Iyasus II of Ethiopia

Iyasus II or Jesus II was negus (throne name Adyam Sagadwas) (19 September 1730 – 26 June 1755) of Ethiopia, and a member of the Solomonid dynasty. He was the son of Bakaffa and Mantuab.

The Queen Mother Mantuab played a major role in Iyasus' reign, first as regent, then later as advisor. However, a number of nobles suspected her of secretly favoring Catholicism, and staged a revolt during Iyasus' reign.

During his reign, a Czech Franciscan Remedius Prutzky visited his kingdom, and engaged Iyasus in talks about religion and European politics. Although he and his two companions were popular because of their medical skills, Prutzky and his Catholic companion were asked to leave because of complaints from the local clergy after a year.

Despite Mantuab's counsel, Iyasus proved to be an ineffectual monarch, preferring to hunt, and spending the Empire's revenues on his capital Gondar or on mirrors from Europe to the work of a negus. In a bid to regain respect, he engaged in a campaign against the Funj of Sennar, which ended in defeat; an icon of Christ and a piece of the True Cross carried into battle were captured, and had to be ransomed for 8,000 ounces of gold.

During his reign two epidemics of locusts afflicted the land, and an epidemic took the lives of thousands. When Abun Krestodoulas died, the treasury lacked money to pay for procurement of a new abuna. Imperial authority was acknowledged little further than Gojjam and Lasta, while in Tigray, Ras Mikael Sehul gained power.

Iyasus fell seriously ill in May, 1755, and died the next month. When the Queen Mother sought funds from the treasury for his funeral, only a few dinars could be found. Saddened by this situation, she intended to retire to a convent, but a group of nobles presuaded her to instead become regent for her grandson Iyoas I.

Bibliography

• Richard K. P. Pankhurst. The Ethiopian Royal Chronicles. Addis Ababa: Oxford University Press, 1967.