The Kebra Nagast, composed to legitimise the new dynasty ruling Ethiopia following its establishment in 1270, narrates how the real Ark of the Covenant was brought to Ethiopia by Menelik I with divine assistance, while a forgery was left in the Temple in Jerusalem.

The territory's border with Ethiopia, marked out in 1897 by France and Emperor Menelik II of Ethiopia, was later reaffirmed by agreements with Emperor Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia in 1945 and 1954.

The Italian possession of maritime areas previously claimed by Abyssinia / Ethiopia was formalized in 1889 with the signing of the Treaty of Wuchale with Emperor Menelik II of Ethiopia ( r. 1889 – 1913 ) after the defeat of Italy by Ethiopia at the battle of Adua where Italy launched an effort to expand its possessions from Eritrea into the more fertile Abyssinian hinterland.

In 1893, judging that his power over Ethiopia was secure, Menelik repudiated the treaty ; in response the Italians ramped up the pressure on his domain in a variety of ways, including the annexation of small territories bordering their original claim under the Treaty of Wuchale, and finally culminating with a military campaign across the Mareb River into Tigray ( on the border with Eritrea ) in December 1894.

At this point, Emperor Menelik turned to France, offering a treaty of alliance ; the French response was to abandon the Emperor to secure Italian approval of the Treaty of Bardo which would secure French control of Tunisia.

Meanwhile, in 1948, under pressure from their World War II allies and to the dismay of the Somalis, the British " returned " the Haud ( an important Somali grazing area that was presumably ' protected ' by British treaties with the Somalis in 1884 and 1886 ) and the Ogaden to Ethiopia, based on a treaty they signed in 1897 in which the British ceded Somali territory to the Ethiopian Emperor Menelik in exchange for his help against plundering by Somali clans.

In 1948, under pressure from their World War II allies and to the dismay of the Somalis, the British " returned " the Hawd ( an important Somali grazing area that was presumably ' protected ' by British treaties with the Somalis in 1884 and 1886 ) and the Ogaden to Ethiopia, based on a treaty they signed in 1897 in which the British ceded Somali territory to the Ethiopian Emperor Menelik in exchange for his help against the Somali clans, by plundering the clans.

The child was a son who went on to become Menelik I, King of Axum, and founded a dynasty that would reign as the Christian Empire of Ethiopia for 2900 + years ( less one usurpation episode, an interval of ca.

In 1948, under pressure from their World War II allies and to the dismay of the Somalis, the British " returned " the Haud ( an important Somali grazing area that was presumably ' protected ' by British treaties with the Somalis in 1884 and 1886 ) and the Ogaden to Ethiopia, based on an 1897 treaty in which the British ceded Somali territory to the Ethiopian Emperor Menelik in exchange for his help against plundering by Somali clans.

Unsubstantiated accounts allege that Mengistu Haile Mariam's mother was the illegitimate daughter of Dejazmatch Kebede Tessema, a high ranking nobleman and Crown Councilor to Emperor Haile Selassie, and himself suspected of being the illegitimate son of Emperor Menelik II.

Some have argued that Mengistu, whom his commanders did not consider to be an intellectual, was more of a nationalist than a convinced Marxist, but that Marxism provided the best ideology for those trying to resist the dominant world powers, a policy that had been skilfully followed by previous Ethiopian leaders not least Emperor Menelik II.

Emperor Menelik II GCB, GCMG, ( Ge ' ez ምኒልክ ) baptized as Sahle Maryam ( 17 August 1844 – 12 December 1913 ), was Negus of Shewa ( 1866 – 89 ), then

As Solomon was of the tribe of Judah, his son Menelik I would continue the line, which according to Ethiopian tradition was passed directly down from King to King until Emperor Haile Selassie was deposed in 1974.

" When the real Emperor of Ethiopia, Menelik II, visited England some time later, he was chased by children shouting " Bunga!

The first of these was his oldest grandson, Dejazmach Wosan Seged, son of his daughter Shoagarad Menelik by her first marriage to Wedadjo Gobena.

Lij Iyasu's aunt, Zewditu Menelik, was also removed from the palace and banished into internal exile at her estates at Falle.

As a result, Empress Taytu was increasingly unpopular while Menelik remained very loved by one and all at court and beyond.

Menelik died in 1913 and was succeeded by his grandson from a daughter of a previous liaison, Lij Iyasu.

Baptised as Askala Maryam (" Askal of Mary ," a type of flower ), but using the given name of Zewditu ( known erroneously as Judith in English ), the future Empress was the eldest daughter of the then Negus ( or King ) Menelik of Shewa, the future emperor Menelek II of Ethiopia.

This dynasty is said to have been founded in the 10th century BC by Menelik I, the son of the Biblical King Solomon and Makeda, the Queen of Sheba, who had visited Solomon in Israel.

Their predecessors, the Zagwe dynasty, were said to not be of " the house of Israel " ( i. e. of Solomon and Menelik ).

In this account King Solomon is said to have seduced the Queen of Sheba and sired her son, Menelik I, who would become the first Emperor of Ethiopia.

