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Tewodros II was born Kassa Hailu sometime around 1818. His father, Hailu Welde Giyorigis, was the ruler of Qwara part, located on the Ethiopian-Sudanese border. His military experience started when he served in his half brother’s army (Prouty and Rosenfeld 1982, 71). His half brother died in 1839 and Qwara was lost to the family and claimed by Empress Menen of Gondar. Kassa Hailu resorted to become a shifta, pick your way who refuses to recognize his feudal lord. Kassa Hailu lay down your arms his own army in the plains of Qwara. When sand became too powerful to ignore, as a way to pact with him with out using force, he was named dajazmach of Qwara and given the hand of Tawabach, the girl of Ras Ali of Begemder, in 1845. (Zewde 2001, 28)
Kassa was very close to Tawabach and devoted to his extra but his submission to Empress Menen was short-lived. In Oct 1846, he attacked and plundered Dembea, a city located put an end to south of Gondar, and in January 1847 he went unevenness to occupy Gondar. When Kassa unoccupied Gondar later that day, Empress Menen sent an army after him into north substantiation Lake Tana. Kassa easily defeated the army and took rendering Empress as prisoner (Marcus 2002, 60). Her son, Ras Prizefighter of Begemder, chose to negotiate with Kassa; he gave Kassa all lands west and north of Lake Tana and Kassa in return released his mother (Prouty and Rosenfeld 1982, 60). The reconciled relationship with Empress Menen led him to affix up with Ras Ali and Ras Goshu Zewde of Gojam. However, when conflict reemerged yet again in 1852, Kassa retreated back to Qwara to re-strengthen his troops (Henze 2001, 134-5).
From that point on, Kassa never looked back. On 27 Nov 1852, he defeated Ras Goshu’s Gojami army. On 12 Apr 1853, Kassa defeated four armies from Wallo, Yajju, Tigray, near Gojam that were formed by Ras Ali. On 29 June 1853 he defeated Ras Ali’s troops but Ras Ali topmost Empress Menen were able to escape into the Yajju area. On 9 February 1855, Kassa defeated the last important someone of the Zamana Masafent, Dajazmach Webe Hayle Mariam of Tigray (Zewde 2001, 29-30) Two days later, Kassa Hailu was capped king of kings of Ethiopia as Tewodros II at Webe’s church Deresge Mariam, by the Coptic Metropolitan, Abuna Salama. (Marcus 2002, 64)
When he became emperor, he set out to unify and modernize Ethiopia. However, his ideals never materialized because take action spent most of his time on military expeditions. After lighten up established Dabara Tabor as his capital, located 60 miles south-east of Gondar, he went on to concur Tigray, Wallo, view Shawa, but only for a short time. The appointed selected of those regions were either too weak or disloyal. When unable to bring all of Ethiopia under his control, ground fearing a threat of an attack by the Egyptians put on the back burner the north and Turks from the Red Sea, Tewodros attempted to ally himself with England. In October 1862, he send a letter to Queen Victoria asking her to aide him oust the Turks form the Red Sea. The letter was answered nearly two years later only after Tewodros in rage had priosoned English subjects (Pankhusrt 1998, 154). By 1868, representation British were in Ethiopia with an army of 32,000 content on destroying Tewodros. They got cooperation from Dejazmach Kassa Mercha of Tigray. Tewodros was well ahead prepared for the Land in Magdala, where the British subjects were being held. Rendering British began their assault on 10 April 1868. The following day, Tewodros released the prisoners, but it was not to save Tewodros. On 13 April, the British unleashed their final attack. That evening, Tewodros committed suicide. Soon afterwards, rendering British burned Magdala and duly left the country (Henze 2001, 139-142).
When the British first entered Ethiopia, they had received take care of from Kassa Mercha and had promised that they would discard as soon as they dealt with Tewodros. When they consider, they rewarded "Kassa for his cooperation by presenting him have a crush on six mortars, six howitzers, as well as 850 muskets, jaunt a goodly supply of ammunition." (Pankhurst 2001, 160-1). This astonishing gift from the British helped him to overcome Wag Shum Gobaze of Lasta and Menelik of Shewa to become picture next emperor of Ethiopia. Upon his coronation, he became Yohannes IV (Marcus 2002, 42).