ETHIOPIA
5G9
ETHIOPIA
monian dynasty regained power through the aid of
the monk Takla Haymanot. After the restoration of
the ancient national dynasty, the country, once more
at peace within itself, had to concentrate its whole
energy upon resisting the southward progress of Mo-
hammedan conquest. For nearly three centuries
Ethiopia had to wage wars without respite for liberty
and faith, and it alone, of all the African kingdoms,
was able to maintain both. The most famous of these
wars was against the Emir of Harar, Aljmed Ibn Ibra-
him, surnamed the Left-handed. It took place during
the reigns of Kings Lebna Dengel (1508-40) and Galaw-
d^wos (1540-59), and the exhausted country was
only saved by the timely help of Portuguese armies.
Delivered from its foes, it might have become a great
power in the East, but it lacked a capable leader, and
its people, deriving but little moral support from a
corrupt religion, fell rapidly away until, after a long
series of civil wars, Ethiopia became a land of an-
archy.
Under Minas (1559-6.3), Sarsa Dengel (1563-97), and Ya'eqob Za Dengel (1597-1607), civil war was in- cessant. There was a brief respite under Susneos (1607-32), but war broke out afresh under Fasiladas (1632-67), and the clergj', moreover, increased the trouble by their theological disputes as to the two na- tures of Christ. These di.sputes, often, indeed, but a cloak for ambitious intrigues, were always occasions of revolution. Under the successors of Fasiladas the general disorder passed beyond all bounds. Of the seven kings who followed him but two died a natural death. Then there was a .short period of peace under Bakafa (1721-30), and Yasu II (1730-55), Yoas (1755) and Yohannes (1755-69) were again victims of an ever-spreading revolution. The end of the eighteenth centurj- left Ethiopia a feudal kingdom. The land and its government belonged to its Ras, or provincial chieftains. The unity of the nation had disappeared, and its kings reigned, but did not govern. The Ras became veritable Mayors of the Palace, and the monarchs were content to be roix jniniants. Side by side with these kings who have left in history only their names, the real masters of events, as the popular whim happened to favour them, were Ras Mikael, Ras Abeto of the Godjam, Ras Gabriel of the Samen, Ras Ali of Begameder, Ras Gabra Masqal of Tigrd, Ras Walda-Sellase of the Shoa, Ras Ali of Am- hara, Ras Oubie of Tigr^, and the like. But war among the.se chiefs was incessant; ever dissatisfied, jealous of each other's power, each one sought to be supreme, and it was only after a century of strife that peace was at length established. A son of the gov- ernor of Kowara, named Kasa, succeeded in bringing it about, to' his own profit ; and he made it permanent by causing himself to be proclaimed king under the name of Theodore (1855). With him the ancient Ethiopia took its place as one of the nations to be reckoned with in the international affairs of the West, and Abyssinia tnay be said to date its origin from his reign.
Religion. — Previous to the conversion of the coun- try to Christianity, the worship of the serpent was perhaps the religion of a portion of Ethiopia, i. e. of the aboriginal Cushite tribes. From in.scriptions at Axum and Adulis it would seem that the Semites, on the other hand, had a religion similar to that of Chal- dea and Syria. Among the gods mentioned we find Astar, Beher, and Medr — perhaps representing the triad of sky, sea, and land. As to the Jewish religion, and its introduction in the time of Solomon, we have only the as.sertion found in some recent documents, which, as we have already said, cannot be received as history. The origin of the Judaistic tribe called the Falashas, who nowadays occupy the country, is quite hidden from us, and there is no reason to regard them as representatives of a national religion which has dis- appeared. After the evangelization by St. Frumen-
tius, and in spite of the resulting general conversion of
the people. Paganism always retained some adher-
ents in Ethiopia, and has its representatives there
even to this day. Moreover, at the time of the Mus-
sulman wars Islam succeeded in securing a foothold
here and there. Nevertheless Christianity has always
been the really national religion, always practised and
defended by the rulers of the nation.
Although converted to Christianity by missionaries of the Catholic Church, Ethiopia to-day professes Monophysitism. Being subject to the influence of Egj'pt, it has adopted in the course of time the theory of the Egyptian Church concerning the human nature of Christ. Our lack of information about the country prior to the thirteenth century hinders us from fol- lowing the history of its separation from Rome, or even fixing the date of that event. Like the Egyp- tian, the Ethiopian Church anathematizes Eutyches
as a heretic, yet remains Monophysite and rejects the
Catholic teaching as to the two natures. United in
the statement of their belief, the Ethiopian theolo-
gians have divided into two great schools in its ex-
planation. On the one hand, the Wahla-Qeb ("Sons
of LTnction", as they are nowadays called) hold that
the most radical unification (tawahedo) exists between
the two natures, such being the absorption of the hu-
man by the Divine nature that the former may be said
to be merely a fantasm. This unification is the
work of the unction of the Son Himself according to
the general teaching of the Walda-Qeb. Some among
them, however, known as the Qeb'al (Unction), teach
that it is the work of the Father. Others again, the
t^ega-ledj, or Walda-sega (Sons of Grace), hold that
the unification takes place in such a way that the na-
ture of Christ becomes a special nature {bahrey), and
this is attributed to the Father, as in the teaching of
the Qeb'at. But, as the mere fact of the unction does
not effect a radical unification (for this school rejects
absorption), the unification is made perfect, according
to them, by what they call the adoptive birth of
Christ — the ultimate result of the unction of the
Father. In effect, they recognize in the Incarnation
three kinds of birth: the first, the Word begotten of
the Father; the .second, Christ hcgcitlcu of .Mary; the
third, the Son of Mary, begotten the Son of God the
