List of legendary monarchs of Ethiopia
This is a list of legendary monarchs of Ethiopia, based on a list provided by Ethiopian prince regent Tafari Makonnen (later known as Emperor Haile Selassie), with reference to multiple Ethiopian traditions and legends.
Tradition[]
Ethiopian traditions record a range of different monarchs from earlier times whose existence has not been verified by modern-day archeology. Their stories and legends may have elements of truth but it is unclear to what extent they do.
Notable legendary Ethiopian monarchs include:
- Arwe – Mytical serpent king who ruled for 400 years before being killed by the father of the Queen of Sheba
- Makeda – The biblical queen of Sheba who, according to Ethiopian tradition, is believed to be the mother of Menelik I.
- Menelik I – Son of the queen of Sheba and king Solomon of Israel and founder of the Solomonic dynasty in the 10th century BC. Much information on this king comes from the 14th century text Kebra Nagast, however he remains historically unverified. In reality, the Solomonic dynasty began in 1270 AD with the reign of Yekuno Amlak.
- Abreha and Atsbeha – Two brothers who supposedly brought Christianity to Ethiopia, however their existence is doubted by some historians. Some scholars believe that the story of Abreha and Atsbeha may in fact be based on the Axumite kings Ezana and Saizana.[1]
- Gudit – Legendary queen who supposedly laid waste to the Kingdom of Axum. Her deeds are recorded in oral tradition, but the various stories about her occasionally have differing or conflicting details.
Tafari Makonnen's King List[]
Background[]
Charles Fernand Rey's 1927 book In the Country of the Blue Nile included a 13-page appendix with a list of Ethiopian kings written by the Prince Regent Tafari Makonnen, who later became the emperor of Ethiopia in 1930.[2] Tafari's list stretches back to 4530 BC and ends in 1779 AD, with dates following the Ethiopian Calendar.[3] Tafari's cover letter was written in the town of Addis Ababa on the 11th day of Sane, 1914 (Ethiopian Calendar), which was 19 June 1922 on the Gregorian Calendar according to Rey.[4] Rey himself was awarded Commander of the Order of the Star of Ethiopia by Tafari.[5]
The goal of Tafari's list was to showcase the immense longevity of the Ethiopian monarchy. The list does this by providing precise dates over 6,300 years and drawing upon various historical traditions from both within Ethiopia and outside of Ethiopia (see "Historicity" section below).
The king list includes 312 monarchs divided into 8 sub-sections. Each monarch has their respective reign dates and number of years listed. Two columns of reign dates were used in the list. One column uses dates according to the Ethiopian calendar from 4530 BC to 1779 AD. The other column lists the "Year of the World", placing the creation of the world in 5500 BC. Other Ethiopian texts and documents have also placed a similar date for the creation of the world, such as a manuscript in which the year 7260 was equivalent to the Gregorian date 1768, placing the creation of the world at 5492 BC.[6]
Historicity and Sources[]
The king list includes a mixture of legendary and historically verifiable rulers. Most monarchs whose reigns are dated to the late 5th century AD onward are historically verified and are known to have ruled what are the modern day territories of Eritrea and Ethiopia as kings and emperors. Essentially all numbered monarchs from the 229th sovereign, Alameda, onwards are historically verified, with the possible exception of the 254th monarch Gedajan, whose name is believed by some historians to be an alternate name for king Degna Djan (though the Paris Chronicle does specifically state that Gedajan was a separate king to Degna Djan). The earliest monarchs are likely legendary, particularly one king named Hogeb who is listed as having a 100-year reign. Some rulers are of ancient Egyptian, ancient Nubian, ancient Greek and Biblical origin.
Other Ethiopian King Lists[]
Tafari ultimately did not reveal the sources of information for his king list in his brief cover letter, but there are clear references to Ethiopian tradition and many historically verified kings appearing in later portions of the list. Tafari stated that he had "taken a copy" of the list and sent it to Rey, writing in his cover letter that he would be happy to send more information on the history of Ethiopia if asked again.[4] This would suggest that the king list already existed in some form and that Tafari had simply copied down the information included. In any case, the list was clearly intended to be a royal chronicle of the Ethiopian monarchy presented for an English-speaking and reading audience.
Two European missionaries in the 16th and 17th centuries, Pedro Páez and Manuel de Almeida, visited Ethiopia and personally saw two different king lists on which they based their respective writings on the history of Ethiopia.[7] The manuscripts likely dated to before 1620.[7] Both Páez and de Almeida stated that the Ethiopian emperor lent them books from the church of Axum containing the king lists.[7] The king lists copied down by Páez and de Almeida include the names of several kings mentioned on Tafari's list as reigning from the 7th to the 10th centuries AD.
Manuel de Almeida read a book from a church at Axum which included a short list of kings of the Zagwe dynasty. This list states that the kings Yemrehana Krestos, Lalibela and Na'akueto La'ab all reigned for exactly 40 years each, with the last king Harbai reigning for 8 years.[8] These reign lengths match those given by Tafari, suggesting he may have used a similar source for his king list. Manuel de Almeida however stated that "those who knew the history better" said that many kings were missing from this list.[8]
A text known as the "Paris Chronicle" includes a list of kings that closely matches the order of kings numbered 247 to 256 on Tafari's list with the exception of Queen Gudit who is not mentioned on the list.[9] The chronicle dates the eighteenth century.[7] Because the list matches so closely with Tafari's, it can be assumed that a similar text was used to draw up the king list.
Kebra Nagast[]
It is likely Tafari used the Kebra Nagast for information regarding the beginnings of the Solomonic dynasty. This text is a national epic written in the 14th century. The text was supposedly originally written in Coptic then translated into Arabic and later into Ge'ez.
Egyptian and Nubian influences[]
Many of the Egyptian and Nubian monarchs included on the list are historically verified but are not proven to have ruled the area of modern-day Ethiopia and Eritrea, and often have reign dates that do no match dates used by archeologists. The rulers numbered 88 to 96 on the list are the High Priests of Amun who ruled Upper Egypt during the time of the Twenty-first dynasty, whose influence was limited to Lower Egypt. The order of the priests on the list is mostly confirmed by archeology, though their rule did not extend to modern day Ethiopia and Eritrea. Several other kings on the list have names that are clearly influenced by those of Egyptian pharaohs but are unproven to have existed, such as Senefrou (8), Tutimheb (53), Amen Emhat I (63), Amen Emhat II (83), Amen Hotep Zagdur (102), Aksumay Ramissu (103) and Apras (127).
Numerous Nubian rulers from the Kushite kingdom are also included on Tafari's king list. In particular, most of the pharaohs of the Twenty-fifth dynasty of Egypt, who ruled over both Nubia and Egypt, are listed as part of the dynasty of Menelik I. However, the Kushite Pharaohs are not known to have ruled much further south than the area of modern-day South Sudan. Kushite monarchs from after the Twenty-Fifth dynasty of Egypt are also occasionally mentioned on this list, specifically Aktisanes, Aspelta and two kings named "Arkamen", whose name could match with a various different Kushite kings.
Additionally there are six queens on this list who are referred to as "Kandake", the Meroitic term for king's sister used by the rulers of Kush. The Ethiopian monarchy's official chronicle of dynastic succession includes these six queens.[10] Makeda, the biblical Queen of Sheba, was also referred to as "Candance" or "Queen Mother" in the Kebra Nagast.[11]
The reasons for the inclusion of Egyptian and Nubian monarchs may stem from the Axumite conquest of Meroë by King Ezana in c.350 AD. It was from this point onward that the Axumites began referring to themselves as "Ethiopians", the Greco-Roman term previously used largely for Nubians.[12] Following this, the inhabitants of Axum/Ethiopia were able to claim lineage from the "Ethiopians" or "Aethiopians" mentioned in the Bible, including the Kandakes, who were actually Nubian. The inclusion of Nubian rulers suggests that the traditions of ancient Nubia were considered culturally compatible with those of Axum.[10] As some Egyptian monarchs were able to rule over Nubia, the inclusion of these monarchs in Ethiopian tradition may have also stemmed from the Axumite conquest of Meroë.
Pinedjem II, High Priest of Amun (r. 990-976 BC)
Amanishakheto, one of several reigning women of Kush who took the title of Kandake (r. late 1st century BC)
Greek influences[]
The ancient Greek mythical queen of Aethiopia, Cassiopeia, is claimed as part of Ethiopia's ancient history according to Tafari's list, which lists her as the 49th monarch and the third of the Agdazyan dynasty. Her grandson Electryon also makes an appearance on this list, though oddly he is placed six centures before Cassiopeia, as part of the Tribe of Kam. A possible third character of Greek myth, Helen of Troy, may also appear on this list as the 76th monarch Queen Helena, however Tafari gives no information on this ruler so any connection is unconfirmed.
In addition to the above, the Egyptian king Proteus is also included on the list as part of the Agdazyan dynasty, however he only appears in Greek writings and is otherwise unattested in the Egyptian archeological record.
Biblical influences[]
Various Biblical figures are included in this king list. Three of Noah's descendants are named as founders of the first three dynasties; Aram, Ham and Joktan. Gether, son of Aram, and Cush, son of Ham, are both also included as kings on this list. Other Biblical figures include Nimrod and Makeba, the Queen of Sheba. According to Ethiopian tradition Makeda was an ancestor of the Solomonic dynasty and mother of Menelik I.
The Biblical events of the flood and the fall of the Tower of Babel are both included in the chronology of the king list, dated respectively to 3244 BC and 2713 BC, with the 531-year period in between listed as an interregnum where no kings reigned.
Another Biblical story included in the list is that of the Ethiopian eunuch, named Jen Daraba according to this king list, who visited Jerusalem during the reign of the 169th sovereign Queen Garsemot Kandake VI. However, the version of the story presented by Tafari has some major inaccuracies such as mistakenly stating that Philip the Apostle baptised the eunuch when it was actually Philip the Evangelist according to the Bible.
Arab Texts[]
A medieval Arab text called Akhbar al-Zaman (The History of Time), dated to between 940 and 1140, may have served as partial inspiration for Tafari's king list.[13] The authorship is unknown, but may have been written by Al-Masudi based on earlier Arab, Christian and Greek sources.[13] Another possible author is Ibrahim ibh Wasif Shah who lived in the Twelfth century.[13] The text contained a list of kings of Egypt who ruled before the Great Flood and shows some similarities with the list of kings of the "Tribe of Ori or Aram" included on Tafari's list, who also ruled before the Great Flood. Several kings show similarities in names and chronological order, though not all kings on one list appear on the other. The kings included on Akhbar al-Zaman are not archeologically verified and do not appear on any ancient Egyptian king lists.
