Medieval Ethiopian Kingship, Craft, and Diplomacy with Latin Europe

This book explores why Ethiopian kings pursued long-distance diplomatic contacts with Latin Europe in the late Middle Ages, arguing that a desire to acquire religious treasures and foreign artisans drove this early intercontinental diplomacy. It also suggests that a local political agenda of building monumental ecclesiastical architecture in the North-East African highlands asserted the Ethiopian rulers' claim of universal kingship and rightful descent from the biblical king Solomon.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 308 pages
Publication date: 19 March 2022
Publisher: Springer Nature Switzerland AG

This captivating book delves into the intriguing phenomenon of Ethiopian kings engaging in long-distance diplomatic relations with Latin Europe during the late Middle Ages. It traces the historical trajectory of over a dozen embassies dispatched by the rulers of Solomonic Ethiopia, a formidable Christian kingdom situated in the medieval Horn of Africa. Drawing upon a wealth of sources from Europe, Ethiopia, and Egypt, the author meticulously examines the motivations behind these missions, which occurred in the fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries. Through a comprehensive analysis, the book argues that a profound desire to acquire religious treasures and foreign artisans drove this early intercontinental diplomacy. Furthermore, the Ethiopian initiation of contacts with the distant Christian sphere of Latin Europe appears to have been intricately linked to a local political agenda of constructing monumental ecclesiastical architecture in the North-East African highlands. This initiative not only solidified the Ethiopian rulers' claim of universal kingship and rightful descent from the biblical king Solomon but also showcased their aspirations to assert their influence and prestige on a global scale. By challenging conventional narratives of African-European encounters on the eve of the so-called 'Age of Exploration,' this book offers a fresh perspective on the self-identity of a late medieval African dynasty at the height of its power.

Weight: 444g
Dimension: 147 x 209 x 23 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9783030649364
Edition number: 1st ed. 2021