Sebhat Aregawi

Who was Sebhat Aregawi?

Sebhat Aregawi was a Ras of Ethiopia. He was appointed governor of Agame by Emperor Tewodros II in 1859, and his province was expanded by Emperor Yohannes IV to include Adigrat. Emperor Menelik II invested Sebhat with the title of Ras in 1892.

Ras Sebhat was the son of Aregawi of Agame, and grandson of the popular governor of Tigray, Ras Sabagadis. At the time he challenged Ras Mangesha Yohannes, who had succeeded his slain father Yohannes IV and was asserting his supremacy in Tigray, Sebhat was described as "a clever and intelligent man in his early forties, an excellent administrator but not a distinguished warrior."

Sebhat submitted to the overlordship of Ras Mangesha 11 September 1889, following the death of Emperor Yohannes IV Ras Mangesha's father. However in 31 October of that year he secretly informed Eritrean governor Antonio Baldissera that he preferred Menilek's rule to Mangesha Yohannes.

While fighting with Mangesha over rulership of Tigray, in June 1890 he sent his own son Dasta as a hostage, in an effort to create peace. In August of that year Dasta fled from Adwa and returned to his father. Sebhat refused to send him back and war seemed inevitable.