Conflict with other Ethiopian traditions[]
Tafari's list occasionally does not match with other Ethiopian traditions. One example is Abreha and Atsbeha, who are believed by Ethiopians to have been two brothers who brought Christianity to Ethiopia. However, Tafari lists 'Abreha Atsbeha' as a single monarch numbered 201st on his list and as a son of queen Sofya. In reality, the son of Sofya was king Ezana who was the first Christian king of Axum. Ezana is however placed much later in the list, over 150 years after the reign of Sofya. Queen Sofya ruled as a regent for her son Ezana, though Tafari considers her to be a reigning monarch in her own right, even allowing for her regency to be counted as a period of co-rule with her son.
The list also has its own internal conflicting information. Tafari claims that it was during the reign of the 169th monarch, queen Garsemot Kandake VI, in the first century AD when Christianity was formally introduced to Ethiopia. However, this is in direct conflict with the story of the later queen Sofya, who ruled 249 years later.
List of monarchs[]
Gregorian Dates: Tafari's king list uses dates according to the Ethiopian Calendar. According to Charles Fernand Rey, one can estimate the Gregorian date equivalent by adding a further seven or eight years to the date.[14] As an example, he states that 1 AD on the Ethiopian calendar would be 8 AD on the Gregorian calendar.[14] He notes that the calendar of Ethiopia likely changed in some ways throughout history but argued that this was a good enough method for estimates.[14]
Tribe or Posterity of Ori or Aram (1,286 years)[]
| Numbering[15] (Tafari) |
Name[15][nb 1] | Name and order according to Akhbar al-Zaman king list (Al-Masudi)[13][nb 2] |
Reign dates[15] (Ethiopian calendar) (Tafari) |
"Year of the World"[15] (Tafari) |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ori or Aram (ኦሪ) | 4530–4470 BC (60 years) | 970–1030 | Aram, son of Shem according to the Table of Nations in the Hebrew Bible. However, the events of the flood are dated on this list to 1,126 years after Aram's "reign", whereas the Book of Genesis states that Noah and his descendants were saved from the flood to repopulate the Earth. | |
| 2 | Gariak I (ጋርያክ) | 4470–4404 BC (66 years) | 1030–1096 | Gether, son of Aram. | |
| 3 | Gannkam (ጋንካም) | Anqam the Priest (4th King) | 4404–4321 BC (83 years) | 1096–1179 | |
| 4 | Queen Borsa (ቦርሳ) | 4321–4254 BC (67 years) | 1179–1246 | ||
| 5 | Gariak II (ጋርያክ) | Arbaq (5th King) | 4254–4194 BC (60 years) | 1246–1306 | |
| 6 | Djan I (ጃን) | Lujim (6th King) | 4194–4114 BC (80 years) | 1306–1386 | |
| 7 | Djan II (ጃን) | 4114–4054 BC (60 years) | 1386–1446 | ||
| 8 | Senefrou (ሰነፍሩ) | 4054–4034 BC (20 years) | 1446–1466 | Similar name to Egyptian Pharaoh Sneferu, who actually ruled over 1,400 years after these dates. | |
| 9 | Zeenabzamin (ዘእናብዛሚን) | Khaslim (7th King) | 4034–3976 BC (58 years) | 1446–1524 | |
| 10 | Sahlan (ሳህላን) | Harsal (8th King) | 3976–3916 BC (60 years) | 1524–1584 | |
| 11 | Elaryan (ኤላርያን) | Qadrashan (9th King) | 3916–3836 BC (80 years) | 1584–1664 | |
| 12 | Nimroud (ኒምሩድ) | Shamrud (10th King) | 3836–3776 BC (60 years) | 1664–1724 | Likely the biblical figure Nimrod, who built the Tower of Babel. However, this chronological position is problematic because he was a descendant of Noah from after the flood. He also was descended through Ham, who is dated 1,063 years later on this list. |
| 13 | Queen Elyouka (ኤይሉካ) | Tusidun and his Mother (11th King) | 3776–3731 BC (45 years) | 1724–1769 | This queen is not named in Akhbar al-Zaman, but Shamrud's successor, Tusidun, was very young at the time of his succession and his mother ruled on his behalf.[13] |
| 14 | Saloug (ሳሉግ) | Sahluq (13th King) | 3731–3701 BC (30 years) | 1769–1799 | |
| 15 | Kharid (ኃሪድ) | Surid (14th King) | 3701–3629 BC (72 years) | 1799–1871 | The fourteenth pre-Flood king named in Akhbar al-Zaman was the similarly named Surid,[13] who may be the legendary king of the same name from medieval Coptic and Islamic lore. |
| 16 | Hogeb (ሆገብ) | Harjit (15th King) | 3629–3529 BC (100 years) | 1871–1971 | According to Akhbar al-Zaman, this king reigned for 99 years.[13] |
| 17 | Makaws (ማካውስ) | Menaus (16th King) | 3529–3459 BC (70 years) | 1971–2041 | According to Akhbar al-Zaman, this king reigned for 73 years.[13] |
| 18 | Assa (አሳ) | 3459–3429 BC (30 years) | 2041–2071 | ||
| 19 | Affar (አፋር) | Afraus (17th King) | 3429–3379 BC (50 years) | 2071–2121 | |
| 20 | Milanos (ሚላኖስ) | Armalinus (18th King) | 3379–3317 BC (62 years) | 2121–2183 | |
| 21 | Soliman Tehagui (ሶሊማን ታጊ) | 3317–3244 BC (73 years) | 2183–2256 | None of the pre-Flood kings mentioned in Akhbar al-Zaman share a similar name to this king, however Armalinus' successor is named as the king who reigned at the time of the Great Flood.[13] |
Interregnum (531 years)[]
"From the Deluge until the fall of the Tower of Babel".[16]
| Numbering[16] (Tafari) |
Name[16] | Reign dates[16] (Ethiopian calendar) (Tafari) |
"Year of the World"[16] (Tafari) |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| – | – | 3244–2713 BC (531 years) | 2256–2787 |
Tribe of Kam (728 years)[]
| Numbering[16] (Tafari) |
Name[16] | Reign dates[16] (Ethiopian calendar) (Tafari) |
"Year of the World"[16] (Tafari) |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 | Kam (ካም) | 2713–2635 BC (78 years) | 2787–2865 | The Biblical figure Ham, father of Cush (Kush/Nubia), Mizraim (Egypt), Canaan (Levant) and Put (Libya or Punt). However, this chronological placement would be incorrect as he was the grandfather of Nimrod. Some Ethiopian traditions state that Kam was killed during an invasion of Syria. |
| 23 | Kout (ኩሳ) | 2635–2585 BC (50 years) | 2865–2915 | Son of Kam.[16] The Biblical figure Cush. |
| 24 | Habassi (ሀባሢ) | 2585–2545 BC (40 years) | 2915–2955 | This king's name may be a reference to the Habesha peoples, known as "Abyssinians" in the English language. |
| 25 | Sebtah (ሰብታ) | 2545–2515 BC (30 years) | 2955–2985 | Biblical figure Seba, son of Cush. An Ethiopian legend states the he travelled to the source of the Nile and built a tower which he named after himself.[17] |
| 26 | Elektron (ኤሌክትሮን) | 2515–2485 BC (30 years) | 2985–3015 | Possibly Electryon, king of Tiryns and Mycenae in Greek mythology. However, his chronological placement on this list would be incorrect as the reign of his grandmother, Cassiopeia, is placed nearly six centuries later. |
| 27 | Neber (ነቢር) | 2485–2455 BC (30 years) | 3015–3045 | |
| 28 | Amen I[nb 3] (አሜን) | 2455–2434 BC (21 years) | 3045–3066 | A reference to the Abrahamic declaration of affirmation used in prayers. |
| 29 | Queen Nehasset Nais (ነሕሴት ናይስ) | 2434–2404 BC (30 years) | 3066–3096 | |
| 30 | Horkam (ሆርካም) | 2404–2375 BC (29 years) | 3096–3125 | |
| 31 | Saba I[nb 4] (ሳባ) | 2375–2345 BC (30 years) | 3125–3155 | The name of this king could be a reference to the ancient kingdom of Saba, located in modern day Yemen, which was conquered by the Himyarite Kingdom in c. 280 AD. The Himyarite kingdom itself was later conquered by the Aksumite Empire in the early 6th century AD during the reign of Kaleb. |
| 32 | Sofard (ሶፋሪድ) | 2345–2315 BC (30 years) | 3155–3185 | |
| 33 | Askndou (እስከንዲ) | 2315–2290 BC (25 years) | 3185–3210 | |
| 34 | Hohey (ሆህይ) | 2290–2255 BC (35 years) | 3210–3245 | |
| 35 | Adglag (አህያጥ) | 2255–2235 BC (20 years) | 3245–3265 | |
| 36 | Adgala (አድጋስ) | 2235–2205 BC (30 years) | 3265–3295 | |
| 37 | Lakniduga (ላከንዱን) | 2205–2180 BC (25 years) | 3295–3320 | |
| 38 | Manturay (ማንቱራይ) | 2180–2145 BC (35 years) | 3320–3355 | |
| 39 | Rakhu (ራክሁ) | 2145–2115 BC (30 years) | 3355–3385 | |
| 40 | Sabe I (ሰቢ) | 2115–2085 BC (30 years) | 3385–3415 | |
| 41 | Azagan (አዘጋን) | 2085–2055 BC (30 years) | 3415–3445 | |
| 42 | Sousel Atozanis (ሱሹል አቶዛኒስ) | 2055–2035 BC (20 years) | 3445–3465 | |
| 43 | Amen II (አሜን) | 2035–2020 BC (15 years) | 3465–3480 | |
| 44 | Ramenpahte (ራመንፓህቲ) | 2020–2000 BC (20 years) | 3480–3500 | |
| 45 | Wanuna (ዋኑና) | 2000 BC (3 days) | 3500 | |
| 46 | Piori I (ጲኦሪ) | 2000–1985 BC (15 years) | 3500–3515 |
Agdazyan Dynasty of the Kingdom of Joctan (1,003 years)[]
Note: According to the Book of Genesis, Joktan was a son of Eber and descendant of Shem and Noah. Genesis also states that Joktan was the father of Sheba[18], which explains why the Queen of Sheba is placed as the last ruler of this dynasty.
