in position to see the complexity of the swiftly modernizing world around them being frustrated by the pace of change, or an elite who feels his family did not gain of the spoils of victory post-Italian invasion.
The irony even of going to reside and study in one Kingdom to utilize the post to throw shots at the elders of old to be for the usage of disparaging African royalty is not missed. Was it not His Imperial Majesty who moved throughout the Earth as one who left an irrevocable imprint in the minds of the leaders He met around the world by the way He carried himself and the principles for which He stood?
This article is pure folly and only one thing I will put forth what Emperor Haile. When we finished praying, we opened our eyes, the White man had our land and we were left with the Bible. Bishop Desmond Tutu said something to that effect. Now Sandra wants to play similar trick here. She uses Haile Selassie to sound and concerned about Africa. We know! Please spare us your shenanigans Sandy!
Slavery existed in Ethiopia and Eritrea before he was born, and Haile Sellassie finally got rid of it. Compared to many third world rulers, he was not corrupt. He did not destroy the Gadda system, the Gadda system was being abandoned by Oromos as they settled down, and became either Christians or Moslems. He was a modernizer, but with limitations. He did not modernize the political space…this makes him in line with many third world rulers-nothing unique here.
He was not ashamed of being identified as African, and in fact the introduced Pan Africanism to Ethiopia, and he is a founding member of the OAU. One does not bribe western academics, dont be silly. Some admired him, some did not. He did not practice extreme tyranny. Extreme tyranny is Isias Afeworki, or Stalin.
He was an absolute monarch but he was not brutal and mostly forgave his opponents. The civil war with Eritrea was tragic and many died on both sides. Not excusing it at all. For the most part, he was very popular and loved by the older generation of Eritreans middle class. He gave them key posts in the govt, and Eritrea thrived under Haile Sellassie.
Look at Eritrea now. In other words, Haile Sellassie has a mixed record, but for the most part, he was a good person who was king at the wrong time in history. Christ and Haile Selassie coming from the same lineage of David. Proof to the world that the king is dead, you forget to inform your readers that from up until this day no man not even a family member see the body of the king. Then it is a shame you were not one of the many people he murdered.
It sounds like you would have enjoyed and thanked him for that. This is something that the Romanized Jesus Hebrews people could not do. Now, today you and most of the world are Romanized and going down.
I think if anything was misrepresented in this was your interpretation of highly suggest first whether he might have plenty of downfalls in his life he is human just like men are like the second and everyone before him. Why did the Head of the Catholic Church in Rome approve the invasion of another Christian Kingdom or country in Africa who start this blackness issue when African are brown or dark brown skin.???
I would appreciate your reply. Menelik the 2nd was nowhere near Adwa when the war was going on. It was the poor Oromo patriots who defeated the Italians. But as usual, George is in denial about Oromo heroism. Actually Chaltu, it was the Tegaru who did the lions share of the fighting in Adowa. The misinformation is so strong, few people gave them credit.
To be fair, the Oromo contributed but Menelik was such a con man who was able to take the credit. He was hiding miles away from Adwa. Just like Trump, Menelik was a loud mouth too. It was not Tegaru who stopped the Italians. It was not Oromo who stopped the Italians. It was not Amhara who stopped the Italians. It was a nationality called Ethiopia which you all managed to destroy!
But neither he nor Haile Selassie were good chemists. After over a hundred years of war, brutality and resistance, we now have an Ethiopia which exists only in a map. Ethiopia is a figment of your imagination. Your fabricated version of history is incorrect. You need to read more books and stop watching less of Jawar and those radicals. No doubt Menelik massacred Oromos. It is inexcusable. But those who deny history and make light of past sufferings must take at least partial blame.
Denying history only fuels the hatred. There is no doubt that Menelik was an imperialist and cruel. Haile Selassie was a backstabbing slimy tyrant who killed heroes and Arbegnoch. He massacred Eritreans to annex and violate an international agreement and to deny fundamental rights of the Eritrean people.
No amount of sugar coating will erase that history. The people taken by Mossad to Israel were the Bete Israel. It began to happen after Haile Selassie was overthrown during the rule of the brutal Mengistu Hailemariam and after. They live a miserable life in Israel as victims of discrimination and treated as the lowest caste. There was a debate in Israel as to whether they were Jews. Eventually, it was decided that they were the lost tribe. This is a whole separate story unto itself. There were some schools, medical centers and churches but were far from influential in my view.
The Orthodox Church was vigilant against the Catholic Church and probably the only right thing it ever did in my view. The only thing worse than the Orthodox Church is Catholicism.
If you know what I mean. Let me tell you something my friend. Be careful when you read comments by narrow minded ethno-nationalists. For instance, notice what chaltu says to discredit a black man half Oromo that saved her from European subjugation. Meneliks mother was Oromo. His fit awrari General was Oromo. Unfortunately this generation has a lot of loud, hateful, narrow minded ethno-nationalists.
