Battle of Embabo The Battle of Embabo was fought 6 June 1882 , between the Shewa n forces of " Negus " Menelik II and the Gojjame forces of " Negus " Tekle Haymanot . The forces fought to gain control over the Oromia Region south of the Gibe River . The Gojjame forces under Tekle Haymanot were defeated . This is one of the three battles ( along with Chelenqo and Adwa ) which Donald Donham lists that led to Shewan supremacy over the rest of Ethiopia . Background . South of Gojjam , across the Abay River , and southwest of Shewa , lay the fertile Gibe region and the gold deposits beyond . Both polities craved control of these resources in order to assert dominance over the rest of Ethiopia . Of the two , the Gojjame had the earlier start and better position : as early as 1810 , a large volume of luxury trade passed North through Gojjam ( and its major market at Boso ) to the coast of the Red Sea , far more than passed east through Shewa to the coast . " Negus " Bofo of Limmu - Ennarea maintained good relations with the contemporary governor of Gojjam . A letter survives from his son Abba Bagibo to " Dejazmach " Goshu Zewde , seeking an alliance against a mutual foe . The armies of Shewa and Gojjam had clashed earlier in 1882 . The Shewan was led by " Ras " Gobana Dacche , and the Gojjame by " Ras " Darrasu , a deputy of " Negus " Tekle Haymanot ; " Ras " Gobana had forced his opponent to surrender the tribute he was bringing back to Tekle Haymanot . Humiliated , Tekle Haymanot exchanged angry words with his peer , Menelik II , which resulted with the two potentates leading their armies to face one another at Embabo near the Guder River . The battle . The battle began at 10 : 00 am with the Gojjame cannons firing at the enemy . The guns of both sides did little damage , and soon were inoperable . After a volley of rifle fire , soldiers on both sides charged and engaged their opponents in what Harold Marcus describes as " a fierce day - long battle of hand - to - hand combat , with both kings participating as ordinary soldiers . " Late in the afternoon the Gojjame center collapsed , and Tekle Haymanot was wounded then captured . The troops under his son , " Ras " Bezzabbeh , surrendered and were taken prisoner . Although " Ras " Darrasu continued to fight , a cavalry charge led by " Ras " Gobana on his flank ended their resistance , and the battle was over . More than half the Gojjame force was lost during the battle . The Shewans suffered 913 killed and 1 , 648 wounded . " In victory Menelik was prepared to be magnanimous , " Marcus states . Menelik allowed the common soldiers to return to their farms and plough their lands before the rainy season . For his vital role in the conflict , Menelik awarded " Ras " Gobana the governorship of the Gibe region , making the " Ras " potentially the most powerful man in Shewa — after " Negus " Menelik . However , there was one exception to Menelik ' s magnanimity . According to Oromo tradition , Tekle Haymanot had been captured by a slave named Sambato , who did not know the identity of his prisoner . " Ras " Mangasha Atikam did recognize Sambato ' s prisoner , bought his captive for ten Maria Theresa thaler s , and led him to " Ras " Gobana ' s tent . Gobana , on seeing the " Negus " , called to him in Amharic , " Gojjame , bring me the plate ! " – responding to a boast Tekle Haymanot had made before the two armies had clashed : " After the battle " Ras " Gobana will carry my " mitad " [ baking tray ] back to Gojjam . " Sambato also received his freedom and was made a " fitawrari " for capturing the enemy " negus " . However , Emperor Yohannes IV , their overlord , was outraged at his two vassals openly at war with each other and marched to Were Ilu , just inside Menelik ' s borders , where he demanded the release of Tekle Haymanot and his family . There the Emperor hammered out a compromise : Yohannes would take Agawmeder from " Negus " Tekle Haymanot and Wollo from " Negus " Menelik ; Menelik would surrender the arms he captured to Yohannes ' lieutenant " Ras " Alula Engida ; and a peace was cemented with several dynastic marriages , including " Negus " Menelik to the daughter of a noble family from the Emperor ' s own domain , Taitu Betul .