| Numbering[19] (Tafari) |
Name[19] | Reign dates[19] (Ethiopian calendar) (Tafari) |
"Year of the World"[19] (Tafari) |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 47 | Akbunas Saba II (አክሁናስ ሳባ) | 1985–1930 BC (55 years) | 3515–3570 | See note above for Saba I. |
| 48 | Nakehte Kalnis (ነክህቲ ካልንስ) | 1930–1890 BC (40 years) | 3570–3610 | |
| 49 | Queen Kasiyope (ካሲዮጲ) | 1890–1871 BC (19 years) | 3610–3629 | The Ancient Greek mythical figure Cassiopeia, who was queen of Aethiopia. |
| 50 | Sabe II (ሰቢ) | 1871–1856 BC (15 years) | 3629–3644 | |
| 51 | Etiyopus I (ኢትዮጲስ) | 1856–1800 BC (56 years) | 3644–3700 | This king's name references the ancient Greek word "Aethiopia", which was originally used to denote Sub-Saharan Africa, though often more specifically the Nubian people. |
| 52 | Lakndun Nowarari (ላከንዱን ኖወር አሪ) | 1800–1770 BC (30 years) | 3700–3730 | |
| 53 | Tutimheb (ቱት ኤምሄብ) | 1770–1750 BC (20 years) | 3730–3750 | This king's name appears to be a combination of the names of the Egyptian pharaohs Tutankhamun and Horemheb. Both of these kings reigned over three centuries after these dates. |
| 54 | Herhator I (ሔርሐቶር) | 1750–1730 BC (20 years) | 3750–3770 | |
| 55 | Etiyopus II (ኢትዮጲስ) | 1730–1700 BC (30 years) | 3770–3800 | |
| 56 | Senuka I (ሰኑካ) | 1700–1683 BC (17 years) | 3800–3817 | |
| 57 | Bonu I (ቦኑ) | 1683–1675 BC (8 years) | 3817–3825 | |
| 58 | Queen Mumazes (ሙማዜስ) | 1675–1671 BC (4 years) | 3825–3829 | Daughter of Bonu I.[20] |
| 59 | Queen Aruas (አሩአስ) | 1671 BC (7 months) | 3829 | Daughter of Mumazes.[21] |
| 60 | Amen Asro I (አሚን አስሮ) | 1671–1641 BC (30 years) | 3829–3859 | |
| 61 | Ori (or Aram) II (ኦሪ) | 1641–1611 BC (30 years) | 3859–3889 | |
| 62 | Piori II (ጲኦሪ) | 1611–1596 BC (15 years) | 3889–3904 | Parents in Law Prophet Moses. Name Piori II was on Site Deir Al Bahari as Perahu king of Punt or latter named by Merroe. |
| 63 | Amen Emhat I (አሜን ኤምሐት) | 1596–1556 BC (40 years) | 3904–3944 | Several kings named "Amenemhat" ruled Egypt between 1991 and 1765 BC, all much earlier than this legendary king. The kings named Amenemhat of the Twelfth Dynasty did rule over Nubia, but are not known to have ruled as far south as modern day Ethiopia. |
| 64 | Tsawi (ፃውዕ) | 1556–1541 BC (15 years) | 3944–3959 | |
| 65 | Aktissanis (አክቲሳኒስ) | 1541–1531 BC (10 years) | 3959–3969 | Kushite king who ruled Nubia in the early third century BC. According to Diodorus, this king defeated the Egyptian Pharaoh Ahmose II.[22] |
| 66 | Mandes (ማንዲስ) | 1531–1514 BC (17 years) | 3969–3986 | Possibly another king mentioned by Diodorus.[22] |
| 67 | Protawos (ጵሮቶውስ) | 1514–1481 BC (33 years) | 3986–4019 | An Egyptian king from Greek mythology who is mentioned the writings of Herodotus, Euripides and Homer. |
| 68 | Amoy (አሞይ) | 1481–1460 BC (21 years) | 4019–4040 | |
| 69 | Konsi Hendawi (ኮንሲ ሕንዳዊ) | 1460–1455 BC (5 years) | 4040–4045 | |
| 70 | Bonu II (ቦኑ) | 1455–1453 BC (2 years) | 4045–4047 | |
| 71 | Sebi III (Kefe) (ሰቢ) | 1453–1438 BC (15 years) | 4047–4062 | |
| 72 | Djagons (ጀጎንስ) | 1438–1418 BC (20 years) | 4062–4082 | |
| 73 | Senuka II (ሰኑካ) | 1418–1408 BC (10 years) | 4082–4092 | |
| 74 | Angabo I (Zaka Laarwe) (አንጋቦ) | 1408–1358 BC (50 years) | 4092–4142 | Some sources claim that this ruler, named Za Besi Angabo, was the founder of a new dynasty in 1370 BC.[23] Some versions of the Arwe myth state that was he killed by a man called Angabo.[24] Arwe was a serpent who ruled Ethiopia for 400 years before being killed, according to some versions of the legend, by the father of Makeda.[25] However, the Queen of Sheba is placed much further down this list. Some Ethiopian sources place Arwe at the beginning of Ethiopian history,[26] though this is obviously not the case with Tafari's list. Tafari's decision to add "Zaka Laarwe" to Angabo's name suggests that he is following the version of the myth which names Angabo as the serpent king's killer. |
| 75 | Miamur (ሚአሙር) | 1358 BC (2 days) | 4142 | |
| 76 | Queen Helena (ከሊና) | 1358–1347 BC (11 years) | 4142–4153 | Possibly Helen of Troy, which would make her the third character of Greek mythology to appear on this list. |
| 77 | Zagdur I (ዘግዱር) | 1347–1307 BC (40 years) | 4153–4193 | |
| 78 | Her Hator II (ሔርሐቶር) | 1307–1277 BC (30 years) | 4193–4223 | |
| 79 | Her Hator (Za Sagado) III (ሔርሐቶር) | 1277–1276 BC (1 year) | 4223–4224 | |
| 80 | Akate (Za Sagado) IV (ኔክቴ) | 1276–1256 BC (20 years) | 4224–4244 | |
| 81 | Titon Satiyo (ቲቶን ሶትዮ) | 1256–1246 BC (10 years) | 4244–4254 | |
| 82 | Hermantu I (ሔርመንቱ) | 1246 BC (5 months) | 4254 | |
| 83 | Amen Emhat II (አሜን ኤምሐት) | 1246–1241 BC (5 years) | 4254–4259 | See note above for Amen Emhat I |
| 84 | Konsab I (ኮንሳብ) | 1241–1236 BC (5 years) | 4259–4264 | |
| 85 | Sannib[nb 5] (ኮንሳብ) | 1236–1231 BC (5 years) | 4264–4269 | |
| 86 | Sanuka III (ሰኑካ) | 1231–1226 BC (5 years) | 4269–4274 | |
| 87 | Angabo II (አንጋቦ) | 1226–1186 BC (40 years) | 4274–4314 | |
| 88 | Amen Astate (አሜን አስታት) | 1186–1156 BC (30 years) | 4314–4344 | According to Ethiopian historian Tekletsadiq Mekuria, this king was the Egyptian High Priest of Amun Amenhotep and that he was the father of Herihor.[27] However, there is no evidence that Amenhotep styled himself as Pharaoh in Upper Egypt the same way his successors did and there is no clear evidence that he was the father of Herihor. |
| 89 | Herhor (ሔርሆር) | 1156–1140 BC (16 years) | 4344–4360 | Egyptian High Priest of Amun Herihor, who was de facto ruler of Upper Egypt during the time of the Twenty-first dynasty of Egypt. Egyptologists however place his reign much later at c. 1080-1074 BC. Herihor and his successors maintained rule of Upper Egypt for over 130 years, though there is no evidence their rule extended to the area of modern-day Ethiopia. The extent of their control of Nubia, which was gradually becoming more independent at this time, is also unknown, but most Egyptologists believe their rule was largely limited to Thebes. |
| 90 | Wiyankihi I (ፒያንኪያ) | 1140–1131 BC (9 years) | 4360–4369 | Egyptian High Priest of Amun Piankh, who succeeded Herihor and is believed by Egyptologists to have ruled Upper Egypt from c. 1074 to c. 1070 BC, over half a century after the dates on this list. |
| 91 | Pinotsem I (ፕኖትሲም) | 1131–1114 BC (17 years) | 4369–4386 | Egyptian High Priest of Amun Pinedjem I, who succeeded Piankh and is believed by Egyptologists to have ruled Upper Egypt from c. 1070 to c. 1032 BC. |
| 92 | Pinotsem II (ፕኖትሲም) | 1114–1073 BC (41 years) | 4386–4427 | Although there was a second High Priest of Amun named Pinedjem, his line of succession fits more closely with the position of Pinotsem III below. However, the 41 year figure given for this king's reign matches more closely with the estimated 38-year reign of Pinedjem I. |
| 93 | Massaherta (ማሳሔርታ) | 1073–1057 BC (16 years) | 4427–4443 | Egyptian High Priest of Amun Masaharta, who is believed by Egyptologists to have succeeded Pinedjem I and to have ruled Upper Egypt from c. 1054 to c. 1045 BC. |
| 94 | Ramenkoperm (ራመንከፐር) | 1057–1043 BC (14 years) | 4443–4457 | Possibly Egyptian High Priest of Amun Menkheperre? If so, this Priest came to power shortly after the end of Masaharta's reign (though not a direct successor) and is believed by Egyptologists to have ruled Upper Egypt from c. 1045 to c. 992 BC. |
| 95 | Pinotsem III (ፒኖትሲም) | 1043–1036 BC (7 years) | 4457–4464 | Egyptian High Priest of Amun Pinedjem II, who is believed by Egyptologists to have ruled Upper Egypt from c. 990 to c. 976 BC. His predecessor Nesbanebdjed II is not included on this king list. |
| 96 | Sabi IV (ሰቢ) | 1036–1026 BC (10 years) | 4464–4474 | Possibly Egyptian High Priest of Amun Pasebakhaennuit III, who succeeded Pinedjem II and is believed by Egyptologists to have ruled Upper Egypt from c. 976 to c. 943 BC. |
| 97 | Tawasaya Dews (ተዋስያ ዴውስ) | 1026–1013 BC (13 years) | 4474–4487 | |
