Ethiopian Zagwe Dynasty Rule (1140s)

Name: Ethiopian Zagwe Dynasty Rule (1140s)
Start: 1141
End: 1149

Type Event Region Ethiopia Time c. 1141–1149

In the 1140s, the Zagwe dynasty ruled central and northern Ethiopia, based near Lalibela, with Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity as state religion and …

Timeline

1141–1145Ethiopian Highlands · EthiopiaZagwe monarchs consolidated rule over the Amhara-Tigray highlands with church support, marginalizing Solomonid descendants, and strengthened the symbiosis between royal power and the Orthodox Church through grants of church lands and appointment of bishops.
1143–1148Lalibela · EthiopiaThe Zagwe royal house continuously built churches and monasteries in Lalibela and surrounding areas, inheriting the Aksumite tradition and developing distinctive rock-hewn architectural techniques, making the region a center of Ethiopian Orthodox faith.
1147–1150Port of Zeila · SomaliaThe Zagwe regime maintained trade links with Yemen and Egypt through ports such as Zeila, exporting ivory, musk, and slaves while importing textiles and metal goods, and managing local nobility through a feudal fief system to sustain stable rule of the highland kingdom.

Sources

Zagwe dynasty — Richard Pankhurst https://www.britannica.com/topic/Zagwe-dynasty
The Ethiopians: A History — Richard Pankhurst (2001)