Gugsa of Yejju
Encyclopedia
Gugsa of Yejju was a Ras of Begemder
(circa 1798 until his death), and Inderase (regent) of the Emperor of Ethiopia
. According to Nathaniel Pearce, he took the Christian name of Wolde Mikael. He was the son of Mersu Barentu and Kefey, the sister of Ras Aligaz
. Both Bahru Zewde and Paul B. Henze consider his reign as Ras and Enderase as the peak of the Yejju Oromo
power during the Zemene Mesafint
.
He married one daughter to Dejazmach Meru of Dembiya, and his other daughter Hirut to Dejazmach Haile Maryam.
When Gugsa became Ras of Begemder, as mentioned in the contemporary Royal Chronicle and later in Gabra Sellase's chronicle of Menelik's reign, he made his capital at a place called Lebo, a mountainous district some 60 kilometers south-east of Gondar
. Upon becoming Regent, Ras Gugsa reasserted the central power of the Empire (although keeping the Emperor as a figurehead) by dispossessing the nobility of the parts of Ethiopia he controlled, primarily Begemder
. He accomplished this by proclaiming in 1800 in the name of the Emperor the legal title of land tenure
would be converted from freehold
s to state property, held at the will of the Emperor. At first the peasant
ry welcomed this egalitarian measure, believing that they would benefit from the loss of their masters. However, as Ras Gugsa proceeded in dispossessing the great families each year under one pretext or another, the peasants lost their last defenders. "The dispossessed nobles," writes Pankhurst, "meanwhile, almost all became soldiers of fortune. They were so rapacious that sometimes whole villages abandoned their lands and emigrated to neighbouring territories, many of the peasantry enrolling in the army, as they preferred the perils and independence of a military life to the servitude of the field."
In 1803, Ras Gugsa entered into the ongoing doctrinal disputes that divided the Ethiopian Church by joining the Ichege Wolde Yona in expelling the advocates of the Qebat from Begemder. About the same time, the Ras exploited the helplessness of the ecclesiastical structure on the death of Abuna Yosab III by plundering the episcopal properties 12 September of that year.
Ras Gugsa had a non-violent death and was buried at the church of Iyasus in Debre Tabor
.
Begemder
Begemder was a province in the northwestern part of Ethiopia. There are several proposed etymologies for this name...
(circa 1798 until his death), and Inderase (regent) of the Emperor of Ethiopia
Emperor of Ethiopia
The Emperor of Ethiopia was the hereditary ruler of Ethiopia until the abolition of the monarchy in 1974. The Emperor was the head of state and head of government, with ultimate executive, judicial and legislative power in that country...
. According to Nathaniel Pearce, he took the Christian name of Wolde Mikael. He was the son of Mersu Barentu and Kefey, the sister of Ras Aligaz
Aligaz of Yejju
Aligaz of Yejju was a Ras of Begemder, and Inderase of the Emperor of Ethiopia. He was the son of Abba Seru Gwangul and brother of Ali I of Yejju; he became both Ras and Inderase following Ali's death. Aligaz had a son, Goje....
. Both Bahru Zewde and Paul B. Henze consider his reign as Ras and Enderase as the peak of the Yejju Oromo
Yejju Oromo
Yejju Oromo is a tribe of the Barentu branch of Oromo people. They are one of the northernmost tribes of the Oromo people, which is the second largest ethnicity in Ethiopia....
power during the Zemene Mesafint
Zemene Mesafint
The Zemene Mesafint was a period in Ethiopian history when the country was rent by conflicts between warlords, the Emperor was reduced to little more than a figurehead confined to the capital city of...
.
He married one daughter to Dejazmach Meru of Dembiya, and his other daughter Hirut to Dejazmach Haile Maryam.
When Gugsa became Ras of Begemder, as mentioned in the contemporary Royal Chronicle and later in Gabra Sellase's chronicle of Menelik's reign, he made his capital at a place called Lebo, a mountainous district some 60 kilometers south-east of Gondar
Gondar
Gondar or Gonder is a city in Ethiopia, which was once the old imperial capital and capital of the historic Begemder Province. As a result, the old province of Begemder is sometimes referred to as Gondar...
. Upon becoming Regent, Ras Gugsa reasserted the central power of the Empire (although keeping the Emperor as a figurehead) by dispossessing the nobility of the parts of Ethiopia he controlled, primarily Begemder
Begemder
Begemder was a province in the northwestern part of Ethiopia. There are several proposed etymologies for this name...
. He accomplished this by proclaiming in 1800 in the name of the Emperor the legal title of land tenure
Land tenure
Land tenure is the name given, particularly in common law systems, to the legal regime in which land is owned by an individual, who is said to "hold" the land . The sovereign monarch, known as The Crown, held land in its own right. All private owners are either its tenants or sub-tenants...
would be converted from freehold
Fee simple
In English law, a fee simple is an estate in land, a form of freehold ownership. It is the most common way that real estate is owned in common law countries, and is ordinarily the most complete ownership interest that can be had in real property short of allodial title, which is often reserved...
s to state property, held at the will of the Emperor. At first the peasant
Peasant
A peasant is an agricultural worker who generally tend to be poor and homeless-Etymology:The word is derived from 15th century French païsant meaning one from the pays, or countryside, ultimately from the Latin pagus, or outlying administrative district.- Position in society :Peasants typically...
ry welcomed this egalitarian measure, believing that they would benefit from the loss of their masters. However, as Ras Gugsa proceeded in dispossessing the great families each year under one pretext or another, the peasants lost their last defenders. "The dispossessed nobles," writes Pankhurst, "meanwhile, almost all became soldiers of fortune. They were so rapacious that sometimes whole villages abandoned their lands and emigrated to neighbouring territories, many of the peasantry enrolling in the army, as they preferred the perils and independence of a military life to the servitude of the field."
In 1803, Ras Gugsa entered into the ongoing doctrinal disputes that divided the Ethiopian Church by joining the Ichege Wolde Yona in expelling the advocates of the Qebat from Begemder. About the same time, the Ras exploited the helplessness of the ecclesiastical structure on the death of Abuna Yosab III by plundering the episcopal properties 12 September of that year.
Ras Gugsa had a non-violent death and was buried at the church of Iyasus in Debre Tabor
Debre Tabor
Debre Tabor is a town and a woreda in north-central Ethiopia. Located in the Debub Gondar Zone of the Amhara Region of Ethiopia, about 100 kilometers southeast of Gondar and 50 kilometers east of Lake Tana, this historic town has a latitude and longitude of with an elevation of 2706 meters above...
.