| 98 | Queen Makeda (ማክዳ) | 1013–982 BC (31 years) | 4487–4518 | The Biblical Queen of Sheba in Ethiopian tradition. She is traditionally believed to be the mother of Menelik I. According to some Ethiopian traditions, Makeda's father was named Angabos and he became king of Ethiopia after killing the serpent king Arwe.[24] Two kings named "Angabo" appear earlier on this list as kings of the Agdazyan dynasty, but neither are Makeda's direct predecessor as Ethiopian legends have claimed. Another version of the legend states that Angabo was a stranger who saved Makeda from being sacrified to Arwe and that her father was chief minister to king Za Sebado and succeeded him as king.[28] Two similarly named kings called "Za Sagado" appear on this list, but both ruled over 240 years before Makeda. |
Dynasty of Menelik I (1,475 years)[]
Monarchs who reigned before the birth of Christ (991 years)
| Numbering[29] (Tafari) |
Name[29] | Reign dates[29] (Ethiopian calendar) (Tafari) |
"Year of the World"[29] (Tafari) |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 99 | Menelik I (ቀዳማዊ ምኒልክ) | 982–957 BC (25 years) | 4518–4543[nb 6] | According to Ethiopian tradition, he was the son of Makeda, the Queen of Sheba, and King Solomon. The Kebra Nagast states he ruled in the 10th century BC, which matches with the dates listed here. |
| 100 | Hanyon (ሃንድዮን) | 957–956 BC (1 year) | 4543–4544 | |
| 101 | Sera I (Tomai) (ሲራህ) | 956–930 BC (26 years) | 4544–4570 | |
| 102 | Amen Hotep Zagdur (አመንሆቴፕ ቶማ) | 930–899 BC (31 years) | 4570–4601 | Four Pharaohs by the name of "Amenhotep" are known to have ruled Egypt during the Eighteenth Dynasty and did extend rule to Nubia, but are not known to have ruled the area of modern-day Ethiopia. These four kings also ruled more than four centuries before these dates. |
| 103 | Aksumay Ramissu (አክሱማይ ራሚሱ ዘግዱር) | 899–879 BC (20 years) | 4601–4621 | This king's name references both the kingdom of Aksum and the Egyptian Pharaohs named Ramesses who ruled Egypt during the Nineteenth and Twentieth dynasties. |
| 104 | Awseyo Sera II (አውስዮ ሲራህ) | 879–841 BC (38 years) | 4621–4659 | |
| 105 | Tawasya II (ተዋስያ) | 841–820 BC (21 years) | 4659–4680 | |
| 106 | Abralyus Wiyankihi II (ፒያንኪ አብራልዩስ) | 820–788 BC (32 years) | 4680–4712 | Piye or "Piankhi", who ruled Nubia and Egypt from c.744 to 714 BC. |
| 107 | Aksumay Warada Tsahay (አክሱማይ) | 788–765 BC (23 years) | 4712–4735 | The second king on this list whose name references Aksum. |
| 108 | Kashta Hanyon (ካሽታ) | 765–752 BC (13 years) | 4735–4748 | Nubian king Kashta, who actually ruled before Piye. |
| 109 | Sabaka[nb 7] (ሻባካ) | 752–740 BC (12 years) | 4748–4760 | Nubian Pharaoh Shabaka who ruled Nubia and Egypt from 705 to 690 BC. |
| 110 | Queen Nicauta Kandake (ኒካንታ ቅንዳኬ) | 740–730 BC (10 years) | 4760–4770 | The first of six Queens on this list named Kandake, after the Meroitic term for the sister of the king of Kush, who sometimes ruled over Kush and Nubia as regent or as a monarch in her own right. None of the reigning Kandakes are known to have ruled as far back as the 8th century BC, with the earliest known reigning queen of Kush having ruled during the 2nd century BC. |
| 111 | Tsawi Terhak Warada Nagash (ታርሐቅ) | 730–681 BC (49 years) | 4770–4819 | Nubian Pharaoh Taharqa who ruled Nubia and Egypt from 690 BC to 664 BC. |
| 112 | Erda Amen Awseya (እርዳመን አውስያ) | 681–675 BC (6 years) | 4819–4825 | |
| 113 | Gasiyo Eskikatir (ጋሲዮ) | – | – | No reign dates are given for this king.[30] |
| 114 | Nuatmeawn (ታኑታሙን) | 675–671 BC (4 years) | 4825–4829 | Nubian Pharaoh Tantamani, who ruled Nubia from 664 BC to 653 BC and ruled Egypt from the beginning of his reign until he lost control of it in 656 BC. |
| 115 | Tomadyon Piyankihi III (ቶማድዮን ፒያንኪ) | 671–659 BC (12 years) | 4829–4841 | |
| 116 | Amen Asero (አሜን አሰሮ) | 659–643 BC (16 years) | 4841–4857 | |
| 117 | Piyankihi IV (Awtet) (ፒያንኪሂ) | 643–609 BC (34 years) | 4857–4891 | |
| 118 | Zaware Nebret Aspurta (ዛዋሬ ንብረት አስፑርታ) | 609–568 BC (41 years) | 4891–4932 | Nubian king Aspelta who ruled Kush from c.600 to c.580 BC. |
| 119 | Saifay Harsiataw[nb 8] (ሳይፋይ ሃርሲያታው) | 568–556 BC (12 years) | 4932–4944 | |
| 120 | Ramhay Nastossanan (ራምሃይ ናስቶሳናን) | 556–542 BC (14 years) | 4944–4958 | |
| 121 | Handu Wuha Abra (ሀንዱ ዉሃ አብራ) | 542–531 BC (11 years) | 4958–4969 | |
| 122 | Safelya Sabakon (ሴፌሊያ ሳባኮን) | 531–500 BC (31 years) | 4969–5000 | |
| 123 | Agalbus Sepekos (አጋልበስ ሴፔኮስ) | 500–478 BC (22 years) | 5000–5022 | |
| 124 | Psmenit Waradanegash (ዋርዳነጋሽ) | 478–457 BC (21 years) | 5022–5043 | |
| 125 | Awseya Tarakos (አውሴያ ታራኮስ) | 457–445 BC (12 years) | 5043–5055 | |
| 126 | Kanaz Psmis (ካናዝ) | 445–432 BC (13 years) | 5055–5068 | Son of Awseya Tarakos.[31] |
| 127 | Apras (አፕራስ) | 432–422 BC (10 years) | 5068–5078 | Possibly the Egyptian pharaoh Apries, who actually ruled Egypt from 589 to 570 BC. |
| 128 | Kashta Walda Ahuhu (ካሽታ ዋልዳ አሁሁ) | 422–402 BC (20 years) | 5078–5098 | |
| 129 | Elalion Taake (ኤላዮን ታአኬ) | 402–392 BC (10 years) | 5098–5108 | |
| 130 | Atserk Amen III (አሰርክ አሜን) | 392–382 BC (10 years) | 5108–5118 | |
| 131 | Atserk Amen IV (አሰርክ አሜን) | 382–372 BC (10 years) | 5118–5128 | |
| 132 | Queen Hadina (ሃዲና) | 372–362 BC (10 years) | 5128–5138 | |
| 133 | Atserk Amen V (አሰርክ አሜን) | 362–352 BC (10 years) | 5138–5148 | |
| 134 | Atserk Amen VI (አሰርክ አሜን) | 352–342 BC (10 years) | 5148–5158 | |
| 135 | Queen Nikawla Kandake (ኒካውላ ካንዳኬ) | 342–332 BC (10 years) | 5158–5168 | |
| 136 | Bassyo (ባስዮ) | 332–325 BC (7 years) | 5168–5175 | |
| 137 | Queen Akawsis Kandake III (አካውሲስ ካንዳኬ) | 325–315 BC (10 years) | 5175–5185 | |
| 138 | Arkamen[nb 9] (አርካመን) | 315–305 BC (10 years) | 5185–5195 | Multiple Nubian kings with similar names ruled Kush – Karkamani (c.519-510 BC), Arakamani (c.270-260 BC), Arnekhamani (mid/late 3rd century BC), Arqamani (3rd/2nd century BC) and Aqrakamani (c.29-25 BC), though none of their estimated reign dates align with those of this king. |
| 139 | Awtet Arawura (አውቴት አራውራ) | 305–295 BC (10 years) | 5195–5205 | |
| 140 | Kolas (Kaletro)[nb 10] (ቆላስ) | 295–285 BC (10 years) | 5205–5215 | |
| 141 | Zawre Nebrat (ዛውሬ ነበራት) | 285–269 BC (16 years) | 5215–5231 | |
| 142 | Stiyo (ስቲዮ) | 269–255 BC (14 years) | 5231–5245 | |
| 143 | Safay (ሳፋይ) | 255–242 BC (13 years) | 5245–5258 | |
| 144 | Queen Nikosis Kandake IV (ኒኮሲስ ካንዳኬ) | 242–232 BC (10 years) | 5258–5268 | |
| 145 | Ramhay Arkamen IV[nb 11] (ራምሃይ አርካመን) | 232–222 BC (10 years) | 5268–5278 | See note above for Arkamen II. Out of the Nubian kings with similar names, only Arnekhamani and Arqamani may have reigned around the time of the dates provided for this king. |
| 146 | Feliya Hernekhit (ፌሊያ ሄርነኺት) | 222–207 BC (15 years) | 5278–5293 | |
| 147 | Hende Awkerara (ሄንዴ አውቄራ) | 207–187 BC (20 years) | 5293–5313 | |
| 148 | Agabu Baseheran (አጋቡ ባሰሄራን) | 187–177 BC (10 years) | 5313–5323 | |
| 149 | Sulay Kawawmenun (ሱለይ ካዋውመኑን) | 177–157 BC (20 years) | 5323–5343 | |
| 150 | Messelme Kerarmer (መሰለሜ) | 157–149 BC (8 years) | 5343–5351 | Similar name to Egyptian pharaoh Narmer, who first unified Egypt over 2,900 years before these dates. |
| 151 | Nagey Bsente (ናጌይ ብሰንቴ) | 149–139 BC (10 years) | 5351–5361 | |
| 152 | Etbenukawer (እትበንካወር) | 139–129 BC (10 years) | 5361–5371 | |
| 153 | Safeliya Abramen (ሴፍኢሊያ አብራምን) | 129–109 BC (20 years) | 5371–5391 | |
| 154 | Sanay (ሰናይ) | 109–99 BC (10 years) | 5391–5401 | |
| 155 | Queen Awsena (አውሴና) | 99–88 BC (11 years) | 5401–5412 | |
| 156 | Dawit I[nb 12] (ዳዊት) | 88–78 BC (10 years) | 5412–5422 | |
| 157 | Aglbul (አጉልቡል) | 78–70 BC (8 years) | 5422–5430 | |
| 158 | Bawawl (ባዋውል) | 70–60 BC (10 years) | 5430–5440 | |
| 159 | Barawas (ባራዋስ) | 60–50 BC (10 years) | 5440–5450 | |
| 160 | Dinedad (ዲኔዳድ) | 50–40 BC (10 years) | 5450–5460 | |
| 161 | Amoy Mahasse (አሞይ ማሀሴ) | 40–35 BC (5 years) | 5460–5465 | |
| 162 | Queen Nicotnis Kandake V (ኒኮትኒስ ካንዳኬ) | 35–25 BC (10 years) | 5465–5475 | Kushite queen Amanirenas reigned during this period, but her rule is not known to have extended to modern day Ethiopia. |
| 163 | Nalke (ናልካ) | 25–20 BC (5 years) | 5475–5480 | |
| 164 | Luzay (ሉዛይ) | 20–8 BC (12 years) | 5480–5492 | |
