Mikael of Wollo

Ras Mikael of Wollo
Ras of Wollo
Monarchs	Yohannes IV Menelik II
Negus of Abyssinia
Monarch	Lij Iyasu
Personal details
Born	Mohammed Ali 1850 Wollo, Ethiopian Empire
Died	8 September 1918(1918-09-08) (aged 67–68) Holeta, Shewa Province, Ethiopian Empire
Children	Lij Iyasu, Woizero Sihin of Wollo, Ras Gebrehiwot
Occupation	Military officer diplomat court official
Religion	Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo prev. Islam
Military service
Allegiance	Ethiopian Empire
Battles/wars	First Italo-Ethiopian War Battle of Adwa (1896) Battle of Segale (1916)

Negus Mikael of Wollo (born Mohammed Ali, 1850 – 8 September 1918), was an army commander and a member of the nobility of the Ethiopian Empire. He was the father of the "uncrowned" Emperor Lij Iyasu, and the grandfather of Empress Menen, wife of Emperor Haile Selassie. He changed his name to Mikael upon converting to Christianity.

Ras Mikael had a strong relationship with both Yohannes IV (who became his godfather) and Menelik II (who became his father-in-law).

Ras Mikael had played a pivotal role in Ethiopian history. His Wollo army was one of the most powerful in Northern Ethiopia, and the Wollo cavalry was renowned throughout the empire. Ras Michael fought with Emperor Yohannes in the Battle of Gallabat against the Mahdist Sudanese. Loyal to the end, he held the dying Yohannes in his arms. Ras Mikael also led the Wollo Oromo cavalry during the Battle of Adwa fighting together with Menelik II, Ras Mekonnen, Ras Mengesha and Negus Tekle Haimanot.^[1]