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This article lists the emperors of Ethiopia, from the founding of the Ethiopian Empire and the Solomonic dynasty in 1270 by Yekuno Amlak, until the Ethiopian Revolution of 1974 when the last emperor was deposed.

Earlier kings of the Dʿmt, Axum and Zagwe kingdoms are listed separately due to numerous gaps and large flexibility in chronology.

For legendary and archeologically unverified rulers of Ethiopian tradition, see Regnal lists of Ethiopia and 1922 regnal list of Ethiopia.

Names in italics indicate rulers who were usurpers or not widely recognized.

Solomonic dynasty

Name	Lifespan	Reign start	Reign end	Notes	Family	Image
Yekuno Amlak ይኩኖ አምላክ	Died 19 June 1285	10 August 1270	19 June 1285	Descendant of Dil Na'od	Solomonic
Yagbe'u Seyon ይግብአ ጽዮን	Died 1294	19 June 1285	1294	Son of Yekuno Amlak	Solomonic
Senfa Ared IV ሰይፈ አርድ አርብእቱ		1294	1295	Son of Yagbe'u Seyon	Solomonic
Hezba Asgad ሕዝበ አስግድ		1295	1296	Son of Yagbe'u Seyon	Solomonic
Qedma Asgad ቅድመ አስግድ		1296	1297	Son of Yagbe'u Seyon	Solomonic
Jan Asgad ጃን አሰግድ		1297	1298	Son of Yagbe'u Seyon	Solomonic
Saba Asgad ሳባ አሰገድ		1298	1299	Son of Yagbe'u Seyon	Solomonic
Wedem Arad ወደም አራድ	Died 1314	1299	1314	Brother of Yagbe'u Seyon	Solomonic
Amda Seyon I ዐምደ ጽዮን ቀዳማዊ	Died 1344	1314	1344	Son of Wedem Arad	Solomonic
Newaya Krestos ንዋየ ክርስቶስ	Died 1372	1344	1372	Son of Amda Seyon I	Solomonic
Newaya Maryam ንዋየ ማርያም	Died 1382	1372	1382	Son of Newaya Krestos	Solomonic
Dawit I ዳዊት ቀዳማዊ	Died 6 October 1413	1382	6 October 1413	Son of Newaya Krestos	Solomonic
Tewodros I ቴዎድሮስ ቀዳማዊ	Died 1414	12 October 1413	23 June 1414	Son of Dawit I	Solomonic
Yeshaq I ይሥሓቅ ቀዳማዊ	Died 1429	1414	September 1429	Son of Dawit I	Solomonic
Andreyas እንድርያስ	Died March 1430	September 1429	March 1430	Son of Yeshaq I	Solomonic
Takla Maryam ተክለ ማርያም	Died 1433	March 1430	June 1433	Son of Dawit I	Solomonic
Sarwe Iyasus ሥርወ ኢየሱስ	Died 1433	June 1433	November 1433	Son of Takla Maryam	Solomonic
Amda Iyasus ዐምደ ኢየሱስ	Died June 1434	November 1433	June 1434	Son of Takla Maryam	Solomonic
Zara Yaqob ዘርዐ ያዕቆብ	1399 – 26 August 1468 (aged 69)	19/20 June 1434	26 August 1468	Son of Dawit I	Solomonic
Baeda Maryam I በእደ ማርያም ቀዳማዊ	1448 – 8 November 1478 (aged 30)	26 August 1468	8 November 1478	Son of Zara Yaqob	Solomonic
Eskender እስክንድር	(1471-07-15)15 July 1471 – 7 May 1494(1494-05-07) (aged 22)	1478	7 May 1494	Son of Baeda Maryam I	Solomonic
Amda Seyon II ዐምደ ጽዮን	c. 1487 – 26 October 1494 (aged ≈ 7)	1494	26 October 1494	Son of Eskender	Solomonic
Na'od ናዖድ	Died 31 July 1508	1494	31 July 1508	Son of Baeda Maryam I	Solomonic
Dawit II or Libne Dengel ዳዊት ዳግማዊ or ልብነ ድንግል	1501 – 2 September 1540 (aged 39)	1508	2 September 1540	Son of Na'od	Solomonic
Gelawdewos ገላውዴዎስ	1521/1522 – 23 March 1559 (aged 38–37)	3 September 1540	23 March 1559	Son of Dawit II	Solomonic
Menas ሚናስ	Died 1 February 1563	1559	1 February 1563	Son of Dawit II	Solomonic
Sarsa Dengel ሠርጸ ድንግል	1550 – 4 October 1597 (aged 47)	1563	4 October 1597	Son of Menas	Solomonic
Yaqob ያዕቆብ	c. 1590 – 10 March 1606	1597 1604	September 1603 10 March 1606	Son of Sarsa Dengel	Solomonic
Za Dengel ዘድንግል	Died 24 October 1604	September 1603	24 October 1604	Nephew of Sarsa Dengel	Solomonic
Susenyos I Susenyos the Catholic ሱስንዮስ ቀዳማዊ	1572 – 17 September 1632 (aged 60)	1606	17 September 1632	Grandson of Dawit II	Solomonic

