The Zemene Mesafint was a period in Ethiopian history where the emperor had little influence outside the capital city of Gondar and were reduced to de facto figureheads as the various lords of the country constantly fought each other. While the Solomonic dynasty continued in name because its character was considered sacred, it was a largely nominal monarchy at the mercy of whichever lord was its "protector" at the time.
This sounds a lot like something out of Japanese history. And it got me wondering: could this have resulted in something akin to a Shogunate rising in Ethiopia, with a figurehead emperor holding a quasi-religious role while a nominally lesser magnate was the de facto ruler of the country? What might such a system have looked like, and how might it have changed history?
This sounds a lot like something out of Japanese history. And it got me wondering: could this have resulted in something akin to a Shogunate rising in Ethiopia, with a figurehead emperor holding a quasi-religious role while a nominally lesser magnate was the de facto ruler of the country? What might such a system have looked like, and how might it have changed history?