A commemoration – Emperor Haile Sellasie I
Posted on July 23, 2013
Emperor Haile Sellasie I
A commemoration
Today we commemorate the birthday of His Imperial Majesty Emperor Haile Selassie
I.
In reminiscing about Emperor Haile Selassie or any other monarch of Ethiopia, one
must understand first the history, legends, fables and myths that make-up this age
old institution. The Ethiopian monarchy is said to descend from King Solomon and
the Queen of Sheba, whose progeny was Menelik I, the first King of Ethiopia.
Mentioned in the Bible, whether real or mystical, this notion has been part and parcel
of Ethiopian identity, traditions and an act of faith. Thus, Ethiopian monarchs have
existed believing their role to be a sacred trust and a manifest personal destiny.
Having been endowed with Divine power, they believed the ruler must be just and fair
to all his subjects, as laid out by the canons of the Kibre Negest and Fitha Negest.
Therefore, like his predecessors Emperor Haile Sellassie and his generation grew up
in this mold, believing in the ruler’s sacred duty to God and country. For instance
when the 1955 Constitution was being drafted, I was secretary of the drafting
committee. On one occasion a suggestion was made by one of the foreign advisers
to take out the term “Elect of God” from the titles conferred to the Emperor. When I
reported this to the Emperor, he said “Were it not for God’s will, how do you think I
came to this position?” and he really meant it.
Having lost his mother at birth and his father in his early teens, growing up in the
Imperial Court must have been very challenging for the young Prince. The entourage
of loyal and wise men to whom his father entrusted his upbringing was evidently a
great support to help him master and survive the byzantine intricacies of court
politics. Indoctrinated in Coptic Orthodox doctrine with some influence from western
Catholic educators, he was a young man living in a centuries-old political and social