← Explore on the interactive map

Portuguese Contact with Ethiopia

Type Event Region Africa Time 1520–1530

In the 1520s, the Kingdom of Portugal and the Ethiopian Empire established initial diplomatic and religious contacts, with Emperor Lebna Dengel seeki…

Timeline

  1. 1520–1521Ethiopian court · EthiopiaPortuguese envoy Rodrigo de Lima led a party that reached Ethiopia via the Red Sea, met Lebna Dengel, confirmed the bond of shared Christian faith, and discussed joint resistance to Muslim powers.
  2. 1524–1527Lisbon and Ethiopia · PortugalThe Ethiopian emperor repeatedly wrote to King Manuel I of Portugal and his successors, detailing the Adal threat and pleading for firearms and military personnel. The Portuguese court assessed the strategic value of aiding Ethiopia but acted slowly.
  3. 1526–1530Horn of Africa · Horn of AfricaThe two sides reached a principled consensus on establishing a Christian military alliance, with Portugal pledging future assistance. This diplomatic achievement seemed especially urgent amid intensifying wars with the Adal Sultanate, paving the way for the later Christian expeditionary force sent to aid Ethiopia.

Sources