Another perspective into the crown prince's life 

BOOK REVIEW 

 BY WORKU BELACHEW   (PUBLISHED ON THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD ON 24 MAY 2014)

Title of book: “The emergence and failure of Abeyto Eyasu”      Author: Atnafseged Yilma

 Language: Amharic                                                                                         

Genre:  Biography       
 Publisher: Artistic printing enterprise                                                   

Number of chapters: 17     

Price: ETB 85, USD 25                                                                           

Number of pages: 337           

Illustrations:   Over 97                             

Date of publication: April 2014                                                  

The period of Abeto Eyassu, legitimate heir of  the great Emperor Menelik II is always with full of controversy. Lij Eyasu Michael was born to his father  Ras Ali of Wollo (later King Michael), and Woizero Shewaregga Menelik. Writers that articulate their contents making Eyasu at issue— particularity stressing to uncover the facts that aggravated and caused the deposition of  Lej Eyasu— have been quite often subject to criticism of lacking both depth and  objectivity on two accounts.  Authors ostensibly grouped in Dejach Teferi Mekonen's, who later would reign as Emperor Haile-Selassie, bloc try to justify the deposition of the crown prince, Eyassu, referring to various evidences.   To the contrary, others that were/are  believed to be in  Eyasu's bloc for their part  engages in tarnishing Dejach Teferi's image tagging him with a  plotting of  a successful  coup, organizing unfounded  accusations against Eyasu, just  for a mare desire of power.

Atnafseged's book takes readers between the frontiers of Eyesu's  pedigree , coming to power, disposition and in house detention to give a clear picture of string of events, that help readers arrive at sensible conclusions.  He used his backlog of writing techniques that he acquired back in the days when he was reporter of Menen Megazine, City Desk Editor of Addis Zemen newspaper being second man after Bealu Girma, and Editor-in- chief of Yezareyitu Ethiopia, among others.        

Author Atnafseged Yilima  in his biographical work elucidated the muse that has stricken him  to write this book this way: In the history of Eyasu, the destructive stands high shouldered when compared to the constructive...there were blind resentment his power rivalries spread against him. He [Eyesu] had remained unfortunate of such campaigns even now after  a century. Diametrically opposite to that, others who favours  Eyasu, inflate his deeds leaving aside the wrongs he did. According to Atnafseged, the political backdrop of various times consumed the history of Eyasu for their own cause. The author, therefore, tried to address the objective of  filtering the fiction from the reality so as to make the new generation understand what he calls “the truth”.

To hit the nail on the head and  come up with sound justification, Atnafseged included data of both primary and secondary kind in his book “The emergence and failure of Abeto Eyasu”,  a literal translation of the book's title.  Along the course of the narration which he opted to be from third person point of view, letters, exchanged between important political figures,  interviews with eye witnesses, among others, substantiated his assertions. In addition, he refereed and quoted, at times summarized  from published and unpublished works of other authors to base his arguments on a firm ground.  

In the first part of the book, the writer promised not to deliberately instigate another hostile chapter as a result of his work.  Later in the content, he  used various techniques to strike a balance and to keep this promise intact. For instance, he has given and treated with equal weight substances related to Eyasu recorded by several authors, despite the facts stand  in conflict with his principal argument. 

At some pages  as one goes through the book, the short-phrased  remarks — mostly  about  mistakes which brought tremendous chaotic results— are enough to put readers in ambivalence as to the writer's orientation. After revealing how the notabilities deluded  King Micheal for instance he exclaimed with a phrase  “innocent Woloye!”. And in other places as well his opinion has been manifest as he criticized “wrong doers” particularly when it comes to compromising the national interest for personal gains.

Having said that, this writer wishes to make a bird’s eye view of the content of the book.

The author preferred beginning with the various titles of Eyasu which were common in the system of Showa notabilities.  Among the titles were  Lej , Abeto, and his horse's name  Abba Tena. Particularly the latter, Aba Tena, looks like an optimistic one, it has something to do with stability, wellness and the likes. 

When readers leaf through the pages after reading the introduction, they do not  get the content of the book immediately, rather additional introductory pages  titled,  “I have more to say” appears. In these pages, he boldly criticized as Amharic is lacking ownership. He said that the grammar in various work of authors is being highly violated. His hard-boiled pen did not refrain from criticizing Ethiopian Orthodox Church too, which he complimented it for being the origin of Ge'ez and Amharic alphabets as well as creator and owner of  literature. But he squarely criticized the church itself for breaching the the grammatical rules of this language. In his final analysis on this part, he suggested the style he employed in using the arguably redundant Amharic characters. 