| 165 | Bazen (ባዘን) | 8 BC–9 AD (17 years) | 5492–5509 | The earliest archeologically verified ruler of Aksum. Dates listed here match roughly with the estimated date range given by modern archeologists (c. 10 BC). |
Monarchs who reigned after the birth of Christ (297 years)[32]
| Numbering[32] (Tafari) |
Name[32] | Reign dates[32] (Ethiopian calendar) (Tafari) |
"Year of the World"[32] (Tafari) |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 166 | Sartu Tsenfa Assegd (ሰርቱ ፅንፋ አሰግድ) | 9–30 (21 years) | 5509–5530 | |
| 167 | Akaptah Tsenfa Ared (አካፕታህ ተስፋ አሬድ) | 30–38 (8 years) | 5530–5538 | Tafari claimed that this king was Christianised by Matthew the Apostle.[32] |
| 168 | Horemtaku (ሆሪምታኩ) | 38–40 (2 years) | 5538–5540 | |
| 169 | Queen Garsemot Kandake VI (ጋርሰሞት ካንዳኬ) | 40–50 (10 years) | 5540–5550 | According to Tafari, this queen's favourite, Jen Daraba, made a pilgramige to Jerusalem according to "the law of Orit (the ancient law)" and was taught the gospel by Philip the Apostle, who baptised him "in the name of the Trinity". Daraba then returned to Ethiopia and taught the people of the country "by word of mouth" of the coming of Jesus Christ and baptised them. Prior to this, the people had been offering sacrifices to God following "the ancient prescription and the Jewish Law".[33] Charles F. Rey however points out that this retelling of events contradicts both the known information around the Christianisation of Ethiopia and the story of Queen Ahwya Sofya and Abreha Atsbeha in the next section.[33] The story of Garsemot Kandake VI and Jen Daraba may have been influenced by the biblical story of the Ethiopian eunuch, who was the treasurer of Kandake, queen of the Ethiopians and was baptised after travelling to Jerusalem. However, the eunuch was actually baptised by Philip the Evangelist, not Philip the Apostle as Tafari mistakenly states. |
| 170 | Hatoza Bahr Asaged (ሃቶዛ ባህር አሳገድ) | 50–78 (28 years) | 5550–5578 | |
| 171 | Mesenh Germansir (ሚሲንህ ጀርመናዊ) | 78–85 (7 years) | 5578–5585 | |
| 172 | Metwa Germa Asfar (የመተዋ ገርማ አስፋር) | 85–94 (9 years) | 5585–5594 | |
| 173 | Adgale II (አድጋሌ) | 94–104 (10 years and 6 months) |
5594–5604 | |
| 174 | Agba (አጊባ) | 104–105 (6 months) | 5604–5605 | |
| 175 | Serada (ሰሪዳ) | 105–121 (16 years) | 5605–5621 | |
| 176 | Malis Alameda (I)[nb 13] (ማሊስ አላሜዳ) | 121–125 (4 years) | 5621–5625 | |
| 177 | Hakabe Nasohi Tsiyon (ሃካበ ናሶሂ ፂዮን) | 125–131 (6 years) | 5625–5631 | |
| 178 | Hakli Sergway (ሃክሊ ሰርግዌይ) | 131–143 (12 years) | 5631–5643 | |
| 179 | Dedme Zaray (ዴድመ ዘርዓይ) | 143–153 (10 years) | 5643–5653 | |
| 180 | Awtet (አወት) | 153–155 (2 years) | 5653–5655 | |
| 181 | Alaly Bagamay (አላሊ ባጋማይ) | 155–162 (7 years) | 5655–5662 | |
| 182 | Awadu Jan Asagad (አዋዱ ጃን አሳጋድ) | 162–192 (30 years) | 5662–5692 | Same name as the Ethiopian emperor Jan Asagad who reigned briefly from 1297 to 1298. |
| 183 | Zagun Tsion Hegez (ዛጉን ጽዮን ሄገዝ) | 192–197 (5 years) | 5692–5697 | |
| 184 | Rema Tsion Geza (ሬማ ጽዮን ገዛ) | 197–200 (3 years) | 5697–5700 | |
| 185 | Azegan Malbagad (አዘጋን ማልባጋድ) | 200–207 (7 years) | 5700–5707 | |
| 186 | Gafale Seb Asagad (ጋፋሌ ሰብ አሳጋድ) | 207–208 (1 year) | 5707–5708 | |
| 187 | Tsegay Beze Wark (ጸጋይ ቢዝ ዋርክ) | 208–212 (4 years) | 5708–5712 | |
| 188 | Gaza Agdur (ጋዛ አግዱር) | 212–221 (9 years) | 5712–5721 | |
| 189 | Agduba Asgwegwe (አዱባ አስግዌግዌ) | 221–229 (8 years) | 5721–5729 | |
| 190 | Dawiza (ዳዊዛ) | 229–230 (1 year) | 5729–5730 | |
| 191 | Queen Wakana (ዋካና) | 230 (2 days) | 5730 | |
| 192 | Hadawz (ሃዳውዝ) | 230 (4 months) | 5730 | |
| 193 | Ailassan Sagal (አላይሳን ሳጋል) | 230–233 (3 years) | 5730–5733 | |
| 194 | Asfehi Asfeha (አስፈሂ አስፈሃ) | 233–247 (14 years) | 5733–5747 | |
| 195 | Atsgaba Seifa Arad (አጽጋባ ሰይፋ አራድ) | 247–253 (6 years) | 5747–5753 | |
| 196 | Ayba (አይባ) | 253–270 (17 years) | 5753–5770 | |
| 197 | Tsaham Laknduga (ጻሃም ላክንዱጋ) | 270–279 (9 years) | 5770–5779 | |
| 198 | Tsegab (ፀጋብ) | 279–289 (10 years) | 5779–5789 | |
| 199 | Tazer (ታዘር) | 289–299 (10 years) | 5789–5799 | |
| 200 | Queen Ahywa Sofya (አህዋ ሶፍያ) | 299–306 (7 years) | 5799–5806 | An Aksumite queen named Sofya ruled Aksum as a regent following the death of her husband Ousanas (otherwise known as Ella Allada) in c. 330. Her son was king Ezana. However, her husband is not mentioned by name on this list and her son's reign on this list is dated to over 150 years after her reign ends. |
Christian Sovereigns who "received baptism and followed completely the law of the Gospel" (187 years)[34]
| Numbering[34] (Tafari) |
Name[34] | Reign dates[34] (Ethiopian calendar) (Tafari) |
"Year of the World"[34] (Tafari) |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| – | Joint rule of Queen Ahywa Sofya (አህዋ ሶፍያ) and her son Abreha Atsbeha (አብረሀ አጽብሃ) | 306–332 (26 years) | 5806–5832 | According to Tafari, it was during this joint reign that Aba Salama introduced the Gospel to Ethiopia in 327 and the Queen Ahwya Sofya was baptised.[35] |
| 201 | Abreha Atsbeha (አብረሀ አጽብሃ) (Sole Rule) | 332–344 (12 years) | 5832–5844 | Ethiopian tradition states that two brothers named Abreha and Atsbeha ruled the country in the 4th century and were the first to adopt Christianity.[36] Tafari however lists 'Abreha Atsbeha' as a single figure, seemingly merging several myths and historical facts. A king named Ezana is known to be the son of Queen Sofya and was a minor at the time of his accession, but is usually considered separate from the legend of Abreha and Atsbeha. It is also known that it was Ezana who was the first king to convert to Christianity, due to the teachings of Aba Salama. Despite this, Ezana is largely absent from many Ethiopian king lists.[37] The dates on this list roughly correspond with the estimated period of Ezana's reign by historians (c. 320s-360). |
| 202 | Asfeh Dalz (አስፍህ ዳልዝ) | 344–351 (7 years) | 5844–5851 | |
| 203 | Sahle (ሳህሌ) | 351–365 (14 years) | 5851–5865 | |
| 204 | Arfed Gebra Maskal (አርፈድ ገብራ ማስካል) | 365–369 (4 years) | 5865–5869 | Similar name to the Aksumite king Gabra Maskal, who is recorded later on this list. |
| 205 | Queen Adhana I (አድሀና) | 369–374 (5 years) | 5869–5874 | |
| 206 | Riti (ሪቲ) | 374–375 (1 year) | 5874–5875 | |
| 207 | Asfeh II (አስፌህ) | 375–376 (1 year) | 5875–5876 | |
| 208 | Atsbeha II (አጽብሃ) | 376–381 (5 years) | 5876–5881 | |
| 209 | Amey (አሜይ) | 381–396 (15 years) | 5881–5896 | |
| 210 | Abreha II (አብረሃ) | 396 (7 months) | 5896 | |
| 211 | Ilassahl (ኢላሳሃል) | 396 (2 months) | 5896 | |
| 212 | Elagabaz I (ኤላጋባዝ) | 396–398 (2 years) | 5896–5898 | |
| 213 | Suhal (ሱሃል) | 398–402 (4 years) | 5898–5902 | |
| 214 | Abreha III (አብረሃ) | 402–412 (10 years) | 5902–5912 | |
| 215 | Queen Adhana II (አድሀና) | 412–418 (6 years) | 5912–5918 | |
| 216 | Yoab (ኢዮብ) | 418–428 (10 years) | 5918–5928 | |
| 217 | Tsaham I (ጸሃም) | 428–430 (2 years) | 5928–5930 | |
| 218 | Amey II (አሜይ) | 430–431 (1 year) | 5930–5931 | |
| 219 | Sahle Ahzob (ሳህለ አህዞብ) | 431–433 (2 years) | 5931–5933 | |
| 220 | Tsebah Mahana Kristos (ጽባሕ ምኻና ክርስቶስ) | 433–436 (3 years) | 5933–5936 | |
| 221 | Tsaham II (ጸሃም) | 436–438 (2 years) | 5936–5938 | |
| 222 | Elagabaz II (ኤላጋባዝ) | 438–444 (6 years) | 5938–5944 | |
| 223 | Agabi (አጋቢ) | 444–445 (1 year) | 5944–5945 | |
| 224 | Lewi (ሌዊ) | 445–447 (2 years) | 5945–5947 | |
| 225 | Ameda[nb 14] (አሜዳ) | 447–450 (3 years) | 5947–5950 | |
| 226 | Armah Dawit (አርማህ ዳዊት) | 450–464 (14 years) | 5950–5964 | |
| 227 | Amsi (አምሲ) | 464–469 (5 years) | 5964–5969 | |
| 228 | Salayba (ሰላይባ) | 469–478 (9 years) | 5959–5978 | |
| 229 | Alameda (II)[nb 15] (አላሜዳ) | 478–486 (8 years) | 5978–5986 | Aksumite king Alla Amidas, though he is believed to have reigned in the 6th century. |
| 230 | Pazena Ezana (ዒዛና) | 486–493 (7 years) | 5986–5993 | Aksumite king Ezana, although he reigned much earlier than these dates and should be placed earlier in this list chronologically. There is also a possibility that this king may be Tazena, father of Kaleb, the next king on this list. |
Dynasty of Atse (Emperor) Kaleb until Gedajan (427 years)[]
Note: The majority of the following monarchs are archeologically verified, though exact dates remain unclear among historians.
