Axumite

Aksumite Empire
Mangiśta Aksum
c. 100 AD – c. 940 AD
Capital		Aksum
Languages		Ge'ez
Religion		Judaism, Polytheism (before c. 330) Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity (after c. 330)
Government		Monarchy
Negūs
•	c. 100	Za Haqala (first known)
•	c. 940	Dil Na'od (last)
Historical era		Iron Age
•	Established	c. 100 AD
•	Conquest by Gudit	c. 960 AD
Area
•	350	1,250,000 km2 (480,000 sq mi)
Currency		AU, AR, AE units
Preceded by Succeeded by Dʿmt Himyarite Kingdom Medri Bahri Zagwe Dynasty Makuria Alodia
Today part of		Eritrea  Ethiopia  Sudan  South Sudan  Egypt  Djibouti  Yemen  Saudi Arabia

The Kingdom of Aksum (also known as the Kingdom of Axum or the Aksumite Empire) was an ancient kingdom located in present-day Eritrea and the Tigray Region of Ethiopia. Ruled by the Aksumites, it existed from approximately 100 AD to 940 AD. The polity was centered in the city of Axum. It grew from the proto-Aksumite Iron Age period around the 4th century BC to achieve prominence by the 1st century AD, and became a major player on the commercial route between the Roman Empire and Ancient India. The Aksumite rulers facilitated trade by minting their own Aksumite currency, with the state establishing its hegemony over the declining Kingdom of Kush. It also regularly entered the politics of the kingdoms on the Arabian Peninsula, and eventually extended its rule over the region with the conquest of the Himyarite Kingdom. The Persian Prophet Mani (died 274 AD) regarded Axum as one of the four great powers of his time, alongside Persia, Rome, and China.

The Axumites erected a number of large stelae, which served a religious purpose in pre-Christian times. One of these granite columns is the largest such structure in the world, standing at 90 feet. Under Ezana (fl. 320–360) Aksum adopted Christianity. In the 7th century, early Muslims from Mecca sought refuge from Quraysh persecution by travelling to the kingdom, a journey known in Islamic history as the First Hijra.

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