ETHIOPIA

Tigray

GENEALOGY

• 1) Dejazmatch Manassie (s/o Walatta Seyun). He d. December 1809 (bur. Selassie Monastery, Chalaqot, Tigray), having had issue, three sons and a daughter:
  • a) Ato Aversaw, Shum Temben 1811-1813, Governor of Antalo 1813-1816.
  • b) Ato Nokendis.
  • c) Ato Hailu.
  • a) Woizero Asquwal. m. (first) Fitawrari Zogo (d. 1808). m. (second) a Shum Temben.
• 2) H.H. Ra'asa ra'usan Wolde Selassie, Prince of Tigray (s/o Walatta Seyun) - see below.
• 3) Dejazmatch Debbab Kefla Iyasus (s/o Walatta Seyun). Appointed as Kagnazmatch, 24^th March 1799. He d. on the plain of Woger Arreva, Tigray, ca. 22^nd February 1814 (bur. at the Abuna Slathivus Church, Surrova), having had issue, four sons and a daughter:
  • a) Dejazmatch Dimtsu Debbab. m. (div.) Woizero Tabutu (m. second, Rema of Shoa), daughter of Shum Agame Wolde Leu'l [Woldu]. He d. before 8^th December 1817, having had issue, four children by Tabutu, including two sons and a daughter:
    • i) Ras Araya Dimtsu, Prince of Tigray - see below.
    • ii) Dejazmatch Gabre Takla Dimtsu.
    • i) Woizero Sillas [Amata Selassie]. m. Dejazmatch Mirtcha Wolde Kidane, Shum Temben (k. at Temben, 1863), younger son of Wolde Kidane Mikael, Shum Temben, by his wife, Immata Ya-Worq Weha, daughter of Qale Kristos. She d. in prison, 1867, having had issue - see below.
  • b) Dejazmatch Wolde Rufael, Prince of Tigray - see below.
  • c) Dejazmatch Goshu Debbab.
  • a) Woizero Alassa. m. (div.) Nebura'id Aram (d. at Wadla, 30^th April 1811, bur. Abbagarva Church). She had issue, a son and a daughter:
    • i) Ato Gabre Medhin (younger brother of Woizero Desta). Fl. 1814.
    • i) Woizero Desta (d/o Alassa). m. (div. three years later) Dejazmatch Sebagadis Woldu, Prince of Tigray and Shum Temben (b. 1770; k. in custody, 16^th February 1831, bur. Dabra Abay), son of Shum Agame Wolde Leu'l [Woldu], by his wife, Woizero Sabana Giyorgis. She had issue - see below.
  • b) Woizero Walatta Mikael. m. Nebura'id Aram (d. at Wadla, 30^th April 1811, bur. Abbagarva Church). She d. after 1810, having had issue, two sons and a daughter, including:
    • i) Ato Wolde Mikael.
    • ii) Ato Melker.
• 4) Ato Sevatu. He had issue, a son:
  • a) Ato Wolde Rufael. He d. after 1810.
• 5) Ato Gabre Massea (youngest brother of Wolde Selassie, and son of Kefla Iyasus, by another wife). He d. before 1810, having had issue, a son:
  • a) Shum Sahlu (nephew of Ras Wolde Selassie of Tigray). Shum Temben 1807-1810 & 1813-1814. He had issue, three sons:
    • i) Bajirond Kinfu.
    • ii) Shum Saifu, Shum Temben. January 1818.
    • iii) Dejazmatch Gabre Mikael [Abba Gurga] (related to Dejazmatch Tesfu Iraklis, of Slamet). Shum Temben 1814-1815, Governor of Semien 1815-1816, and Lieutenant-Governor of Tigray 1816-1822. Granted the title of Dejazmatch before 24^th May 1815. m. (first) 1816 (div. March 1818), Princess Sehin (b. 1799), widow of H.H. Ra'asa ra'usan Wolde Selassie, Prince of Tigray, and daughter of H.M. Emperor Takla Giyorgis I [Fekr Seggad], Elect of God and King of Kings of Ethiopia. m. (second) before 12^th March 1818, Woizero Kotser, widow of H.M. Elect of God, Emperor Fakr Seggad [Takla Giyorgis I], King of Kings of Ethiopia, and daughter of Azzaz Sarlu. m. (third) 1818, Woizero Aster, former wife of H.E. Dejazmatch Wolde Rufael, sometime Governor of Mirtcha, and daughter of H.H. Ras Gugsa Marso, Viceroy of the Empire. He was k. in battle with Dejazmatch Sebagadis, 1822, having had issue, two sons and daughter:
      • (1) Keros Gabre Mikael, Shum Temben. 1817-1818.
      • (2) Alula Gabre Mikael, Shum Temben. Shared the governorship of Temben with his cousin, Sadiq. He was k. in an ambush, together with Sadiq, by Ato Gabre Masqal, ca. 1875.
      • (1) Woizero …b. 1817 (d/o Princess Sehin).
• 1) Woizero Sahlitu (d/o Walatta Seyun). m. H.E. Ras Gabre Tasfa (d. before 5^th May 1815), leader of the Roman Catholic Party and Governor of Semien 1785-1815, son of H.E. Dejazmatch Wolde Rufael, by his wife, Woizero Maritu, daughter of H.E. Dejazmatch Tesfu Iraklis, of Slamet, sometime Governor of Semien. She had issue, three sons:
  • a) H.E. Dejazmatch Haile Mariam Gabre. Kagnazmatch 1811. Governor of Walqayt 1811-1812, and of Semien 1815-1826. m. (first) Woizero Mintaye. m. (second) before 1^st November 1811, Woizero Hirut (b. before 1799), daughter of H.H. Ras Gugsa Marso, Viceroy of the Empire, by his wife, Princess Amata Selassie, daughter of H.M. Emperor Takla Giyorgis I [Fekr Seggad], Elect of God and King of Kings of Ethiopia. m. (a) Woizero Wover. He d. from poison, before 6^th June 1826 (bur. Waldebba Monastery, Begameder), having had issue:
    • i) Ras Wube Haile Mariam (s/o Mintaye) - see below.
    • ii) Dejazmatch Marso Haile Mariam (s/o Hirut). He had issue, one son and three daughters:
      • (1) Dejazmatch Teku Marso.
      • (1) Woizero Gessesse [Gessesch Marso]. m. H.E. Ras Birru Wolde Gabriel, son of Dejazmach Wolde Gabriel. She had issue, two sons:
        • (a) H.E. Dejazmatch Ayyalaw Birru. b. at Gayent, May 1886. C-in-C of the Army 1910-1911, Governor of Wagara 1916, and of Semien 1928. m. 18^th January 1918, Woizerit-Hoy Manyahilush [Manelabesh] (m. second, Dejazmatch Shiferaw Wondem Agegnehu), second daughter of Field Marshal H.H. Le'ul Ras Kassa Hailu ze-Darge, GCVO, GBE, sometime Viceroy of Begameder, Wollo, Lasta and of Northern Shoa. He d. at Addis Ababa, 1948. He had issue, including a son.
        • (b) H.E. Dejazmatch Adamasu Birru. Governor of Semien 1916, and of Yajju.
      • (2) Woizero Qataro. m. at Magdala, January 1864, Dejazmatch Germame (b. ca. 1810; d. 1898), a nobleman from Qwara, son of Ato Walda Hawaryot Birru, a nobleman from Qwara, by his wife, Woizero Betasanabatan, of Tagulat.
      • (3) Woizero Bayenetch. m. Kitalu. She had issue, two sons:
    • iii) H.E. Dejazmatch Betul Haile Mariam (s/o Hirut). Governor of Semien. m. (first) Woizero Yewubdar (d. at Dabra Mewi, before 16^th March 1905), of Mirtcha. m. (second) Woizero Yeshit. He d. from wounds received at the battle of Ayshal, 29^th June 1853, having had issue, three sons and four daughters:
      • (1) H.E. Ras Wale Betul, Governor of Tigray (s/o Yeshit) - see below.
      • (2) Dejazmatch Marso Betul (s/o Yeshit). He had issue, a son.
      • (3) Fitawrari Alula Betul (s/o Yeshit). Imprisoned at Magdala 1857. He d. ca. 1882, having had issue:
        • (a) Woizero Yetemegnu [Temanyu]. m. (first) Dejazmatch Gabre Medhin, son of Ras Bariau Pawlos, Prince of Tigray. m. (second) (div.) Ras Bitwodad Haile Giyorgis, Minister for Foreign Affairs 1907-1910, Prime Minister 1914-1916. She had issue, a daughter by her first husband - see below.