| Numbering[38] (Tafari) |
Name[38] | Reign dates[38] (Ethiopian calendar) (Tafari) |
"Year of the World"[38] (Tafari) |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 231 | Kaleb (ካሌብ) | 493–523 (30 years) | 5993–6023 | Dates match estimates given by historians (c. 520). |
| 232 | Za Israel (እስራኤል) | 523 (1 month) | 6023 | The Kebra Nagast states that Israel and Gabra Maskal were both Kaleb's sons. |
| 233 | Gabra Maskal (ጋብራ ማስካል) | 523–537 (14 years) | 6023–6037 | |
| 234 | Kostantinos (ኮስታንቲኖስ) | 537–565 (28 years) | 6037–6065 | These 20 Aksumite kings are archeologically attested and their order matches that suggested by archeologists and historians such as E. A. Wallis Budge, who places their reigns within the timespan of c. 600–900.[39] The first king list used by Páez and de Almeida mentions the kings numbered 238–241, 248, 252, 253, 256 and 257 on this list, but also additionally mentions kings named Ma'eday, Badagaz and Hezba Nan who do not appear on this list.[7] The second king list used by Páez and de Almeida includes the monarchs numbered 238–241, 248, 252 and 255–257, though not in the order as used on Tafari's list.[40] This second king list additionally mentions kings named Maadai and Badgaz who are not mentioned on Tafari's list.[40] |
| 235 | Wasan Sagad (ዋሳን ሳጋድ) | 565–580 (15 years) | 6065–6080 | |
| 236 | Fere Sanay (ፍረ ሰናይ) | 580–603 (23 years) | 6080–6103 | |
| 237 | Advenz (አድቬንዝ) | 603–623 (20 years) | 6103–6123 | |
| 238 | Akala Wedem (አካላ ዌደም) | 623–631 (8 years) | 6123–6131 | |
| 239 | Germa Asafar (ገርማ አሳፋር) | 631–646 (15 years) | 6131–6146 | |
| 240 | Zergaz (ዘርጋዝ) | 646–656 (10 years) | 6146–6156 | |
| 241 | Dagena Mikael (ዳጌና ሚካኤል) | 656–682 (26 years) | 6156–6182 | |
| 242 | Bahr Ekla (ባህር ኤክላ) | 682–701 (19 years) | 6182–6201 | |
| 243 | Gum (ጉም) | 701–725 (24 years) | 6201–6225 | |
| 244 | Asguagum (አስጉጉም) | 725–730 (5 years) | 6225–6230 | |
| 245 | Latem (ላተም) | 730–746 (16 years) | 6230–6246 | |
| 246 | Talatam (ታላታም) | 746–767 (21 years) | 6246–6267 | |
| 247 | Gadagosh (ጎዳጎሽ) | 767–780 (13 years) | 6267–6280 | |
| 248 | Aizar Eskakatir (አይዛር እስክካቲር) | 780 (half a day) | 6280 | |
| 249 | Dedem (ደደም) | 780–785 (5 years) | 6280–6285 | |
| 250 | Wededem (ወዴዴም) | 785–795 (10 years) | 6285–6295 | |
| 251 | Wudme Asfare (ውድመ አስፋሬ) | 795–825 (30 years) | 6295–6325 | |
| 252 | Armah (አርማህ) | 825–830 (5 years) | 6325–6330 | |
| 253 | Degennajan (ደጀናጃን) | 830–849 (19 years) | 6330–6349 | |
| 254 | Gedajan (ገዳጃን) | 849–850 (1 year) | 6349–6350 | This name has been suggested as an alternate name for Degnnajan,[41] though Tafari considers them to be separate kings and the Paris Chronicle names Gedajan as a separate king.[9] |
| 255 | Queen Gudit (ጉዲት) | 850–890 (40 years) | 6350–6390 | Not mentioned on Wallis' list but does appear on one king list seen by Páez and de Almeida.[7] This ruler may be the legendary queen of the same name who was said to have laid waste to the kingdom of Aksum, according to oral tradition. The 40-year reign listed here does match with oral histories around this queen.[42] One version of the legend places Gudit after Del Naad, who she supposedly had overthrown.[43] Scottish traveller James Bruce noted a version of the story of Gudit which stated that she was a cousin of Mara Takla Haymanot, who took over rule of Ethiopia following the reigns of Gudit's successors and founded the Zagwe dynasty.[44] Páez and de Almeida mentioned a different version of the legend where Gudit was a woman who ruled the kingdom of Tigre for 40 years, destroying all the churches there and was followed by Anbase Wedem (as also shown on Tafari's list).[45] A different Queen named Ecato was said to have ruled in Amhara and was part of "a generation of traitors".[45] Queen Ecato however does not appear on Tafari's list. Gudit's historicity appears to be confirmed in the writings of traveller Ibn Hawqal, who mentions that Ethiopia (called "the country of the Habasha") had been ruled by a woman for many years by the time of his visit and that she assumed power after killing the previous king.[46] Ibn Hawqal's travels took place between 943 and 969 AD, which would mean that Gudit's reign is be dated later than what is suggested on this list. |
| 256 | Anbase Wedem (አንባሴ ወዴ) | 890–910 (20 years) | 6390–6410 | This king is accepted by historians as successor to his father Degnnajan and was the older brother of Del Naad.[41] |
| 257 | Del Naad (ዴል ናአድ) | 910–920 (10 years) | 6410–6420 | E. A. Wallis Budge supports the idea that this king reigned for 10 years.[47] |
Sovereigns issued from Zagwe (333 years)[]
Note: The following monarchs are historically verified, though exact dates remain unclear among historians.
| Numbering[48] (Tafari) |
Name[48] | Reign dates[48] (Ethiopian calendar) (Tafari) |
"Year of the World"[48] (Tafari) |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 258 | Mara Takla Haymanot (Zagwe) (ማራ ታክላ ሃይማኖት) | 920–933 (13 years) | 6420–6433 | Two versions of the Ethiopian tradition around the Zagwe dynasty exist, either stating that the dynasty was in power for 133 or 333 years. Tafari follows the longer tradition for his king list. Carlo Conti Rossini suggested that the Zagwe dynasty was actually founded shortly before 1150.[8] |
| 259 | Tatawdem (ታታውደም) | 933–973 (40 years) | 6433–6473 | Elder son of Mara Takla Haymanot.[49] |
| 260 | Jan Seyum (ጃን ስዩም) | 973–1013 (40 years) | 6473–6513 | Son of Mara Takla Haymanot.[49] |
| 261 | Germa Seyum (ገርማ ስዩም) | 1013–1053 (40 years) | 6513–6553 | Son of Mara Takla Haymanot.[49] |
| 262 | Yemrhana Kristos (ይምርሃና ክርስቶስ) | 1053–1093 (40 years) | 6553–6593 | Traditionally accepted as a son of Germa Seyum. However, Italian scholar Carlo Conti Rossini published in 1902 a document that stated Yemrhana Kristos was actually the successor of Na'akueto La'ab and was succeeded by Yetbarak.[50] |
| 263 | Kedus Harbe (Samt) (ከዱስ ሀርቤ) | 1093–1133 (40 years) | 6593–6633 | |
| 264 | Lalibala (ላሊበላ) | 1133–1173 (40 years) | 6633–6673 | The accepted Gregorian reign dates by historians for this king are 1181 to 1221.[51][49] |
| 265 | Nacuto Laab (ናኩቶ ላብ) | 1173–1213 (40 years) | 6673–6713 | |
| 266 | Yatbarak (ይትባረክ) | 1213–1230 (17 years) | 6713–6730 | Son of Lalibala.[49] |
| 267 | Mayrari (ሜራሪ) | 1230–1245 (15 years) | 6730–6745 | E. A. Wallis Budge supports the idea that this obscure king reigned for at least 15 years, although placed his death date at 1308.[52] |
| 268 | Harbay (ሃርባይ) | 1245–1253 (8 years) | 6745–6753 |
An "Israelitish dynasty" who were "not raised to the throne" during the rule of the Zagwe dynasty[48]
| Numbering[48] (Tafari) |
Name[48] | Reign dates[48] (Ethiopian calendar) (Tafari) |
"Year of the World"[48] (Tafari) |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| – | Mahbara Wedem (ማህባራ ወዴም) | – | – | |
| – | Agbea Tsyon (አግቤአ ጽዮን) | – | – | |
| – | Tsinfa Arad (ፅንፋ አራድ) | – | – | |
| – | Nagash Zare (ናጋሽ ዘር) | – | – | |
| – | Asfeh (አስፍህ) | – | – | |
| – | Yakob (ያቆብ) | – | – | |
| – | Bahr Asagad (ባህር አሳጋድ) | – | – | |
| – | Edem Asagad (ኤደም አሳጋድ) | – | – |
Solomonic dynasty (302 years)[]
"Sovereigns from Yekuno Amlak and of his posterity, all issued from the ancient dynasties which were raised to the throne".[53]
Note: The Solomonic dynasty is historically verified, but the dates included on Tafari's king list do not always match with the generally accepted dates used by historians, even when taking into account the 7-year gap between the Ethiopian calendar and the Gregorian calendar.
