Above: (Emperor Haile Selassie in his study at the palace in
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia - 1942. (Wikimedia Commons - Public
Domain)
By Ayele Bekerie
Published: Thursday, November 20, 2008
New York (Tadias) - Emperor Haile Selassie ruled Ethiopia for almost sixty years. He ruled Ethiopia as an autocrat, as an absolute ruler. His absolutist approach to power blocked sustainable reform movements that were intended to transform Ethiopia from a feudal to a modern polity. His absolute and long rule also resulted in his downfall and the end of the monarchy. I argue that absolute power is prone to endless war and conflict. It encourages rebellion, protest and banditry. Few intellectuals were courageous enough to criticize his style of rule. It took a massive uprising of students and soldiers, at the end, to irreversibly challenge the autocracy. Unfortunately, the absolutist culture he aggressively pursued is still with us. In fact, endless and senseless wars have frustrated economic, political and social development in Post-Haile Selassie Ethiopia.
To his credit, Emperor Haile Selassie presided over the establishment of institutions intended to usher modernization in the country. He established modern schools, universities, and military, naval, air force and police academies. He even donated one of his palaces to the first university in the country: Haile Selassie I University. He supervised the opening of transport, health, and recreational, financial institutions comparable to the institutions of the modern world.
In the international front, he defended the sovereign rights of Ethiopia at the then League of Nations in Geneva, Switzerland in 1937 after Italy brutally invaded and occupied Ethiopia. He succeeded in uniting Eritrea with Ethiopia in 1951. In the same year, he formally broke the long tradition that allowed the Coptic Church of Egypt to appoint Egyptian Patriarchs for the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church.
The Emperor on the cover of Time Magazine, 1930.
(Wikimedia Commons - Public Domain)
“Ethiopia under the Emperor was a considerable force within the newly formed Non-Aligned Movement and a respected voice at the United Nations, preaching on issues of international morality and justice.” (BTT, 131-132)
Visit of Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia on the United States Navy ship, USS Qunicy
in Great Bitter Lake, Egypt., February 13, 1945. (Wikimedia Commons - Public Domain)
In 1963, Ethiopia hosted the gathering of the heads of state and government of independent African states, which led to the signing of the charter to establish the Organization of African Unity (OAU). Emperor Haile Selassie chaired the first gathering of the African leaders. The Emperor played key role in the creation of the Pan-African organization. The creation of the OAU is a significant policy shift for Ethiopia. Royal solidarity is substituted with African Solidarity. The brutal invasion and occupation of Ethiopia by Italy for five years triggered his shift in orientation.
“The Emperor’s prestige and the prominent role that he started to play in international diplomacy led to Addis Ababa being chosen for the site of the headquarters of UN/ECA.” (BTT, 128)
Selassie in Jerusalem (between 1920 and 1946). Photo taken either by the American Colony
Photo Department or its successor, the Matson Photo Service. (Wikimedia Commons - Public Domain)
In 1972, he donated 500 acres of land in Shashemene to Ras Tafarians who repatriated to Ethiopia. The Emperor appeared on the front cover of Time magazine as the person of the year twice. He was recognized as an influential world leader with remarkable impact on Africa and the United Nations. The Emperor was flown to Camp David with President John F. Kennedy when he visited the United States in 1963. In 1966, he made a historic visit to Jamaica where the Rastafarians greeted him as their messiah.
Haile Selassie photographed during a radio
broadcast. Published between 1940 and
1946 by the United States Office of
War Information. Public domain.
His list of achievements, however, is overshadowed by his persistence to maintain a system of rule that frustrated dissent and reform. In 1974, an army created and organized by the Emperor carried out a revolt against his rule. He was deposed unceremoniously and a year later declared dead and buried in the palace of Emperor Menelik II. The last Emperor’s remains were later interred and buried at the Trinity Cathedral side by side with his wife, Empress Menen.
Haile Selassie’s legacy is both good and bad. His strong ambition to modernize Ethiopia failed to materialize fully because of his insistence in maintaining an absolute monarchy. Ethiopia’s rich legacy of independence and history remained incarcerated in a system that favored the royalty, nobility and few other dignitaries. The vast majority of the people were condemned into lives of serfdom, tenancy and abject poverty. Land belonged, in the main to the monarchy, the church or the nobility.
