Long ago, there was a land of kings.
This land was near the sea. A king ruled the high hills. He helped many people. It was a very special place. Can you imagine a land of kings?
Long ago, there was a land of kings.
This land was near the sea. A leader ruled the high hills. He was called the Bahr Negash. This name means ruler of the sea.
The king lived in a town called Debarwa. He gave gifts to many churches. He also received gifts like horses and cloth. Later, many wars changed the land. People had to hide on mountains to stay safe. It was a very busy place for many years.
Medri Bahri was a kingdom in the high hills.
It was north of the Mereb River. The leader had a special title. He was called the Bahr Negash. This name means "Ruler of the Sea."
Many years ago, the land saw many changes. A leader named Dori lived in a town called Debarwa. He was a kind man to the churches. He gave them many gifts. Later, wars brought much trouble to the land. People had to hide on mountains to stay safe.
In the 1800s, a leader named Ras Alula ruled the area.
He fought to protect the land from Egypt. He won a big fight at the Battle of Gura. This victory made him a governor. However, things became hard when Italy arrived. The Italians moved into the land from the sea. After many wars, the land was lost to the Italians. This happened after the death of Emperor Yohannes IV.
Medri Bahri was a special kingdom in the highlands of what is now Eritrea.
It sat north of the Mereb River and west of the Bur Province. The land included the historical areas of Hamasien and Seraye. The kingdom was not part of the Ethiopian Empire, but it was ruled by a leader called the Bahr Negash. This title means "Ruler of the Sea."
This title first appeared during the reign of Emperor Zara Yaqob between 1433 and 1468. Earlier, a king named Tatadim used the name in the 11th century.
To make the kingdom stronger, Emperor Zara Yaqob gave the Bahr Negash more power. He placed him above other local chiefs in the highlands. The Emperor even sent Maya warriors from the south to live there. These settlers were so strong that people said the earth trembled when they arrived. Some local people were so afraid that they fled the country. Later, in the 1520s, a traveler named Francisco Alvares visited the area. He met a leader named Dori who lived in the town of Debarwa. Dori was an uncle to Emperor Lebna Dengel and paid him tribute with horses and fine carpets. Dori was also a kind supporter of Christianity and gave many gifts to churches.
War brought many hard times to Medri Bahri over the years. During the Ethiopian-Adal War, the region faced many battles. A leader named Za-Wangel died fighting in the Battle of Shimbra Kure in 1529. By 1535, the forces of Imam Ahmad crossed the Mereb River. This caused much destruction and violence in the highlands. Many people had to hide on mountains with their animals to stay safe. In 1541, a warrior named Miguel de Castanhoso saw that the land was nearly empty because people were hiding. Later, the Ottoman Turks took the port of Massawa in 1557. They even tried to hold the town of Debarwa, but the local people used guns to make them leave.
In the 1800s, the region saw new leaders and new struggles.
A powerful man named Bahr Negash Yeshaq used guns from the coast to gain influence. However, he later fought against Emperor Sarsa Dengel and was captured. By the time the traveler James Bruce visited in 1769, the Bahr Negash had less power. The land was often divided into small districts ruled by local elders. In the mid-1800s, villages like Hazega and Tsazega fought for control. Leaders like Woldemichael Solomon eventually took over large parts of the highlands through fighting.
Medri Bahri became very important again during the reign of Emperor Yohannes IV. The land had to be defended against an army from Egypt. In 1875, a leader named Woldemichael Solomon gave in to the Egyptians. This allowed them to build a fort at Gura, but a leader named Ras Alula stopped them. Alula won the Battle of Gura and became the governor of the province. He fought many battles against the Italians who arrived at the coast. After Emperor Yohannes IV died at the Battle of Gallabat, the region was exhausted from war. Eventually, the Italians took control of the land, and it was recognized in the Treaty of Wuchale.
Medri Bahri, also known as Mereb Melash, was an independent kingdom located in the Eritrean highlands.
The name Medri Bahri means "Land of the Sea." This territory sat north of the Mereb River and west of the Bur Province. It primarily included the historical provinces of Hamasien and Seraye. The kingdom was ruled by a leader with the title Bahr Negash, which translates to "Ruler of the Sea." While the title appeared in an 11th-century land grant by King Tatadim, it became more prominent during the reign of Emperor Zara Yaqob from 1433 to 1468.
