Haile Selassie

Haile Selassie (July 23, 1892 - August 27, 1975) was the last Emperor (1930 - 1936 and 1941 - 1975) of Ethiopia.

Selassie was born as Tafari (sometimes Teferi) Makonnen (sometimes Makonen).

As Ras (Amharic prince) Tafari, he ruled Ethiopia as regent (dejazmach) and crown prince (1916 - 1928) for the empress Zauditu, and as king (negus or negush) (1928 - 1930), assuming the title of Emperor upon Zauditu's death (April 1930).

He developed the policy of careful modernisation initiated by the emperor Menelik II, securing Ethiopia's admission to the League of Nations in 1923 and enacting the country's first constitution in 1931. The League's failure to stop Italy's invasion of Ethiopia (October 1935) led, however, to five years in exile.

Returning in 1941 after Italy's defeat in Ethiopia by British Empire and Ethiopian patriot forces, he introduced a revised constitution (November 1955) under which he retained effective power while extending political participation.

Following an abortive coup attempt (December 1960) he pursued more conservative policies, aligning Ethiopia with the West against more radical African governments. His policies contributed to his deposition on September 12, 1974 following a military coup. He died in prison on August 27, 1975, officially following a prostate operation but it is widely believed by historians that he was murdered.

Haile Selassie is regarded as a messiah who will lead peoples of African descent to liberation among followers of Rastafarianism, a religion which developed in 1930s Jamaica under the influence of Marcus Mosiah Garvey's "Back to Africa" movement.