Imru Haile Selassie 1885-1972 E.C (1892-1980)Leul-Ras (Prince-General), member of Ethiopian Nobility, Patriot of Italo-Ethiopian war, diplomat, reformist politician & writer.
Imru Haile Selassie was born at Funyan Bira, Gursum district in Harargie Province on Hidar 15, 1885 E.C / Nov. 24, 1892 four months after the birth of his first cousin Lij (Prince) Tafari Mekonnen who would later become Emperor Haile Selassie. His mother Mezleqia died when he was a few months old. Not long after Imru‘s fourth birthday, he was sent to Ras (General) Makonnen, his mother‘s uncle, to be educated in his palace alongside his son Tafari.
In Ras Mekonnen‘s household Lij Imru received traditional education of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. Later, he received formal education from Catholic Missionaries. Imru was about 13 years old when Ras Mekonnen died and the children from his palace were sent to Addis Ababa to continue their education in Emperor Menelik‘s palace. Later, when Menelik II School, the first modern secular school in the nation opened in 1908, Imru and Tafari completed their studies in just one year as they were enrolled in a special class created for boys from Harar because they had an advanced background from their education in Harar.In 1909 Imru accompanied seventeen-year-old Lij Tafari Makonnen when he was appointed governor of part of Sidamo Province. Imru was in turn appointed by Tafari to govern a subdistrict in his domain.In 1911 Imru followed Tafari to Harargie province where he was made governor bearing the title of Dejazmatch. There, too, Tafari gave Imru the title of Grazmatch and appointed him to govern Jarso district and later Jijiga district. In 1917 Imru was promoted to the rank of Dejazmach and appointed governor of Harar by then Prince-Regent Ras Tafari.Imru stayed in that post for 11 years and pursued progressive policies for political reform started by Ras Tafari. He brought Hakim Werqneh Eshete (a.k.a. Dr. Charles Martin) and Bejirond Tekle-Hawaryat, two European-educated intellectuals well known for their progressive ideas, to administer districts under him. Imru through their help instituted reforms such as judicial practice & taxation at the district level, then to the whole province. After Ras Tafari was crowned king in 1928, Imru was sent to Wello Province as governor. In the memoir which was published recently he recalled that his governance in Wello was not as smooth as that of Harargie. The restless province required use of significant military force to pacify it. Also, by building roads, bridges and schools, he was able to integrate the region into the central government.
to institute educational, legal and customs & taxation reforms were met with heavy resistance. Though he succeeded in establishing law & order through capital punishment as well as crackdown on local rebels and chieftains, he failed to institute land reform, largely
due to opposition from the Orthodox Church which had control over a vast portion of the
land in the province.
In 1935 Fascist Italy invaded Ethiopia. From October 1935, Ras Imru commanded
his provincial Army on Shire front to lead a counterattack against the Italian invaders. His
early offense deep into the Italian rear threatened the Italian advance. Ultimately, Imru was
stopped and his army was destroyed by the use of poison gas dropped from the air.
In May 1936, Emperor Haile Selassie appointed Ras Imru as Prince Regent in his absence,
departing Ethiopia with his family to present the case of Ethiopia to the League of
Nations in Geneva. When Italian forces took Addis Ababa, Imru continued to resist
the Italians by moving with his forces to South western Ethiopia and making Gore,
Illubabor the ―seat of Ethiopian Government‖. When his position in Gore, became
untenable, he took his forces and retreated to the southeast. The Italians followed him
and surrounded his forces on the north bank of the Gojeb River. In the end Ras Imru
and his dwindling forces were forced to surrender in December 19, 1936. He was
taken to Italy and imprisoned on the Island of Ponza. Sources citing fellow resistant
fighter and inmate, Hadis Alemayehu, indicate that Italian officials offered Ras Imru
the return of his lands if he would recognize Italian rule, but he replied that estates
meant nothing to him so long as he was deprived of his country. He was later freed
by British forces upon the formal surrender of Italy in 1943.
that his share of the lands awarded to him in Arsi province, be given to the resistant fighters who had fought under his command. Since then, land reform had become the cause-celebre of his later life which was followed by his son Mikael Imru the future Prime Minster. His liberal progressive views as well as the reformist and modernizing credentials he had built throughout his career had earned him respect & recognition even among those who were in opposition of the feudal monarchist regime.
The leaders of the failed coup d‘etat attempt in 1960 made radio announcement that they designate Leul-Ras Imru to be appointed as a Prime Minister. He did not accept the appointment and he had attempted to prevent bloodshed by talking to General Mengistu and his brother Germame Neway, leaders of the coup attempt with whom he was in good terms. Even the student movement leaders who led urban based ptotest against Haile Selassie‘s regime in the 1960s as well as the military Junta
who succeeded to overthrow the Emperor in mid 70s looked Leul-Ras Imru with high
regard. When he died on Nehase 11, 1972E.C. (August 15, 1980) his funeral was declared
a state funeral by the Military regime.
This biographical sketch is compiled from the following sources:
Imru Haile Selassie: From Wikipedia the Online Encyclopedia.
Molvaer, R. (1997) – Black Lions: The Creative Lives of Modern Ethiopian Literary Giants. Lawrenceville:
NJ, Red Sea Press, 1997.