Emperor Zara Yaqob worked to increase the authority of the Bahr Negash. He placed this ruler above other local chiefs to strengthen imperial control. To support this, the Emperor established a military colony of Maya warriors from the south. These settlers were so formidable that historical accounts say the earth trembled at their arrival. This presence caused some local inhabitants to flee the country in fear. By the 1520s, the region was well-established enough for travelers to visit. The Portuguese priest Francisco Alvares met a Bahr Negash named Dori in the town of Debarwa. Dori was an uncle to Emperor Lebna Dengel and paid tribute using horses and imported carpets. He also used his power to support Christianity by gifting resources to monasteries.
Conflict often shaped the history of this highland kingdom. During the Ethiopian-Adal War, the region faced significant threats from the forces of Imam Ahmad ibn Ibrahim al-Ghazi. The Bahr Negash Za-Wangel died at the Battle of Shimbra Kure in 1529. By 1535, Adalite forces crossed the Mereb River and occupied the area. This period brought great destruction and caused many people to flee to the mountains. In 1541, the warrior Miguel de Castanhoso observed that the land was depopulated because inhabitants were hiding with their herds. Many local Christians eventually joined Portuguese forces to fight back against the occupation. This struggle helped change the course of the war in the region.
After the death of Imam Ahmad in 1543, Emperor Gelawdewos restored imperial control over the highlands. However, new challenges arrived in 1557 when Ottoman Turks conquered the port of Massawa. An expeditionary force led by Ozdemir Pasha occupied Debarwa and built a large fort. The local population used firearms to force the Turkish troops to retreat to the coast. Around this time, Bahr Negash Yeshaq became very powerful by importing firearms through the coast. He even attempted to influence imperial politics by trying to place a nephew on the throne. This led to a conflict with Emperor Sarsa Dengel, who eventually defeated Yeshaq and destroyed the Turkish fort. This victory prevented the provincial nobility from gaining full independence.
Over the following centuries, the power of the Bahr Negash fluctuated. During the reign of Emperor Susenyos I, the tradition of appointing a Bahr Negash was revived. He appointed Amda Mikael to rule at least six localities, including Hamasien and Seraye. Later, Emperor Fasilides appointed Hab Sellus to rule the province of Bambolo-Mellash. After a period of personal turmoil, Hab Sellus successfully brought the entire Mereb Melash region under his authority for 40 years. By 1769, the traveler James Bruce noted that the office had become nearly nominal. The loss of important ports like Massawa and Hirgigo to the Turks had reduced the Bahr Negash's influence. The land was often divided into fifteen independent petty districts ruled by village elders.
In the mid-19th century, local rivalries between villages like Hazega and Tsazega shaped the landscape. Leaders such as Woldemichael Solomon eventually gained control of Hamasien through military success. The region gained international importance during the reign of Emperor Yohannes IV. In 1875, Woldemichael Solomon submitted to the Egyptians, allowing them to occupy the province. This was challenged by Ras Alula, who defeated the Egyptians at the Battle of Gura. Alula was then named governor of Mereb Melash.
He worked to crush opposition and defend the territory against various encroaching forces.
As the 1880s progressed, the region faced pressure from Italian expansionism. Ras Alula fought the Italians at Saati and won a victory at the Battle of Dogali. However, the death of Emperor Yohannes IV at the Battle of Gallabat changed everything. The Ethiopian Empire was exhausted from decades of continuous warfare. This weakness allowed the Italians to march from Massawa and seize all of Mereb Melash. The loss of this territory was eventually recognized by Menelik II in the Treaty of Wuchale. This transition marked the end of the kingdom's era of independence and shifted the balance of power in the region.
Where will your curiosity go next?
🖼️ Images & Media (3)
More to explore
✨ What else?
Related topics you might enjoy
🔬 Go deeper
More advanced topics to explore
🪜 Step back
Simpler topics to build understanding
What is Nepedia?
A free, ad-free encyclopedia for children. Every article is written at five reading levels, so the same page works for a five-year-old and a fifteen-year-old — use the level switcher above to see this one change. No account needed to read.