Encyclopaedia Africana

Revolutionaries, Statesmen & Traditional Rulers

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Wayzaro Warqit (who lived in the 19th century), or Wargitu, was a Muslim ruler of the Wallo Galla in the mid-19th century, who succeeded her...

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Sartsa Dengel (circa 1550-September 2, 1597) was emperor of Ethiopia from 1563-97. He was a great warrior king who during his long reign devoted his...

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Wale Betul of Yaju (18?-June 14, 1918) was one of the important Ethiopian provincial governors and politicians during the reign of Menilek II (reigned 1889-1913),...

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Ras Walda Selasse (1736-1816) was an Ethiopian statesman who ruled over Tegré from 1780 to 1816. He grew up at the court of Ras Mikael...

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Major-General Orde Charles Wingate (February 26, 1903-March 24, 1944) was a British officer who played a notable role in the Ethiopian liberation campaign of 1940-41,...

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Patrice Emery Lumumba (July 2, 1925-January 17, 1961) served as prime minister of the Congo during the tumultuous first months after independence on June 30,...

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Webé Hayla Maryam (1799-1867), a Ethiopian statesman, ruled over Tegré and Semén from 1831-55. He was the son of Dajazmach Hayla Maryam. In his youth...

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Mbidi Kiluwe (who flourished circa 1500), also known as Ilunga Mbili, a hero in Luba oral tradition, is thought to have introduced “bulopwe”, the unique...

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Sahla Selassé (1795-1847) was the regional ruler of Shawa from 1813-1847. In the course of the 1830s he assumed the title of Negus (king), and...

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Matemu a Kelenge (circa 1895- September, 1931), popularly known as Mundele Funji, led the famous 1931 Pende revolt against the colonial government. Matemu belonged to...

Editor’s Note

This website features a collection of articles largely from previously published volumes of the Encyclopaedia Africana, specifically the Encyclopaedia Africana Dictionary of African Biography, which highlights notable individuals from various regions of Africa. Please note that in these volumes, some names of people, towns, and countries were spelled differently than they are today. We have retained these historical spellings to preserve the integrity of the original publications. In some instances, the current spellings are also provided for easy reference.
Please report errors to: info@encyclopaediaafricana.com / research@encyclopaediaafricana.com

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