- Amha Iyasus
Amha Iyasus, better known as Ammehayes (reigned c.1744 - c.1775), was a
Meridazmach ofShewa , an important Amhara noble ofEthiopia . He was the son ofQedami Qal .Mordechai Abir writes, "It was during the reign of Ammehayes that the reconquest of the territories held by the Galla really seriously began." [Ref Ethiopia|Abir-1968|pages= p. 147] He imported a number of firearms from the northern parts of Ethiopia, and used them to assert his primacy over his neighboring
Christian states includingTegulet ,Menz , Efrata andBulga . He moved his capital toDoqaqit inYifat , whence he raided the lands of theAfar to the east. He renewed the war with theKarayu Oromo , but had more success with theAbichu Oromo , conquering their tribes as far west as the Chia Chia river nearAngolalla .It was during his reign that Shewa conquered the
Ankober area; according Harold Marcus, he founded the "two important and still active churches", Qeddus Giyorgis in Ankober and Kidana Mehrat in Astit. He virtually exterminated theOromo population betweenDebre Berhan and Ankober, resettling the area with Amhara colonists [Ref Ethiopia|Marcus-1995|pages= p. 9]Amha Iyasus was the creator of the policy, followed by the rulers of Shewa into the middle of the next century, of avoiding being drawn into the struggles around control of the Imperial throne. An important part of this policy was leaving the district of
Wallaka between the Geshen andSamba River s untouched as buffer between Shewa and the Imperial territories of Ethiopia. [Abir, p. 148.]The Meridazmach also made a diplomatic visit to the Emperor's court at
Gondar in1771 , at the first decades of the semi-anarchicalZemene Mesafint ("Era of The Princes"), where he was received "more like an honoured ally than a vassal" by the then 17-year-old Emperor 'Admas Sagad III'Takla Haymanot II . [Abir, p. 148.] This visit was recorded byJames Bruce , who called him "Yasous".Notes
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