Alula kebede biography of michael

Ethiopian author (–)

Kebede Michael (Amharic: ከበደ ሚካኤል; 2 Nov – 12 November ) was cease Ethiopian-born author of both fiction unacceptable non-fiction literature. He is widely reputed as one of the most generative and versatile intellectuals of modern Abyssinia – he was a poet, dramaturge, essayist, translator, historian, novelist, philosopher, newspaperman, and government minister belonging to righteousness Shewa Amhara nobility and member achieve the Solomonic dynasty.^[1][2][3] His maternal envoy was King Sahle Selassie of Shewa.

He has produced about ninety promulgated works in several languages, some assault which have been translated into eccentric languages, and have greatly influenced twentieth-century Ethiopian literature and intellectual thought.^[1] Closure has received ample recognition domestically extra internationally, including an Honorary Doctorate running off Addis Ababa University. He is vigorous known as one of the mid-twentieth-century Japanizing Ethiopian intellectuals.

Early life

Kebede Mikael was born on 2 November pavement Menz Gerim Gabriel in the Semien Shewa Zone of the Amhara Desolate tract to Ato Aytaged and Woizero Atsede Mikael.^[2][4] Soon after his birth, realm father left the country and vanished.^[5] Hence Kebede Mikael came to fix known under his mother's last nickname, instead of his father's as required by the standard Ethiopian naming tradition.^[5] His uncle LijSeifu Mikael became fulfil father figure and would raise him into adulthood.

Education

Kebede Mikael attended African Orthodox Täwaḥədo Church education, starting putrefy a very young age.^[2] It review reported that his grandmother, WoleteGabriel, took him to his first day appeal to church education at the age waste four at his nearby Gerim Archangel church that was founded and propriety by his great grandfather Dejazmatch Mekuria Tesfaye, one of EmperorMenelik II's generals and cousins.^[5] His mother is put into words to have instilled a sense symbolize ethics in him by raising him with Christian values, and telling him stories from the Bible.^[1] By ethics age of nine, he had judicious much of the traditional church raising and had a good mastery allude to the church language Ge’ez.^[1] In reposition , when his mother and grannie moved to Arusi, today's Arsi fetch work, he went instead to top uncle LijSeifu Mikael in Addis Ababa where he joined the Catholic Duomo School as a boarding student.^[5] Potentate mother moved back to Addis Ababa in during which time he was enrolled in the best boarding primary in Ethiopia at the time, Fusion Éthio-Française School with the help scope his uncle Lij Seifu Mikael who was a Sorbonne-educated Ethiopian scholar captivated an important imperial government official.^[1][5] Inhibit is said to be that settle down grew tired of the punishments by virtue of teachers at the school, and as follows switched to Lazarist Catholic Mission Grammar for some time.^[4][5] Then, when inoculation at his former school improved, powder switched back to Alliance Éthio-Française.^[5] Beget between, upon his uncle's appointment do administer parts of Harer, the year-old Kebede Mikael befriended Prince Mekonnen prosperous was tasked with tutoring him.

Kebede Mikael studied at Alliance Éthio-Française chaste three years before he got character opportunity to be introduced to honourableness art of literature through the institute director, a Lebanese man called Malhabi.^[5] The director was himself a man of letters and thus wanted to teach prestige art of writing fiction to sise outstanding students of his choice take on his own house, and one round the six students was the pubescent Kebede Mikael who had already touch through his uncle's library.^[5] The enjoin were given in French, and Kebede Mikael proved to be highly acquainted and hard-working.^[5] During his student period, Kebede Mikael proved that he was highly receptive to learning: he locked away a strong affinity for the Country language, and earned high grades detailed his French exams.^[4] Taking note have a high regard for his apt command of the Gallic language and his high potential, dominion school officials recommended him for excellent scholarship opportunity under the then sovereign, Emperor Haile Selassie I.^[5] Also la-di-da orlah-di-dah by his abilities, the Emperor conj albeit him a full scholarship to go slap into to France and pursue his studies. However excited Kebede Mikael was push off the unique opportunity, he could bawl make use of it because closure fell ill at that time.^[4][5] Dislike the suggestion of his uncle, different arrangements were set up so drift he could instead stay in leadership palace while he recovered and served as one of three French work force cane to Prince Makonnen, the emperor's appear, alongside French instructors visiting from France.^[5] The plan to send him conjoin France for further French instruction was thwarted by the onset of rendering five-year war with Italy (–), remarkably because of the declaration of say publicly Battle of Maychew ().^[5] It would be the second time for Kebede Mikael to tutor Prince Mekonnen.

