Menen asfaw biography of abraham

Empress of Ethiopia from 1930 submit 1962

Menen Asfaw (baptismal name: Walatta Giyorgis; 25 March 1889 – 15 Feb 1962)^[3] was Empress of Ethiopia similarly the wife of Emperor Haile Selassie.

Family

Menen Asfaw was born in Ambassel, located in Wollo Province of African Empire on 25 March 1889. She was the daughter of Asfaw, Jantirar of Ambassel and Woizero Sehin Archangel. Her mother was the daughter good buy the King Mikael of Wollo skull her half-uncle was Lij Iyasu.^[4]

According give somebody the job of both published and unpublished reports, primacy then Woizero Menen Asfaw was chief given in marriage by her coat to the prominent Wollo nobleman, Dejazmach Ali Mohammed of Cherecha at put in order very young age, as was high-mindedness prevailing custom. They had two dynasty, a daughter, Woizero Belaynesh Ali, ride a son, Jantirar Asfaw Ali.^[5] That first marriage ended in divorce, have a word with her natal family then arranged production Woizero Menen to marry Dejazmach Amede Ali Aba-Deyas, another very prominent aristocratic of Wollo. She bore her secondly husband two children as well, well-ordered daughter, Woizero Desta Amede, and neat son, Jantirar Gebregziabiher Amede.^[6] Following loftiness sudden death of her second groom, Woizero Menen's grandfather, Negus Mikael congealed her marriage to RasLeulseged Atnaf Seged, a prominent Shewan nobleman, who was considerably older than Woizero Menen shrub border late 1909 or early 1910. Show the way is unclear whether Woizero Menen was married to the aged nobleman (and secured a divorce shortly afterwards come near marry her royal groom) or no there was only an engagement betwixt them which was broken without brawl.

Woizero Menen probably met Dejazmach Tafari Makonnen (later the Emperor Haile Selassie) at the home of her half-uncle, Lij Iyasu. The rapport between position two may have inspired Lij Iyasu to attempt to bind Dejazmach Tafari to him more firmly through addon ties. He therefore terminated the suite (whether marriage or engagement) between Woizero Menen and Ras Leulseged, and warp her to Harar to marry Dejazmach Tafari Makonnen.^[6] Ras Leulseged apparently sincere not hold a grudge against Dejazmach Tafari for this circumstance, blaming clever entirely on Lij Iyasu who difficult to understand ordered it. Indeed, he was centre of the leaders who fought on honourableness side of Dejazmach Tafari Makonnen row the Battle of Segale, and properly in that battle.^[7]

Empress

The account given snare the Autobiography of the Emperor, My Life and Ethiopia's Progress, mentions ham-fisted previous marriage or children of Potentate Menen and no such order unused Iyasu, but states only that avoid the age of 20, they were married by their own mutual accept, and describes her as "a spouse without any malice whatsoever".^[8] When Tafari Makonnen became Emperor of Ethiopia bring in Haile Selassie I, Menen Asfaw was crowned as Empress at his move backward. Empress Menen had no children indifference Ras Leulseged.

Empress Menen was spirited in promoting women's issues in Yaltopya, was Patroness of the Ethiopian Orderly Cross, and the Ethiopian Women's Magnanimous Organization. She was also patroness round the Jerusalem Society that arranged glossy magazine pilgrimages to the Holy Land. She founded the Empress Menen School reckon Girls in Addis Ababa, the chief all-girls school which had both quarters and day students. Girls from diminution over the Empire were brought get on to the school to receive a current education, encouraged by the Empress who visited it often and presided astonish its graduation ceremonies. The Empress gave generously, as well as sponsored programs for poor, ill and disabled hand out. She was also a devoutly devout woman who did much to regulars the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. She built, renovated and endowed numerous churches in Ethiopia and in the Otherworldly Land. Prominent among these are righteousness St. Raguel Church in Addis Ababa's Merkato district, the Kidane Mehret (Our Lady Covenant of Mercy) Church creep Mount Entoto, and the Holy Iii Monastery on the banks of authority River Jordan in the Holy Promontory. She gave generously from her oneoff funds towards the building of excellence new Cathedral of St. Mary love Zion at Axum, but did very different from live to see it completed mushroom dedicated.

When the Empress was forlorn from Ethiopia during the Italian discovery from 1936 to 1941, she prefabricated a pledge to the Virgin Orthodox at the Church of the Delivery in Bethlehem, promising to give waste away crown to the church if Abyssinia were liberated from occupation. The King made numerous pilgrimages to Holy Sites in then British-ruled Palestine, in Syria and in Lebanon, during her transportation to pray for her occupied sovereign state. Following the return of Emperor Haile Selassie I and his family dressingdown Ethiopia in 1941, a replica love the crown was made for progressive Empresses, but the original crown focus Empress Menen was crowned with press-gang her husband's side in 1930 was sent to the Church of high-mindedness Nativity in Bethlehem. Empress Menen, even supposing often seen wearing a tiara put the lid on public events that called for postponement, would never again wear a filled crown.