The Emperor did not come to power by legitimate means. In fact, he colluded with Shoan nobility to overthrow the heir of Emperor Menelik II. Lij Iyasu Mikael, the grandson of Menelik II was chosen for the crown and he was in his third year of rule when he was forced to abdicate under fabricated accusation. Later the legitimate king was killed. The same fate would fall on the Emperor in 1974.
The Emperor was the only child to his mother, Yeshimbet Ali, who died when he was eighteen months old. The Emperor was the only survivor; nine of his siblings died at birth. He was raised by a nurse and later home schooled by Jesuit missionaries, including Abba Samuel, who taught him French.
Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie in February
1934. Photo by Swiss pilot and photographer
Walter Mittelholzer (1894-1937).
(Wikimedia Commons - Public Domain)
The Emperor amassed enormous wealth and attempted to rule as a benevolent king, as a father figure, as the Conquering Lion of Judah, who rewarded loyalty and obedience and severely punished dissent. He made himself the major beneficiary of modernization, which was seen as antithetical to tradition.
The Emperor’s notion of Ethiopia is too narrow and did not allow the inclusion of the diverse Ethiopian population with their religions and languages. Christianity is privileged at the expense of other monotheistic traditions or indigenous religions. Languages are also suppressed thereby placing non-Amharic speakers at a great disadvantage.
Tafari Makonen, who was born in 1892, descended from the Shoa ruling dynasty of King Sahle Selassie, who claimed affiliation to the Solomonic Dynasty. Tafari Makonen became a governor of a district at the age of 13 with a rank of Dejazemach. In 1911, he married Empress Menen Asfaw, the grand daughter of Negus Mikael Ali of Wollo and the father of Lij Iyasu, the grand son of Emperor Menelik II and his heir. Tafari’s father, Ras Mekonnen Wolde Mikael was the cousin of Menelik II. His grand father Wolde Mikael was a nobleman from Tigray.
Tafari Mekonnen was elevated to a rank of Ras in 1916, the same year when Lij Iyasu was removed from power.
In 1930, he was crowned as the 225th Emperor of Ethiopia at the age of 37. In 1931, he issued a constitution that helped him to consolidate power. The constitution stated that the person of the Emperor is sacred, his dignity inviolate, and his power incontestable. It codified the supreme power of His Imperial Majesty, articulating his authority over all decisions and matters in Ethiopia. (BTT, 118)
The 1930 coronation was promoted and advertised throughout the world – Haile Selassie sent invitations to emperors, kings and presidents throughout the world. (Layers of Time, p. 205) The image of the coronation reached Jamaicans in the Caribbean. Its symbolism in relation to their colonial oppression was powerful enough to spark what later became the Rastafarian movement, a movement that defined Haile Selassie as a messianic figure.
The 1935 Italo-Ethiopian War made Emperor Haile Selassie one of the most popular and revered personalities in the African world. And yet Haile Selassie’s weak leadership and shortsightedness not only contributed to the quick defeat of the Ethiopian army and occupation of the country by the Italians.
Haile Selassie placed his faith in the League of Nations and European royal families. He resorted to all-out diplomacy and negotiations with the colonial powers. He deemphasized the need to prepare military for the war, even after he found out about Italy’s extensive preparation and decision to invade and occupy Ethiopia. Haile Selassie and his advisers learned no lessons from Emperor Menelik’s successful defense of Ethiopia’s sovereignty at Adwa in 1896. Internal dissension and perpetuation of absolute rule exposed the country and its people to naked aggression and rape by the Fascist Italian forces. In fact, Italy used weapons of mass destruction against innocent and defenseless Ethiopians.
Emperor Haile Selassie Speaking Before the League of Nations. (June 30, 1936)
Resistance fighters regarded Haile Selassie’s retreat and flight out of the country as a disgrace. Ethiopian patriotic forces were opposed to his retreat and some of these patriots were eliminated when Haile Selassie regained his monarchy with the help of the British army. Haile Selassie’s flight may have helped him to regain his power but the failure of his leadership finally came to an explosion during the 1974 massive upheaval.
