(Redirected from Lij)
This is a list of
Ethiopian aristocratic and
court titles used in Ethiopia until the end of the Monarchy in
1974.
There were two categories of Ethiopia's nobility. The 'Mesafint' (
Ge
ez መሳፊንት ''masāfint'', modern ''mesāfint'', singular መስፍን ''masfin'', modern ''mesfin'', "prince") or princes were the hereditary nobles, and formed the upper echelon of the ruling class as far as status. The 'Mekwanint' (መኳንንት ''makʷānint'', modern ''mekʷānint'', sing. መኰንን ''makʷanin'', modern ''mekʷenin'' or መኮንን ''mekonnen'', "governor") were the appointed nobles, often of humble birth, who formed the bulk of the noble class. Until the 20th Century, the most powerful people at court were generally Mekwanint appointed by the monarch, while regionally the Mesafint enjoyed greater influence and power. Emperor
Haile Selassie greatly curtailed the power of the Mesafint to the benefit of the Mekwanint.
The Mesafint
Men's honorifics
★ '' ("
King of kings") --
Emperor of Ethiopia. Although several kings of Aksum used this style, until the restoration of the
Solomonic dynasty under
Yekonu Amlak, rulers of Ethiopia generally used the style of ''Negus'', although "King of Kings" was used as far back as Ezana. (See below.) The full title of the Emperor of Ethiopia included the terms 'Atse'(Emperor), Neguse Negest (King of kings), and 'Seyoume Igziabeher' (Elect of God). The title of 'Moa Anbessa Ze Imnegede Yehuda'(Conquering Lion of the Tribe of Judah) always preceded the titles of the Emperor. It was not a personal title, but rather referred to the title of Christ, and placed Christ ahead of the Emperor's name in an act of Imperial submission to the primacy of Jesus. Until
Yohannes IV the Emperor was also 'Neguse Tsion'(King of Zion). The Emperor was entitled to the dignities of 'Girmawi' (His(Your) Imperial Majesty), and 'Janhoy' (Sire), 'Atse' (Emperor when referred to in the third person) and in his own household and family as 'Getochu'(our Master in the plural).
★ '
Negus' ("king") -- This word was often used as part of the title to denote any important official. The rulers of
Gondar,
Shewa,
Gojjam,
Wollo, have all held the title of Negus at some time. Gondar, Wollo and
Tigray were also part of the 'Kingdom of Zion' centered at Axum. That title was usually held by the Emperor of Ethiopia himself, but was last used by Emperor Yohannes IV. It was awarded to
Negus Mikael, father of
Iyasu V, but because of an outcry by the descendants of Yohannes IV, the title of the King was altered from Negus of Zion to Negus of Wollo. Upon Lij Iyasu's deposition, Ras Wolde Giorgis Aboye, the senior Prince of the Imperial family at the time, was made Negus of Gondar to compensate him for not being made regent for his cousin Empress Zewditu. The regency went to the Crown Prince Taffari Makonnen instead. In 1928, not long after the death of Negus Wolde Giorgis, the then Crown Prince of Ethiopia, Ras Taffari Makonnen was crowned Negus Taffari by Empress Zewditu. He would be the last person to bear the title of Negus, as he refused to grant this title ever again once he succeeded as Emperor in 1930.
★ 'Leul' (ልዑል, "Prince") -- Title reserved for Princes of the Imperial blood.
★ 'Abetohun' (አቤቶሁን) or 'Abeto' (አቤቶ) -- Prince. Title reserved for males of Imperial ancestry in the male line. Title fell into disuse by the late 1800s. Lij Iyasu attempted to revive the title as 'Abeto-hoy' and this form is still used by the current Iyasuist claimant Lij
Girma Yohannis Iyasu.
★ 'Ras' (ራስ, "head") -- One of the most powerful non-imperial ranks in Ethiopia; Harold G. Marcus equates this to a
duke. The combined title of 'Leul Ras' was given to the heads of the cadet branches of the Imperial dynasty, such as the Princes of Gojjam, Tigray and Selale.
★ 'Bitwoded' (ቢትወደድ, "beloved") -- An office thought to have been created by
Zara Yaqob who appointed two of these, one of the Left and one of the Right. These were later merged into one office, which became the supreme grade of Ras in the 18th century, "Ras Betwadad". Marcus equates this to an
earl.
★ 'Dejazmach' (ደጅአዝማች, "Commander or general of the Gate") -- Marcus equates this to a
count. The heirs of the "Leul Rases" were titled 'Leul Dejazmach' to elevate them above the non-Imperial blood Dejazmaches.
