Sarsa Dengel
| Sarsa Dengel | |
|---|---|
| Emperor of Ethiopia | |
| Reign | 1563–1597 |
| Predecessor | Menas |
| Successor | Yaqob |
| Died | 4 October 1597 |
| Issue | Yaqob |
| Ge'ez | ሠረጸ ድንግል śarṣa dingil |
| Amharic | 'śarṣa dingil |
| Dynasty | Solomonic dynasty |
| Father | Menas |
| Mother | Admas Mogasa |
Sarsa Dengel (Ge'ez ሠረጸ ድንግል śarṣa dingil, Amh. serṣe dingil "Sprout of the Virgin", 1550 – 4 October 1597) was nəgusä nägäst (throne name Malak Sagad I, Ge'ez መልአክ ሰገድ mal'ak sagad, Amh. mel'āk seged, "to whom the angel bows") (1563–1597) of Ethiopia, and a member of the Solomonic dynasty.
The son of Emperor Menas and Empress Admas Mogasa, Sarsa Dengel spent his reign in constant campaigning, repelling Ottoman advances inland from the Red Sea and Oromo advances from the south.
He was elected king by the Shewan commanders of the army and the Dowager Empress. Upon his coming of age Bahr negus Yeshaq, who had rebelled against his father, presented himself to Sarsa Dengel and made peace. However, Sarsa Dengel had to confront a number of other revolts: his cousin Hamalmal in 1563, another cousin Fasil two years later. Yeshaq once again revolted with support of the Ottoman Empire; Sarsa Dengel then marched to Tigray in 1576, where he defeated and killed in battle the Bahr Negash and his allies, Özdemir Pasha and Sultan Muhammed IV of Harar. When the Ottomans attempted to advance inland to capture Debarwa in 1588, Emperor Sarsa Dengel responded by sacking Arqiqo the following year.
Sarsa Dengel was the first emperor of Ethiopia to confront the encroachment of the Oromo, who had defeated Nur ibn Mujahid as he returned home after killing his uncle Gelawdewos in battle. In his tenth regnal year (1573), campaigning in the south, Sarsa Dengel defeated the Oromo in a battle near Lake Zway. He campaigned against them again in his 15th (1578) and 25th (1588) regnal years.
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