A brief History

Meshesha Worke (b. ca. 1849, d. ca. 1917) was an important political figure. Born to afä néguí Wärqe, he began his career at the court of ase Tewodros II at Mäqdäla. There he met British prisoners from whom he learnt their language as well as notions of writing. Meshesha Worke was among those who helped future ase Ménilék II to escape from captivity at Mäqdäla, on which occasion Ménilék allegedly swore that he would make him ras, if he himself ascends the throne.

Meshesha Worke also managed to flee from Mäqdäla and join Ménilék in Šäwa (ሸዋ), together with bägérond Kénfu, his colleague at the court of Tewodros. Kénfu’s wife tried to follow him with their eleven-months old son, but being found on their way, they were imprisoned and executed. Meshesha Worke first found refuge with the governor of Wärrä Himäno (ወረ-ሂማኖ) Muhammad Hamza, in whose house Tewodros’s soldiers found him and killed the governor. Meshesha Worke managed to escape with his soldiers, but many of these perished when they had to descend a steep slope (MonVidTheo 66).

Later Meshesha Worke served at ase Yohannés IV’s court. Described by Paul Mérab as a great favourite of the Emperor, he was in charge of ceremonies and received important personalities on visit at the court. One of them was Massaja, who describes Meshesha Worke as a “mysterious plotter”, a strong supporter of the Karra doctrine and one who tried to boycott his meeting with the Emperor (MasMis² vol. 6, 29ff.). He also participated in the battle of Mätämma in 1889, where Yohannés lost his life.

In early March 1890, Ménilék II nominated Meshesha Worke governor of the regions of Adwa and Aksum up to the Eritrean border. On 16 May 1890, ras Mängäša Yohannés, Meshesha Worke, Counts Augusto Antonelli and Augusto Salimbeni met in Adwa. Mängäša accepted the installation of Meshesha Worke in Adwa, and both parties agreed to execute article XIII of the Italo-Ethiopian Treaty of Friendship and Commerce (Wécale (ውጫሌ)), which laid down the reciprocal surrender of rebels who might cross the border.

Meshesha Worke and ras Mängäša remained faithful to the Emperor. However, ras Alula Éngéda met Mercatelli in the spring of 1891 and told him that Ménilék had placed Meshesha Worke as an instigator between him and the Italians. Due to the break of relations between Italy and Ménilék and of Däb- bäb Arýaya’s mutiny against Mängäša, the latter could not visit Ménilék in Šäwa. In late April, Meshesha Worke, in his turn, left Mäqdäla for Šäwa (ሸዋ) with Mängäša’s permission. At the battle of Adwa, in 1896, Meshesha Worke fought on the side of Ménilék.

In spite of Meshesha Worke’s faithfulness, he was not made a ras and instead saw several younger people and rivals being honoured with higher titles, while he himself remained a däggazmač. As a consequence, he joined a conspiracy lead by fitawrari Gwéllélat and aläqa Admasu against Ménilék, planning either to throw him down a precipice or else to stab him in the warm baths of Finfinnee. The plan was, however, discovered and the responsible were condemned to death, However, after demands by ras Darge Íahlä Íéllase and others, Ménilék graciated them. Meshesha Worke was confided to ras Wäldä Giyorgis and after some time became again a devoted and influent general of him. Henceforth, he was entrusted several times with the leadership of delegations to foreign states.

In 1905, together with ato Òaylä Maryam Íärabyon, he was part of a delegation to Jerusalem to prove Ethiopian ownership of the monastery Dayr as-Sultan. The two separated at Port Said, M.W. going to Jerusalem and Òaylä Maryam, who spoke French, continuing on his way to Constantinople under whose authority Jerusalem had been since 1516. Ethiopian efforts went on until 1908 but the project was thwarted by Ménilék’s death. Meshesha Worke was also sent as leader of the first Ethiopian delegation to Germany in 1907 and Austria.

Source:

Encyclopaedia-Aethiopica

Via: sewasew.com