Some suggest that Haile Selassie, like Charles DeGaule of France, managed to lead resistance forces from exile. His refusal to abdicate his throne and his campaign at the League of Nations in Geneva to expose the Italian atrocities in Ethiopia were regarded as indicators of a positive leadership. To his credit, Haile Selassie’s speech at the League of Nations was a prophetic speech; he predicted the fall of Europe and the rise of Nazi/fascist forces. (The Autocrat, p. 204) “If Europe reckons this matter to be an accomplished fact, then it is proper to consider this fate which awaits it and which is bound to come upon it.” (The Autocrat, p. 302)
However, other writers contend that Haile Selassie was at the mercy of his host country in exile – Britain, which decided to break ranks with Italy only after the plea of Mussolini not to ally with Hitler of Germany failed. When Britain felt its interest in the Horn of Africa was threatened by Italy’s new alliance with Germany, and then she decided to go to War against Italy. Haile Selassie was a pawn in the power game of Europe and failed to understand the motives of European countries like Britain and France.
“Ethiopia’s dismemberment was sought between 1906 and 1913 during the last years of Emperor Menelik II. Britain, Italy and France have reached agreement to rearrange Ethiopia thereby dividing up the territory into their respective sphere of influence.” (Markakis)
Pan-Africanist leaders, such as Jackson and Huggins were critical of the Ethiopian leaders, whom they characterized as living in a ‘racial fog.’ Their criticism is expressed in the following manner:
“The Ethiopian leaders still believe that they are of the White race, and so believing they doubly indict themselves. For, if they were of the White race, then in the nature of oppression, which they placed upon the Blacks, they should have been dispossessed long, long ago. But they have not read history alright. They did not read between the lines of the pseudo-scientific verbiage, which classified them as ‘White.’ They should have seen the crass fallacy, of such verbiage. They did not have sufficient psychology, or ordinary common cause, to understand that the ‘White complex’ drilled into them, paved the way for Europeans to get the inner-peace-time control of the country and finally, in a war, to utterly rend them and cast them aside.”
Haile Selassie’s policies ultimately forced Ethiopians to single-handedly face their enemies. His European ‘friends’ abandoned him or offered help that was not consistent with Ethiopia’s interest but with their colonial interests in the region.
A significant consequence of the Italian invasion, on the other hand, was the reawakening of the Pan-African movement globally. It paved the way for Ethiopia’s greater involvement in African affairs. In these respects, the War represented a critical watershed in aiding to ‘re-Africanize’ Ethiopia.
The Emperor managed to rule for almost sixty years, but in the process he also managed to bring the monarchy to an end. His lack of vision to modernize the monarchy itself contributed to its demise. In Post-Haile Selassie Ethiopia, there are struggles on many fronts to put the principle of unity in diversity into practice. The positive image of Haile Selassie, however, still lives on in some circles. The Rastafarians have turned him into a global religious-cultural icon through their ‘reasoning’ and lyrics.
About the Author:
Ayele Bekerie, an Assistant Professor at the Africana Studies and Research Center of Cornell University, is the author of the award-winning book “Ethiopic, An African Writing System: Its History and Principles” (The Red Sea Press, 1997). Bekerie’s papers have been published in scholarly journals, such as ANKH: Journal of Egyptology and African Civilizations, Journal of the Horn of Africa, Journal of Black Studies, the International Journal of Africana Studies, and the International Journal of Ethiopian Studies. Bekerie is also the creator of the African Writing System web site and a contributing author in the highly acclaimed book, “ONE HOUSE: The Battle of Adwa 1896-100 Years.” Bekerie’s most recent published work includes “The Idea of Ethiopia: Ancient Roots, Modern African Diaspora Thoughts,” in Power and Nationalism in Modern Africa, published by Carolina Academic Press in 2008 and “The Ancient African Past and Africana Studies” in the Journal of Black Studies in 2007. Bekerie appears frequently on the Amharic Service of Voice of America and Radio Germany. He is a regular contributor to Tadias Magazine and other Ethiopian American electronic publications. His current book project is on the “Idea of Ethiopia.”
