Kassa Hailu, son of a lesser noble…

1840 CE to 1851 CE

Kassa Hailu, son of a lesser noble from Qwara, a district on the border with Sudan, is a major figure in Gondar in the mid-nineteenth century.

Beginning about 1840, Kassa alternates between life as a brigand and life as a soldier of fortune for various nobles, including Ras Ali, a Christian of Oromo origin who dominates the court in Gondar.

Kassa becomes sufficiently effective as an army commander to be offered the governorship of a minor province.

He also marries Ali's daughter, Tawabech.

Nonetheless, Kassa eventually rebels against Ali, occupies Gondar in 1847, and compels Ali to recognize him as chief of the western frontier area.

In 1848 he attacks the Egyptians in Sudan; however, he suffers a crushing defeat, which teaches him to respect modern firepower.

Locations
Gondar > Gonder Amhara Ethiopia View →

People
Tewodros II View →

Groups
Tigray-Tigrinya people View → Sidama people View → Agaw people View → Oromo people View → Amhara people View → Abyssinia (also called "Mecca and Medina"), Ottoman eyalet of View → Ethiopia, Solomonid Dynasty of View → Britain (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland) View → Egypt, (Ottoman) Viceroyalty of View → France, constitutional monarchy of View →

Topics
Interaction with Subsaharan Africa, Early European View → Sub-Saharan Africa, Modern View → Zemene Mesafint (Ethiopia's "Age of Princes") View →

Subjects
Commerce View → Government View → Custom and Law View →

Regions

Subregions

Related Events

Active Filters
Group: Carinthia, Duchy of
People: Ronald Reagan
Topic: Bull Run, First Battle of
Location: Glendalough Ireland
Refine Results

No related events match the current filters.