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| The Book of Ser Marco Polo : vol.2 |
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Citation Information
CHAP. XXXV. CHRONOLOGY OF THE ABYSSINIAN STORY
435
that had by this time grown up in the coast-country became powerful and expelled the Abyssinians from the sea-ports. Inland provinces of the low country also, such as Ifat and Dawaro, had fallen under Mahomedan governors, whose allegiance to the Negush, if not renounced, had become nominal.
One of the principal Mahomedan communities was called Add, the name, according to modern explanation, of the tribes now called Danákfl. The capital of the Sultan of Adel was, according to Bruce at Aussa, some distance inland from the port of Zaila', which also belonged to Adel.
Amda Zion, who succeeded to the Abyssinian throne, according to Bruce's chronology, in 1312, two or three years later, provoked by the Governor of Ifat, who had robbed and murdered one of his Mahomedan agents in the Lowlands,
descended on Ifat, inflicted severe chastisement on the offenders, and removed the governor. A confederacy was then formed against the Abyssinian King by several of
the Mahomedan States or chieftainships, among which Adel is conspicuous. Bruce gives a long and detailed account of Amda Zion's resolute and successful campaigns against this confederacy. It bears a strong general resemblance to Marco's narrative, always excepting the story of the Bishop, of which Bruce has no trace, and always admitting that our traveller has confounded Aden with Adel.
But the chronology is obviously in the way of identification of the histories.
Marco could not have related in 1298 events that did not occur till 1315-16. Mr. Salt however, in his version of the chronology, not only puts the accession of Amda
Zion eleven years earlier than Bruce, but even then has so little confidence in its accuracy, and is so much disposed to identify the histories, that he suggests that the Abyssinian dates should be carried back further still by some 20 years, on the authority of the narrative in our text. M. Pauthier takes a like view.
I was for some time much disposed to do likewise, but after examining the subject more minutely, I am obliged to reject this view, and to abide by Bruce's Chronology.
To elucidate this I must exhibit the whole list of the Abyssinian Kings from the restoration of the line of Solomon to the middle of the 16th century, at which period Bruce finds a check to the chronology in the record of a solar eclipse. The chronologies have been extracted independently by Bruce, Ruppell, and Salt ; the latter using a different version of the Annals from the other two. I set down all three.
,
0
BRUCE.
SALT.
RUPPEL.
Reigns.
Dates.
Duration of reign.
Reigns.
Duration of reign.
Icon Amlac
Igba Zion
Bahar Segued
Tzenaff „ ... •
Haazeb Araad
Kedem Segued ..
Wedem Arad
Amda Zion.
Saif Arad
Wedem Asferi ..
David II
Theodorus
Isaac .......... Andreas .........
Haseb Nanya .
Sarwe Yasus.
Ameda Yasus ....
Zara Jacob
Beda Mariam ...
Iskander
Ameda Zion
Naod .
David III
Claudius
| Duration of reign. | Dates. |
| Years. 14 15 3 5 9 30 28 Io 32 I | 1255-1269 1269-1284 • 1284-1287 1287—I292 1292-1301 130I-1331 1331-1359 1359-1369 1369-1401 I40í-1402 |
| 15 | 1402-1417 |
| 7 | 1417-1424 |
| 5 | 1424-1429 |
| 5 | 1429-1434 |
| 34 | 1434-1468 |
| 10 | 1468-1478 |
| 16 | 1478-1494 |
| 13 | 1494-1507 |
| 32 | 1507-1536 |
Years.
15
9
1268-1283
1283-1292
Years.
15
9
l
1
Woudem Arad .. Kudma Asgud ...
Asfa „
Sinfa „ ...
Bar „ ...
I gba ZIpIl . . . . . . .
5
5 1292-1297
28
10
29
3
15
011
4
I
341t
l
13
32
VOL. II.
2 E 2
15
30
15 I297-1312
30 1312-1342
28 1342-1370
10 1370--1380
29 1380-i 409
3 1409-1412
17 1412-1429
0172 1429
4 1429-1433
I112- 1433-1434
34 1434-1468
10 1468-1478
17 1478-1495
13 1495-1508
32 1503-1J40
1540
..
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