45 Facts About Seifu Mikael

Lij Seifu Mikael was an Ethiopian royal, member of the Solomonic dynasty from the House of Solomon that descended from the ancient Kingdom of Aksum, belonging to the branch of the aristocratic Amhara family from Ankober Shewa.

Seifu Mikael was the great-grandson of King Sahle Selassie of Shewa and his wife Queen Bezabish Dejene of Gojjam through his grandfather, Dejazmatch Mekuria Tesfaye of Gerim Gabriel, a first cousin of Emperor Menelik II of Ethiopia.

Seifu Mikael was one of the earliest members of the Ethiopian royalty who started paying salaries to the serving members of their households advocating education, meaningful wages, and freedom of slaves making him an avid supporter of his cousin Ras Tafari, later Emperor Haile Selassie in his bid to become an emperor of Ethiopia who held the same progressive Christian values.

Seifu Mikael sponsored several Ethiopians for higher education including four artists whom he sent to France after discovering their skills at the Debre Bizen Monastery during his appointment as Consul General to Eritrea.

Seifu Mikael became one of the Ethiopian POWs during the Second Italo-Ethiopian War at Asinara designated as "one of the most dangerous Ethiopians" per surviving Italian colonial documents that have his name on top of the list of distinguished Ethiopians imprisoned by the fascists.

Seifu Mikael was imprisoned at the Island for four years.

Seifu Mikael expressed these opinions through his surviving poems he wrote during his imprisonment by the fascists at Asinara Island and later in his life as administrator of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church.

Seifu Mikael blamed some of the Emperor's backward advisers with the exception of Luel Ras Kassa Haile Darge whom, he wrote, was too reverential to decide on the life of Lij Iyasu.

Lij Seifu Mikael was in London when his father passed away.

Seifu Mikael was laid to rest at Debre Berhan Sillasie Church alongside his father-in-law Dejazmatch Mekuria.

Ato Seifu Mikael's family hails from Ato Giorgis, an Amhara from Gondar, who traveled to Europe in the 16th century for academic reasons.

The Giorgis family eventually married into the Ankober aristocracy which it finally and completely integrated into when Ato Seifu Mikael Birru married Lady Shewaferash, Emperor Menelik's niece.

Seifu Mikael met his end during the infamous Massacre of the Sixty.

Seifu Mikael completed the traditional Ethiopian religious education both in Addis Ababa and Menz at the Gerim Gabriel Church located on his grandfather's estate followed by a few years at his father's trading post in Aden, Yemen where he attended modern school.

Seifu Mikael left for France after Lij Iyasu assumed imperial power and gave him permission to continue his education abroad at the Sorbonne University in Paris.

Seifu Mikael spoke fluent English, French, German, Italian, Hebrew, and Arabic as well as Ethiopian ethnic languages Amharic, Oromomigna and Tigrigna.

Seifu Mikael served as Ethiopia's Minister Plenipotentiary to France and Germany at different times between 1920 and 1927.

Seifu Mikael served as Ethiopia's Consul General to Eritrea appointed by Empress Zewditu in 1923 and lived in Asmara till the end of 1926.

Seifu Mikael won support from Germany that supplied essential weaponry to Ethiopia in the amount of about six million Reichsmark.

Seifu Mikael used his expertise as supplier of arms to the Ethiopian Empire to bypass colonial powers encircling Ethiopia to deliver the weapons and ammunition.

Seifu Mikael used the proceeds to acquire expansive commercial real estate and start modern farms in the country.

Dejazmach Haile Selassie Abayneh who raised Emperor Haile Selassie with his son Prince Imru Haile Selassie was one of the senior nobles with whom Seifu Mikael enjoyed close affinity and traveled with him to European countries.

Seifu Mikael later returned to Ethiopia from Djibouti after a fallout with the emperor due to an overheard conversation with Fitawrari TekleHawariat criticizing Haile Selassie over the death of Lij Eyasu.

Seifu Mikael joined the resistance leading a contingent of patriots at Awsa front which was the offshoot of the early struggle of the Black Lions created by educated Ethiopians and disbanded members of the army led by Leul Ras Imru.

Seifu Mikael was captured early in the struggle by the Italians after his unit at Awsa was destroyed.

Seifu Mikael was 14 years old and fluent in Italian, French and English.

Seifu Mikael was responsible for arming Gojjam before the fascist invasion and supported the patriots during the resistance.

Ambassador Ahadu Sabure, Seifu Mikael initially disagreed about the coup attempt but said if it was him who tried, he could have made a successful coup by pointing out the steps that should have been taken.

Bekele told the emperor that Seifu Mikael didn't suggest another coup or was he involved in any but simply commented on the situation.

Seifu Mikael's funeral was attended by his lifelong friend The Crown Prince Asfaw Wossen Amha Selassie, Princess Tenagnework and several members of the Imperial family, military leaders and the nobility.

Seifu Mikael was laid to rest at the Emmanuel Ethiopian Orthodox Church which he served as its main benefactor.

Seifu Mikael later appointed Aba WoldeHana, the Abbott of the Abune Tekle Haymanot Church he built in Bekka, Hararghe.

Seifu Mikael named his son after his best friend Dejazmatch Kifle Dadi, Governor of Tigray.

Seifu Mikael married Hakim Workneh Eshete's daughter Sarah Martin at St George Church in June 1934,.

Seifu Mikael's father was at one point the governor of Chercher.

Seifu Mikael was at the Asinara Italian island prison with his wife Sara.

Lij Seifu Mikael was unpublished writer who wrote philosophical aspects of life, religion and politics.

Seifu Mikael brought Kebede from Menz and enrolled him at the Cathedral School and later to Lazarist Mission and Alliance Ethio-Francaise.

Seifu Mikael later requested the permission of the Emperor to have Kebede teach the young and favorite son of the Emperor, Prince Makonnen Haile Selassie.

Seifu Mikael reminded the Dejazmatch of his own father Fitawrari Tekle Hawariat Tekle Mariyam who was a modernist, an outspoken man who spoke his mind and got in trouble for it.

Seifu Mikael was later a POW at different Italian prison camps.

Seifu Mikael was considered by many to be a man of integrity and faith, who, despite the emperor's protest, remained to be a close friend to people the emperor has distanced from the government.

Seifu Mikael was very much liked by Seifu who had always spoken highly of the senior prince, especially for his unique character of avoiding palace intrigues and gossips many nobles and officials used to destroy each other.

Lij Seifu Mikael passed away before the revolution that claimed the lives of many aristocrats of his order but his eldest child and heir to his honors, Lij Kifle Seifu Mikael who succeeded into becoming one of Ethiopia's wealthiest businessmen who owned several modern farms, a gold and precious stones mining, and construction businesses became a victim of the socialist Derg that nationalized his family's entire estate and wealth after imprisoning him.

Seifu Mikael was released with an intervention of the United States government.