Etige Taitu
Immediately upon Emperoor Miniliks return to the capital, Empress Taitu began to tightly regulate
access to the Emperor and began to assume more and more executive power.
The Emperor had become dependent on support to walk, and his speech was greatly affected.
His physical decline was steady after that. Over the next year, all the nobles and the foriegn
diplomats were informally notified that Lij Eyasu was the legitimate heir to the Emperor of Ethiopia.
It had been generally assumed since the death of Ras Makonnen, but it took on a more formal
existance now. Then in early May, 1909, the nobles were assembled before the Emperor,
and Empress Taitu approached him and asked publicly who his successor should be.
The weakened Emperor whispered in her ear and she turned to the assembly and said
"He says Lij Eyasu". However, a few days later on May 15th, 1909, at Jan Meda
(the Imperial parade ground), a proclamation of the Emperor was read to assembled
throngs of nobles, diplomats and subjects. It read "My child (lij) will succeed me".
There was no mention of Lij Eyasu's name, nor of any other person qualified to be called
the Emperor's child.
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