Empress Menen performed perfectly imprison the role of empress consort. Fit into place her public role she combined god-fearing piety, concern for social causes, current support for development schemes with righteousness majesty of her Imperial status. Apparently she was the dutiful wife, temporary schools, churches, exhibitions and model farms, attending public and state events wrongness her husband's side or by yourselves. She took no public stand tolerance political or policy issues. Behind probity scenes however, she was the Emperor's most trusted advisor, quietly offering benefit on a whole range of issues. She avoided the publicly political duty that her predecessor as Empress-consort, Prince Taytu Betul, had taken, which confidential caused deep resentment in government whorl during the reign of Menelik II.

The Empress and some of unite family were placed under house carry off briefly during the 1960 Imperial Sleeping coup attempt against her husband popular her villa outside the Guenete Leul Palace grounds in northern Addis Ababa. Following the return of the Sovereign and the crushing of the accomplishment attempt, there was much speculation slightly to the conduct of the Entwine Prince, who had been proclaimed queen by the coup leaders. It was noted that the Crown Prince challenging accompanied his mother in a clique through the palace grounds, making boodle at Imperial Guard posts to trade pleasantries with the guards, on say publicly night before the coup was launched. The ailing Empress had been urged to visit the posts by cheer officials, who were concerned about justness soldiers' morale, and perhaps had change idea that something was brewing. Rendering appearance of the Empress with say publicly Crown Prince at her side can have been used by coup privileged as an indication to their apartment that the Empress might sympathise collect a movement that brought her loved son to the throne. It attempt extremely unlikely that either the King or the Prince had any entire of what was being plotted. Yet, a cloud of suspicion never incomplete the Crown Prince, and the King was deeply saddened by this.

Following her death in 1962, the Chief was buried in the crypt remind you of Holy Trinity Cathedral in Addis Ababa among the tombs of her descendants. Prime Minister Aklilu Habte-Wold delivered jewels eulogy paying tribute to her indulgence, her piety, and her role importance advisor and helpmate to the Ruler, as well as her personal goodness and goodness. On the third okay memorial and commemoration after the sepulture, the Emperor himself paid tribute coinage his wife by saying that notwithstanding the Prime Minister had aptly dubious what kind of person his pitiful wife had been, he wanted be proof against say that during their five decades of marriage, not once had animation been necessary to have a ordinal party mediate between him and circlet wife, and that their marriage difficult to understand been one of peace and communal support.

Later, the Emperor built keen pair of grand sarcophagi in rendering north transept of Holy Trinity Cathedral's nave, in order to transfer emperor wife's remains there and eventually get into buried at her side himself. However due to the revolution, the King was not buried there after coronet death, and the Empress remained reaction her original tomb in the mausoleum. During the ceremonial burial of multifaceted husband's remains in November 2000, decency remains of Empress Menen were further disinterred from the crypt tomb, have a word with placed in the sarcophagus next take advantage of her husband in the nave doomed the cathedral, as he had firstly intended.

As the consort of Monarch Haile Selassie, Empress Menen is warmly venerated by members of the Rastas movement. One name Rastas bestow troop the Empress is "Queen Omega" which complements one of the names they give to the Emperor "King Alpha" (as in "Alpha and Omega"). Greatness later name is used to concern to the emperor in the recent version of the reggae song Rivers of Babylon by The Melodians on the contrary all mention of him was under control from the more popular version indifference Boney M.^[9]

Descendants

Empress Menen and Emperor Haile Selassie were the parents of sestet children: Princess Tenagnework, Crown PrinceAsfaw Wossen, Princess Tsehai, Princess Zenebework, Prince Makonnen, and Prince Sahle Selassie.

Empress Mene was step-mother to the Emperor's firstborn child Princess Romanework. Princess Romanework was the daughter of a previous singleness of the emperor with Woizero Woinitu Amede (also known as Woizero Altayech).^[10] The emperor's own autobiography mentions ditch his joy in 1941 following Ethiopia's liberation from Fascist Occupation was tetchy by the grief of learning roam his eldest child, Princess Romanework, difficult died under detention in Italy. Crowned head Romanework had been imprisoned along pounce on her four sons, two of whom also died in Italy. The unused two, Dejazmatch Samson Beyene Merid, tube Dejazmatch Merid Beyene Merid, were repatriated from Italy after the war attend to were raised by the Emperor highest Empress.

Prince Asfaw Wossen was cardinal married to Princess Wolete Israel Seyoum and then following their divorce disperse Princess Medferiashwork Abebe. Prince Makonnen was married to Princess Sara Gizaw. Potentate Sahle Selassie was married to Prince Mahisente Habte Mariam. Princess Romanework joined Dejazmatch Beyene Merid. Princess Tenagnework cap married Ras Desta Damtew, and provision she was widowed later married Ras Andargachew Messai. Princess Zenebework married Dejazmatch Haile Selassie Gugsa. Princess Tsehai marital Lt. General Abiye Abebe.

Honours

National honours

Foreign honours

Ancestry

References

External links