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, a precursor to the palaces of Gonder. Likely built by Emperor Sarsa Dengel to celebrate his defeat of the Ottoman Empire, but also attributed to his father, Menas of Ethiopia|261x261px]] Sarsa Dengel ( ; 1550 – 4 October 1597), also known as Sarsa the Great, was Emperor of Ethiopia, and a member of the Solomonic dynasty. His throne name was Malak Sagad I (መለክ ሰገድ ). He is considered one of the greatest warrior-kings of the Ethiopian Empire.Trimingham, J. Spencer. Islam in Ethiopia. United Kingdom: Taylor & Francis, 2013, p.95Wubneh, Mulatu. Planning for Cities in Crisis: Lessons from Gondar, Ethiopia. Germany: Springer International Publishing, 2023, p.131
Sarsa Dengel, the son of Emperor Menas and Empress Admas Mogasa, was elected king at the age of 14. As ruler, he faced several revolts and moved the empire's center from Shewa to Begemder. Sarsa Dengel fought against the Ottoman Empire, defeating regional ruler Bahr Negus Yeshaq and Adal Sultan Muhammad V. He also repelled the Turkish invaders in Debarwa and Hirgigo. In addition, Sarsa Dengel led campaigns against the Oromo people tribes who were migrating northward, successfully pushing them back. Despite his military successes, some historians argue that his focus on northern campaigns instead of addressing the Oromo expansion in the south ultimately led to the decline of the Ethiopian Empire. Others have argued he left the empire stronger and larger than it already was.
/ref> While indifferent to the Roman Catholic Church, he allowed the free preaching of the faith throughout his empire. Edward Ullendroff describes him as a Warrior king in the tradition of Amda Seyon.Ullendorff, Edward. The Ethiopians: An Introduction to Country and People. United Kingdom, Oxford University Press, 1973, p. 73 The Ethiopian chronicler Bahrey praises him for being present in the battlefield alongside his troops as opposed to the previous Emperors who largely took command without seeing combat.
Under luba Mul'eta the Borana Oromo crossed the Blue Nile and invaded Gojjam in 1586, it was during this raid that the future Emperor Susenyos I would be captured by the Oromos. Sarsa Dengel then took the initiative against the Oromo in the south, where he forced the Dawé Oromo in Wej to flee south. Bahrey praised Sarsa Dengel's campaign, stating that he "did not act according to the custom of the kings his ancestors, who, when making war were in the habit of sending their troops ahead, remaining themselves in the rear with the pick of their cavalry and infantry, praising those who went forward bravely and punishing those who lagged behind."
The Emperor then marched into the area and encamped within sight of the enemy. The two armies then fought a series of inconclusive battles were a number of Muhammad's men deflected to the Abyssinians, the fighting grew so fierce that the Emperor erected a defensive rampart around the camp. Muhammad, seeing that it was impossible to advance any further decided to return to Harar, the Emperor then attempted to lure him into a battle by pretending to be afraid and acting like he was about to flee. This strategy was successful and a major engagement was fought between the Muslims and the Abyssinians. Asmadin then decided to defect to Sarsa Dengel with sixty of his horsemen and a large number of other soldiers.
Muhammad ibn Nasir, realizing that the battle was lost, finally decided to retreat back to Adal and rode off with fifty horsemen. However along the way the Adalites looted the oxen belonging to some Hadiya people peasants, the peasants were outraged and blocked the escape routes. As a result, Muhammad and most of his men were captured by the Abyssinians. While the Emperor Sarsa Dengel was initially reluctant to execute his captured enemies,Budge, E. A. Wallis. A History of Ethiopia: Volume II (Routledge Revivals): Nubia and Abyssinia. United Kingdom, Taylor & Francis, 2014, p. 365 [2] he was pressured to do so by the Ethiopian commanders. Consequently, Muhammad was executed, along with numerous other notable Adalite leaders and three sons of Nur ibn Mujahid. Asmadin, who played a decisive rule in the battle, was awarded heavily by the Emperor.Budge, E. A. Wallis. A History of Ethiopia: Volume II (Routledge Revivals): Nubia and Abyssinia. United Kingdom, Taylor & Francis, 2014, p. 365 [3]
Upon defeating the Turks, Sarsa Dengel then held his coronation at Aksum and in 1580 he departed from Tigray province to conduct a campaign against the Beta Israel in Semien province. While on this campaign, Sarsa Dengel received information that the Borana Oromo were attacking the provinces of Shewa, Waj, and Damot. Despite this, Sarsa Dengel declined to defend these territories against the Oromos and instead continued to focus his attention on the Beta Israel. This decision generated considerable frustration among his officials but the Emperor justified his action by stating: "It is better for me that I fight with the enemies of the blood of Jesus Christ i.e. than go to fight against the Oromo people."
