Hiru Wolde Selassie

Hiru Wolde Selassie (May 8, 1878 - September 19, 1938) - Abyssinian politician, diplomat and foreign minister, writer, historian and bibliographer, public figure. One of the largest cultural figures in Abyssinia (Ethiopia) in the first half of the 20th century. By nationality was Amhara , he wrote his works in Amharic.

Hiru Volde Selassie during a trip to Japan.

Born in the Menz region. Received primary education in one of the local monasteries. At the age of 13, he lost his father. He served as a deacon in the possessions of a large landowner, receiving food and clothing from him. Then he served on church matters with the military commander Bash Aboye, who had the title of dejazmacha . Then he entered the school at the monastery of St. The squeegees at Mount Entoto , having received there an additional religious education. At the same time, not content with traditional education, he learned English at the Swedish missionary school and French, working with the French veterinary mission ^[2] . He managed to get acquainted with the Tafari race (the future emperor Haile Selassie I), who in 1916, not yet having absolute power (the throne after the deposition of Iyasu V was occupied by Empress Zaudit ), appointed him mayor of Addis Ababa . In 1922, he led the Abyssinian delegation to a meeting of the League of Nations , and in 1924 accompanied him on a trip to Europe. In 1930, when Ras Tafari became a Negus , he was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs. In 1931 he made a diplomatic trip to Japan , being impressed by its culture and infrastructure, primarily military; subsequently advocated for a comprehensive expansion of cooperation with Japan and the use of the experience of modernization of this country during the Meiji Restoration to carry out reforms in Ethiopia ^[3] . During his service as a minister, he also made a trip to Jerusalem and several trips to Europe.

After the occupation of most of the country as a result of the Second Italo-Ethiopian War, he first voted against the negus fleeing the country, but then accompanied the monarch in exile in the UK. He died there, in the city of Fairford; was buried in Bath , but then his remains were reburied at home.

It is considered one of the first modern Ethiopian novelists. His first work was the documentary novel written in 1923, “My Heart is My Friend (on the Character and Behavior of Man).” His most famous works include a collection of biographies, “A Biography of Historical Persons of the Past and Present,” the historical novel “Emperor Johannes IV and Metemma” (1927), the novel “The Marriage of Birkhan Zion Mogas” (1930-1931), in which the author protested against common in his time in Ethiopia, the custom of marrying teenagers at the behest of their parents, social novels about raising children “Advice to the son, memory of the father” (1931) and “Me and my friends” (1935), the historical and philosophical novel “New World” in which criticized legged old traditions that existed in Ethiopia, including the religious. He also wrote enlightening stories, instructive poems, travel essays describing his diplomatic trips, “Catalog of books in the Geez and Amharic languages” (1911, 2nd edition - 1927–28) - a work written by him during his service in the church and became the first bibliographic work on the history of Ethiopian literature, as well as the “Document of Japan” (1932), a treatise in which he formulated the main provisions of his pro-Japanese philosophy.