XIXᵉ siècle – XIXᵉ siècle
Samen and Tigré, Ethiopia
Traduction non disponible · Original (anglais) · français indisponible
Ras Webé was a powerful Ethiopian ruler who consolidated control over Tigré and later much of the highlands as far as Gondar. He acquired firearms and technicians from France, supported the imperial pretender Takla Giyorgis, and fought the Yajju ruler Ras ‘Alï near Dabra Tabor in 1842. Despite military setbacks, rebellions, and Egyptian seizure of Massawa, he remained one of the most influential rulers in mid-nineteenth-century Ethiopia.
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Le récit
Ras Webé of Samen succeeded, after extensive fighting, in gaining control of Tigré and later extended his authority across the highlands toward Gondar. His position was strengthened by attention to foreign contacts: he obtained a small quantity of firearms and technicians from France. These resources were part of a wider competition among Ethiopian rulers for military capacity and control over the imperial centre.
Webé proclaimed his intention to install a pretender named Takla Giyorgis as emperor at Gondar. In 1842 he marched against Ras ‘Alï, the Yajju ruler of Bagemder, and defeated him near Dabra Tabor. The victory was compromised when Webé was captured while celebrating; he was released after a ransom was paid and returned to Tigré.
He fought Ras ‘Alï again in 1843–44 but faced rebellion in Tigré and Egypt’s seizure of Massawa. Although these setbacks forced him to submit to the Yajju chief, he remained a powerful and comparatively enlightened ruler. His repeated interest in the coast demonstrates how Ethiopian highland politics were inseparable from the struggle for Red Sea access.
XIXᵉ siècle – XIXᵉ siècle
Samen and Tigré, Ethiopia
Traduction non disponible · Original (anglais) · français indisponible
Ras Webé was a powerful Ethiopian ruler who consolidated control over Tigré and later much of the highlands as far as Gondar. He acquired firearms and technicians from France, supported the imperial pretender Takla Giyorgis, and fought the Yajju ruler Ras ‘Alï near Dabra Tabor in 1842. Despite military setbacks, rebellions, and Egyptian seizure of Massawa, he remained one of the most influential rulers in mid-nineteenth-century Ethiopia.
Poursuivre l’exploration
Le récit
Ras Webé of Samen succeeded, after extensive fighting, in gaining control of Tigré and later extended his authority across the highlands toward Gondar. His position was strengthened by attention to foreign contacts: he obtained a small quantity of firearms and technicians from France. These resources were part of a wider competition among Ethiopian rulers for military capacity and control over the imperial centre.
Webé proclaimed his intention to install a pretender named Takla Giyorgis as emperor at Gondar. In 1842 he marched against Ras ‘Alï, the Yajju ruler of Bagemder, and defeated him near Dabra Tabor. The victory was compromised when Webé was captured while celebrating; he was released after a ransom was paid and returned to Tigré.
He fought Ras ‘Alï again in 1843–44 but faced rebellion in Tigré and Egypt’s seizure of Massawa. Although these setbacks forced him to submit to the Yajju chief, he remained a powerful and comparatively enlightened ruler. His repeated interest in the coast demonstrates how Ethiopian highland politics were inseparable from the struggle for Red Sea access.
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