Newly Discovered Documents Reveal: Ras Tafari Crowned "Lord of Lords" in 1917*
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| Coronation of Her Imperial Majesty Empress Zewditu and His Imperial Highness Balemulu Silt'an Enderassé Le'ul-Ras Tafari Makonnen on February 11, 1917. |
Over 560 years ago a mysterious and seemingly miraculous nocturnal blaze ignited the skies above East Africa. In 1456 CE when Emperor Zara Yaqob, whose name translates as the "Seed of Jacob" in Amharic, witnessed what many historians believe today to be Halley's Comet it prompted him to found the city of Debra Berhan, literally, "Mountain of Light". He erected a church there and used it as his capital until he died in 1468 CE.¹
According to Ethiopian history, Emperor Zara Yaqob ascended the Solomonic throne as the 178th direct descendant of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba in 1434 CE. His coronation took place in Axum in 1436 CE and his regnal name was Constantine I during his reign.² The Europeans and the Vatican incorrectly referred to Zara Yaqob as Prester John.³ Originally thought to be from somewhere in the Asian continent, Prester John was a fictitious Eastern Christian patriarch and monarch whose legendary tale offered hope because it was believed that he was supposed to eventually arrive with his armies to help Christians fight off Islamic invaders in the West.
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| A 'Prester John map' highlighting the African continent by Abraham Ortelius, 1527–1598. |
The Seed of Jacob Harvests the Law of the Kings
It's written that Zara Yaqob loved justice so much that he condemned his own son to death for the murder of a slave. He's credited with adopting the Fetha Nagast ("Law of the Kings") and translating it into the ancient Ethiopian language of Ge'ez.
The Fetha Nagast originated in thirteenth century Egypt and is a compilation of both religious and secular legal prescriptions created as a guide for Christians living within Muslim societies. Ethiopian tradition holds that it was written by the 318 Fathers of the Church, "Three Hundred Sages", the Selest Meeti. It was originally written in the Arabic language and incorporated laws from the Bible, Roman Canon, Muslim precepts and the proceedings of the councils of Nicaea and Antioch.⁴ Zara Yaqob studied the Fetha Nagast assiduously and the Ge'ez version became the foundation of Ethiopian law for generations.⁵
Grafting of the Bitwodeds Yields the Supreme Grade of Ras
Emperor Zara Yaqob is also thought to have created the Imperial Ethiopian rank of Bitwoded which literally means "the only loved one" or "beloved," one of the left (Gara Bitwoded) and one of the right (Kagn Bitwoded).
During his reign Zara Yaqob became aware of a conspiracy involving his son-in-law, Gara Bitwoded Amda Masqal, who was found guilty of adultery, "falsehood, ambition and various shameful projects unworthy of the human heart."⁶ Zara Yaqob reacted by appointing two of his daughters, Medhan Zamada and Berhan Zamada to these two offices.⁷
These two positions could remain separate, be merged into one or split into two as needed by the sovereign. When merged, this office was used to designate the senior Ras, the Ras of Rasses: "Ras Bitwoded" until 1916.⁸ Some of the last nobles to acquire the rank before it was replaced were Mengesha Atikem in 1894 and Tesemma Nadew in 1909.⁹ After World War II the title was merely regarded as honorific and only awarded once more to the first Ethiopian prime minister, Ras Bitwoded Makonnen Endalkatchew in 1957.¹⁰
His Imperial Highness or the Ras of Rasses
Emperor Menelik II died on December 12, 1913 and Lij Iyasu was then the designated but uncrowned Emperor of Ethiopia until he was deposed in 1916. On September 27, 1916, Dejazmatch Tafari was promoted and the highest ranking office of Ras Bitwoded was superseded with that of "Leul-Ras." This new title, which was previously only used as a form of address ("Leul" meaning "Your Highness"), was created by the newly appointed Crown Prince, Regent Plenipotentiary and Heir to the Throne, Ras Tafari.¹¹
A counterpoint to this fact is that the former foreign minister, Heruy Wolde-Selassie, is generally regarded, by some scholars, as the originator of the term "Le'ul-Ras" and possibly made a suggestion to Ras Tafari in the early 1920s to start using it in order to distinguish himself from the other Rasses.¹² This theory is at variance with multiple sources, however.