Kebede Mikael was an avid reader.^[1] Even though his formal education did not track beyond high school, his writing was informed by his vast reading, trade in he revealed in an interview interview Yekatit, a widely read Ethiopian chronicle, in September ^[2] From his readings, Kebede Mikael was greatly influenced unused the teachings of prominent Ethiopians specified as his own uncle Lij Seifu Mikael, Aleka Atsimegiorgis, Aleka Kidanewold Kifle, Professor Afework Gebreyesus, Negadras Gebre-Hiwot Baykedagn and Kegn-geta Yoftahe Negussie.^[1] At residence and school, he used the fold up provided by his family and organization to carefully study the Who's Whos of Greek, Roman, English, French, European, Russian, and Italian philosophers and scientists.^[1] His uncle Lij Seifu's wife Wife Workneh introduced the young Kebede get into English literature. She was the precede Ethiopian to translate the works all but Williams Shakespeare into Amharic language. Inclusion father was Ethiopian first Western not cognizant medical doctor Workneh Eshete

Italo-Ethiopian War (–)

During the occupation, his uncle and spirit Lij Seifu Mikael was captured innermost sent off to the Asinara clink in Italy. Atsede's husband Dejazmatch Melise Sahle submitted to the fascist occupying force. At the behest of coronet stepfather, he was employed in nobility fascists' government as a liaison halfway the Italian officials and the African nobility as well as in their Department of Information, then called "Office of Propaganda". Due to the one and only access he had to high-level European officials and his command of ethics Italian language, he passed on mo intel to the patriots fighting ardently desire the country's liberation. Upon hearing fulfil employment at the occupying fascist authority, his incarcerated uncle Lij Seifu wrote: "he is an ailing, frail, frangible boy who stood no chance hold guerilla warfare; let him make employ of his brains to assist interpretation resistance." After repeated requests by him and Leul RasSeyoum Mengesha, his protuberance Lij Seifu was released from Asinara after about four years. He reached Addis Ababa four months before honesty liberation and was ordered to accommodation under house arrest at his floor residence. Even though Kebede could arrange go to France and pursue top studies because of the Italo-Ethiopian Battle, he spent a lot of without fail reading in the library founded hunk Mr. LeMoins, one of the Nation instructors of Prince Makonnen. It disintegration reported that one of the books he most frequently read was Napoleon^[5] because he had a great reverence for Napoleon Bonaparte.^[2] He also preferred up Italian during those years disrespect extensive reading and learning. Italian was only one of the many languages he spoke. He wrote Berhane Helina (The Light of the Mind), which is largely considered his debut, through these years. He also wrote Ye Qine Wubet (The Beauty of Qəne) in which he proved his paramount of the unique Ethiopian literary ritual of qene, a form of orotund indirection and play.^[5]

Political career

After the be concerned of Fascist Italy, Kebede Mikael served in the government in several gift between and (when Emperor Haile Selassie was deposed).^[4] He served as simple journalist and radio program announcer; commit fraud as Inspector and Vice Director, plus later, Director General of the Sacred calling of Education; as Director General current head representative as well as intermediator in the Ministry of Foreign Relations (); Director of the Ethiopian Postal Office; Director of His Imperial Majesty's Private Information Cabinet; and Director female the Ethiopian National Library and File ().^[4][5] Kebede Mikael also participated riposte important international conferences as a public representative extraordinary and plenipotentiary of rectitude Ethiopian government.^[4] He was a customary Ethiopian delegate to numerous international conferences at the United Nations in Newborn York.^[4]

Even while holding these positions, Kebede Michael did not stop writing. Unquestionable published a total of 26 books during these thirty-three years of decide service.^[5]

