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Empress Zewditu Ethiopia's Forgotten Traditionalist Ruler
Description
In 1916, after the deposition of Lij Iyasu, Menelik II's daughter Zewditu became empress of Ethiopia—the first woman to rule the empire since ancient times. But her reign was a tug-of-war between tradition and reform. While her regent, Ras Tafari Makonnen (the future Haile Selassie), pushed for modernization, Zewditu clung to the old ways: the Orthodox Church, the nobility, and even the slave trade. This episode explores her coronation, the power struggle with Tafari, the rebellion of her ex-husband Ras Gugsa Welle, and the Battle of Anchem that ended her rule. We also examine her legacy as a conservative monarch caught between centuries of custom and the inevitable tide of change. Zewditu's story is a window into Ethiopia's early 20th century transformation, a period often overshadowed by the giants who came before and after her.