Tadias TV
TV Subscribe
It’s not absolute monarchy that leads to rebellion but the economic system which the monarch employs. It’s totally possible to have a monarch that understands and implements a complete free-market system including international trade.
I like how it projects different views. Fairly written. Good work Prof. Ayele Bekerie. I look forward to read more of your work.
Love and prosperity to Et.
Regards,
The Southerner.
Very nicely written and short to the point mostly. I think, though that the Neway’s brothers palace revolution should have been mentined here, even if it is just to show how staborne and unforgiving he was: he exposed their bodies in the market place for many days. Along with the students movement at home, the student movement abroad also played an important role.
I have always wondered about the Neway Brothers?? Who were they and where did they get the idea and the courage to attempt the first modern “Coup d’état” in Ethiopia? I have seen their phots, they were photogenic, handsome, and with almost royal grace. I don’t think they were poor kids. Does anyone know more about them to share or dircet me to info about the famous Neway brothers? Thank you for your time.
By the way, very informative and good reaserch on the story above.
Sincerely,
Senbete
Student of World History
It is always easy to write words that may influence the masses one way or another. But the fact is that Haile Selassie revealed Biblical prophesy to the world. He is the first, just as Ethiopia is the first. Is there Zion? One will never know the fullness but the King. A man’s fullness can only be reached by faith.
Great paper. Is Haileselassie’s grand father from Tigray? What is the source for this fact?
Dear Boku,
Regarding your inquiry about HIM’s grandfather, my source is Paul Henze’s LAYERS OF TIME: A HISTORY OF ETHIOPIA, p. 189. Henze writes, “Makonnen’s father, Wolde Mikael, was a nobleman from eastern Tigray.” (See footnote number 5, p. 189). In his autobiography, Emperor Haile Selassie referred to his father as “the son of the Princess Tanagna Warq, the daughter of the great King Sahle Selassie of Shoa. His [Makonnen's] father was Dejazmatch Walda Mika’el Walda Malakot of the Doba (Merha Bete) and Manz nobility. The ethnic background of his grandfather is not mentioned in the autobiography. The autobiography did not also mention Sheikh Ali of Woreilu, the father of Woizero Yeshimbet Ali, the mother of Emperor Haile Selassie.
AB
History as it happened, told by Ethiopian Historians. More work awaits us.
God Speed.
Begudu
Well written paper. It is easy to understand, succinct and comprehensive.
“His list of achievements, however, is overshadowed by his persistence to maintain a system of rule that frustrated dissent and reform.” ?
It seems to me that Haile Selassie did more to help Ethiopia’s progress than any leader after him.
Though monarchies in general discourage dissent and reform, the current government does a much worse job in promoting them than his monarchy ever did.
The land grant was not allotted to Rastafarians, but to all Black people of the world that wished to return to their homeland. This land was granted because of the service rendered by Africans throughout the world during the war between Ethiopia and Italy.
Secondly, Emperor Haile Selassie established a Constitutional Monarchy out of his own free will. The form of rule that was in place at the time of the Emperor is the same form of rule that descends from Solomon. As the Emperor said, every nation’s democracy should be unique based on the culture and history of the country.
Africa does not need to copy Western democracy in order to have democracy. It is also worth studying the powers that were behind the “Askari’s” that committed one of the worst crimes in the history of Africa. Ethiopia was a Christian kingdom at the time. So, who would stand to benefit from the fall of the monarchy besides enemies of Christianity and enemies of Africa? Before the Italian-Ethiopian War, Africa was smothered by colonialism. However, the Italian-Ethiopian War awakened the Pan-African thought and movement. African liberation was born via this struggle. The Emperor was very much aware of what he was doing. He knew that the racist League of Nations had to be exposed and replaced. The communist/Soviet Union sponsored the coup (against the King). There were many powerful nations that wanted to see the downfall of this throne of Africa. Ethiopia will never prosper without the Constitutional Monarchy.
