Marye of Yejju

Who is Marye of Yejju?

Marye of Yejju was a Ras of Begemder and Enderase of the Emperor of Ethiopia. He was the brother of his predecessor Ras Yimam.

The missionary Samuel Gobat had a low opinion of Marye. He wrote in his journal, "A character worse then [sic?] is attributed to Mariam [Marye], cannot be well given to a prince. He does justice to none. Far from punishing a soldier for robbing or killing his companion, he publicly commends him, as a man of courage. It is said that he has ordered all of his soldiers, on entering Oubea's territories, to kill every human being they meet, without distinction of age or sex; threatening with death the soldier, known to have spared a single person in his power." However Gobat's opinion may have been influenced by a raid Marye's men made on Gondar 14 May 1830, which he described immediately before this passage.