Tekle Haymanot I

Tekle Haymanot I , throne name Le`al Sagad (Ge'ez: ለዓለ ሰገድ, 28 March 1684 – 30 June 1708) was Emperor of Ethiopia from 27 March 1706 until his death in 1708, and a member of the Solomonic dynasty. He was the son of Iyasu I and Empress Malakotawit. He is often referred to as "Irgum Tekle Haymanot" meaning "Tekle Haymanot the Cursed".

Background Tekle Haymanot I was a son of Emperor Iyasu I by one of his concubines named Malakotawit.

Malakotawit was later given the title of Etage or Itege, meaning "Empress", during the reign of her son. She was crowned at Gondar. However his unpopularity for having ordered the murder of his widely revered father was profound and he never overcame it. The involvement of his mother Melekotawit, and the acceptance of his position by other members of the dynasty did irreparable harm to the image of the monarchy. His own courtiers plotted against him, and discussions abounded about whether it was worthy to keep such a corrupt dynasty in power.

While travelling in the provinces, Tekle Haymanot was stabbed to death by some of his late father's courtiers.

The band of assassins then attempted to establish Tekle Haymanot's young son, Naod (Naod, born in 1704 was the son of Tekle Haymanot I, the group that was behind his father's assassination tried to install the boy as a puppet king and failed.) His great-uncle Tewoflos became Emperor. Naod died in 1722 at Wehni.

Some historians date the beginning of the Ethiopian Zemene Mesafint or "Era of the Princes" (a time of disorder when the power of the monarchy was eclipsed by the power of local warlords) the murder of Iyasu the Great by his son Tekle Haymanot, and the resultant decline in the prestige of the dynasty.