WALE, BETUL

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], and the years which followed.

PHOTO CAPTION: Wale Betul of Yaju. SOURCE: EA Library.

His father was Dajazmach Betul of Yaju, whose province, in what is now Wallo, had been confiscated by Emperor Téwodros II [reigned 1855-68]. He himself was imprisoned in the court of Téwodros, together with Menilek and the children of other traditional ruling families, but in April 1867 he fled from the fortress of Magdala to Shawa, where Menilek welcomed him as a friend and potential ally. In 1876/77 Menilek made Walé the overlord of Yaju, with the rank of Dajazmach. Walé generally supported Menilek in his struggle with Yohannes IV [reigned 1872-89] for the throne, but he carefully refrained from any direct confrontation with the emperor. In 1872, therefore, Menilek made him one of his negotiators in seeking to end a struggle that he could not win.

In 1883, Menilek married Walé’s sister, Taytu Betul. When he became emperor in 1889, Menilek made Walé his third Ras, and expanded his domains to include Wadla and Lasta (to the east of Bagemder), Bagemder, and Dambea (west of Bagemder), which, with Yaju, made him as strong as Ras Mangasha Yohannes, the natural son of Yohannes IV, and the only serious competitor for the throne. During the next few years, Menilek used Walé to neutralise Mangasha and to crush rebellions in Tegré and other northern areas. By 1896 he was an experienced general, and played a major part in defeating the Italians at Adwa, during the Italo-Ethiopian war of 1895-96. In May 1900, he became governor of Tegé, and controlled northeastern Ethiopia.

When Ras Makonnen, Menilek’s heir apparent, died unexpectedly in 1905, Taytu tried to obtain the succession for Walé, or for his son Ras Gugsa Walé, husband of Menilek’s daughter Zawditu, later to reign as empress from 1916-30. From the Shawan point of view, such nominations would have been impolitic, and Menilek gave the succession instead to Lej lyasu Mikael, his grandson by Ras Mikael and by his daughter Shawaraggad Gadlé.

When Menilek became powerless following a series of paralytic strokes, and the regency was proving ineffectual, Taytu Betul dominated the central government from February 1909 until March 21, 1910. At that time the more powerful Shawan princes staged a successful coup against her, the “Yaju clan” was successfully neutralized, and Ras Walé surrendered.

He was tried, convicted of treason, and sentenced to be executed, but the sentence was commuted to life imprisonment.

HAROLD G. MARCUS