Mikael of Wollo

Mikael of Wollo
of Wollo
Monarch	Yohannes IV Menelik II
of north Ethiopia
Monarch	Iyasu V
Personal details
Born	Mohammed Ali 1850 Wollo, Ethiopian Empire
Died	8 September 1918 Holeta Genet, Ethiopian Empire
Nationality	Ethiopian
Relations	Ali Abba Bula, Getie
Children	Iyasu V
Occupation	Military Officer, Diplomat, Court Official
Religion	Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo
Military service
Allegiance	Ethiopian Empire
Battles/wars	Gojjam

Mikael of Wollo (1850 – 8 September 1918), born Imam Mohammed Ali, was an army commander and a member of the nobility of the Ethiopian Empire. He was the father of the "uncrowned" Emperor Iyasu V. He changed his name to Mikael upon converting to Christianity.

Mohammed Ali was born in Wollo. His father was Oromo Somali Imam Ali Abba Bula, and his mother was Getie (from Warrahimano).

Mohammed Ali was a relative of Queen Worqitu of Wollo. Queen Worqitu befriended the young Shewan Prince named Menelik when he escaped from Emperor Tewodros II. In the mid-1850s, Tewodros imprisoned the young man in his stronghold at Magdala. The imprisonment was not harsh and, while imprisoned, Menelik had married one of Tewodros's daughters.

Mohammed Ali became a close friend of Menelik who was six years older than he was, and was shortly to be proclaimed King of Shewa. In time, Menelik was proclaimed Emperor Menelik II and Mohammed Ali became one of his loyal supporters. As a result, by 1874 Menelik appointed Mohammed Ali as governor of Wollo. However, when Mohammed returned to Wollo from a campaign with Menelik in Gojjam, he found his position threatened by an anti-Shewan revolt. He decided to forsake his friend to maintain his power base and sided with Yohannes IV, who was about to march on Shewa and likely to defeat Menelik. "Although this political manoeuvre succeeded over the longer run," Harold Marcus observes, "Mahammad Ali immediately suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of the Shewan army."

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