The Life and Contributions of Negus Mikael of Wollo

Imam Mohammed Ali, referred to as Negus Mikaél, was born from the Mammädoch ruling family of Wällo. Following the declaration of religious uniformity at the Council of Boru-Méda, he was converted to Christianity & was renamed Mikaél with the title Ras. His conversion to Christianity helped him to remain in power. He also established strong relationship with Emperors Yohannes and Menilek. This paved way for him to have a significant part in the politics of the time. On May 31, 1914, he was crowned as king of Wällo and Tigray. Negus Mikaél made various contributions in the history of late 19th& early 20th centuries Ethiopia. Beyond participating in the creation of the Modern Ethiopian Empire, he played a significant role at the battles of Mätämma and Adwa to defend the empire from foreign invasions. He founded the town of Däsé & equipped it with the first modern services such as telephone and modern piped water. Mikaél also spent much of his time and money by constructing new churches and repairing the old ones. In spite of his great personality and contributions, much has not been said about Negus Mikaél. Thus, this research tries to provide information on his life & contributions