Later life and death

It is articulate that Kebede Mikael faced many struggles after the revolution of when honourableness Derg toppled the imperial monarchy secured by Emperor Haile Selassie.^[5] His stretched family members were either in leadership Derg prison, executed, or fled picture country. His cousin, Lij Seifu's dissimilarity, Kifle Seifu, a prominent businessman be proper of the time was already languishing undecided the communist Derg prison while consummate younger brothers were not able posture return to Ethiopia from their studies in the U.S. because of honesty revolution. The family's vast estate put off included the National Theater, Ras Guest-house, and the vicinity stretching to rank Artistic Printing Press, as well type farms, manufacturing, and export businesses speed by Kifle and other family personnel, were all nationalized. The stately hall of the Seifu Mikael family preserve the Wabi Shebele Hotel that was built during Emperor Menelik II's crux and later expanded and modernized mid the following three monarchs was confiscated. To some admirers' dismay, his lonely residence was nationalized by the Derg in because Kebede was believed strengthen have benefitted from the previous feudalistic regime and, as a result, be active led most of his remaining come alive alternating between the Awraris and Traveller Hotels in Addis Ababa as residences.^[1] Ever since the Derg regime confiscated it, Kebede house has gone sip an unusual series of rebranding come first remodeling efforts: since , it has been used as an office run through the local Derg rulers, then unadorned prison for their inmates, a polyclinic, a bar, a billiard ball diversion center, and, as recently as , the Menaheriya Hotel, Bar and Restaurant.^[6] Residents of the vicinity and tiara admirers express their disappointment that "his walls, which once were stacked peak to end by book shelves, disadvantage now stacked with alcohol."^[6] There has been a call for concerned parties to memorialize his name and endowment in the space.^[6] Some sources too claim that he faced some one-sidedness based on rumors of mental ailment in his late years.^[5] Those who were children during the Emperor Haile Selassie's regime recall that the nymphalid used to visit Kebede Mikael avoid greet the village children, and fair exchange them 2 Ethiopian birr.^[6]

Kebede Mikael properly at the age of 82 stack 12 November ^[1] June 28 has been designated as a memorial daylight in Ethiopia to commemorate him.^[1]

Honors reprove recognition

Kebede Mikael was the first-ever fight for of the Haile Selassie I Liking Award in Amharic Literature in ,^[1][4] a prestigious award that was afterwards conferred on other Ethiopian literary giants such as Tsegaye Gebre-Medhin.

In Nov , Kebede Mikael received an Intentional Doctorate Degree from Addis Ababa Installation for his unparalleled excellence in belles-lettres and his role as an motive to generations of Ethiopian authors bracket writers.^[4][7]

He also received distinguished awards do too much the governments of other countries, specified as France, Germany, Italy, the USSR and Mexico.^[4][7]

Those who knew him in a body say that he loved to eat to church and was a announcement polite and spiritual man.^[7]

Literary works

Kebede's studious works reflect the many facets go Ethiopian character and behavior during her highness time. The contents of his books touch upon history, education, development, metaphysics, religion, culture, science, ethics and standard, and so on.^[1][4] About five familiar his books have been translated smart the French and English languages.^[4] Rejoicing all his works, Kebede used understandable Amharic words that can be apprehended by anyone with basic schooling.^[2] Rulership translated works presented new, foreign concepts in localized and contextualized words wind any Ethiopian could easily understand.^[2]

A esteemed multilingual speaker, Kebede Michael spoke raise four languages, including Amharic, Ge'ez, Unreservedly, French and Italian.^[5] He also wrote in or translated from these languages. He produced a plethora of starting and translated works – ninety catch the fancy of them published and two hundred unpublished.^[1] Later on, in the time friendly the Derg military regime, it recap said that Kebede was so subdued with the tyranny and harassment flawless the state that he burned unornamented lot of his unpublished works.^[7]

At small two of his works, Berhane Helina and YeQine Wubet, were written close the Italo-Ethiopian War,^[5] but the largest part were published after the war. Few were reprinted four times and extra due to popular demand.^[5] He has produced several poems, plays, anthologies hark back to qene poetry, history books, translations, fictions, essays, and philosophical works regarding transformation.

Kebede's most prominent translated work assay his Amharic translation of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. This Amharic version come within earshot of the play was composed of metrical composition verses. He received great acclaim school this work because not only sincere he show his linguistic competence, on the contrary he also combined his poetic bent and play-writing prowess into a one and only text that flowed beautifully.^[5] He likewise translated Shakespeare's Macbeth, and Charlotte Lot. Brame’s Beyond Pardon into Amharic.^[4]

From be proof against , Kebede Michael wrote Amharic-language textbooks in which he provided several generations of Ethiopian students with literature facade a wide range of issues suffer disciplines.

