Emperor Yohannes IV
| Yohannes IV ፬ኛ ዮሐንስ |
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|---|---|
| Emperor of Ethiopia | |
Emperor Yohannes IV
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| Emperor of Ethiopia | |
| Reign | 11 July 1871 – 10 March 1889 |
| Coronation | 12 January 1872 |
| Predecessor | Tekle Giyorgis II |
| Successor | Menelik II |
| Born |
11 July 1837 May Beha, Tembien, Ethiopian Empire |
| Died | 10 March 1889 (aged 51) Metemma, Ethiopian Empire |
| Spouse | None (widowed before becoming Emperor) |
| Issue |
Ras Araya Selassie Ras Mengeshah |
| House | House of Solomon (Tigrean Branch) |
| Father | Dejazmatch Mercha, Shum of Tembien |
| Mother | Woizero Silass Dimtsu of Chelekot, Enderta |
| Religion | Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church |
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Styles of Yohannes IV of Ethiopia |
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| Reference style |
Amharic: ግርማዊ girmāwī His Imperial Majesty |
| Spoken style |
Amharic: ጃንሆይ djānhoi Your Imperial Majesty (lit. "O [esteemed] royal") |
| Alternative style |
Amharic: ጌቶቹ getochu Our Lord (familiar) (lit. "Our master" (pl.)) |
Yohannes IV (Ge'ez: ፬ኛ ዮሓንስ, Āratenya Yōḥānnis; horse name "Abba Bezba"; 11 July 1837 – 10 March 1889), born Lij Kaśa Mercha and contemporaneously also known in English as Johannes or John IV, was ruler of Tigray 1867-71, and Emperor of Ethiopia ("King of Zion" and "King of Kings" of Ethiopia [as shown in his seal]) 1872-89 is remembered as one of the leading architects of the modern state of Ethiopia.
On the side of his father, Mercha Wolde Kidan, Yohannes descended from the ruling dynasty of Tembien where both his father and grandfather bore the traditional title of šum Tembien, while his mother, Silass Dimtsu, was a daughter of balgäda Demsu of Enderta and Tabotu Woldu of Agame, hence a niece of Sabagadis Woldu. He thus descended from the ruling families of Tembien, Agame, and Enderta. He also had connubial connections with some notables who came to his aid in the early stages: his cousin, Amlasu Araya Selassie, married ras Alula Engida who remained loyal to Yohannes throughout his life, another cousin Altash Wahad married ras Wolde Mikael Solomon who fought on his side in the second half of the 1860s, though later he became his opponent. His sister, Dinqnesh, was married first to Gobez (later atse Tekle Giyorgis) who supported his rebellion against atse Tewodros II in the late 1860s and later to ras bitwädäd Gebre Kidan, one of the leading supporters of Yohannes. His chroniclers further remotely connect him genealogically to the branches of the Solomonic dynasty in Gondar and Shewa. All these relationships contributed toward Yohannes's rise to power in the 1860s and 70s.
The story of the first half of his life is poorly documented. Even the date of his birth is uncertain; various sources place it between 1831 and 1837. The available sources merely indicate that he was the youngest of his siblings, that he had a seriously ailing childhood, that he received some church education, and that he was initiated to manhood after killing some wild animals (lions and/or elephants) for trophies. The first mention of his appearance in the political arena comes up in connection with his visit to the imperial court of Tewodros in 1864-65 in the company of his brothers, Gugsa and Maru. Gugsa was given the title of däjazmač, and Maru that of fit’awrari. The lowest title, of balambaras, was bestowed upon Kaśa, who was subsequently assigned to administer a sub-district within the governorship of his elder brother, Gugsa.
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