★ 'Fitawrari' (ፊትአውራሪ, "Leader of the Vanguard") -- Marcus equates this to a
viscount.
★ 'Kenyazmach' (ቀኝአዝማች, "Commander or general of the Right") -- Marcus equates this to a
baron.
★ 'Gerazmach' (ግራአዝማች, "Commander or general of the Left") -- Marcus equates this to a
baron.
★ 'Balambaras' (ባላምባራስ) -- The commander of a fortress; Marcus equates this to a
baronet.
★ 'Lij' -- (ልጅ, Literally "child") Title given from birth to sons of members of the
Mesafint.
Women's honorifics
★ 'Nigiste Negest' (ንግሥተ ነግሥት, "Queen of Kings") -- Empress in her own right. Title used by Empress
Zauditu, the only woman in the modern age to reign in Ethiopia in her own right. The Nigiste Negest was entitled to the dignity of 'Girmawit' (Her(Your) Imperial Majesty).
★ 'Itege' (እቴጌ) -- Empress Consort, wife of the reigning Emperor, or as Dowager Empress, widow of a previous Emperor. Empresses were generally crowned as consorts by the Emperor at the Imperial Palace. However, Empress
Taitu Bitul, consort of Menelik II, became the first Itege to be crowned by the Emperor at church rather than at the Palace. Her coronation took place on the second day of the Emperor's coronation holiday. Empress
Menen Asfaw became the first Itege to be crowned by the archbishop on the same day and during the same ceremony as her husband, Emperor
Haile Selassie. The Itege was entitled to the dignity of 'Girmawit'(Her(Your)Imperial Majesty).
★ 'Leult' (ልዕልት) -- Princess. Reserved at birth for daughters of the monarch, and granddaughters in the male line. Usually bestowed on the wives of "Leul Rases" as well as the monarch's granddaughters in the female line upon their marriages. The notable exception to the rule was "Leult"
Yeshashework Yilma, Emperor Haile Selassie's niece by his elder brother, who received the title with the dignity of "Highness" from Empress
Zauditu upon the princesses marriage to 'Leul Ras'
Gugsa Araya in 1918, and then again from her uncle upon his coronation in 1930 with the enhanced dignity of "Imperial Highness".
★ 'Emebet Hoy' (እመቤት ሆይ, "Great Royal Lady") --Reserved for the wives of those bearing the title of "Leul Dejazmatch"
★ 'Emebet' (እመቤት, "Royal Lady") --Reserved for the unmarried granddaughters of the monarch in the female line (they were generally granted the title of "leult" upon marriage), and to the daughters of the "Leul Rases".
★ 'Woizero' (ወይዘሮ, Dame) -- Originally high noble title that over time came to be the general accepted form of address for married women in general (Mrs.). It was still awarded by the Emperor on rare occasions in the 20th century to non-royal women, and sometimes with the higher grade of 'Woizero Hoy' (Great Dame).
★ 'Woizerit' (ወይዘሪት, Lady) -- Originally high ranking noble title for unmarried women, now the general accepted form of address for unmarried women in general (Miss). It was sometimes awarded with the added distinction of 'Woizerit Hoy', (Great Lady) but only to widows.
Important regional offices
★ 'Bahr negus' (ባሕር ንጉሥ, "ruler of the Seas") -- King of the territories north of the
Mareb River, and as a result the most powerful office in medieval Ethiopia after the Emperor himself. As a result of the revolts of the Bahr negus
Yeshaq in the later 16th century, this office lost much of its power. Although men are mentioned as holding this office into the early 18th century, they were of little consequence.
★ 'Meridazmach' (መርዕድ አዝማች, " Fearsome Commander or supreme general") -- This title is related to "Dejazmach" or "Kenyazmach" above. Beginning in the 18th century this came to denote the ruler of
Shewa until
Sahle Selassie dropped it in favor of the title of Negus. Later revived in 1930 in
Wollo for
Crown Prince Asfaw Wossen.
★ 'Mesfin Harrar' (መስፍን ሐረር) --Duke of Harrar. Hereditary title created in 1930 for Emperor
Haile Selassie's second son,
Prince Makonnen. (The wife of the Mesfin was properly titled ''Sefanit'' but was more commonly referred to as the ''Mesfinit'').