In 1587, the Turks left the port of Hirgigo and advanced inland to take Debarwa again. The Turks defeated the governor of Hamasien who fled to Tigray. Upon hearing this, Sarsa Dengel mobilized his forces and crossed the Mareb River to repel the Turkish invaders who were pillaging the countryside. He advanced to Debarwa and then launched a raid on the Ottoman fort at Hirgigo where he killed the Ottoman commander Kadawert Pasha.The Encyclopaedia of Islām: A Dictionary of the Geography, Ethnography and Biography of the Muhammadan Peoples. United Kingdom, E. J. Brill, 1913, p. 120 [4] The Turks then gave a peace offering to the Emperor and withdrew from Hirgigo, handing it over to a local Balaw chief.
His body was interred in Medhane Alem church on Rema Island. When Robert Ernest Cheesman visited the church in March 1933, he was shown a blue-and-white porcelain jar, which his entrails were brought from the place of his death.R.E. Cheesman, "Lake Tana and Its Islands", Geographical Journal, 85 (1935), p. 498
According to Professor Mordechai Abir: “the many historians who described sersa Dangel as an able, heroic, and successful monarch completely distorted the truth.” Sarsa Dengel's obsession to consolidate his government in the Beta Israel provinces in the north instead of focusing all of his resources and attention in the south to stop the Oromo expansions was a turning point in Ethiopian history. Professor Abir wrote; “This disastrous decision opened the Ethiopian plateau for the Oromo migration and sparked off a chain of reaction which lead to the final decline of the Ethiopian Empire.”
The British Historian, Richard Pankhurst, also stated that Emperor Sersa dangel’s victories in the far north against the Ottoman Empire were achieved at the cost of abandoning effective resistance against the Oromo invasion from the south.
Robert Silverberg, However, argues that Sarsa Dengel died in 1597 having enlarged the realm he inherited. Silverbger further calls the Emperor a valiant warrior and refers to his time on the throne as "the 35 triumphant years" during which Sarsa Dengel scored several decisive victories over his various enemies. He thus argues that Sarsa Dengel left the Ethiopian Empire much stronger and larger than he found it at the time of his accession to the throne.Silverberg, Robert. The Realm of Prester John. Greece, Ohio University Press, 2020.[7]
War with Ottomans
When the Ottoman Empire withdrew from Debarwa, the local ruler Yeshaq promptly seized the opportunity to occupy it and forge an alliance with the Turks. Sarsa Dengel, angered by what he perceived as his vassal's arrogance and betrayal, marched against them in 1577. He defeated and liquidated the combined army of the Ottoman Empire and their rebellious allies at the Battle of Addi Qarro in Tigray Region, where he killed the Ottoman commander Ahmad Pasha along with the rebellious Bahr Negus Yeshaq.Dombrowski, Franz Amadeus. Ethiopia's Access to the Sea. Germany: Brill, 2023, p.23Casale, Giancarlo. The Ottoman Age of Exploration. United Kingdom, Oxford University Press, 2010, p.152Aregay, M.. A Reappraisal of the Impact of Firearms in the Military History of Ethiopia (c.1500-1800). United Kingdom, School of Oriental and African Studies and Institute of Commonwealth Studies, 1968, p.114 The victorious Emperor then advanced on Debarwa whereupon the Turkish garrison surrendered with all its firearms. Sarsa Dengel then seized the vast riches stored by the Turks in Debarwa and ordered the destruction of the mosque and the fort erected during the Ottoman occupation. The chronicler, who was greatly impressed by the Emperor's military victories exclaims: "Who among the kings of Ethiopia has defeated the Turkish army supplied with rifles and cannons? None has seen or heard of the victories of King Malak Sagad!" The Ethiopian Royal Chronicles. Addis Ababa: Oxford University Press, 1967., p. 83. Prior to the battle, Sarsa replied to Yeshaq stating "you may come to me with the Turks, (but) I will come to you with Christ my savior"
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Death
On his final campaign against the Oromo in Damot, his Chronicle records, The Ethiopian Royal Chronicles., page 83 Addis Ababa: Oxford University Press, 1967. a group of monks tried to dissuade him from this expedition; failing that, they warned him not to eat fish from a certain river he would pass. Despite their warning, when he passed by the river the monks warned him about, he ate fish taken from this river and grew sick and died.G.W.B. Huntingford, Historical Geography of Ethiopia (London: British Academy, 1989), p. 149.
Legacy
Historian J. Spencer Trimingham hails Sarsa Dengel as one of the greatest warrior-kings to rule the Ethiopian Empire.Trimingham, J. Spencer. Islam in Ethiopia. United Kingdom: Taylor & Francis, 2013, p.95 According to Paul B. Henze, Sarsa Dengel's reorganization of the Ethiopian army led to his successful defense of the empire from enemies in all directions.Henze, Paul B.. Layers of time : a history of Ethiopia. London: Hurst & Company, 2000, p.94 [6] German Historian Franz Dombrowski credits Sarsa Dengel with ending the Ottoman threat to the independence of his Empire and restoring the powerful position of the Ethiopian Emperor in the region.Dombrowski, Franz Amadeus. Ethiopia's Access to the Sea. Germany: Brill, 2023, p.25
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