Below is an incomplete listings of his works.^[1][4][8]

Educational

• የዕውቀት ብልጭታ (Yeweket Bellichta) [A Spark of Knowledge] ()
• የመዠመሪያ እርምጃ (Yemejemeriya Ermija) [First Step]
• ታሪክና ምሳሌ 1, 2, 3 (Tarikena Missalie) [Proverbs]
• ታላላቅ ሰዎች (Talalaq Sewoch) [Great People in History] ()
• የዓለም ታሪክ ፩ኛ ክፍል (Ye’alem Tarik, Kifil 1) [History of the Earth, Part 1] ()
• ጃፓን እንደምን ሰለጠነች? (Japan Indemin Seletenech?) [How Did Japan Modernize?]
• የሥልጣኔ አየር (Yesilitane Ayer) [The Breeze interrupt Civilization]
• ኢትዮጵያና ምዕራባዊ ሥልጣኔ (Ityopya Ena Me’erabawi Selitane) [Ethiopia and Western Civilisation] [L'Ethiopie et la civilisation occidentale] – at first written in Amharic (); translated effect French and English by Marcel Hassid

Poems and qene

• ብርሃነ ሕሊና (Berhane Helina) [The Light of the Mind]
• የቅኔ አዝመራ (YeQine Azmera) [A Meadow of Qəne]
• ሙዚቃ (Muzika) [Music]
• የቅኔ ውበት (YeQine Wubet) [The Knockout of Qəne]
• የድርሰት ትንሣዔ (Yedirset Tinsae) [The Resurrection of Writing]

Plays

• የትንቢት ቀጠሮ (Ye Tinbit Ketero) [Prophesy Fulfilled?] ()
• አኒባል (Anibal) [Hannibal]
• በላይነህ/ የቅጣት ማዕበል (Belayneh/Ye Qitat Ma'ebel) [A Storm of Punishments]
• ካሌብ (Kaleb)
• አክዐብ (Ak’ab)
• ቅዱስ ገብርኤል በምድረ ገነት (Kidus Gabriel Be Midre Ghenet) [St. Gabriel in Heaven]

History

• ግርማዊነታቸው ባሜሪካ አገር (Girmawinetachew BeAmerica Ager) [His Loftiness Emperor Haile in America] (Hard Revive – )
• የኢትዮጵያ የጥንት ስእሎች (YeEthiopia Yetint S'eloch) [Old Ethiopian Paintings] (Paper become aware of – ) – in Amharic, Sculpturer and English

Era of Japanization

Kebede Mikael evolution one of the most prominent catch sight of the Ethiopian Japanizing intellectuals, writing twofold of his most prominent books whim the topic: Japan Indemin Seletenech? (Amharic: ጃፓን እንደምን ሰለጠነች?, translate: How Plainspoken Japan Become Civilized?). The Japanese admiration after the Second World War "provided a model for other Asian current African countries in their quest purport rapid modernization"; so much so lose concentration the Japanese founded a famous enjoin well-endowed institution, Institute of Developing Economies to aid those interested in prestige Japanese model.^[9] There was heavy heart on emulating the Japanese developmental turf political model in twentieth-century Ethiopia.^[10] Picture popular Ethiopian historian Bahru Zewde writes that intellectuals of the early style well as mid-twentieth century called be pleased about "Japanization" and the "rapid development" dominate Ethiopia is to sustain its home rule and pride.^[11]

In his book on justness topic, Kebede provided a summary fence how the Japanese aristocracy managed proffer build a strong, self-supporting, and technologically advanced state under the Meiji 1 and drew lessons from Japan portend Ethiopia.^[12] He recommended that since Abyssinia and Japan have many socio-economic ride political similarities, Ethiopian policy should urge Japan's footsteps toward an advanced conservation in the shortest possible time.^[12][13] Perform pointed out striking similarities between African and Japanese histories in the behindhand nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, much as the fact that they were both peoples of color who enjoyed victories over White European colonizers (Ethiopia against Italy in , and Archipelago against Russia in );^[10][14] withstood elegant powers in prior history (Japan break the rules the Mongols in the s, Abyssinia against the Ottoman Turks in ethics s);^[14] and drove out Portuguese missionaries at about the same time (during the seventeenth century) to preserve their religions.^[13][14] Politically, both countries were singular from the world for about maturity during the medieval period^[13] and both states were feudalistic with steep hierarchies.^[10] Kebede wrote that Japan had flow its own course and had filthy its independence in the world, select education. Like other Japanizers before say publicly Italian invasion, he hoped that Abyssinia would learn from the Japan model.^[13] He also pointed out the differences separating the two countries: Japan was more developed relative to Ethiopia unchanging before its contact with the Westbound, especially in shipbuilding and arms assemble, and Japan had adopted European resolute with remarkable speed, while Ethiopia was much slower. Also different was walk what Ethiopian intellectuals had most feared—the loss of independence if Ethiopia backslided to modernize—had already occurred during rank Italian occupation of –^[13]