      • (1) Woizero Taitu [H.I.M. Empress Taitu]. b. at Gondar, ca. 1851 (d/o Yeshit). Baptised as Walatta Mikael. Crowned by her husband as Itege under the name of Berhaneze Ethiopia (Light of Ethiopia) at the Church of St Mary, Entotto, 5^th November 1889. Founded the Order of the Red Cross in 1902. Exiled to Entotto in 1913. m. (first) ca. 1862, Dejazmatch Wolde Gabriel. m. (second) Dejazmatch Takla Giyorgis. m. (third) Kagnmatch Zekagatchew, brother of Woizero Emyat Bafena. m. (fourth) Dejazmatch Wolde. m. (fifth) at Medhane Alem Church, Ankobar, 29th April 1883, as his third wife, H.M. Emperor Menelik II, Elect of God, Conquering Lion of the Tribe of Judah and King of Kings of Ethiopia, GCB, GCMG (b. in Ankobar, Shoa, 17^th August 1844; d. at Addis Ababa, 12^th December 1913, bur: Menelik II Mausoleum, Ba'eta Le Mariam Monatery Church, Addis Ababa), only son of H.M. Haile Malakot, King of Shoa, by his first wife, Woizero Ijigayehu. She d. at Entotto, 11^th February 1918 (bur. in the Menelik II Mausoleum, Ba'eta Le Mariam Monastery Church, Addis Ababa) - see Ethiopia (Shoa).
      • (2) Woizero Assalafetch (d/o Yewubdar).
      • (3) Woizero Desta. b. ca. 1853 (d/o Yeshit). m. Dejazmatch Wolde Hanna, Jantirar of Ambasel. She had issue, one son and one daughter:
        • (a) Dejazmatch Gessese Wolde Hanna. Jantirar of Ambasel 1916. m. Woizero Negast, former wife of Ras Mesfin of Damot, and daughter of H.H. Negus Takla Haymanot, King of Gojjam, by his wife, Woizero Laqech, eldest daughter of Wagshum Gabre Medhin, sometime Governor of Lasta. He d. 1926, having had issue, one son:
          • (i) Dejazmatch Ambatcho Gessese. b. ca. 1894. m. May 1931, Woizero Ayala Birhane, daughter of Dejazmatch Haile Selassie.
        • (b) H.H. Princess (Le'ult) Assalafetch. b. at Gondar, 1885. m. (first) 1896, H.H. Ras Bitwodad Damessaw Nasibu (d. 1920), of Wollega, sometime Regent of Ethiopia, son of Ras Nasibu. m. (second) 1901, H.E. Dejazmatch Yilma Makonnen (b. 1875; d. at Harar, 10^th October 1907, bur. there at St Michael's Church), Governor of Harar, eldest son of H.H. Ras Makonnen Wolde Mikael, KCMG, by Arazawi, by whom she had issue, two sons and one daughter - see Ethiopia (Shoa). m. (third), 12^th April 1909 (div. 1910) H.H. Le'ul-Ras Hailu Takla-Haymaynot, Prince of Gojjam, KBE. m. (fourth), Dejazmatch Makureya Girmane. m. (fifth), 1934, Dejazmatch Gezaw Gemma. She d. at Addis Ababa, 12^th August 1935 (bur: at St Mary's Church, Entotto).
      • (4) Woizero Yeshe-immabet (d/o Yeshit). m. H.H. Ras Wolde Selassie, Governor of Kafa and C-in-C of the Army,a nephew of Emperor Menelik II.
    • i) Woizero Yawubdar (d/o Woizero Hirut). m. (first) Dejazmatch Sebagadis Woldu, Shum Temben (b. 1770; k. in custody, 16^th February 1831, bur. Dabra Abay), son of Shum Agame Woldu, by whom she had issue - see below. m. (second), after 1832, Ras Haile Mariam, and had further issue, two daughters by her second husband:
      • (1) Woizero Ysau Emmanech [Yeshe-immabet]. m. (first) …m. (second) H.H. Negus Wolde Giyorgis, King of Gondar (b. 4^th November 1851; d. 3^rd March 1918), younger son of Afa-Negus Abboye, Viceroy of Shoa, by his wife, Woizero Ayahilush [Zenabe Worq], daughter of H.H. Negus Sahle Selassie I, King of Shoa, by whom she had issue, two sons and two daughters - see Ethiopia (Shoa). She had issue, by her first husband, two daughters:
        • (a) Woizero Almaz. m. July 1894, Dejazmatch Tessema Wolde, son of Ras Wolde. He d. January 1906.
        • (b) Woizero …
      • (2) Woizero Bayanach. m. Gammach.
  • b) Ato Wolde Iyasus.
  • c) Ato Batri Ola.
• 2) Woizero Turingo (d/o Walatta Seyun).

• 1) Lij Araya Wolde Selassie.

Copyright© Christopher Buyers, May 2001 - October 2005