Ras Alula | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 1845 (1845) |
| Died | 15 February 1897(1897-02-15) (aged 51–52) |
| Allegiance | |
| Years of service | 19th century |
| Battles / wars | |
| Spouse | W. Bitawa Gabra Masqal |
| Children | Dammaqach Dinqnash Sahaywarada |
RasAlula Engida (Ge'ez:ራስ አሉላ እንግዳ) (1845 – 15 February 1897; also known by hishorse nameAbba Nega and byAlula Equbi[1]) was an Ethiopian general and politician who successfully led battles againstOttoman Egypt, theMahdists and Italy. He was one of the most important leaders of theAbyssinian forces during the 19th century. Described byHaggai Erlich as the "greatest leader whom Ethiopia produced since the death of EmperorTewodros II in 1868."[2] Ras Alula was referred to by Europeans as "theGaribaldi of Ethiopia".[3]
Alula was born inMennewe, a village inTembien, the son of Engda Eqube, a farmer of modest origins. Haggai Erlich relates a story about Alula's childhood – "well known throughout Tigray": a group of people carrying baskets of bread to a wedding ceremony were stopped by a group of children led by the futureRas, who demanded to know where they were going. "To the Castle of Ras Alula Wadi Equbi," they mockingly replied. "Thereafter," concludes Erlich, "his friends and the people of Mannawe nicknamed him Ras Alula."[4]
At first Alula attached himself to the distinguishedRas Araya Dimtsu, hereditary chief ofEnderta who was lord of the land his father farmed; before long he gained the attention ofRas Araya's successful nephew,Dejazmach Kassa Mercha (the future emperorYohannes IV), who made him hiselfegn kalkay ("chamberlain and doorkeeper"). Erlich records an oral tradition that the young Alula distinguished himself by being the one who captured kingTekle Giyorgis in theBattle of Assem where Emperor Yohannes crushed his opponent (11 July 1871).[5] In spite of his humble background, Alula succeeded in climbing the ladder of the feudal hierarchy.
Alula demonstrated his military skill in theBattle of Gundet andGura, which were fought in November 1875 and March 1876 respectively, where he routed the Egyptian forces. Emperor Yohannes badly needed a man with these skills at the moment, forRasWoldemichael Solomon was in revolt inHamasien; Alula was promoted toRas and sent to deal with this unruly aristocrat, who fled toBogos. On 9 October 1876, the Emperor made Alula governor ofMereb Mellash (today part of Eritrea).[6]
In theHewett Treaty, concluded in 1884, the United Kingdom recognizedBogos andMassawa as possessions of Ethiopia in return forRas Alula's help evacuating the Egyptian garrisons of Amedeb, Algeden,Keren, Ghirra, andGallabat which had been isolated by the Mahdists, and because of these successes the British once more asked for his help against the Mahdists underOsman Digna.[7]
Ras Alula prepared for his campaign against the Mahdists, despite the opposition of certain local leaders who did not accept his rule. Nevertheless, Alula advanced into the territory of the Bogos, then entered Keren in September 1885, where he stayed for ten days, then marched on Kufit.
AtKufit, Osman Digna's forces were annihilated, but the Ethiopians also suffered significant losses: the commandersBlatta Gebru and Aselafi Hagos were killed, andRas Alula himself was wounded.
However events beyond theHorn of Africa gaveRas Alula very little time to recover from the battle. As part the EuropeanScramble for Africa, at this time the Italians took control of theRed Sea coasts, occupying Massawa and Saati with the tacit approval of the British, which was a violation of theHewett Treaty.[8]
Although he had collaborated with the British against the Mahdists,Ras Alula chief interest was to guarantee Ethiopian sovereignty, which made him very wary towards the English whom he suspected supported the Italians' encroachments. His mistrust is clearly expressed in a conversation carried out withAugustus B. Wylde, the former British vice consul atJeddah, who recorded these words in a dispatch to theManchester Guardian:
What does England mean by destroying Hewett's treaty and allowing the Italians to take my country from me? …Did I not relieve the Egyptian garrison in the Bogos country? Did I not fight at Cassala when it was too late? Have I not done everything I could? You English used us to do what you wanted and then left us.[9]
Upon returning to Asmara, Alula mobilized 5,000 men and marched fromGhinda towards Saati. It is unclear whetherRas Alula was acting on his own initiative in this instance, or at the orders of his Emperor. Discussing the battle later, he insisted that he was following orders; contemporary Ethiopian documents supportRas Alula's claim. However, in a 9 March 1887 letter to Queen Victoria, Emperor Yohannes wrote that his general had first spent two weeks investigating the Italian presence, then demanded that the Italians either evacuate their positions outside of Massawa or fight.[10]
Before attacking the Italians, he notified Emperor Yohannes of his intentions, which is expressed to Harrison, who had accompanied the admiral Hewett during the negotiations of the treaty, declaring to him that the British had not honored their word.