Traditionally Ethiopian emperors were crowned at the Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion in Axum, the site of the chapel in which is kept what is believed to be the Ark of the Covenant, in order to validate the new emperor's legitimacy by reinforcing his claim to descent from Menelik I, the son of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, who is believed to have brought the Ark from Jerusalem to Axum.

Menelik I ( called Bäynä Ləkḥəm in the Kəbrä Nägäśt ; also named Ebna la-Hakim, Arabic: Ibn Al-Hakim, " Son of the Wise "), first Solomonic Emperor of Ethiopia, is traditionally believed to be the son of King Solomon of ancient Israel and Makeda, ancient Queen of Sheba ( in modern Ethiopia ).

Menelik, who often prevaricated and postponed unpleasant decisions with answering " Yes, tomorrow " ( Ishi, nega ), found it useful to have his wife be in a powerful enough position to say " Absolutely not " ( Imbi ) to people and issues he just didn't want to personally offend or refuse.

Due to fears of instability that might be caused, the cabinet of ministers decided not to publicly proclaim the death of Menelik II.

By versions of this type the Beta Israel expressed their wish to be regarded not necessarily as descendants of king Solomon, but as contemporaries of Solomon and Menelik, originating from the kingdom of Israel.

The Ethiopian history described in the Kebra Negast, or " Book of the Glory of Kings ," relates that Ethiopians are descendants of Israelite tribes who came to Ethiopia with Menelik I, alleged to be the son of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba ( or Makeda, in the legend ) ( see and ).

Menelik II, and later his daughter Zewditu, would be the last Ethiopian monarchs who could claim uninterrupted direct male descent from King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba ( both Lij Iyasu and Emperor Haile Selassie I were in the female line, Iyasu through his mother Shewarega Menelik, and Haile Selassie through his paternal grandmother, Tenagnework Sahle Selassie ).

When Count Gleichen encountered the bridge in 1897, during his mission to Emperor Menelik, he found " the bridge would be too weak to stand anything but ordinary pack-animal traffic.

When then Negus Menelik submitted to Emperor Yohannes IV in the treaty of Wadara of 1878, it was also stipulated that the capital of Shewa would be moved from Liche to Debre Berhan.

However, Empress Taitu Bitul, consort of Menelik II, became the first Itege to be crowned by the Emperor at church rather than at the Palace.

Arimondi's brigade beat back the Ethiopians who repeatedly charged the Italian position for three hours with gradually fading strength until Menelik released his reserve of 25, 000 Shewans and swamped the Italian defenders.

Levine also noted that the victory " gave encouragement to isolationist and conservative strains that were deeply rooted in Ethiopian culture, strengthening the hand of those who would strive to keep Ethiopia from adopting techniques imported from the modern West-resistances with which both Menelik and Ras Teferi / Haile Selassie would have to contend "

" The two most important historical figures who signify the introduction of the concepts of national boundary and sovereignty in Ethiopia are Emperor Menelik II and Ras Gobana Dachi, who used guns manufactured in Europe to bring a large swath of Biyas ( regions / nations ) under a centralized rule.

Ethiopia's traditions, recorded and elaborated in a 13th century treatise, the " Kebre Negest ", assert descent from a retinue of Israelites who returned with the Queen of Sheba from her visit to King Solomon in Jerusalem, by whom she had conceived the Solomonic dynasty's founder, Menelik I.

Ethiopia's traditions, recorded and elaborated in a 5th century treatise, the " Kebre Negest ", assert descent from a retinue of Israelites who returned with Makeda, the Queen of Sheba from her visit to King Solomon in Jerusalem, by whom she had conceived the Solomonic dynasty's founder, Menelik I.

Menelik had three acknowledged children: Zewditu herself, a son Asfaw Wossen who died in infancy, and another daughter Shewa Regga, the mother of Lij Iyasu, Menelik's eventual heir.

In 1913, Menelik died, and Lij Iyasu, the son of Zewditu's half-sister Shewa Regga, who had been publicly declared heir apparent in 1909, took the throne.

Menelik of Shewa, who descended from Solomonic Emperors, in the direct male line ( junior only to the Gondar line ), ascended the imperial throne following Yohannis IV's death, thus purporting to restore the male-line Solomonic tradition.

Tewodros II's much loved daughter, Woizero Alitash Tewodros, was the first wife of Menelik of Shewa who eventually became Emperor Menelik II of Ethiopia.

His body was never recovered, and the account of his demise was told years later by two of his companions, Vannutelli and Citerni, who survived the battle but were kept in prison for two years by Menelik II, emperor of Ethiopia.

In October 1889, Menelik met with a Russian officer who was sent to discuss merging the Russian and Abyssinian orthodox churches, but Menelik was more concerned over Italy's massing army in Eritrea.

After Yohannes ' death at the Battle of Metemma, his successor Emperor Menelik II came to Mek ' ele 23 February 1890, where he accepted the submission of the nobles of Tigray — except for Mangesha Yohannes who had made an appointment to submit 20 days later.

Although the direct male line ended with Menelik II, who was succeeded first briefly by his grandson by a daughter Lij Iyasu1913-1916, and then by another daughter Empress Zewditu 1916-1930, and eventually by the son of a first cousin in the female line, Emperor Haile Selassie who reigned from 1930 till the monarchy ended in 1974.