★ 'Nebura ed' ("one put in office through the laying of hands") -- civil governor of
Aksum. Also called ''Liqat Aksum''. Because of the historical and symbolic importance of this city, the rules of precedence promulgated in
1689 ranked the ''Nebura ed'' ahead of all of the provincial governors. Indeed, when the title was granted with ''Ras Warq'' (the right to wear a coronet), it was higher than even the title of Ras. Although a civil title granted by the Emperor, it was usually bestowed on a clergyman due to Axum's status as the holiest site of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church within the country.
: ''Note'':
Edward Ullendorff notes that the title of "Nebura ed" is also used by the head of
Basilica Church of St Maryam at
Addis Alem, "built by Menelik as the southern Aksum". (''The Ethiopians'', 2nd ed. [London: Oxford, 1960], p. 109)
★ 'Tigray Mekonnen' (ትግራይ መኮንን) -- governor of the province of
Tigray. Under the rule of Emperor
Yohannes IV in the late 19th century, the Tigray Mekonnen briefly became responsible for the territories once controlled by the Bahrnegus, and became the most powerful governor in the Empire. However, by the 20th century the Tigray Mekonnen was reduced to a symbolic title, and possessed no special powers or lands in itself, as most of those lands were now part of the Italian colony of
Eritrea.
★ 'Wagshum' (ዋግሹም) -- governor (or ''shum'') of the province of
Wag. The Wagshum was a hereditary title, and these rulers traced their ancestry back to the kings of the
Zagwe dynasty.
★ 'Jantirar' -- hereditary title limited to the males of the family that held the mountain fortress of Ambassel. Empress
Menen Asfaw, consort of Emperor
Haile Selassie was the daughter of Jantirar Asfaw.
★ 'Shum Agame' (ሹም አጋሜ) -- Hereditary title of the governor of Agame district in Eastern Tigrai, reserved for the descendants of the great warlord Dejazmatch Sebagadis of the Zemene Mesafint Period.
★ 'Shum Tembien' (ሹም ታምብየን) -- Governor of Tembien district of Tigrai. Emperor
Yohannis IV was the son of Shum Mercha of Tembien.
The 'Mekwanint'
Important offices of the Imperial Court
★ 'Enderase' (እንደራሴ, Literally "As Myself") -- Regent of the Empire. Also title used by the monarch's representatives to fiefs and vassals.
★ 'Reise Mekwanint' (ርዕሰ መኳንንት, Head of the Nobles) -- Title granted during the
Zemene Mesafint to the holder of the "Enderase-ship," which raised the holder over all appointed nobles. Last granted to Yohannes IV by his brother-in-law
Tekle Giyorgis II before the former deposed the later and seized the throne for himself.
★ 'Tsehafi Tezaz' (ጸሐፊ ትእዛዝ, Literally "Scribe by Command") -- Minister of the Pen. Holder of the most powerful post at the Imperial court. All Imperial decisions, announcements, edicts, laws, and schedules were arranged through this minister's office and were issued by him. The office was combined with that of Prime Minister during the tenure of
Aklilu Habte-Wold (1961-1974).
★ 'Afe Negus' -- (አፈ ንጉሥ, Literally "Mouth of the King") Originally title given to the two chief heralds who acted as official spokesmen for the Emperor. As the Emperor never spoke in public, these officials always spoke in public for him, speaking as if they were the Emperor. Later, the title was granted only to Justices of the Imperial Supreme Court.
★ 'Lique Mekwas' (ሊቀ መኳስ) -- The Emperor's seconds in battle. Two trusted and highly favored officials were given this title. They always walked or rode on either side of the monarch in battle, or in public processions, dressing as magnificently or more magnificently then he in order to attract the attention of would be assassins in his stead.
★ 'Blattengeta' (ብላቴና) -- "Lord of the Pages", High court official that served as administrator of the Palaces. Later used as an honorific.
★ 'Blatta' (ብላታ) -- "Page", high court officials in charge of maintaining palace protocol and meeting the personal needs of the Imperial family.
★ 'Basha' (ባሻ) -- Originally derived from the Turkish (Ottoman)/Egyptian title of
Pasha, but considered a lower rank in Ethiopia, whereas Pasha was a high rank at the Turkish and Egyptian courts.
Note: Higher ranks from the title of Ras through Balambaras were also bestowed upon members of the Mekwanint. A Ras who was a member of the Mesafint (such as Ras Mengesha Yohannis, son of Emperor Yohannes IV) would usually be given precedence over a Ras who was a member of the Mekwanint, (such as Ras Alula Engida who was of humble birth) even though their ranks were equal. There were also however parallel rules of precedence based on seniority based on age, on offices held, and on when they each obtained their titles, which made the rules fo precedence fairly complicated.
See also
★
Ethiopian ecclesiastical titles
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