Dear Senbete
The best place to read about the Neway Brothers, as far as I know, is Richard Greenfield’s “Ethiopia: a new political history”. He was teaching at Haile Sellasie I University at the time of the attempted coup d’etat. You will be able to read some of the details of what actually happened and the main actors who took part in the coup d’etat.
Hope this is of some help to you.
PS. Richard Greenfield passed away in June, 2008
Semeon,
Thank you a trillion for the suggestion, sir. I will jump on it!
Haile Selassie is one of the best leaders in Ethiopian History!!!
I am neither Ethiopian nor African, but as an American who has devoted many years to the study and analysis of history I have come to appreciate the political stability that constitutional monarchy bestows upon countries with the most diverse cultural backgrounds. In the specific case of Ethiopia I am convinced that true economic progress and political stability will come only after the monarchy is restored, albeit within a well-planned constitutional framework that guarantees the broadest possible political participation. May the brave and proud Ethiopian people awaken to this realization and may they make it a reality, the sooner the better!
His Majesty’s legacy, never twisted, will remain forever!
Greetings,
May god grant each and everyone good health and strength.
RASTAFARI Emperor Haile Selassie I people now is not the time to be a careless people no more and be contrary of the fact that His Majesty stands Kings of Kings Lord of Lords. The Bible reveals it.
If the condition of peace is such as will satisfy the conscience and sense of justice of men,if it is assured to human kind that they shall toil and live happily under a just system in which no discrimination will be made between small and great,then the peace system that shall be laid down can leave a heritage for the coming generation which will be full of happy life and boundless prosperity…Justice and Equality for one and all
RASTAFARI LOVE HAILE SELLASSIE I.
Is it true that Haile Selassie had a huge amount of money in swiss banks? Or is just politics? I heard about it from different sources , but I couldn’t verify it.
The lie that Emperor Haile Selassie had money in Swiss Banks has been proven false by many scholars and historians.
This is only part of the propaganda used to justify the illegal acts that were carried out against Africa’s liberator and redeemer. This propaganda is also used to keep Ethiopians and the African World uninformed and misinformed about the greatest ruler Africa and the world has ever seen. I once met an Ethiopian teen that did not know that Haile Selassie and Rastafari is the same person. Many people know nothing at all about the founding father of African Unity. What a shame. The King demonstrated his selfless intentions many times. First, Mussilini offered The Emperor a large amount of money and a “peaceful” exile if he would renounce his throne and allow the fascist takeover of Ethiopia. The Emperor refused. Secondly, The Emperor gave a palace that he inherited from his father for the building of Haile Selassie I University, now Addis Ababa University. The Emperor built the university from his own private fund. The true name of the university is let to be restored. The Emperor did many things for Ethiopia and Africa that he financed out of his own private money. Please read and study as much as you can about the true African of the Millennium.
For ethiopia to have pride again….the monarchy have to return back to the palace…..and true peace will return to ethiopia.
Dear Ras Antar,
Although the emperor indeed commands respect for the manner in which he carried himself, and by extension his country, on world stage, I have no idea what “private money” you are you talking about? What the Emperor had belonged to Ethiopia. Ethiopia was the Emperor’s private property, as the nation was the private property of Mengistu and as it is currently the private property of Meles.
Dear Ethiopian of GoodWill, I don’t know if private is the best word. However, when I wrote private, I meant money or wealth that was inherited. As the proverb goes, “A wise man leaves an inheritance for his children’s children.” Ras Makonnen did leave property and an inheritance for his son. But, you are right, as a devout public servant, nothing is private. It is also possible that the Emperor made “private” business investments being that the Emperor made financial loans to the state. I will search to find exact examples and exact loans with corresponding projects; because, it is also true that Empress Menen sponsored the building of schools.
All and all, the essential point is that Emperor Haile Selassie I is a true champion of Ethiopia, Africa, and of humanity. All should read the Selected Speeches of Emperor Haile Selassie I. The Selected Speeches of the Emperor are published in two books by publishing company One Drop Books. These speeches by the Emperor are relevant to all of the current issues facing Ethiopia, Africa, and the world. If Africans were to take these teachings of the Emperor to heart and mind, we wouldn’t have the vexing problems that we face today. Emperor Haile Selassie I gave us the blueprint to solve many of the vexing problems that face humanity today. Do you think that the situations in Zimbabwe, Rwanda, Sudan, and Congo would have occured during the reign of the Emperor. Without a strong Ethiopia, the whole of Africa will be weak.