To MarcopoloBeyRas Alula wrote that the Italians were in Massawa, and to the Consul Sumagn de France, he warned that he would destroy the Italian forces if they did not leave Abyssinian territory. But the Italians believed that it was "the divine will that the Italians come to Massawa". In October 1886, the forces of Alula appeared near Saati and Massawa.
By December 1886, confrontation with the Italians was inevitable. The first clash took place 25 January 1887 at Saati, where the Ethiopians were repulsed with heavy casualties; Alula rallied his troops and the next day annihilated the Italian relief column atDogali. The commander of the Italian forces, colonelTommaso De Cristoforis was killed in this battle, along with 400 soldiers and 22 officers.
By 1888 the Sudanese Italians and dervishes were ready to renew their attacks. In March 1889, theBattle of Gallabat (also known as the Battle of Metemma) was fought on the western Ethiopian border. Here, the forces of the Mahdi were nearly obliterated, however, Emperor Yohannes was wounded and died the next day. Emperor Yohannes' death led to a period of political turmoil in Ethiopia. Although Yohannes, on his deathbed, had named his son Ras Mengesha as his heir and begged Ras Alula and his other nobles to support him, within a matter of weeks Menelik II declared himself emperor and was recognized throughout Ethiopia.[11] Meanwhile,Ras Alula found himself isolated, his patron dead, and the steady Italian advance from the coast having deprived him of his power base beyond theMareb River.
Menelik II of Shewa was crowned emperor only a few months after the battle. The Italian Count Pietro Antonelli, who represented his country in Ethiopia, hastened toWuchale where he negotiated atreaty with Menelik, which gave official Ethiopia recognition to Italian possession of all of the land the Italians occupied. A few months later, they used this treaty to declare Eritrea their African colony.
Following theTreaty of Wuchale, the Italians continued to extend to the west not only aroundTeseney andAgordat, but also aroundAdwa. Unknown to Emperor Menelik, the Italian version of the treaty had language making Ethiopia a protectorate of Italy, and the Italian actions were in preparation for its enforcement on his empire and making it a colony. When Emperor Menelik learned of this treachery, he renounced the treaty which led to theFirst Italo-Abyssinian War, and as the bitter news spreads through Ethiopia the major nobility and military figures, includingRas Alula, unanimously joined him. The conflict culminated at theBattle of Adwa on 1 March 1896.
In this battle, Alula was on the left side of the Ethiopian positions, on the heights of Adi Abune, supported by soldiers ofRasMakonnen, andRasMikael. The forces ofRasSebhat ofAgame andDejazmach Hagos Tafari likewise joinedRas Alula and RasMengesha.
Augustus Wylde, a contemporary of the events, describedRas Alula's invaluable contribution to this critical battle:
The Abysssinians never expected to be attacked, and the Italian advance would have been a complete surprise, had it not been for Ras Aloula, who never believed the Italian officials, and would never trust them. Two of his spies observed the Italians leaveEntiscio, and arrived by a circuitous route, and informed Ras Aloula, who was one mile to the north of Adi-Aboona, that the enemy was on the march to Adowa. The Ras immediately informed King Menelik and the other leaders, and the Abyssinians prepared for battle, sending out strong scouting parties in all directions in front of their positions towards Entiscio.[12]
Ras Alula was assigned to watch the Gasgorie Pass and block the arrival of Italian reinforcements coming fromAdi Quala.[13] According toHaggai Erlich,Ras Alula's had only a small force, and probably played a limited part in the actual fighting.[14]
He had three children by his first wife Woizero B'tweta. However, in order to enhance his position at the Imperial court, he divorced his wife and married Woizero Amlesu Araya, daughter ofRas Araya Dimtsu, the powerful and much respected uncle of Emperor Yohannes IV. His second marriage was purely for political reasons, to improve his legitimacy with the local aristocracy, who did not hide their disapproval at seeing the son of a peasant reach this stature.[15] According to British diplomat,SirGerald Herbert Portal, Ras Alula was illiterate as he could neither read nor write.[16][17]
Ras Alula could not rest after this victory; less than a year later, on 15 January 1897, he fought against an old rival,Ras Hagos of Tembien. AlthoughRas Alula was victorious andRas Hagos killed,Ras Alula suffered a gunshot wound to the leg, and died on 15 February 1897.[18]
[Ras Alula is] the best general and strategist that Africa has perhaps produced in modern times.
— Augustus Wylde,The Manchester Guardian, 1901, p. 20
Ras Alula holds a special place in Ethiopian history as the greatest military mind the country has ever produced. The airport inMek'ele is named after Ras Alula, and an equestrian statue is dedicated to him in that city. A hotel in Axum also bears his name. Ethiopian scholarRichard Pankhurst named his son, Dr.Alula Pankhurst, after Ras Alula.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)| International | |
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