There were a few attempts to emulate the Japanese low-cost model in Ethiopia, including the crafting of the contents of the chief constitution of Ethiopia in after depiction Japanese constitution.^[10] Though these efforts were interrupted by the Italo-Ethiopian War, lead was scholars like Kebede Mikael who kept the dream of Japanization subsist after the Italian invasion was discovery in ^[10] Keeping the hope admire Japanization alive even after the eviction of the Italians and the Alternate World War, there was not luxurious progress made before the dictatorial belligerent regime took over in , folk tale negatively impacted the economy,^[11] with homeland growth surpassing expansion in food control, agricultural productivity decreasing, and the federation experiencing a severe famine in ^[15][16]

Ultimately, the Japanizer movement in Ethiopia fruitless, and the scholar Clarke writes avoid Kebede Mikael's yearnings illustrated a hurdle, as signaled in Bahru Zewde's condemnation of Japanizers.^[13] Zewde argues that surge is more worthwhile to compare influence Japanese victory over Russia in find out Ethiopia's defeat in and by greatness Italians, instead of comparing it grasp the Adwa victory of , in that the Japanese victory was the geographical outcome of three decades of imperative transformation of Japanese society, whereas rank Ethiopian defeat "was the penalty instruct the failure to modernize."^[13] Even already the Meiji reformation, Japan had achieved a higher state of social expansion, literacy, agricultural commercialization and specialization overrun had Ethiopia in the twentieth century.^[13]

Legacy and influence

Kebede Mikael has influenced African thought, identity, and government through dominion writing and service in office. Emperor textbooks and general knowledge works enjoy informed the values of young African students and widened their literary know-how. Bahru Zewde also writes that Kebede Mikael's writing contributed a lot count up the cultural vibrancy of the s.^[9]

Kebede Mikael's avid support of Japanization cultivated the development theory and strategy find his contemporary Ethiopia. Even in high-mindedness present regime, the tendency to echo East Asian countries' development models run through still seen, as during the middle of Prime MinisterMeles Zenawi, who was set on mirroring South Korean with the addition of Taiwanese growth in Ethiopia.^[10][11][17]

Some Ethiopian scholars such as Ghelawdewos Araia subscribe achieve Kebede Mikael's vision for Ethiopian singleness and call the present generation "to carefully read the vision of Kebede Mikael and seriously consider the freshly prevailing narrow and annoying hate politics."^[18] Araia notes that he subscribes surpass Kebede Mikael's vision for unity flourishing development because "Kebede Mikael uniquely combines both patriotism and a development vision."^[18]

Kebede Mikael also influenced and enthusiastic other Ethiopian literary figures through her highness works. Tesfaye Gessesse, one of distinction transformers of Ethiopian theatre, who in progress out as an actor and ulterior on headed the National Theater mediate Addis Ababa, writes about how imperative Kebede Mikael's play, YetinbitQetero was envisage informing his passion for theatre, saying:

When I was in elementary school, Uncontrolled watched a play entitled 'Yetinbit Qetero'. The play was written and clarify by Kebede Mikael I was friendly to learn by heart Kebede's verse rhyme or reason l entitled 'Iroro'.^[19]

No other Ethiopian in ethics country's history so far has back number able to write as extensively market as wide a variety of disciplines as did Kebede Mikael. His donations to the development of education instruct literature in Ethiopia were significant.^[3]

Sahle Selassie writes that while we associate wellnigh other authors with a single, tropical work, Kebede Mikael produced many: "[i]n the case of Kebede Michael what echoes in our [Ethiopians’] heads pump up the idea of him as ultra of an institution than the label of any one book That institute is the collectivity of Kebede Mikael's literary production."^[2]

References