His Imperial Majesty Haile Selasie I- A brief historical overview


The divinity of Haile Selassie and the solution of black people through rep-

atriation to Africa are the Central tenets of the Rastafarian faith. This ar-

ticle will provide a brief summary of the events surrounding Haile Selassie's

life as a man and the basis upon which his divinity is proclaimed by those 

who give thanks and prasises to him as their savior



Many titles have been given to Haile Selassie l, Tafari Makonnen, Ras Tafari,

The King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, Conquering Lion of the Tribe of Judah, 

Judge and avenger, King Alpha and Queen Omega, returned Messiah, Elect of God

, and Almighty God are among them.

Tafari Makonnen (Haile Selassie) wos born on July 23, 1892 into a family of 

great wealth and power. His mother, Wayzaro Yashimabet, died when he was only 

two years old. His father, Ras (Prince) Mokonnen, was the great-grandson of 

King Sahle Selassie. He was also the cousin, friend and hopeful successor to 

Emperor Menelik 11, who held the Ethiopian throne at that time.

When Tafari Makonnen wars born, his father was the governor of the Harar, one

of the Ethiopian provinces. Four years later, Ras Makonnen become Menelik's 

unofficial minister for foreign affairs.

As a result of his father's frequent travels to Europe, and the political im-

portance his father placed in Europe, Haile Selsssie's upbringing was a com-

bination of European and Shoan-Amharic (native African) influences. He recie-

ved a Western education, learning French at an early age, but also was tought

the traditional values of a descendent of the Shoan aristocracy.

Tafari Makonen adopted his fatherīs cultural links to Europe and shared his 

thirst for for self-esteem and power. Noticing this, his father appointed his

thirteen-year-old son to the largely honorary post of Keeper of the Door for 

a section of the Harage province. A year later, in 1906, his father died.

Over the next 24 years, with both parents dead and no political connections 

to pave his way, Tafori Makonnen skillfully developed his political muscle. 

Assuming the governorship of Harar after his half brother's death in 1910, 

Tafari, with his new-found comrades, surrounded the imperial palace and 

informed Empress Taitu, who had assumed power after Emperor Menelik II suffer-

ed a stroke in 1908, that she would be confined to caring for Menelik and 

the throne would be handed over to one of Tafari's sympathizers, Ras Tassamma. 

Tasamma's death in 1911 led to a prolonged struggle for power between Lij Ya-

su, Menelik's grandson, and Taitu's daughter. Zauditu. Primarily due to Lij 

Yasus failure to convert to Islam, in direct defiance to the authority of the

Monophysite Ethiopian Orthodox Church, Zauditu was confirmed as empress in 

1917. Faithful to the rasses (i.e. princes) and the Church, and respectful of

the old nobility, the war lords did not consider the 25-yeor-old Tafari a ser-

ious threat and placed him in the position of regent. 

It was also at this time that Tafari obtained the title, Ras, from the church

in recognition of his loyalty.

Over the next 13 years, Ros Tafori focused his efforts on the westernization 

of Ethiopia. In 1920, he had code books and regulations from several European
 
countries sent to Ethiopia which were used as the foundation for an Ethiopian

bureaucracy. As a result of Ras Tafari's efforts, Ethiopia was admitted into 

the League of Nations in 1923. In 1924, Tafori engineered Ethiopio's aboli-

tion of slavery. The impact of his western education wars clearly felt in 

these many activities.


During this period, Ras Tafari never lost sight of the throne, assembling a 

growing staff of confidants and allies and installing them in government 

offices located in Addis Abeba. Ras Tafari had become the most powerful man 

in Ethiopia.

In early 1930, Ras Tafari told Empress Zauditu to hand over the throne or it 

would be taken by force. Zauditu deployed her husband's army against Ras Taf-

ari only to see her husband killed and his army crushed. On November 2, 1930,

in an elaborate coronation ceremony, witnessed by dignitaries from around the

world, Ras Tafari Makonnen was crowned Haile Selassie I, the Emperor of Ethi-

opia.


Haile Selassie moved quickly to modernize Ethiopia. Roads were built and 

other public works projects initiated. A primary and secondary school system 

was created. The country was moving forward.

In 1935, the spread of fascism resched Ethiopia and Haile Selossie wins for-

ced into exile as Benito Mussolini's forces occupied the country. Five years 

later, with the help of the World War II allies, Haile Selossie I regained 

power, resuming his work of reform and modernization.

In 1960, Selossie wos able to crush a palace-based, attempted coup, supported

by his own son, but it was becoming apparent that the political Climate was 

shifting. In the early 1970s, the intellectual elite of Ethiopia planted the 

seeds of discontent among the general population. The dissident forces Organ-

ized and overthrew Haile Selossie on September 12, 1974. A prisoner in Jubile-

e palace, the Lion of Judah died on August 27, 1975.