Gelawdewos of Ethiopia

Gelawdewos
Reign	September 3, 1540 - March 23, 1559
Predecessor	Dawit II
Successor	Menas
Dynasty	Solomonic dynasty
Father	Dawit II

Gelawdewos (Ge'ez: ገላውዴዎስ^? galāwdēwōs, modern gelāwdēwōs, "Claudius"; 1521/1522 – 23 March 1559) was Emperor (throne name Asnaf Sagad I (Ge'ez: አጽናፍ ሰገድ^? aṣnāf sagad, modern āṣnāf seged, "to whom the horizon bows" or "the remotest regions submit [to him]"; September 3, 1540 - March 23, 1559) of Ethiopia, and a member of the Solomonic dynasty. He was a younger son of Dawit II by Sabla Wengel.

His reign was dominated by the struggle with Ahmad ibn Ibrahim al-Ghazi during the Abyssinian–Adal war until Ahmad's defeat and death in the Battle of Wayna Daga on February 21, 1543. Gelawdewos devoted time and energy to rallying his people against Ahmad, a determination his chronicler credits prevented Ahmad's forcible conversions from being permanent. With Ahmad's death, Gelawdewos was not only able to eject the leaderless Muslim forces from the Ethiopian Highlands, but also from the lowlands to the east, which included the Sultanate of Dawaro and Bale. He also turned his attention to the numerous Ethiopians who had crossed over to the Imam's side, either to further themselves or out of self-preservation. While some presented themselves to Gelawdewos expecting to be pardoned only to be executed, to many others he granted his safe conduct, according to Miguel de Castanhoso, "for there were so many [who had joined Imam Ahmad] that had he ordered all to be killed, he would have remained alone."

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