Seyum Mengesha

Seyoum Mengesha KBE (Amharic: ሥዩም መንገሻ; 21 June 1887 – 15 December 1960) was an army commander and a member of the royal family of the Ethiopian Empire. Early life Le'ul Ras Seyoum Mengesha was born on 24 June 1886 in the town of Agawmedir (Zimbriee), in the province of Gojjam to his mother Woizero Kafay, daughter of Ras Wale Betul Abba Tattan, Viceroy of Tigray. His father was Ras Mangasha Yohannes, the son of Emperor Yohannes IV of Ethiopia, from the royal house of Tigray. It is known that in his teenage years (1902-1910), Le'ul Ras Seyoum moved with his family from Gojjam to Tigray. His father, Ras Mangasha Yohannes was the "natural" son and heir of Emperor Yohannes IV. Because of his descent, Le'ul Ras Seyoum Mangasha was a rival to Emperor Menelik II, who had risen from ruling Shewa Province to become the Emperor upon Yohannes' death. Le'ul Ras Seyoum wed Woizero Tewabech. Tewabech was the daughter of Negus Mikael of Wollo and the sister of Lij Iyasu. Mikael was later honoured with the title of Negus and Iyasu was the uncrowned Emperor of Ethiopia. Ras Seyoum fathered several children from various wives. With his first wife, Woizero Tewabech he had Leult Wolete Israel Seyum who herself married the Crown Prince, Asfaw Wossen. By a previous marriage he had Woizero-Hoy Kebbedech Seyum. By a subsequent marriage he had Leul Mangasha Seyum. In the period 1928-1929 following a long and romantic courtship with Princess Atsede Asfaw Darge from the royal house of Shoa, the couple married and remained devoted until Le'ul Ras Seyoum's death during the coup of 1960.