One God, One Aim, Four New Lord of Lords
An Amharic letter written by the Ethiopian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Kagnazmatch Beyene Yimer, in Addis Ababa (lit. "New Flower") on January 12, 1917 to the U.S. Secretary of State, Robert Lansing, confirms that Ras Tafari was scheduled to officially be crowned as "Leul-Ras" on February 11, 1917 during the same ceremony when Empress Zewditu was scheduled to be crowned Empress as Queen of Queens ("Negesta Nagastat") of Ethiopia.¹³
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| The letter written by the Ethiopian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Kagnazmatch Beyene Yimer, to the U.S. Secretary of State, Robert Lansing, dated January 12, 1917. |
Thirteen years later, upon the death of Empress Zewditu, Alga Worrach Balemulu Silt’an Enderassé Leul-Ras Tafari was proclaimed Emperor Haile Selassie I with the title King of Kings of Ethiopia (“Negusa Negest ze Itiyopia”) on April 3, 1930, and he was subsequently crowned on November 2nd in the capital city of Addis Ababa.¹⁴ His Orthodox Christian baptismal name “Haile Selassie” literally means “Might of the Trinity.”¹⁵
Ras means "Lord" in Amharic,¹⁷ therefore the senior Ras is the provincial lord of provincial lords. In other words His Imperial Majesty Emperor Haile Selassie the First is technically the only human attested in modern history to acquire both titles King of Kings of Ethiopia and Lord of Lords, as according to the biblical prophecy pertaining to God incarnate contained in the book of Psalms chapter eighty-seven, verse four, and Revelation chapter nineteen, verse sixteen.
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| Le'ul-Ras Tafari's coronation crown with the gilded QHS monogram from February 11, 1917 currently on display at the St. George Museum in Addis Ababa. He can be seen wearing it during the coronation in the main photo at the top of the page. |
Linguistic Objections
Amharic speakers have argued that Emperor Haile Selassie never held the title "Lord of Lords" as it was never a title historically associated with Ethiopian rulers. Yet according to Amharic sources Haile Selassie was the "Ras of Rasses" (የራሶች ራስ "yerasochi ras").¹⁸
In 1954 the Ministry of Education ordered Artistic Printers LTD to publish an Amharic dictionary written by Tessema Habte Mikael Getzew called Kesate Berhan which indicates that the term ጌታ geta ("lord") can be used in reference to a military rank (such as a ras) or a military commander አበጋዝ ("abegaz").¹⁹
Later in 1970, an Amharic dictionary written by Desta Tekle Wolde was published which also indicated that ጌታ geta ("lord") can refer to many things including a landlord, an official, a nobleman, an officer or a leader, etc.²⁰
Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church members have objected, arguing that the biblical title "Lord of Lords" (የጌታዎች ጌታ "yegetawochi geta") can only apply to Jesus of Nazareth from 2,000 years ago. However, the Emperor's recorded fulfillment of prophecy retroactively changes the meaning of the Bible and, consequently, humanity's fundamental understanding of theology. Therefore, despite all objections from native Amharic speakers, Emperor Haile Selassie did in fact have both biblical titles King of Kings of Ethiopia and Lord of Lords which means he's the physical manifestation of God in the flesh on earth (Psalm 87:4, Revelation 19:16).
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2. Tamrat, Taddesse. Church and State in Ethiopia 1270–1527, Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1972, p. 229.
3. Silverberg, Robert. The Realm of Prester John, Ohio University Press, 1996, pp. 188–189.
4. Lowenstein, Steven. "The Penal System of Ethiopia." Journal of Ethiopian Law, vol. 2, no. 2, 1965, p. 383.
5. Lowenstein, Steven. Materials for the Study of The Penal Law of Ethiopia, Faculty of Law Haile Sellassie I University, 1965, pp. xiii, 57–58.