Well written essay! I absolutely enjoyed reading the article. Thanks for calling a spade a spade. We all need to learn that.
Re: gigi’s comment (Nov 27th, 2008 at 12:26 pm), “Haile Selassie is one of the best leaders in Ethiopian History!” Come again? I highly recommend you read these two books:
“The Emperor” by Ryszard Kapuscinski
“The Coronation of Haile Selassie” by Evelyn Waugh
Cheers,
M.N.
Melbourne, Australia
Selamta from Chicago,
Here are editorrial and cutomer reviews of the two books recommended by M.N. of Australia:
1. “The Emperor” by Ryszard Kapuscinski (Amazon.com Review)
Haile Selassie, His Most Puissant Majesty and Distinguished Highness the Emperor of Ethiopia, enjoyed a 44-year reign until his own army gave him the boot in 1974. In the days following the coup, the Polish journalist Ryszard Kapuscinski traveled to Ethiopia and sought out members of the imperial court for interviews.
His composite portrait of Selassie’s crumbling imperium is an astonishing, wildly funny creation, beginning with the very first interview. “It was a small dog,” recalls an anonymous functionary, “a Japanese breed. His name was Lulu. He was allowed to sleep in the Emperor’s great bed. During various ceremonies, he would run away from the Emperor’s lap and pee on dignitaries’ shoes. The august gentlemen were not allowed to flinch or make the slightest gesture when they felt their feet getting wet. I had to walk among the dignitaries and wipe the urine from their shoes with a satin cloth. This was my job for ten years.” (Well, it’s a living.)
Elsewhere, the interviewees venture into tragic or grotesque or downright unbelievable terrain. Kapuscinski has shaped their testimonies into an eloquent whole, and while he never alludes to the totalitarian regime that ruled his native Poland during the same period, the analogy is impossible to ignore.
Review
“[The Emperor] transcends reportage, becoming a nightmare of power… An unforgettable, fiercely comic, and finally compassionate book.”
—Salman Rushdie
“Kapuscinski transcends the limitations of journalism and writes with the narrative power of a Conrad or Kipling or Orwell.”
—Blake Morrison
“A Stunning exhibit; the interviewed subjects. . .enunciate their memories of the days of Haile Selassie with a magical elegance that. . .achieves poetry and aphorism.”
—John Updike, The New Yorker
2, The Coronation of Haile Selassie by Evelyn Waugh (Customer Review)
Evelyn Waugh is a great author but this is a rather dull work. I purchased this book as the subject matter seemed rich and I was expecting to hear a great account of this important occassion. Unfortunately this does not happen as Mr Waugh struggles with petty detail like hotel meals, staff etc.
I am sure that the coronation of King Haile Selassie would have been a fantastic event and full of colourful detail and highly important symbolism/ceremony. This detail is sadly missing and Mr Waugh’s account of events is in my opinion not worth reading.
Upshot is this book has an interesting cover.
I hear a lot of negativity from habesh people about His Majesty..throughout his reign his worst critics were his own people. I feel that brought him to his end, when the land was going into famine, people insulted his ability to reign, remember, the Orthodox church had more power than he did, they are, after all, the ones who put the crown on him, he just doesn’t take the throne on his own…where were they when the famine happened? they didn’t do anything…his wrong doings overshadow all what he has done for our country…maybe that’s why God gave us Mengistu to show us how ungrateful we are.
I see a contradiction in terms of Haile Selassie’s geneology as described in this article (The original source being Paul Henze’s LAYERS OF TIME: A HISTORY OF ETHIOPIA, p. 189. Henze writes, “Makonnen’s father, Wolde Mikael, was a nobleman from eastern Tigray.” ).
In his article Ayele states : “… Tafari’s father, Ras Mekonnen Wolde Mikael was the cousin of Menelik II. His grand father Wolde Mikael was a nobleman from Tigray”.