| Numbering[53] (Tafari) |
Name[53] | Reign dates[53] (Ethiopian calendar) (Tafari) |
"Year of the World"[53] (Tafari) |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 269 | Yekuno Amlak (ይኩኖ አምላክ) | 1253–1268 (15 years) | 6753–6768 | Gregorian dates generally accepted by historians: 1270-1285 (15 years) |
| 270 | Yasbeo Tseyon (ይግብአ ጽዮን) | 1268–1277 (9 years) | 6768–6777 | Gregorian dates generally accepted by historians: 1285-1294 (9 years) |
| 271 | Tsenfa Arad (ሰይፈ አርድ አርብእቱ) | 1277–1278 (1 year) | 6777–6778 | Gregorian dates generally accepted by historians: 1294-1295 (1 year) |
| 272 | Hesba Asagad (ሕዝበ አስግድ) | 1278–1279 (1 year) | 6778–6779 | Gregorian dates generally accepted by historians: 1295-1296 (1 year) |
| 273 | Kedme Asagad (ቅድመ አስግድ) | 1279–1280 (1 year) | 6779–6780 | Gregorian dates generally accepted by historians: 1296-1297 (1 year) |
| 274 | Jan Asagad (ጃን አሰግድ) | 1280–1281 (1 year) | 6780–6781 | Gregorian dates generally accepted by historians: 1297-1298 (1 year) |
| 275 | Sabea Asagad (ሳባ አሰገድ) | 1281–1282 (1 year) | 6781–6782 | Gregorian dates generally accepted by historians: 1298-1299 (1 year) |
| 276 | Wedma Arad (ወደም አራድ) | 1282–1297 (15 years) | 6782–6797 | Gregorian dates generally accepted by historians: 1299-1314 (15 years) |
| 277 | Amda Seyon (ዐምደ ጽዮን ቀዳማዊ) | 1297–1327 (30 years) | 6797–6827 | Gregorian dates generally accepted by historians: 1314-1344 (30 years) |
| 278 | Saifa Ared (ንዋየ ክርስቶስ) | 1327–1355 (28 years) | 6827–6855 | Gregorian dates generally accepted by historians: 1344-1372 (28 years) |
| 279 | Wedma Asfare (ንዋየ ማርያም) | 1355–1365 (10 years) | 6855–6865 | Gregorian dates generally accepted by historians: 1372-1382 (10 years) |
| 280 | Dawit (ዳዊት ቀዳማዊ) | 1365–1395 (30 years) | 6865–6895 | Gregorian dates generally accepted by historians: 1382-1413 (31 years) |
| 281 | Tewodoros (ቴዎድሮስ ቀዳማዊ) | 1395–1399 (4 years) | 6895–6899 | Gregorian dates generally accepted by historians: 1413-1414 (9 months) |
| 282 | Yeshak (ይሥሓቅ ቀዳማዊ) | 1399–1414 (15 years) | 6899–6914 | Gregorian dates generally accepted by historians: 1414-1429 (15 years) |
| 283 | Andreyas (እንድርያስ) | 1414 (6 months) | 6914 | Gregorian dates generally accepted by historians: 1429-1430 (1 year) |
| 284 | Hesba Nafi (ተክለ ማርያም) | 1414–1418 (4 years and 6 months) |
6914–6918 | Gregorian dates generally accepted by historians: 1430-1433 (3 years) |
| 285 | Bedl Nan (ሥርወ ኢየሱስ) | 1418–1419 (6 months) | 6914–6919 | Gregorian dates generally accepted by historians: 1433 (4 or 8 months)[54] |
| 286 | Amde Tseyon (ዐምደ ኢየሱስ) | 1419–1426 (7 years) | 6919–6926 | Gregorian dates generally accepted by historians: 1433-1434 (8 months) |
| 287 | Zara Yakob (ዘርአ ያዕቆብ) | 1426–1460 (34 years) | 6926–6960 | Gregorian dates generally accepted by historians: 1434-1468 (34 years) |
| 288 | Boeda Maryam (በእደ ማርያም) | 1460–1470 (10 years) | 6960–6970 | Gregorian dates generally accepted by historians: 1468-1478 (10 years) |
| 289 | Iskender (እስክንድር) | 1470–1486 (16 years) | 6970–6986 | Gregorian dates generally accepted by historians: 1478-1494 (16 years) |
| 290 | Amda Tseyon (ዐምደ ጽዮን) | 1486–1487 (1 year) | 6986–6987 | Gregorian dates generally accepted by historians: 1494 (6 months) |
| 291 | Naod (ናዖድ) | 1487–1500 (13 years) | 6987–7000 | Gregorian dates generally accepted by historians: 1494-1508 (14 years) |
"Elevation to the throne of Atse (Emperor) Lebna Dengel, and the invasion of Ethiopia by Gran"[53]
Note: The following three kings are usually considered part of the Solomonic dynasty, but are separated by Tafari into a different group, likely because the conquest of three-quarters of Ethiopia by Ahmad ibn Ibrahim al-Ghazi took place during this time.
| Numbering[53] (Tafari) |
Name[53] | Reign dates[53] (Ethiopian calendar) (Tafari) |
"Year of the World"[53] (Tafari) |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 292 | Lebna Dengel (ልብነ ድንግል) | 1500–1532 (32 years) | 7000–7032 | Gregorian dates generally accepted by historians: 1507-1540 (33 years) Tafari states that 15 years after Lebna Dengel ascended to the throne, "Gran devasted Ethiopia for fifteen years".[53] Historians accept the Gregorian dates for the Ethiopian–Adal war as 1529–1543, beginning 22 years after the beginning of Lebna Dengel's reign rather than the 15 year figure used by Tafari. |
| 293 | Galawdewos (ገላውዴዎስ) | 1532–1551 (19 years) | 7032–7051 | Gregorian dates generally accepted by historians: 1540-1559 (19 years) |
| 294 | Minas (ሚናስ) | 1551–1555 (4 years) | 7051–7055 | Gregorian dates generally accepted by historians: 1559-1563 (4 years) |
The House of Gondar (224 years)[]
Note: The Gordarian Line of the Solomonic dynasty is usually defined as beginning with the reign of Susenyos, however Tafari includes the 3 prior kings to Susenyos as part of this line for unknown reasons.
| Numbering[55] (Tafari) |
Name[55] | Reign dates[55] (Ethiopian calendar) (Tafari) |
"Year of the World"[55] (Tafari) |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 295 | Sartsa Dengel (ሠርጸ ድንግል) | 1555–1589 (34 years) | 7055–7089 | Gregorian dates generally accepted by historians: 1563-1597 (34 years) |
| 296 | Yakob (ያዕቆብ) | 1589–1598 (9 years) | 7089–7098 | Gregorian dates generally accepted by historians: 1597–1603, 1604-1606 (8 years) Historians generally consider Yakob's reign as divided into 2 parts, interrupted by the brief reign of Za Dengel. However, Tafari places Za Dengel as a direct successor at the end of Yakob's uninterrupted 9-year reign. |
| 297 | Za Dengel (ዘድንግል) | 1598–1599 (1 year) | 7098–7099 | Gregorian dates generally accepted by historians: 1603-1604 (1 year) |
| 298 | Susenyos (ሱስንዮስ ቀዳማዊ) | 1599–1627 (28 years) | 7099–7127 | Gregorian dates generally accepted by historians: 1606-1632 (26 years) |
| 299 | Fasil (ፋሲለደስ) | 1627–1662 (35 years) | 7127–7162 | Gregorian dates generally accepted by historians: 1632-1667 (35 years) |
| 300 | Degu-Johannis (ዮሐንስ ቀዳማዊ) | 1662–1677 (15 years) | 7162–7177 | Gregorian dates generally accepted by historians: 1667-1682 (15 years) |
| 301 | Adyam Sagad Iyasu (ኢያሱ ቀዳማዊ) | 1677–1702 (25 years) | 7177–7202 | Gregorian dates generally accepted by historians: 1682-1706 (25 years) |
| 302 | Takla Haymanot (ተክለ ሃይማኖት ቀዳማዊ) | 1702–1704 (2 years) | 7202–7204 | Gregorian dates generally accepted by historians: 1706-1708 (2 years) |
| 303 | Tewoflus (ቴዎፍሎስ) | 1704–1707 (3 years) | 7204–7207 | Gregorian dates generally accepted by historians: 1708-1711 (3 years) |
| 304 | Yostos (ዮስጦስ) | 1707–1711 (4 years) | 7207–7211 | Gregorian dates generally accepted by historians: 1711-1716 (5 years) |
| 305 | Dawit (ዳዊት ሣልሳዊ) | 1711–1716 (5 years) | 7211–7216 | Gregorian dates generally accepted by historians: 1716-1721 (5 years) |
| 306 | Bakaffa (በካፋ) | 1716–1725 (9 years) | 7216–7225 | Gregorian dates generally accepted by historians: 1721-1730 (9 years) |
| 307 | Birhan Sagad Iyasu (ኢያሱ ዳግማዊ) | 1725–1749 (24 years) | 7225–7249 | Gregorian dates generally accepted by historians: 1730-1755 (25 years) |
| 308 | Iyoas (ኢዮአስ ቀዳማዊ) | 1749–1764 (15 years) | 7249–7264 | Gregorian dates generally accepted by historians: 1755-1769 (14 years) |
| 309 | Johannis (ዮሐንስ ዳግማዊ) | 1764 (5 months and 5 days) | 7264 | Gregorian dates generally accepted by historians: 1769 (5 months) |
| 310 | Takla Haymanot (ተክለ ሃይማኖት ዳግማዊ) | 1764–1772 (8 years) | 7264–7772 | Gregorian dates generally accepted by historians: 1769–1770, 1770-1777 (8 years) Tafari omits the brief reign of Susenyos II from this list. |
| 311 | Solomon (ሰሎሞን ዳግማዊ) | 1772–1774 (2 years) | 7772–7774 | Gregorian dates generally accepted by historians: 1777-1779 (2 years) |
| 312 | Takla Giyorgis (ተክለ ጊዮርጊስ ቀዳማዊ) | 1774–1779 (5 years) | 7774–7779 | Gregorian dates generally accepted by historians: 1779-1784 (first reign) (5 years) |
Note: Tafari concludes his king list with the end of the first reign of Takla Giyorgis, after which the Emperors of Ethiopia had significantly diminished power compared to before.
Other King Lists[]
Apart from Tafari's list, various other Ethiopian king lists are known to exist with variations between them.
Páez and Almeida[]
Pedro Páez and Manuel de Almeida saw two different manuscripts that likely dated to before 1621.[7] Both Páez and Almeida stated that they received the information from books lent to them by the Ethiopian emperor Susenyos I.[7] Notably, both lists include kings that are otherwise not mentioned on Tafari's list.
