Theodore II (Ethiopian emperor)

Theodore II (Ethiopian emperor) (1820?-1868), Emperor of Ethiopia (1855-1868). He was born Kassa Haylu, son of a minor official in western Ethiopia. His personal leadership qualities and great military skill enabled him to defeat rival lords in the fragmented Ethiopia (Abyssinia) of the time, and seize the capital, Gonder, in 1855. He declared himself emperor, taking the name Theodore to fulfil a prophecy that a ruler of that name would introduce a golden age. Intensely committed to a united and modernized Ethiopia, he invited European craftsmen to the country. However, his autocratic style prompted endless internal revolts and the enmity of the Ethiopian Orthodox Union church. Rebuttal of his attempts to form an alliance with Britain led him to imprison the British consul and other Europeans, prompting a British punitive invasion in 1867-1868. The British task was greatly eased by the aid of Theodore’s Ethiopian rivals. After the defeat of his army Theodore committed suicide at his mountain fortress of Magdala rather than submit to capture. His reign marked the first step in the national revival that enabled Ethiopia to avoid European colonial rule, and served as an inspiration to later generations of radical nationalist Ethiopians.