The Zagwe dynasty ruled Ethiopia from the end of the Kingdom of Axum at an unsure date in the 9th or 10th century to 1270.
It is noted to derive its name from the Agaw people, meaning “Agaw” or literally “of Agaw” (ze meaning “of” in Ge’ez). Its famous king was Gebre Mesqel Lalibela (King Lalibela), who is accountable for the rock-hewn churches of Lalibela.
David Buxton has affirmed that the area under the direct rule of the Zagwe kings probably embraced:
• the highlands of modern Eritrea
• the whole of Tigrai
• extending southwards to Waag
• Lasta
• Damot (Wallo province) and
• westwards towards Lake Tana (Beghemdir)
King D’il Nead (the last Axumite king) was overthrown by one of his generals, Tekle Haymanot, who took the regal name of Zagwe and established the dynasty of the same name.
This tradition doesn’t compute with the most likely dates of Yodit’s rule. It has been thought that the Zagwe Dynasty followed straight from Yodit, and was founded by Jews who later converted to Christianity.
This idea is supported by the fact that the Zagwe based themselves in Lasta, which at the time was a strongly Jewish area and was almost likely the birthplace of Yodit.
Nevertheless, the dating of the Zagwe Dynasty is itself rather ambiguous. Various sources date their usurpation of the throne from as far apart as AD922 and 1150, with the latter date favored by more plausible sources.
Among everal traditional lists of Zagwe rulers only seven kings appear on all versions and, rather improbably, all but the last are said to have ruled for exactly 40 years.
Despite the vagueness surrounding dates, the Zagwe leaders appear to have exercised a new stability and unity in Ethiopia.
It also was under the most famous Zagwe king, Lalibela, that Ethiopian Christianity got to the pinnacle of its physical expression in the form of the cluster of rock-hewn churches carved at the Zagwe capital of Roha.
It is widely agreed that the Zagwe period of rule ended when a Solomonic descendant called Yekuno Amlak took the throne in 1270.
Even here, nevertheless, some sources claim that the last Zagwe monarch abdicate of his own free will, other that he was killed in a battle by his Solomonic successor.
Keywords: Kingdom of Axum, Agaw people, King Lalibela, rock-hewn churches, Tekle Haymanot , Eritrea, Tigrai, Lasta, Damot, Wallo, Lake Tana, Beghemdir, D’il Nead,
The Agew state, (ca. 1100-1270 A.D.) // Nov 16, 2007 at 7:23 am
[...] During this period, sometime before the end of the 1st millennium A.D., the new dynasty of the Agews emerged in the northern highlands of [...]
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The medieval Hatse state of Ethiopia. (ca. 1270-1524.) // Nov 16, 2007 at 11:27 am
[...] passed from the Aksumite regional ruling class in the north into the hands of the new regional Agew (Zagwe) dynasty in [...]
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hey it is interesting to share such intersting thing. can you tell me how the gojam agaw came to emage from the waag agaw?
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Very interesting and informative piece, I would like to thank you, and I already added your site in my face book.
Thanks.
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It is interesting to me! Thank you very much indeed! I am happy that we are in the same circle. Long Live for Ethiopia!!
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Selam Yalmweyi,
The Agew people were very big at the end of the first millennium.
The Agew dominated most of the central highlands of Ethiopia, i.e. from Tigray (Sekota, Selemt, Humera, Tsegede), Gonder (Dembiya, Quara, Aykele) .
The Gojjam Agews just migrated from Sekota at the time of Lalibela. There is what Gojam Agews call (Sebat bet Agew: Ankesha, Azena, Banja, Chara, Dang (Where Dangla comes from), Metekili (Where Metekel comes from) and Zigem). They are seven brothers who revolted against the rule of Lalibela and migrated out of King Lalibela’s jurisdiction with an army of many agews. All the Agew districs in the Agew Midir area in Gojam are named after these brave agew brothers.
The cause for the seven brothers revolt is alleged that Lalibela took the throne without the will of many agews. It is also alleged that King Lalibela sided with the Amhara tribe to maintain his throne.
Yekuno Amlak is the founder of the Zagwe dynasty. He used to be a general in the axumite ruler. He was able to topple the last Axumite king because the axumite Dynasty was weakened by a large army of Agew confederates lead by Queen Yodit (Also called Gudit).
The last king of kings of Agew Origin and the strongest of Ethiopian Emperors is Tewodros II(1855-1868). Teddy way an Agew from Quara.
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Ante kumnegerega neh leka
until now I didn’t use Amharic language
But I wonder U
when some body love’s his conuntry I like him
tank U And continue!!
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hi! I sudenly end up in ur web site and love it.
I am trying to find sources for enriching my idea that we are agaws(tigrigna speaking people in eritrea)because I got a booklet of geniologywhich start with some one with the title ‘wag-shum’.what is not clear to me is that the booklet tries to make a judaic ancestry.so do u think of agaws having a jewish beliefe or ancestry before lalibela and yimharena kristos? and if so how do I proove it,like based on what.
help if u can!
I am greatfull for what u did and are doing
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