other · Horn and East Africa

Tigray

1748 CE – 1855 CE (approx.) · capital Adwa

The northern Ethiopian province whose lords dominated the empire during the Era of the Princes, from Ras Mikael Sehul to Dejazmach Wube.

Origins

In the mid-18th century, as the Gondar emperors lost power, Ras Mikael Sehul built up a strong regional state in Tigray, the old heartland of Aksum, controlling the trade route to Massawa. By 1748 he was effectively ruler of the province, and in 1769 he had Emperor Iyoas killed and made himself master of the court.

Rule and society

Tigray remained formally part of the Ethiopian Empire but its lords acted as independent princes, with seats at Adwa and Antalo. They profited from firearms imported through Massawa and from the salt trade. Ras Wolde Selassie, who received the British envoy Henry Salt, and Dejazmach Sabagadis continued the tradition of Tigrayan power at Gondar.

Decline and legacy

In 1855 Kassa Hailu defeated Wube Haile Maryam, lord of Tigray and Semien, at the Battle of Deresge and was crowned Tewodros II, ending the Era of Princes. Tigray remained a powerful province, and its lord Kassa Mercha later became Yohannes IV.

Connections (1)

More states of Horn and East Africa →

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

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