MENZ

'Menz' or 'Manz' (Leslau transliteration: Mänz) is a former province of Ethiopia, located inside the boundaries of the modern Semien Shewa Zone of the Amhara Region.
Donald Levine explains that Menz was divided into three parts: Mama Meder in the center; Lalo Meder in the south; and Gera Meder in the north.^[1] Further, he defines its boundaries as "the Mofar River in the south, the Adabay and Wanchet rivers in the west, the Qechene River in the north, and in the east a long chain of mountains which pour forth the waters that drain across Manz and which divide it from the lowlands of Efrata, Gedem, and Qawat."^[2] This would roughly equate to the modern woredas of Gera Midira Keya Gebriel and Mam Midrina Lalo Midir.
Manz formed the core of the autonomous Ethiopian state of Shewa. Negasi Krestos, a leading warlord of Menz, extended his power to the south by conquest, proclaimed himself ruler of Shewa, and defeated all of his rivals.^[3] Menz afterwards retained its identity as a subregion of Shewa. During the reign of Haile Selassie, Menz was incorporated into the province of Shewa.

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References

Further reading

References

1. Donald N. Levine, ''Wax and Gold: Tradition and Innovation in Ethiopia Culture'' (Chicago: University Press, 1972), p. 28
2. Levine, ''Wax and Gold'', n.13 on p. 289
3. Levine, ''Wax and Gold'', pp. 31f

Further reading

★ Donald Levine, "On the history and Culture of Manz", ''Journal of Semitic Studies'', 9 (Spring, 1964), 204-211.
Menz is also a last name originating from the country of Germany.