It looks like that this book has a lot to say for anyone that study or simply wants to know factors that account for political marriage between rulers during the imperial time. When Atnafseged assessed the  pedigree of Eyasu,  he went as far back both to his paternal and maternal bloodlines such as the parents of  Atse (Equivalent to emperor) Menelik II, families of Eyasus' mother and to his father's parents.

The significance of  writing and reading/studding about Eyasu would not be out of the context of understanding the cause and effect a very controversial “power transition” from Eyasu to Empress Zewiditu and Ras Tereri Mekonen. It also encircles around weather the prince's ousting is just or not.

After the passing of Atse Menelik II, Lej Eyasu took over the crown under the guardian of Ras Tesema Nadew.   However, Ras Tesema himself died after few years. Due to that, Eyasu had got the autonomous power to follow his own free will, as documented by various authors.

Atnafseged, therefore, sharply looked into this period and presented evidences on how various high ranking officials of the time made historic mistakes both in  misguiding Lij Eyasu and  ignoring their responsibility to assign  another guardian. 

Atnafseged is an equivocal to mention names of those whom he said were accountable for making what he called historic mistakes in failing to guide the young leader. Then, dominant politician    Fetawrari  Hapte Giyorgis, Patriarch Abune Matias, and Abune Wolde Georgis and even the prince's own father Ras Micheal and Showan notabilities in general have not escaped this criticism. Though these people could not defend themselves this time, Atnafseged's directness is important for it  can open discussion between various groups.

As  disproving the conversion of  Eyasu to Islam, the major charge filed against Eyasu by his rivalries,  is in the objective of Atnafseged's work, he has brought various evidences to showcase the charge was a falsity created with assistance of European colonials. For instance, he mentioned as Eyasu  built, Kechene Medhanealem church, a trend that Christian kings and emperors practiced,  he wrote as Eyasu jubilantly celebrated Meskel  in Addis Ababa, inter alia.

Though Eyasu's measures had been bitter to Christian rulers, his far sighted strategies of favouring  marginalized section of Ethiopian society and helping them  to stand in an equal feet among their fellow Ethiopians has been well explained  in the content of Atnafseged's work, a matter that other writers failed to  mention.  Eyasu's visit of peripheries (emerging states ) of Ethiopia such as Afar and  Ethiopian Somali, his political marriage to their women has also been presented as the soundness of his strategy. Then political system, however, was not patterned this way. Moreover, his being in bad terms with then colonizing forces added fuel to it. And finally, with fabricated photographs of Eyasu which showed as he wore in Islam traditions, among other charges, brought an opportunity to hasten his demise, Atnafseged wrote.  Unlike similar biographers, however, Atnafseged argued as the fabrication was just to dispose him from power.

He also pitied Eyasu, reasoning that the legacy Menelik had won was not easy to bear  for any successor, no matter who it would be. Coupled with working without guardian,  taking over and sustaining Menelik's legacy was a duty that  Eyasu alone was not able to discharge. 

Atnafseged endeavored to  explain turning points in history of Ethiopia resulted from the political upheaval of the time. For instance, the enthronement Menelik's daughter Empress Zewditu as well as Ras Teferi as a heir instigated fierce battles among the people of Ethiopia that lined up in opposite ends, history already recorded the battles of  Tora Mesk, and Segele, just to mention few. These and other battles vastly accounted for the death of many Ethiopians  including Heroes/heroines  of the battle of  Adowa.

In his analysis, the author remarked the price the people of Ethiopia paid as a result of those wars. Atnafseged and other writers shared this fact with almost the same tone. This internal instability was a great pretext creating a favourable condition for the second Italian invasion.

If the writer of this piece would like to recommend this book for readers, it is first for those who study Ethiopian History and history of Ethiopian diplomacy as well. For the general reader, this book contains a great deal in portraying, among others, how internal instability creates swampy ground for external antagonizing forces.

And for young leaders of Ethiopia too, Atnafseged's work is crucial for it shows how  advancing individual needs at the expense of  common good brings a fatal end.  Nation continues healthy and prosperous when a generation relays something good to the next. This could be attained when leaders are far sighted and stand united leaving differences aside.