6. Pankhurst, Richard. The Ethiopian Royal Chronicles, Oxford University Press, Addis Ababa, 1967, p. 32; Pankhurst, Richard. "ᶜAmdä Mäsqäl." Encyclopaedia Aethiopica, edited by Siegbert Uhlig, vol. 1, Harrassowitz Verlag Wiesbaden, Germany, 2003, p. 226.
7. Pankhurst, Richard. The Ethiopian Royal Chronicles, Oxford University Press, Addis Ababa, 1967, p. 32.
8. Chernetsov, Sevir. "Bitwäddäd." Encyclopaedia Aethiopica, edited by Siegbert Uhlig, vol. 1, Harrassowitz Verlag Wiesbaden, Germany, 2003, p. 594; Asserate, Asfa-Wossen. KING OF KINGS: The Triumph and Tragedy of Emperor Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia, Haus Publishing Ltd., Berlin, 2014, p. 350.
9. Rubinkowska, Hanna. "Mängäšä Atikäm." Encyclopaedia Aethiopica, edited by Siegbert Uhlig, vol. 3, Harrassowitz Verlag Wiesbaden, Germany, 2007, pp. 726–727; Nosnitsin, Denis. "Ras." Encyclopaedia Aethiopica, edited by Siegbert Uhlig, vol. 4, Harrassowitz Verlag Wiesbaden, Germany, 2010, p. 331; "Tesemma Nadew." Dictionary of African Biography, edited by Emmanuel Kwaku Akyeampong, vol. 6, Oxford University Press, New York, NY, 2012, pp. 3–4.
10. Chernetsov, Sevir. "Bitwäddäd." Encyclopaedia Aethiopica, edited by Siegbert Uhlig, vol. 1, Harrassowitz Verlag Wiesbaden, Germany, 2003, p. 594; Balashova, Galina. "Mäkʷännǝn Ǝndalkaččäw." Encyclopaedia Aethiopica, edited by Siegbert Uhlig, vol. 3, Harrassowitz Verlag Wiesbaden, Germany, 2007, p. 683.
11. Rey, Charles Fenrnad. The Real Abyssinia, J. B. Lippincott Company, New York, 1935, pp. 117, 218; Sellassie, Haile I. The Autobiography of Emperor Haile Selassie I: 'My Life and Ethiopia's Progress' 1892–1937, Oxford University Press, 1976, p. 50; Asserate, Asfa-Wossen. KING OF KINGS: The Triumph and Tragedy of Emperor Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia, Haus Publishing Ltd., Berlin, 2014, pp. 325, 350; Steffanson, Borg G. and Starrett, Ronald K. Documents on Ethiopian Politics: The Decline of Menelik II to the Emergence of Ras Tafari, later known as Haile Selassie, 1910–1919, vol. 1, Documentary Publications, Salisbury, N.C. U.S.A., 1976, p. 133; Rubinkowska, Hanna. "Ǝndärase." Encyclopaedia Aethiopica, edited by Siegbert Uhlig, vol. 2, Harrassowitz Verlag Wiesbaden, Germany, 2005, p. 297.
12. Asserate, Asfa-Wossen. KING OF KINGS: The Triumph and Tragedy of Emperor Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia, Haus Publishing Ltd., Berlin, 2014, p. 325; Asserate, Asfa-Wossen and Smidt, Wolbert. "Ləᶜul." Encyclopaedia Aethiopica, edited by Siegbert Uhlig, vol. 3, Harrassowitz Verlag Wiesbaden, Germany, 2010, p. 556; Smidt, Wolbert. "Ein erster Beleg für den Titel 'lǝʿul' unter lǝǧ Iyasu." Aethiopica: International Journal of Ethiopian and Eritrean Studies, vol. 10, 2007, p. 195, www.researchgate.net/publication/309634250_Ein_erster_Beleg_fur_den_Titel_lul_unter_lg_Iyasu. Accessed 5 November 2024.
