A rebel appears near Debre Bizen in…

1608 CE

A rebel appears near Debre Bizen in 1608.

Because the body of Yaqob had never been found after the Battle of Gol, there has been some doubt that the previous Emperor is truly dead, and the pretender announces that he is the dead Emperor Yaqob.

The pretender manages to disguise the fact he does not resemble Yaqob by keeping part of his face covered, claiming that he had suffered grievous wounds to his teeth and face from the battle.

The governor of Tigray, Sela Krestos, eventually hears of the revolt, and not trusting the loyalty of a general levy of troops, strikes against the rebel with his own household and the descendants of the Portuguese soldiers who had followed Cristóvão da Gama into Ethiopia.

Despite defeating the rebels three different times, the pretender has managed to escape each battle to hide in the mountains of Hamasien.

Meanwhile, Emperor Susenyos is preoccupied with raiding parties of the Oromo.

An initial encounter with the Marawa Oromo near the upper course of the Reb River ends in a defeat for the Ethiopians; Susenyos rallies his men and makes a second attack which scatter the Oromo.

The Marawa ally with other Oromo, and the united force enters Begemder to avenge their defeat.

Upon hearing of this, the Emperor responds by summoning his son-in-law Qegnazmach Julius and Kifla Krestos to join him with their troops, and defeats the raiders at Ebenat on January 17, 1608.

According to James Bruce, the Royal Chronicle of Susenyos reports 12,000 Oromo were killed while only 400 on the Emperor's side were lost.

With the Oromo threat dealt with, Susenyos now can turn his attention to Yaqob the pretender; he marches to Axum by way of the Lamalmo and Waldebba, where he is formally crowned Emperor on March 18, 1608, in a ceremony described by João Gabriel, the captain of the Portuguese in Ethiopia.

Despite this act legitimizing his rule, Susenyos has no luck capturing the pretender, and is forced to leave the task to his servant Amsala Krestos.

Amsala Krestos induces two brothers who had joined the rebellion to assassinate Yaqob the pretender, who then send the dead man's head to Susenyos.

Without a scarf obscuring his features, writes Bruce, "it now appeared, that he had neither scars in his face, broken jaw, nor loss of teeth; but the covering was intending only to conceal the little resemblance he bore to king Jacob, slain, as we said before, at the battle of Lebart."

According to his Royal Chronicle, Susenyos makes his power felt along his western frontier from Fazogli north to Suakin.