Sahle Selassie becomes Meridazmach of Shewa

Background. Wossen Seged, a Merid Azmach of Shewa, ruled from approximately 1808 until June 1813. He was the elder son of Asfa Wossen and the first ruler of Shewa to claim the higher title of Ras. His reign marked a period where the chronology of Shewa became stable, with Henry Salt noting his rule over Ifat.

Succession Crisis. Wossen Seged was fatally stabbed in the ribs by a slave during an attack on his house. He survived for a few days, naming his younger son Sahle Selassie as his successor. Oromo rebels in Marra Biete prevented Sahle Selassie's older brother Bakure from promptly marching to the capital Qundi to claim the succession.

Accession at Qundi. Sahle Selassie, still a teenager, seized the chance at rule by rushing from the monastery at Sela Dingay where he was a student. Probably with the support of his mother Zenebework's Menzian kinsmen, he was proclaimed the Ras and Meridazmach of Shewa at the capital Qundi.