Dejazmach Wand Bewossen (died 10 December 1777) was a prominent figure in Ethiopian history. He was governor of Lasta and eventually Begemeder. He was on the losing side in the Battle of Nefas Mewcha (1769), but one of the victorious generals in the Three battles of Sarbakusa (May 1771).[1] For his valor in the Battle of Faggeta (9 December 1769), which included pursuing Fasil for three days after the engagement, he was made governor of Begemder, as well as married to Woizero Yewubdar.[2] He was also married to Woizero Yeworqweha, who was a descendant of Iyasu I and Woizero Wossen Azal, daughter of Dejazmatch Eshete Awsgenyos, sometime Governor of Agaw and Damot.
Ethiopia, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country in the northeastern part of Africa, popularly known as the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the north, Djibouti to the northeast, and Somalia to the east, Sudan to the northwest, South Sudan to the west, and Kenya to the south. With over 102 million inhabitants, Ethiopia is the most populous landlocked country in the world and the second-most populous nation on the African continent that covers a total area of 1,100,000 square kilometres (420,000 sq mi). Its capital and largest city is Addis Ababa, which lies a few miles west of the East African Rift that splits the country into the Nubian Plate and the Somali Plate.
The three battles of Sarbakusa were fought in Ethiopia in May 1771. Wand Bewossen and Fasil of Damot fought three battles with the forces of Emperor Tekle Haymanot II and Ras Mikael Sehul and defeated them. This led to the end of Mikael Sehul's hegemony in Imperial politics and the marginalization of Tekle Haymanot.
The Battle of Faggeta was fought in Ethiopia at Faggeta Lekoma on December 9, 1769. Ras Mikael Sehul, Tekle Haymanot I and Wand Bewossen fought and defeated Fasil of Damount in a large, costly battle.
Not long after his marriage to Woizero Yeworqweha, Wand Bewossen then desired to wed Wossen Azal, the sister of Hailu Eshte. Hailu would not consent to this marriage: according to Herbert Weld Blundell's translation Hailu considered this alliance bigamous, but Crummy's interpretation of the Ge'ez text is Hailu was more concerned about the incestuous nature of the marriage. Wand Bewsossen then resorted to physical force to Hailu until he finally dropped all of his objections to the alliance.[3] He was killed at Ashawa when he fell from his horse.[4]
Herbert Joseph Weld Blundell was an English traveller in Africa, archaeologist, philanthropist and yachtsman. He shortened his surname from Weld Blundell to Weld, in 1924.
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