kingdom · Horn and East Africa

Kingdom of Gojjam

1881 CE – 1932 CE · capital Debre Markos

A royal province of north-western Ethiopia whose rulers, Negus Tekle Haymanot and Ras Hailu, were among the empire's most powerful vassals.

Origins

In 1881 Emperor Yohannes IV crowned Ras Adal Tessema, the ruler of Gojjam, as Negus Tekle Haymanot of Gojjam and Kaffa, partly to balance the power of Menelik of the Kingdom of Shewa. The two kings soon clashed over the rich lands south of the Abay, and Menelik defeated Tekle Haymanot at the Battle of Embabo in 1882.

Rule and society

Gojjam was a highland province of farmers and Orthodox monasteries, with its capital at Debre Markos. Its king kept his own court and army and collected taxes and tribute. Tekle Haymanot fought at the Battle of Adwa in 1896. His son Ras Hailu Tekle Haymanot later ruled Gojjam as one of the empire's wealthiest lords.

Decline and legacy

In 1932 Ras Hailu was arrested for helping the deposed emperor Lij Iyasu escape, and Haile Selassie ended Gojjam's autonomy, placing it under a governor and fully integrating it into the Ethiopian Empire.

Lineage

Kingdom of GojjamEthiopian Empire 1270 CE – 1974 CE

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Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Kingdom of Gojjam. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kingdom-of-gojjam
MLA
“Kingdom of Gojjam.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kingdom-of-gojjam. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Kingdom of Gojjam.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kingdom-of-gojjam.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Kingdom of Gojjam’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kingdom-of-gojjam (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