But, accoding to Wikipedia.org, Ras Mekonnen’s father was Fitawrari Woldemikael Guddessa. In other words, Woldemikael Guddessa was Tafari’s grand father. Guddessa is a common Oromo name. How could Tafari’s grand father (Woldemikael Guddessa) be from Tigray? We can assume that there might be two possible explanations.One, there is a possibility that Woldemikael Guddessa moved to Tigray from Shoa to administer a district.Two, adoption of Oromo names by native residents of Tigray, which is a rare possibility. These assumptions are not substantiated by concrete historical evidence.
From Wikipedia:
Ras Mäkonnen, August 1902Ras Mäkonnen Wäldä-Mika’él, KCMG (May 8, 1852–March 21, 1906) was a general and the governor of Harar province in Ethiopia, and the father of Tafari Mäkonnen, later known as the Emperor Haile Selassie I. His father was Fitawrari Woldemikael Guddessa. Makonnen was a grandson of King Sahle Selassie of Shewa through his mother, Princess Tenagnework Sahle Selassie. As such, he was a first cousin of Emperor Menelik II, and a member of the Solomonic dynasty.
Following is a list of books that include autobiographical and biographical works. Books included in this list will answer many of the questions mentioned in many responses above. Many of these books are must reads for anyone that wants to learn more about the Emperor.
Selected Speeches of Haile Selassie I, 1918-1967. (The Selected Speeches, originally published in Addis Ababa in 1967 by the Imperial Ethiopian Ministry of Information).
Important Utterances of H.I.M. Emperor Haile Selassie I, 1963-1972.
Haile Selassie - Emperor of Ethiopia. by Princess Asfa Yilma. (This is a new reprint of the classic biography of His Majesty).
The Mission - The Life, Reign and Character of Haile Selassie I. by Hans Lockot. (Lockot was appointed as National Librarian by His Majesty).
My Life and Ethiopia’s Progress 1892-1937: The Autobiography of Haile Sellassie I.
The Autobiography of His Imperial Majesty
The Autobiography of Haile Selassie I - Volume 2, 1937-1943.
Lion of Judah Hath Prevailed - The Biography of His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie I
By Christine Sandford.
Visions of Rastafari: Facts on Haile Selassie I. by Lance Seunarine.
Haile Sessasie was a selfish king. Some Ethiopians were very rich while majority of the population in the other provinces were very poor. He didn’t care about the poor people or the majority of the Ethiopians in the other states. Only rich people had the chance to go abroad/foregn countries for education. If he was ruling evenly all the Ethiopian population in the province of Tigrai, Eritra,Oromo, etc.. this couldn’t have happened. This created all the consequenses we are facing now, including division of Tigray/Eritrea, wars etc… and we are paying the price.
Good article.
Good Article.
After reading many of the comments in response to this article, I would be so bold to state that, “No!” Haile Selassie was Not A Selfish-Leader, but rather had an ethnocentric perspective during the time of his rule. The most favored being the Amhara peoples.
Being of Amhara lineage myself, and having a family member who lived in Harar during Ras Mekonne’s rule, it was noted - in reality many Hararian and Oromo peoples were excluded from politics, and their culture/language was always considered less important than that of Amharic. With that said, Emperor Selassie did many great deeds for us as a Nation on an international level, and for the Black diaspora abroad, but he did not fully understand or strategize a means of insuring Unity and Prosperity within his homeland - Which I believe ultimately is what lead to his downfall in the end.
He was a brilliant thinker, with very great ideas… maybe even too broad and forward thinking for his time. It’s sad.
Ethiopia is a Conflicted Mosaic with very diverse cultures that is in dire need of Unity&Peace. I’m not totally convinced Monarchy is the way to go in our day in age.
It is very interesting reading all the comments. The bottom line is we us Ethiopians needs to be united and think about the future of our children’s. We had enough war for almost 3,000 years. My people, its time to wake up and lets rebuild all the damages we caused on our people due to ethnic division, political war etc. Enough people have died since our lifetimes and we need to settle our differences once and for all. The past history is done and closed. Remember, the last thing we don’t want to do is ” to repeat our mistakes again and again”.