Haile Selassie was the Emperor of Ethiopia from 1930 to 1974. He came into power with the support of courtiers and nobility that were facing an accountability situation in the hands of the then crown prince Lij Iyasu.
In this way Selassie came up with a formula ,to Rule over a Feudal Empire. Just by keeping the nobility and courtiers happy. Selassie attempted to modernize the country through a series of political reforms, including the introduction of Ethiopia's first written constitution . The constitution kept power in the hands of the nobility. It also limited the succession to the throne to the descendants of Haile Selassie.
Unlike his predecessor Menelik II who had defeated Italians in the famous Battle of Adwa in 1896 Selassie was defeated by Italians in in Second Italo Ethiopian war 1937. and spent the period of Italian occupation in exile in England. He returned to lead Ethiopia in 1941 after the British Empire defeated the Italian occupiers in the East African campaign.
He hardly focused on the development of agriculture which was the backbone of his Empire. He built no water reservoirs to store water for irrigation. He constructed no roads. He couldn’t even provide clean drinking water to the major part of the population.
When Africa faced droughts and famines in 70s Selassie and his government tried to hide the famine crisis. But when situation became out of control then they admitted the empire is facing a worst human catastrophe. Thousands of people were dying because of hunger and drought. International community tried to help Ethiopian people but they surprised to know that they couldn’t reach the people because there were no roads. Helicopters were not sufficient in number to provide food to starving people. People of Ethiopia in those desperate times and mostly because of the threat of being starved to death tried to built roads with their hands. Hundreds and thousands of Ethiopian constructed over 200 miles of roads with their bare hands. But still International aid proved insufficient and Famine engulfed millions of Ethiopian. Nobility tried to hide their failure. But because of the reaction from international community the Government resigned. Oil crisis worsen the situation and Selassie couldn’t control the inflation and couldn’t satisfy the growing demands of its nobility and army. He was overthrown in a 1974 military coup and was murdered by the junta on 27 August 1975. He was the Last King of the Solomonic dynasty one of the oldest known continued dynasties in history .
Haile Selassie I the Last Emperor of Ethiopia
by Zaheeruddin Babar
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