Menelik II (ዳግማዊ ምኒሊክ) 💚💛❤️
1. Menelik II was born on Aug 17, 1844, in Ankober, Shewa, Ethiopia. His father was Prince Haile-Melekot, Son of King Sahle Sillasse, & His mother, Woizero Ejigayehu Lemma Adyamo, was a palace servant. He was baptized as Sahle Mariam.
2. Menelik (ምኒሊክ) took his name from Menelik I, the son of King Solomon and Makeda, Queen of Sheba. Menelik I was a king in 10th century BC. Through his father, Menelik II claimed descent from this Solomonic line.
3. King of Shewa!
Melenik's father died in 1855, & Menelik was taken prisoner by Tewodros II. While with Tewodros, he received an education & married the emperor's daughter. Menelik escaped Tewodros's custody in 1865 & He returned to shewa & claimed its throne. As king of Shewa.
4. Emperor of Ethiopia!
Menelik was crowned king of kings (negus negast) and emperor of Ethiopia on November 3, 1889, at the Church of Mary on Mount Entoto.
His wife, Taitu Betul, whom he had married at Easter mass in 1883, was crowned empress two days after Menelik.
5. Treaty of Wichale
On May 2, 1889, Menelik signed the Treaty of Wichale. Article 17 in the Italian version stated that Ethiopia as a protectorate of Italy, while in Amharic it stated Ethiopia's independence. Italy tried to get him to accept their interpretation but he refused.
6. Proclamation of Adwa
"Our enemies have begun the affair by advancing & digging into the country like moles. With the help of God I will not deliver up my country to them. . . . Today, you who are strong, give me your strength, & you who are weak, help me with your prayer."
7. #Adwa
In 1893, Menelik nullify the wuchale treaty. While Italy, certain it could get its way by force & came to a head at battle of Adwa on Mar 1, 1896, where Ethiopians defeated Italians. This made Menelik the first African ruler to successfully counter a colonial invasion.
8. Menelik II spoke Amharic, Oromo, Afar, and Tigrigna, additionally he spoke French, English and Italian fluently. Like Tewodros II, Menelik II was fascinated by modernity and he was the founding father of Modern Ethiopia.
9. The First Cabinet of Ministers
Menelik established the first Cabinet of Ministers in 1907 to help in the administration of the Empire, appointing trusted and widely respected nobles and retainers to the first Ministries.
10. The First Car
In December 1907 the first car in Ethiopia arrived overland from Djibouti. This Ford Model T car was owned and rode by Emperor Menelik II of Ethiopia (1844 - 1913).
The first car in Ethiopia And Menelik II was the first native African to drive a car.
11. The First Telephone
The first telephone was installed in Menelik's palace in 1890. Eight representatives of the clergy approached the throne of Menelik and appealed to the Emperor that the telephone in the palace was in fact the work of the Devil. It was brought from Italy.
12. The First Hotel
The first hotel in Ethiopia is the Itegue Taitu Hotel (እቴ ጌጣይቱ) in AddisAbaba. The Taitu Hotel was built in 1905/1906 (1898 in the Eth).
13. The first Bank
The agreement in 1905 b/n Emperor Minilik II & Mr Ma Gillivray, of the British owned National Bank of Egypt marked the introduction of banking in Ethiopia. Following that, the first bank called Bank of Abysinia was inaugurated in Feb.16, 1906 by the Emperor.
14. Piped water (Tap water)
Emperor Menelik II introduced the first piped water to his palace and to Addis Ababa in 1887. The project was done by a Swiss engineer Alfred ilg who was a confidant to Ethiopian Emperor Menelik II.
15. The 1st Modern School
The first Modern school was opened by the Emperor in October 1908 ( Menelik II School). This school offered instruction to about a hundred boys of “best families”. Teaching included French, English, Italian, Amharic, mathematics science, & sports.
16. The First Hospital
The first Ethiopian hospital is Dagmawi Menelik Hospital, it was founded in 1909. built in Addis Abeba by Menelik II. It was built to accommodate 200 patients. The service was free of charge.
17. Modern Postal System
Modern postal service was introduced in 1894 E.C during the reign of Emperor Menelik with the help of Alfred Ilg. The first modern post office opened in July 1908. Ethiopia became the memeber of Universal Postal Union(UPU) on the time of Menelik.
18. The First Railway
The first railway is Ethio-Djibouti Railway, it was built in 1894–1917 to connect A.A to Djibouti. In 1894, Alfred Ilg & his associate founded Imperial Railway Company of Ethiopia for the first time with its headquarters in Paris. The railway was 784 Km.
19. The First Newspaper
አእምሮ was the first Newspaper was during Menelik’s time. It was written in the Amharic language.The newspaper was weekly and the first ever issue had 24 copies. It was the fisrt modern newspaper in Africa by African language.
20. The first Electric light
Electricity was first introduced to Ethiopia around 1898 during Emperor Menilik's era, as the then German government provided a generator as a gift to the Emperor mainly to supply electricity for lighting service to his palace.
21. The 1st Gramophone (የሸክላ ማጫወቻ)
The first gramophone (device for recording & replaying sound) in ethiopia was introduced in 1887 during Menelik era. He sent some messages to Queen Victoria using the disk & the messages are found in “British Institute of Record Sound".
22. The Order of Menelik
The Order of Menelik II is an Ethiopian order established in 1924 by then-Regent Tafari Makonnen, during the reign of Empress Zewditu I, to honor the memory of Emperor Menelik II. It was often referred to as the Order of the Lion.
23. After the conquest of Adwa, king Menelik's name was becoming known around the world and the Cacao and Chocolate company known as Suchard in Switzerland used the picture of King Menelik on its trademark.
24. Letter to Aba Jiffar
Menelik II had sent a letter to Aba Jiffar of Jimma, telling him his disdain for slaves he used to sell.
25. Admiration of Ottoman officer!
26. Menelik road nw2 (London)
27. Notable quotes
“This country is mine & no other nation can have it” - response to Italians
“When united, the victory is ours as many small pieces of Bark can conquer an elephant”
“There was never a time when united that Ethiopians lost to an enemy in history” at Adwa!
In the memory 0f Adwa! 👆
@NeaminZeleke @iyoba4u @sanusi90064 @BekeleWoyecha @ervstours @eslemanabayy @Jerrijegna @FK_MA9 @GuteBule @BeZyee @HermelaBrook @SmartEthiopians @Enumenker @FitsumSiltan @FuadMustefaAli @NetHabesha @DrHeyru @GsTsion @yonast98 @askview11 @teddyyeneniguss
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