13. Gérard, Denis. Ras Tafari Haïlé Sélassié: Visages du dernier empereur d'Éthiopie, l'Archange Minotaure, 2006, p. 30; Molaver, Reidulf K. Prowess, Piety and Politics: The Chronicle of Abeto Iyasu and Empress Zewditu of Ethiopia (1909–1930), Rüdiger Köppe Verlag Köln, 1994, p. 381.
15. "Haile Selassie I." Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., www.britannica.com/biography/Haile-Selassie-I. Accessed 8 Mar. 2025.
16. Asserate, Asfa-Wossen. KING OF KINGS: The Triumph and Tragedy of Emperor Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia, Haus Publishing Ltd., Berlin, 2014, p. 72; Asserate, Asfa-Wossen and Smidt, Wolbert. "Ləᶜul." Encyclopaedia Aethiopica, edited by Siegbert Uhlig, vol. 3, Harrassowitz Verlag Wiesbaden, Germany, 2010, p. 556.
17. Tobijah, Omar. Seventy Years Accomplished: The Second Coming, Divine Child Publications, U.S.A., 2013, p. 52.
18. Hassen, Getachew Makonnen. ንጉሥ ነገሥት ከ1884–1967 ("King of Kings b.1892–1975"), 1992, p. 5.
Petar Vukotic is a Rastafarian Bishop and the Secretary for the Global Alliance of Justice for the Ethiopian Cause (GAJEC), he's a member of the International Society for the Imperial Ethiopian Orders and is the world's leading authority for interpreting Imperial Ethiopian case law. He's also Moa Anbessa's Imperial Ethiopian Constitutional Law Expert.
This is a lie. Nowhere in the letter it is written that "Ras Tafari was scheduled to officially be crowned as "Leul-Ras" on February 11, 1917". Its a made up fantasy, the letter claims that "Leul Ras Teferi" will be made Alga Werash.
ReplyDeleteThe letter merely confirms that he was scheduled to officially be crowned as "Le'ul-Ras" on February 11, 1917. You did not take the time to read the references cited in the footnotes of the article that support this fact, particularly footnote #13: "En haut à gauche : 11 𝘧é𝘷𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘳 1917, 𝘡𝘢𝘰𝘶𝘥𝘪𝘵𝘰𝘶 𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘴𝘢𝘤𝘳é𝘦 𝘪𝘮𝘱é𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘦, 𝘛𝘢𝘧𝘢𝘳𝘪 𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘯é 𝘳𝘢𝘴." Gérard, Denis. 𝘙𝘢𝘴 𝘛𝘢𝘧𝘢𝘳𝘪 𝘏𝘢ï𝘭é 𝘚é𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪é: 𝘝𝘪𝘴𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘴 𝘥𝘶 𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘦𝘳 𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘶𝘳 𝘥'É𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘦, l'Archange Minotaure, 2006, p. 30.
Delete"And Her Majesty the Queen ordered that gold coronets as an adornment for the ladies of royal family, and gold crowns [of the special kind prescribed] for 𝘳𝘢𝘴𝘦𝘴, and medals according to their rank as an adornment for the princes should be made; and as she [Zewditu] was escorted by His Highness the Crown Prince and her notables, she went to the coronation church at 9 o'clock in the evening [on the eve of the coronation], and she sat down majestically on the coronation chair/throne which was beautifully prepared for the coronation. At the right side of the coronation chair, Archbishop Matewos, and on the left, Icchege Welde-Giorgis were seated in gold [i.e. gilded] chairs [during the coonation ceremony] The princes seated next to Archbishop Matewos were: First, His Highness the Crown Prince, Ras Teferi, the Regent ("Plenipotentiary") of the Ethiopian government, crowned with a special gold crown [used only by 𝘳𝘢𝘴𝘦𝘴], appropriate to his rank, [and he was] decorated with the Medal of Solomon, First [class], and he was seated on a gold [gilded] chair." Molaver, Reidulf K. 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘴𝘴, 𝘗𝘪𝘦𝘵𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘗𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘴: 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘭𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘈𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘰 𝘐𝘺𝘢𝘴𝘶 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘌𝘮𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘡𝘦𝘸𝘥𝘪𝘵𝘶 𝘰𝘧 𝘌𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘢 (1909–1930), Rüdiger Köppe Verlag Köln, 1994, p. 381.
