Seyum Mangasha: Information from Answers.com

Seyum Mangasha (also transliterated Seyoum Mengesha) KBE (21 June 1887 - 15 December 1960) was an army commander and a member of the Royal family of the Ethiopian Empire.

1 Biography
2 See also
3 References and notes
4 Sources

Biography

Prince (Leul) Seyum Mangasha was born the son of Duke (Ras) Mangasha Yohannes and grandson of Emperor Yohannes IV of Ethiopia. Mangasha Yohannes was the "natural" son the Johannes IV. Because of his descent, Seyum Mangasha was a rival to Emperor Menelik II, who had risen from rule of Shoa Province to become the Emperor on Yohannes' death.^[1]

Seyum wed Lady (Woizero) Tewabech. Tewabech was the daughter of Ras Mikael of Wollo and the sister of Iyasu. Mikael was later honored with the title of King (Negus) and Iyasu was the uncrowned Emperor of Ethiopia. Ras Seyum was the father of Princess (Leult) Wolete Israel Seyum, Great Dame (Woizero-Hoy) Kebbedech Seyum by a previous marriage, and Prince (Leul) Mangasha Seyum by a subsequent marriage. Later, Leul Ras Seyum was married to Princess (Leult) Astede, a member of the Shewan branch of the Imperial family.

From 1910 to 1935, Seyum Mangasha was the Governor of western Tigray Province. Traditionally the governors of the provinces commanded the local provincial armed forces (Sefari) in battle.

In the spring of 1924, Seyum Mangasha, Hailu Tekle Haymanot of Gojjam Province, Ras Mulugeta Yeggazu of Illubabor Province, Ras Makonnen Endelkachew, and Blattengeta Heruy Welde Sellase accompanied Tafari Makonnen, Crown Prince and Regent of Ethiopia, (who was not yet crowned as Emperor Haile Selassie I) on his European tour. The group of Ethiopian royalty visited Jerusalem, Cairo, Alexandria, Brussels, Amsterdam, Stockholm, London, Geneva, and Athens. With them they took six lions which were presented to various zoos and dignataries.^[2] In the same year, Seyum Mangasha was awarded the Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE).

Commander of the Army of Tigre

From October 1935 to February 1936, as a Commander of the Army (Ras) during the Second Italo-Ethiopian War, Seyum commanded the Army of Tigre. When General Emilio De Bono initially invaded Ethiopia, he was ordered to stay a day's march away from the advancing Italians. Ras Seyum and forces under his command played significant roles in the Ethiopian Christmas Offensive, the First Battle of Tembien, and the Second Battle of Tembien. On March 31, after his Army of the Tigre had already been anhilated, he stood with Emperor Haile Selassie at the Battle of Maychew.

While many chose to flee into exile, Ras Seyum stayed and fought the Italian invaders briefly, but finally surrendered and submitted to the Italians during the Italian occupation of Ethiopia. He spent much of his time under "house arrest" in Addis Ababa. But Seyum Mangasha also played a small part in the liberation of Ethiopia during World War II. He was technically on the side of the Italians when the East African Campaign started. However, on April 18, 1940, Ras Seyum Mangasha approached Haile Selassie to change sides and the two were able to reconcile. Ras Seyum Mangasha was able to retain his position as Governor of western Tigre Province. Emperor Haile Selassie held Ras Seyum in very deep regard, and depended on him as a senior advisor. He was a member of the Crown Council from 1945 until his death.

Woyane Rebellion

In 1943, the "Woyane Rebellion" broke out in southern and eastern Tigre Province and Ras Seyum was suspected of supporting the rebels. As a consequence, he was recalled to Addis Ababa and replaced by Commander of the Vanguard (Fitawrari) Kifle Dadi and Commander of the Gate (Dejazmach) Fikre Selassie Ketema as well as General Tedla Mekeonen and General Isayas Gebre Selassie as the Commander of the Army in Tigray.

After the end of the Italian occupation, Seyum Mangasha was made Governor of eastern Tigray as well as western Tigray. This was because of the treason of the son of the late Ras Gugsa Araya Selassie, Dejazmach Haile Selassie Gugsa. In 1935, Haile Selassie Gugsa had defected to the Italians during the early days of the war. The Italians had made much propaganda use out of the fact that Haile Selassie Gugsa was the husband of Princess (Leult) Zenebework Haile Selassie and therefore Haile Selassie's son-in-law. As a result, from 1947, Seyum Mangasha was governor of all of Tigray Province, which he held until 1960.^[3]

Death

In December 1960, the Imperial Guard (Kebur Zabangna) launched a coup d'état and seized power in Ethiopia while the Emperor was on a visit to Brazil. The coup leaders compelled the Crown Prince to read a prepared radio statement. In the statement, he accepted the crown in his father's place and announced a government of reform. However, the regular Army and the Ethiopian Orthodox Church both refused to accept the new government. The leader of the church, Patriarch Abuna Basilios, issued an anathema against all those who cooperated with the coup leaders. The Emperor returned to Ethiopia and the Army stormed the palace where members of the government were being held prisoner by the Imperial Guards. The Guards fled, but not before killing many members of the government and the nobility that had been held prisoner in the Green Salon of the palace. Ras Seyum was among those who were machine gunned to death. He was buried at Axum.

Aftermath

Leul Ras Mangasha Seyum, the son of Ras Seyum Mangasha, is the heir of the late Ras Seyum, and hereditary Prince of Tigray abolished Ethiopian crown. Mangasha is married to one of Haile Selassie's granddaughters, Aida Desta.

References and notes

^ Mockler, Haile Sellassie's War, p. 396
^ Mockler, Haile Sellassie's War, p. 3
^ Mockler, Haile Sellassie's War, p. 396

Sources

Mockler, Anthony (2002). Haile Sellassie's War. New York: Olive Branch Press. ISBN 9781566564731.

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Seyum Mangasha

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