But ethiopia is still here. That is the problem Alem. How can one have any conversation with anyone unwilling to hear or learn about the experience of people who were victimized by a common criminal, Haile Selassie or Menelik? Victims need to be heard for true healing to begin. Otherwise, it is a dead end road. Despite the fact that the Genocide of our people from was carried out with poison gas, purchased from Hitler, and used by Mussolini, the League of Nations of which Ethiopia was a member, ignored the fascist mass-extermination campaign…despite the fact that King Haile Selassie I was a founding member of the United Nations established in …that body established a human rights council and excluded the genocide in Ethiopia but included the genocide in Europe from , dispute the fact they occurred virtually within the same time frame.
Professor Richard Pankhurst called it out by saying same thing. If you truly want to defend HIM join us in carrying out his work. Richard Pankhurst was an academic mercenary who found an African tyrant that he was able to use to further his career and have privileged access.
Haile Selassie exploited the guilt. That is the point. Even today, there are criminal African rulers exploiting this victimization. Abiy Ahmed is one of them. Wollete, Now I know how people fabricate gods and simply worship them.
Haile Selassie was a fraud! That is the truth and you know it. Our black Lord and saviour walk the earth years ago There is a record of his treatment by his people the black hebrews. He ididn;t come this time to save but to comfort and so the world wouldn;t see HIM.
I only wish a cure for you. This is a serious illness of a human worship and a useless man at that. There were rumours that Haile Selassie was in love with Queen Elizabeth.
She gave him a stallion horse but she never reciprocated with his foolish love proposals. It was an unrequited situation and he never forgave her for that.
He was a pervert by some accounts. You really should have time for this. They said that African countries who gained independence for two or three years were surpassing Ethiopia.
The took action to rectify this travesty and they paid with their lives! Why is it that when there are black kings and queens portrayed in A somewhat positive let everyone, mostly their own people try to tear them down. The monarchs promote nationalism, these are people who are respected by others outside the country. You think a few policies are going to make the plight of the Ethiopian people go away? The people need to be proud, love themselves and others more than their tribe and believe they are black and better than the european devils.
Then our youth will stay home and build rather than run away to the arms of the Arab slave masters or white devils. George Washington, Thomas Jefferson has streets , schools etc named after him yet he owned many slaves and raped lots of them. Christopher Columbus is as a mass murderer and reverred everywhere.
Thieving queen of England is still walking around to this day having been responsible or related to the very people who have killed millions all over Africa including Ethiopia. Also the rastas and black people in general always rallied behind Ethiopia as the shining representation of freedom and black people defeating colonial white devils.
How is that not assimilation? Your very biased. Thank you sir for providing a truly insightful comment. But reading the comments, now I see the balance of truth. Your comment was like a light turning on! Thanks again. Haile Selassie first banished and then killed lij Iyasu to usurp the throne from him. Haile accused Iyassu of converting to Islam which was a sure political murder. The Showan nobility were vehemently anti Islam. Her name was Jemilla and not Towabech as he claimed.
They drove her insane before she died. He hid this secret to his grave and he is still assisted in this cover up.. Very sad story actually! You are precious! Orthodox Christianity was the de-facto official religion at the time.
Think of President Barack Hussein Obama for a second and how the US media and the Republicans play with his middle name and mixed background, especially when he visits conservative states. I saw nothing targeting black kings or queens in this article. But I think it is right to say something is wrong whether committed by a black person or a white person.
I think it is weak to hide behind race. Haile Selassie was an oppressive dude! I agree with you Rastas are good people except for their mistaken belief that Haile Selassie is a deity. On the contrary, it is clear that Colonialism was evil and Haile Selassie became a tool of neocolonialism. The man was a Machiavellian.
He knew how to play the game and he had clever advisers. Even in death, he is still playing with poor African peoples mind from the diaspora. By the way, not all white people devils. There are some who are not exactly angels but are OK. I think she did everything to raise him right and then Obama the loser goes to Kenya to write a book about an African father who abandoned him. In my opinion, Obama suffers from identity crisis just like a Haile Selassie. This is Marxist propaganda!! He is still remembered by millions around the world with affection.
May is murderer be brought to justice and may the Royal family be restored in !! Mengistu Hailemariam murdered him Haile and millions of others who were young and innocent. After that, he used the money he robbed from the Ethiopian people to build mansions and is enjoying old age in Zimbabwe. Haile Selassie was no better but he did not know when to escape. He was delusional. The first time around, when the Italians invaded, Selassie run away with his tail between his legs. He still found a way to lounge around in Bath and London like a clown.
