Haile Melekot

Hailemelekot Sahle Selassie (1824 – 9 November 1855) was Negus of Shewa, a historical region of Ethiopia, from 12 October 1847 until his death.

He was the oldest son of Negus Sahle Selassie an important Amhara nobleman and his wife Woizero Bezabish Wolde.

[2] During William Cornwallis Harris diplomatic mission to Sahle Selassie's court, both Hailemelekot and Sayfu stayed at different monasteries, pursuing a traditional church education.

[7] Nonetheless, in Mordechai Abir's words, Sahle Selassie's death "was a signal for a blood bath which surpassed anything that ever occurred in the annals of Showa.

"[8] The Abichu Oromo rose in open revolt, attempting to recover control of the district of Tegulet and came close to capturing the capital of Ankober.

By the beginning of 1848, he was firmly in control of his kingdom, and even organized a campaign against the Arsi Oromo, who had been raiding the south-western parts of Shewa for years.

"[7] While he is likely correct in stating that this lack of information "leads one to believe that his reign was undistinguished", one brief letter of Hailemelekot survives, undated but written in the spring of 1849 and addressed to "Victoria, Queen of the Ferangi" – i.e. the Europeans.

As for the return of the coins, Rubenson believes "it is more likely that the King was prevented from accepting the gift by the same anti-European forces that had compelled Krapf and Harris to give up Shewa.

[12] His brother Seyfe, dissatisfied with his indecision, led the army south from Wollo to Menz then to Tegulet, abandoning Hailemelekot.

A handful of Shewan nobles fought on, until a final battle in Bulga, where they were defeated by a detachment of Tewodros' troops under Ras Ingida.