The Life and Times of Lïj Iyasu of Ethiopia

One hundred years ago, from 1910 to 1916 the young prince Lïj Iyasu (1897 - 1936) assumed power as the uncrowned emperor of Ethiopia. He was overthrown by an alliance of oligarchs led by the future emperor Hayle Sïllasé. The short reign of Iyasu, disrupted by fierce inner competitions in the international context of World War I, has remained obscure, even to specialized researchers. During the past two decades, however, new sources have come up, allowing to ask new questions and look for new answers. This book assembles diverse perspectives on Lïj Iyasu's politics and life, his `pluralistic' and controversial religious inclinations, and his international relations.

The editors: Éloi Ficquet, Ph.D., historian and social anthropologist, is assistant professor at the School for Advanced Studies in Social Sciences (EHESS), Paris, France, and former director of the French Center of Ethiopian Studies in Addis Ababa. Wolbert G.C. Smidt, Ph.D., ethno-historian, is associate professor at Mekelle University, Tigray, Ethiopia, and academic member of the Hiob Ludolf Centre at Hamburg University.