"When in 1909 𝘢𝘴𝘦 Mənilək II's health deteriorated seriously, there appeared the need for a permanent deputy for him, a kind of regent. 𝘙𝘢𝘴 Täsämma Nadäw was nominated to be a guardian to 𝘭𝘦𝘨̆ Iyasu, with the title of 𝘳𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘪𝘵𝘸ä𝘥𝘥ä𝘥. But this ancient title did not correspond precisely to regent and so 𝘳𝘢𝘴 Täsämma was also called ባለ፡ ሙሉ፡ ሥልጣን፡ እንደራሴ (𝘣𝘢𝘭𝘢̈ 𝘮𝘶𝘭𝘶 𝘴́ə𝘭𝘵𝘢𝘯 ə𝘯𝘥𝘢̈𝘳𝘢𝘴𝘦, 'representative plenipotentiary'), which was created specifically to describe his position at the court. It was a novelty much needed in the circumstances and the same title was used for the Heir to the Throne 𝘳𝘢𝘴 Täfäri Mäkʷännən (later 𝘢𝘴𝘦 Haylä Śəllase I) during the reign of 𝘯ə𝘨əś𝘵ä 𝘯ə𝘨𝘢ś𝘵𝘢𝘵 Zäwditu. According to Haylä Śəllase's autobiography (HSLife) and some other Ethiopian sources, Täfäri Mäkʷännən received the title of Ǝndärase together with that of Heir to the Throne in 1916 (e.g., TSTarik)." Rubinkowska, Hanna. "Ǝndärase." 𝘌𝘯𝘤𝘺𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘱𝘢𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘢 𝘈𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘤𝘢, edited by Siegbert Uhlig, vol. 2, Harrassowitz Verlag Wiesbaden, Germany, 2005, p. 297.
"𝘙𝘢𝘴-𝘉𝘪𝘵𝘸𝘢𝘥𝘢𝘥: formerly the highest title in the land below that of king, before it was replaced in 1916 by 𝘙𝘢𝘴 Tafari Makonnen with the title of 𝘓𝘦𝘶𝘭-𝘙𝘢𝘴." Asserate, Asfa-Wossen. 𝘒𝘐𝘕𝘎 𝘖𝘍 𝘒𝘐𝘕𝘎𝘚: 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘛𝘳𝘪𝘶𝘮𝘱𝘩 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘛𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘥𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘌𝘮𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘰𝘳 𝘏𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘚𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘦 𝘐 𝘰𝘧 𝘌𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘢, Haus Publishing Ltd., Berlin, 2015, p. 350.
"The title 𝘓𝘦𝘶𝘭 is equivalent to that of 'Your Highness', and was formerly only ever used as a form of address. The person generally regarded as the originator of the term as a title is the former minister Heruy Wolde-Selassie; it was first applied to 𝘙𝘢𝘴 Tafari and his wife Princess Menen, who were respectively designated 𝘓𝘦𝘶𝘭-𝘙𝘢𝘴 and 𝘓𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘪𝘻𝘦𝘳𝘰." Asserate, Asfa-Wossen. 𝘒𝘐𝘕𝘎 𝘖𝘍 𝘒𝘐𝘕𝘎𝘚: 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘛𝘳𝘪𝘶𝘮𝘱𝘩 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘛𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘥𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘌𝘮𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘰𝘳 𝘏𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘚𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘦 𝘐 𝘰𝘧 𝘌𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘢, Haus Publishing Ltd., Berlin, 2015, p. 325.