Emperor menelik ii biography books

Emperor of Ethiopia from 1889 to 1913

Menelik II (Ge'ez: ዳግማዊ ምኒልክdagmawi mənilək^{[nb 1]}; horse nameAba Dagnew (Amharic: አባ ዳኘው abba daññäw); 17 August 1844 – 12 December 1913), baptised as Sahle Maryam (ሣህለ ማርያም sahlä maryam) was king of Shewa from 1866 to 1889 and Emperor of Ethiopia^{[nb 2]} from 1889 to his death in 1913.

At the height of his internal power and external prestige, the process of territorial expansion and creation of the modern empire-state was largely completed by 1898.^[2]

The Ethiopian Empire was transformed under Menelik: the major signposts of modernisation were put in place, with the assistance of key ministerial advisors.

Externally, Menelik led Ethiopian troops against Italian invaders in the First Italo-Ethiopian War; following a decisive victory at the Battle of Adwa, recognition of Ethiopia's independence by external powers was expressed in terms of diplomatic representation at his court and delinea