The following two lists include names of kings from before the Zagwe dynasty. Numbers in bracket state which position the kings appear on Tafari's list, while those with an asterisk do not appear at all on Tafari's list.
| List | Names | Ref. |
|---|---|---|
| King List A | Ayzor (248) | [7] |
| Ma'eday (*) | ||
| Akala Wedem (238) | ||
| Germa Asafar (239) | ||
| Zergaz (240) | ||
| Degna Mika'el (241) | ||
| Badagaz (*) | ||
| Armah (252) | ||
| Hezba Nan (*) | ||
| Degna Zan (253) | ||
| Anbasa Wedem (256) | ||
| Del Na'ad (257) | ||
| King List B | Aicor (248) | [40] |
| Del Na'od (257) | ||
| Maadai (*) | ||
| Ecato/Gudit (255) | ||
| Ambaca Udem (256) | ||
| Akala Wedem (238) | ||
| Guerma Azfare (239) | ||
| Zergaz (240) | ||
| Degna Michael (241) | ||
| Badgaz (*) | ||
| Armah (252) |
Paris Chronicle[]
This king list was written in the eighteenth century.[7] Names given below are those that ruled before the Zagwe dynasty. The numbers placed next to the name state which position the king occupies on Tafari's list. The list closely matches the order of kings in Tafari's list from 247 to 256 with the exception that it does not mention Queen Gudit.
| Names | Ref. |
|---|---|
| Oda Gos (247) | [9] |
| Ayzur (248) | |
| Dedem (249) | |
| Wededem (250) | |
| Wedem Asfare (251) | |
| Armah (252) | |
| Degna Zan (253) | |
| Ged'a Zan (254) | |
| Anbasa Wedem (256) |
Debre Libanos Manuscript[]
A manuscript from the Debre Libanos monastery of unknown age.[7] The following kings are those who reigned before the Zagwe dynasty.
| Names | Ref. |
|---|---|
| Ayzor (248) | [40] |
| Delne'ad (257) | |
| Ma'eday (*) | |
| Esato/Gudit (255) | |
| Anbasa Wedem (256) | |
| Kala Wedem (238) | |
| Germa Asfare (239) | |
| Zergaz (240) | |
| Degna Mika'el (241) | |
| Badagaz (*) | |
| Armah (252) | |
| Hezbanay (*) |
See also[]
- List of emperors of Ethiopia - Rulers of Ethiopia from Mara Takla Haymanot to Amha Selassie
Notes[]
- ^ Amharic versions of names are taken from the Amharic Wikipedia page for the Kings of Ethiopia.
- ^ The pre-Flood kings of Akhbar al-Zaman named Naqraus I, Naqraus II, Misram, Tusidun, Sarbaq and Far'an do not appear on Tafari's list.
- ^ Tafari did not give a number to this king, but he is the first of two kings named "Amen".
- ^ Mistakenly listed by Tafari as "Saba II", though no prior king named "Saba" appears on this list.
- ^ Mistakenly listed by Tafari as "Sannib II", though no prior king named "Sannib" appears on this list.
- ^ Tafari mistakenly put the end date as 4582. Rey notes that the correct date should be 4543
- ^ Mistakenly listed by Tafari as "Sabaka II", though no prior king named "Sabaka" appears on this list.
- ^ Mistakenly listed by Tafari as "Saifay Harsiataw II", though no prior king named "Saifay Harsiataw" appears on this list.
- ^ Mistakenly listed as by Tafari "Arkamen II", though no king named "Arkamen" appears earlier in the list.
- ^ Mistakenly listed by Tafari as "Kolas II", though no prior king named "Kolas" appears on this list.
- ^ Listed as the fourth king of his name, though only one king named "Ramhay" and one king named "Arkamen" appear earlier in the list.
- ^ Mistakenly listed by Tafari as the second king of his name, however no king named "Dawit" appears earlier in the list.
- ^ Not specifically numbered by Tafari.
- ^ Mistakenly listed by Tafari as "Ameda III", though no prior king named "Ameda" appears on this list.
- ^ Not specifically numbered by Tafari.
Sources[]
- ^ Prouty, Chris (1981). Historical dictionary of Ethiopia. Metuchen, N.J. : Scarecrow Press. p. 1. ISBN 978-0-8108-1448-6.
- ^ C. F. Rey, In the Country of the Blue Nile (1927), Camelot Press, London, pg. 261-274
- ^ C. F. Rey, In the Country of the Blue Nile (1927), Camelot Press, London, pg. 261
- ^ a b C. F. Rey, In the Country of the Blue Nile (1927), Camelot Press, London, pg. 262
- ^ C. F. Rey, In the Country of the Blue Nile (1927), Camelot Press, London, pg. 3
- ^ G.W.B. Huntingford, "'The Wealth of Kings' and the End of the Zāguē Dynasty", Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, 28 (1965), p. 7
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k G.W.B. Huntingford, "'The Wealth of Kings' and the End of the Zāguē Dynasty", Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, 28 (1965), p. 21
- ^ a b c G.W.B. Huntingford, "'The Wealth of Kings' and the End of the Zāguē Dynasty", Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, 28 (1965), p. 8
- ^ a b c G.W.B. Huntingford, "'The Wealth of Kings' and the End of the Zāguē Dynasty", Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, 28 (1965), p. 22
- ^ a b Fluehr-Lobban, Carolyn (August 20, 1998). "Nubian Queens in the Nile Valley and Afro-Asiatic Cultural History" (PDF). Ninth International Conference for Nubian Studies. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston U.S.A. Retrieved 2018-06-07.
- ^ Budge, E.A. Wallis (2000). The Queen of Sheba and Her Only Son Menyelek (PDF). Cambridge Ontario: Ethiopian Series.
- ^ Hatke, George (2013). Aksum and Nubia: Warfare, Commerce, and Political Fictions in Ancient Northeast Africa. NYU Press. pp. 52–53. ISBN 978-0-8147-6066-6.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Jason Colavito. "Akhbar al-Zaman". Retrieved 14 March 2022.
- ^ a b c C. F. Rey, In the Country of the Blue Nile (1927), Camelot Press, London, pg. 263
- ^ a b c d C. F. Rey, In the Country of the Blue Nile (1927), Camelot Press, London, pg. 263-264
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j C. F. Rey, In the Country of the Blue Nile (1927), Camelot Press, London, pg. 264
- ^ Fisseha Yaze Kassa (2003). የኢትዮጵያ ፭ ሺህ ዓመት ታሪክ [Ethiopia's 5,000-year history] (PDF) (in Amharic). Ethiopia. p. 32.
- ^ Genesis 10:26–29
- ^ a b c d C. F. Rey, In the Country of the Blue Nile (1927), Camelot Press, London, pg. 265-266
- ^ Martin Iversen Christensen. "Heads of State of Ethiopia". Retrieved 26 January 2022.
- ^ C. F. Rey, In the Country of the Blue Nile (1927), Camelot Press, London, pg. 265
- ^ a b Peter Lundström. "King List of Diodorus of Sicily". Retrieved 27 January 2022.
- ^ Willie F. Page; R. Hunt Davis, Jr., eds. (2005), "Makeda, Queen (queen of Sheba)", Encyclopedia of African History and Culture, vol. 1 (revised ed.), Facts on File, pp. 158–159
- ^ a b Fluehr-Lobban, Carolyn (2021). "Chapter 4: Queen Balqis, "Queen of Sheba"". In Hobson, Janell (ed.). The Routlege Companion to Black Women's Cultural Histories. Routlege. ISBN 978-0367198374.
- ^ Manzo, Andrea (2014). "Snakes and Sacrifices: Tentative Insights into the Pre-Christian Ethiopian Religion". Aethiopica. 17: 7–24. doi:10.15460/aethiopica.17.1.737. ISSN 2194-4024.
- ^ Littmann, Enno (1904). The Legend of the Queen of Sheba in the Tradition of Axum. Leiden: Brill. p. 18.
- ^ Tekletsadiq Mekuria, History of Nubia, 1959.
- ^ Martin Iversen Christensen. "Women in power B.C. 4500-1000". Retrieved 26 January 2022.
- ^ a b c d C. F. Rey, In the Country of the Blue Nile (1927), Camelot Press, London, pg. 266-267
- ^ C. F. Rey, In the Country of the Blue Nile (1927), Camelot Press, London, pg. 266
- ^ C. F. Rey, In the Country of the Blue Nile (1927), Camelot Press, London, pg. 267
- ^ a b c d e f C. F. Rey, In the Country of the Blue Nile (1927), Camelot Press, London, pg. 268
- ^ a b C. F. Rey, In the Country of the Blue Nile (1927), Camelot Press, London, pg. 269
- ^ a b c d e C. F. Rey, In the Country of the Blue Nile (1927), Camelot Press, London, pg. 269-270
- ^ C. F. Rey, In the Country of the Blue Nile (1927), Camelot Press, London, pg. 270
- ^ Hein, Ewald (1999). Ethiopia, Christian Africa : art, churches and culture. Ratingen : Melina-Verlag. pp. 99–100. ISBN 978-3-929255-28-7.
- ^ "Ezana" article on Dictionary of African Christian Biography (http://www.dacb.org) Web site at "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2017-05-05. Retrieved 2021-12-29.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ a b c d C. F. Rey, In the Country of the Blue Nile (1927), Camelot Press, London, pg. 270-271
- ^ E. A. Wallis Budge, A History of Ethiopia: Nubia and Abyssinia, 1928 (Oosterhout, the Netherlands: Anthropological Publications, 1970), pp. 269f
- ^ a b c d G.W.B. Huntingford, "'The Wealth of Kings' and the End of the Zāguē Dynasty", Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, 28 (1965), p. 21-22
- ^ a b Taddesse Tamrat, Church and State in Ethiopia (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1972), p. 55 n.3.
- ^ Henze, Paul B. (2000). Layers of Time, A History of Ethiopia. New York: Palgrave. p. 48. ISBN 1-4039-6743-1.
- ^ Bruce. Travels to Discover the Source of the Nile. Vol. 2 (1805 ed.). pp. 451–453.
- ^ Bruce, Travels to Discover the Source of the Nile (1805 edition), vol. 2 pp. 451–453
- ^ a b G.W.B. Huntingford, "'The Wealth of Kings' and the End of the Zāguē Dynasty", Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, 28 (1965), p. 6
- ^ Quoted in Taddesse Tamrat, Church and State in Ethiopia (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1972), p. 39
- ^ E. A. Wallis Budge, A History of Ethiopia: Nubia and Abyssinia, 1928 (Oosterhout, the Netherlands: Anthropological Publications, 1970), p. 276.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i C. F. Rey, In the Country of the Blue Nile (1927), Camelot Press, London, pg. 271
- ^ a b c d e Taddesse Tamrat, Church and State in Ethiopia, (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1972), p. 56n.
- ^ E.A. Wallis Budge, A History of Ethiopia: Nubia and Abyssinia, 1928 (Oosterhout, the Netherlands: Anthropological Publications, 1970), p. 277
- ^ Getachew Mekonnen Hasen, Wollo, Yager Dibab (Addis Ababa: Nigd Matemiya Bet, 1992), p. 22.
- ^ E. A. Wallis Budge, A History of Ethiopia: Nubia and Abyssinia, 1928 (Oosterhout, the Netherlands: Anthropological Publications, 1970), p. 284.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k C. F. Rey, In the Country of the Blue Nile (1927), Camelot Press, London, pg. 272
- ^ E. A. Wallis Budge, A History of Ethiopia: Nubia and Abyssinia, 1928 (Oosterhout, the Netherlands: Anthropological Publications, 1970), p. 303.
- ^ a b c d C. F. Rey, In the Country of the Blue Nile (1927), Camelot Press, London, pg. 273
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