Gondarine period

Name	Lifespan	Reign start	Reign end	Notes	Family	Image
Fasilides ፋሲለደስ	(1603-11-20)20 November 1603 – 18 October 1667(1667-10-18) (aged 63)	1632	18 October 1667	Son of Susenyos I	Solomonic
Yohannes I ዮሐንስ ቀዳማዊ	c. 1640 – 19 July 1682 (aged ≈ 42)	18 October 1667	19 July 1682	Son of Fasilides	Solomonic
Iyasu I Iyasu the Great ኢያሱ ቀዳማዊ	1654 – 13 October 1706 (aged 52)	19 July 1682	13 October 1706	Son of Yohannes I	Solomonic
Yeshaq Iyasu	Died 1685	1685	1685	Claimed to be grandson of Susenyos I	Claimed Solomonic
Tekle Haymanot I Tekle Haymanot the Cursed ተክለ ሃይማኖት ቀዳማዊ	(1684-03-28)28 March 1684 – 30 June 1708(1708-06-30) (aged 24)	27 March 1706	30 June 1708	Son of Iyasu I	Solomonic
Amda Seyon	Died September 1707	September 1707	September 1707		Non-dynastic
Tewoflos ቴዎፍሎስ	Died 14 October 1711	1 July 1708	14 October 1711	Son of Fasilides	Solomonic
Nebahne Yohannes		1709	July 1710		Non-dynastic
Yostos ዮስጦስ	Died 1716	14 October 1711	19 February 1716	Grandson of Iyasu I	Solomonic
Dawit III Dawit the Singer ዳዊት ሣልሳዊ	1695 – 18 May 1721 (aged 26)	8 February 1716	18 May 1721	Son of Iyasu I	Solomonic
Bakaffa በካፋ	Died 19 September 1730	18 May 1721	19 September 1730	Son of Iyasu I	Solomonic
Iyasu II ኢያሱ ዳግማዊ	(1723-10-21)21 October 1723 – 27 June 1755(1755-06-27) (aged 31)	19 September 1730	27 June 1755	Son of Bakaffa	Solomonic
Hezqeyas		1736	1737		Solomonic
Iyoas I ኢዮአስ ቀዳማዊ	c. 1740 – 14 May 1769 (aged ≈ 29)	27 June 1755	7 May 1769	Son of Iyasu II	Solomonic

Era of the Princes

Modern Era

Name	Lifespan	Reign start	Reign end	Notes	Family	Image
Tewodros II ቴዎድሮስ	c. 1818 – 13 April 1868 (aged ≈ 50)	11 February 1855	13 April 1868	Son of Haile Giorgis Wolde Giorgis	Solomonic
Tekle Giyorgis II ተክለ ጊዮርጊስ ዳግማዊ	1836 – 21 June 1873 (aged 36–37)	11 June 1868	11 July 1871	Son of Wagshum Gebre Medhin	Solomonic