I wish they deported him back so he could have tasted the bitter experience of the Arbegnoch fighting the Italians gallantly that he eventually backstabbed. He was a creepy dude for sure. Marxist propaganda? Does one need to be a Marxist to call an evil emperor an evil man? After reading this article on the August Emperor, I find some inaccuracy.
First, the statue was built and unveiled at the A. Also, this article asserts that the Emperor was not for Africa or black peoples of the world. This article is propaganda at best. It suggests musicians as romantic, when they are singing of the Emperor. The Emperor is not mentioned in a positive light whatsoever. This undermines His Majesty and his accomplishments. For the record, His Majesty recognized himself as a African and stood up for Africa.
Selassie was an African only when it served a political purpose. The rest of the time, he was fraternizing with white people full time, just like Abiy today. Abiy and Selassie have a lot in common, come to think of it. He only was good in ruling but a evil man and especially not a messiah as he personally said. The true men and woman are the Ethiopian and Eritreans who fought on the right side for the people liberty and justice.
He was a generous man giving away his home in England and one of his major Palaces and even money each week to the poor in the street and was not aware of the extent of the famine mentioned. Western leaders spend millions on entertaining without criticism why shouldnt Africans? He did not say he was God and even paid for a priest to live in Jamaca to witness to the Rastas there.
Google his speach which he delivered to the league of nations it is deeply moving. Who are these marxist writers who cannot stop telling lies about him? Who are they trying to please? Lets put truth on google not marxist propaganda.
May the Imperial family be rightfully restored to the Throne which they were appointed by God to rule thousands of years ago. He took credit for what others did. He also took credit for what the Arbegnoch did against the Italians and after he returned with British help, he started eliminating the true patriots. Is this true or not Paul? Paul, 1. That palace was not his to give. It is the money of the Ethiopian people and should be returned to Ethiopia.
Like a lot of the historical relics stolen from Africa and stored in the British museum. Secondly, It seems vulgar to continue on with idolizing historical figures. Hero worship has always been the domain of authoritarian regimes and dictatorships. It is values we should glorify; we should be consigning kings and leaders to the history books. Only there can they be fully fleshed out, in both deeds and misdeeds—not immortalized in stone, where they harden into dogma.
Unless all replys are posted this article is an afront to democracy it will be interesting if mine is printed given this extreme biased article. Nelson Mandela refers admiringly to this in his autobiography. This article, however, shows no sign of that. It reads like Derge propaganda. Honestly, this article is too kind to the despicable guy Haile Selassie was. The longtime ruler traced his line back to Menelik I, who was credited with being the child of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba.
He was born in a mud hut in Ejersa Gora on July 23, Originally named Lij Tafari Makonnen, he was the only surviving and legitimate son of Ras Makonnen, the governor of Harar. Among his father's important allies was his cousin, Emperor Menelik II, who did not have a male heir to succeed him. Tafari seemed like a possible candidate when, following his father's death in , he was taken under the wing of Menelik.
In , however, after the passing of Menelik II, it was the emperor's grandson, Lij Yasu, not Tafari, who was appointed as emperor. But Yasu, who maintained a close association with Islam, never gained favor with Ethiopia's majority Christian population. As a result Tafari became the face of the opposition, and in he took power from Lij Yasu and imprisoned him for life.
The following year Menelik II's daughter, Zauditu, became empress, and Tafari was named regent and heir apparent to the throne. For a country trying to gain its foothold in the young century and curry favor with the West, the progressive Tafari came to symbolize the hopes and dreams of Ethiopia's younger population. In he led Ethiopia into the League of Nations. The following year, he traveled to Europe, becoming the first Ethiopian ruler to go abroad.
His power only grew. In he appointed himself king, and two years later, after the death of Zauditu, he was made emperor and assumed the name Haile Selassie "Might of the Trinity". Over the next four decades, Haile Selassie presided over a country and government that was an expression of his personal authority. His reforms greatly strengthened schools and the police, and he instituted a new constitution and centralized his own power. Background Info Vocabulary. Ethiopia is often acknowledge d as the only nation in Africa never to have been colonize d, and Selassie emerge d as a powerful international figure as other African countries sought independence in the 20th century.
His long reign and enduring policies such as support for African unity and the abolition of slavery in Ethiopia earned him a privileged position at international summit s. For instance, Selassie was one of the highest-ranking diplomat s at the funeral of U. President John Kennedy. Jamaican religious leaders adopt ed a version of his birth name, Tafari Ras was an official title and Rastafarian s regard Selassie as a god. Selassie himself remained a Christian throughout his life.
Selassie may have been more popular abroad than he was in Ethiopia. Under his leadership, Ethiopians endured famine and war, most notably over the region of Eritrea, which achieved independence in Selassie was overthrown by military leaders in More Dates in History January.
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