Podcast Episodes
Back to Search
Emperor Yeshaq I: The Metal King Who Fought Adal and Minted the Birr
Season 3 Episode 109
Long before Menelik II or Tewodros, another Solomonic emperor shaped Ethiopia's destiny — Yeshaq I, who ruled from 1414 to 1429. This episode digs in…
2 months, 1 week ago
The Ethiopian Giraffe That Went to China: Zheng He's Forgotten Voyage
Season 3 Episode 108
In the early 15th century, a live giraffe arrived in Beijing aboard a Chinese treasure ship. The Chinese called it a qilin, a mythical beast of good …
2 months, 1 week ago
Susenyos and the Jesuit Convert That Nearly Split Ethiopia
Season 3 Episode 107
In the early 1600s, Emperor Susenyos made a choice that nearly tore Ethiopia apart. After decades of internal conflict and pressure from Portuguese-b…
2 months, 2 weeks ago
The Battle of Ansata: Amda Seyon's Defining Victory
Season 3 Episode 106
In the early 14th century, the Solomonic emperor Amda Seyon faced a rebellion that threatened to tear his realm apart. This episode dives into the Ba…
2 months, 2 weeks ago
Queen Eleni: The Diplomat Who Saved Ethiopia
Season 3 Episode 105
This episode tells the remarkable story of Queen Eleni, a Muslim-born slave who became one of Ethiopia's most powerful and savvy rulers. Widow of Emp…
2 months, 2 weeks ago
Emperor Amda Seyon: Ethiopia's Crusader Against Adal
Season 3 Episode 104
This episode dives into the reign of Emperor Amda Seyon (1314–1344), one of Ethiopia's most formidable warrior-kings. We explore his campaigns agains…
2 months, 2 weeks ago
Dawit III and the Gondar Literary Renaissance
Season 3 Episode 103
Emperor Dawit III, a lesser-known Solomonic ruler of the early 18th century, presided over a golden age of literature and manuscript production in Go…
2 months, 2 weeks ago
Ember Days and the End of Days: Zara Yaqob's Lost Fasts
Season 3 Episode 102
Emperor Zara Yaqob (r. 1434–1468) didn't just reform Ethiopia's church and write theology; he imposed a secret national censorship by mandating a ser…
2 months, 2 weeks ago
Zara Yaqob: Ethiopia's Philosopher King Who Reformed the Church
Season 3 Episode 101
Before the Jesuit crisis of Susenyos or the wars of Gragn Ahmed, Emperor Zara Yaqob (r. 1434–1468) transformed Ethiopia from within. In this episode,…
2 months, 2 weeks ago
Queen of Sheba: Legend, Empire, and the Kebra Nagast
Season 2 Episode 100
Episode 100 of Fexingo History dives into the legendary Queen of Sheba — her historical roots in the Sabaean kingdom of Yemen, her biblical and Qur'a…
2 months, 2 weeks ago