Tigrayan line

Name	Lifespan	Reign start	Reign end	Notes	Family	Image
Yohannes IV ዮሓንስ አርባእዊ	(1837-07-11)11 July 1837 – 10 March 1889(1889-03-10) (aged 51)	11 July 1871	10 March 1889	Son of Dejazmatch Mercha Wolde Kidan	Solomonic

Shewan line

Name	Lifespan	Reign start	Reign end	Notes	Family	Image
Menelik II ምኒልክ ዳግማዊ	(1844-08-17)17 August 1844 – 12 December 1913(1913-12-12) (aged 69)	10 March 1889	12 December 1913	Son of Negus Haile Melekot	Solomonic
Lij Iyasu Iyasu V ልጅ ኢያሱ	(1895-02-04)4 February 1895 – 25 November 1935(1935-11-25) (aged 40)	12 December 1913	27 September 1916	Grandson of Menelik II	Solomonic
Zewditu ዘውዲቱ	(1876-04-29)29 April 1876 – 2 April 1930(1930-04-02) (aged 53)	27 September 1916	2 April 1930	Daughter of Menelik II	Solomonic
Haile Selassie ኀይለ ሥላሴ ቀዳማዊ	(1892-07-23)23 July 1892 – 27 August 1975(1975-08-27) (aged 83)	2 April 1930	12 September 1974	Son of Ras Makonnen Wolde Mikael	Solomonic
Amha Selassie Crown Prince Asfaw Wossen አምሃ ሥላሴ	(1916-07-27)27 July 1916 – 17 January 1997(1997-01-17) (aged 80)	12 September 1974	21 March 1975	Son of Haile Selassie	Solomonic

House of Savoy (Fascist Italian occupation)

Name	Lifespan	Reign start	Reign end	Notes	Family	Image
Victor Emmanuel III Vittorio Emanuele III ቪቶርዮ አማኑኤል (Vītoriyo Āmanu’ēli)	(1869-11-11)11 November 1869 – 28 December 1947(1947-12-28) (aged 78)	14 May 1936	De jure renounced the title in November 1943 (de facto loss of control in April 1941)	King of Italy, proclaimed Emperor of Ethiopia after Italian victory in the Second Italo-Ethiopian War; the title was contested by Haile Selassie in exile. Italian defeat in the East African campaign of World War II, and later Italian capitulation, ended Italian pretensions of rulership over Ethiopia.	Savoy

Timeline (post–Zemene Mesafint)

See also

• Emperor of Ethiopia
  • Emperors of Ethiopia Family tree
• President of Ethiopia
  • List of presidents of Ethiopia
• Prime Minister of Ethiopia
  • List of heads of government of Ethiopia
• List of royal consorts of Ethiopia
• Zera Yacob Amha Selassie
• Girma Yohannes Iyasu
• Crown Council of Ethiopia
• Ethiopian aristocratic and court titles
• List of rulers of Shewa
• History of Ethiopia
  • Ethiopian historiography

Notes

1. Committed suicide at the end of the Battle of Magdala.
2. Claimed the Solomonic lineage through his mother. Also claimed the Zagwe lineage through his father.
3. Killed in the Battle of Gallabat.
4. Previously King of Shewa from 1855 to 1856, and from 1865 to 1889. Ruled under the regency of Ras Betwoded Tessema Nadew from 1909 to 1911 and Lij Iyasu from 1911 to 1913.
5. Never officially crowned as Emperor. Deposed by nobility with the sanction of the Church.
6. Lij Iyasu was never referred to as "Iyasu V" or as an emperor during his rule, either by Ethiopians or by foreigners. Thus, in the treaty of commerce signed between the United States and Ethiopia in June 1914, the ruler of Ethiopia is referred to as "His Royal Highness, Prince Lidj Yassou".
7. Ruled under the regency of Ras Tafari Makonnen (future Emperor Haile Selassie).
8. Died in the immediate aftermath of the Gugsa Wale's rebellion.
9. De facto ruler of the country as regent from 1916 to 1930. Crowned as King in the aftermath of the 1928 coup d'état.
10. Exiled from 2 May 1936 to 5 April 1941, during the Italian occupation. During that time, the imperial title was claimed by the King of Italy Victor Emmanuel III.
11. Briefly deposed during the 1960 coup d'état attempt.
12. Crowned on 2 November 1930, at the St. George's Cathedral in Addis Ababa.
13. Deposed by the Derg during the Ethiopian Revolution of 1974.
14. Proclaimed Emperor by the Imperial Guards during the 1960 coup d'état attempt.
15. Designated "King" (not Emperor) by the Derg while out of the country, did not take throne.

References

1. Alden Whitman (28 August 1975). "Haile Selassie of Ethiopia Dies at 83". The New York Times. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
2. "Death of a King". The New York Times. 28 August 1975. Retrieved 9 May 2023.
3. "Emperor is Crowned in Regal Splendor at African Capital". The New York Times. 3 November 1930. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
4. "REMOVAL IS QUIET". The New York Times. 13 September 1974. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
5. Paul Hofmann (13 September 1974). "The Lion at Sunset". The New York Times. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
6. "Ethiopian Crown Prince Hears News of Succession on Radio". The New York Times. 13 September 1974. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
7. David Orr (2 February 1997). "Funeral brings the royals back to Ethiopia". The Independent. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
8. "Ethiopia's Military Government Abolishes Monarchy and Titles". The New York Times. 22 March 1975. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
9. Arnaldo Cortesi (15 May 1936). "CHAMBER CONFIRMS EMPIRE FOR ITALY; Cheers for Army and Duce Mark Session Ratifying Ethiopia's Annexation". The New York Times. Retrieved 18 January 2021.
10. Indro Montanelli, Mario Cervi, Storia d'italia. L'Italia della guerra civile, RCS, 2003.
11. "THE FALL OF ADDIS ABABA". The New York Times. 7 April 1941. Retrieved 18 January 2021.

External links

• Rasta Ites – List of Ethiopian Kings
• Crown Council of Ethiopia

v t e Emperors of Ethiopia (list)
Family tree
Solomonic dynasty (1270–1632)	Yekuno Amlak Yagbe'u Seyon (Salomon I) Sons: Senfa Ared IV Hezba Asgad Qedma Asgad Jin Asgad Saba Asgad Wedem Arad Amda Seyon I Newaya Krestos Newaya Maryam Dawit I Tewodros I Yeshaq I Andreyas Takla Maryam Sarwe Iyasus Amda Iyasus Zara Yaqob (Kwestantinos I) Baeda Maryam I Eskender (Kwestantinos II) Amda Seyon II Na'od Dawit II Gelawdewos Menas Sarsa Dengel Yaqob Za Dengel Yaqob Susenyos I
Gondarine period (1632–1769)	Fasilides Yohannes I Iyasu the Great Tekle Haymanot I Tewoflos Yostos Dawit III Bakaffa Iyasu II Iyoas I
Era of the Princes (1769–1855)	Yohannes II Tekle Haymanot II Susenyos II Tekle Haymanot II Salomon II Tekle Giyorgis I Iyasu III Tekle Giyorgis I Hezqeyas Tekle Giyorgis I Baeda Maryam II Tekle Giyorgis I Salomon III Yonas Tekle Giyorgis I Salomon III Demetros Tekle Giyorgis I Demetros Egwale Seyon Iyoas II Gigar Baeda Maryam III Gigar Iyasu IV Gebre Krestos Sahle Dengel Gebre Krestos Sahle Dengel Yohannes III Sahle Dengel Yohannes III Sahle Dengel Yohannes III Sahle Dengel
Modern Ethiopia (1855–1974)	Tewodros II Tekle Giyorgis II Yohannes IV Menelik II Lij Iyasu Zewditu Haile Selassie Amha Selassie
Never crowned. Between 1936–1941, Haile Selassie went into exile following the Second Italo-Ethiopian War. During that time, the imperial title was claimed by Italian King Victor Emmanuel III. Emperor-in-exile.

• Ethiopia history-related lists
• Monarchs in Ethiopia
• Lists of monarchs in Africa
• Lists of monarchs